Airline disasters in Pakistan's history

On August 1, 1957, 24 people were killed when a Pakistan International Airlines flight crashed in the Bay of Bengal. The next year, over 20 people died when a PIA flight crashed in New Delhi. 1965 was one of the deadliest years for Pakistan International Airlines. Two flights crashed, one in the Lowery Pass, which killed 22 people. The other, was an inaugural flight that was headed to London, and crashed 12 miles away from the Cairo airport. According to a report in the Evening Independent newspaper, the Karachi-London flight was scheduled to pick up 52 passengers from Cairo. Of the 126 people on board, only six survived. Among the dead were 93 Pakistanis, while the six survivors were also Pakistani. The report stated, “Captain Akbar Aly Khan, pilot of the four engine jet, reported engine trouble and a fire in the landing gear minutes before the crash.” In 1970, a Fokker plane crashed soon after take-off in Islamabad, killing 30 passengers. In 1972, another Fokker plane crashed in Rawalpindi, and all 26 on board died. On November 26, 1979, one of the worst aviation disasters in the country’s history occurred. A PIA flight crashed on take-off in Taif in Saudi Arabia, killing 156 people. The passengers included 110 pilgrims returning from Mecca.Sarasota Journal quoted a Radio Pakistan report that said that the “first indication of an emergency came when the plane’s pilot radioed ‘there was smoke in the cabin and cockpit’ and shortly after the captain called out ‘Mayday’.” Two more Fokker crashes occurred in the 1980s. One crash, that took place in Peshawar on October 13, 1986, killed 13, while the other, on August 25, 1989, killed 54. The latter crashed in Gilgit and hikers reported seeing a low-flying plane in the area. The October 13 crash was reportedly caused by wedding celebrations in Peshawar, according to the New York Times. The NYT quoted Dawn as saying that the crash “may have been the result of gunfire that hit the aircraft or distracted the pilot” and that “seven bridegrooms who were celebrating their marriages that night were arrested in Peshawar.” The biggest aviation disaster to date was the PIA flight that crashed in the Nepal capital of Kathmandu in September 1992 and killed all 167 people on board. The plane burst into flames as it was about to land at the Kathmandu airport. The dead included 37 Britons and 3 Americans. A report in the Herald Scotland at the time said, “Flight PX268, en route to the Nepalese capital from Karachi, was carrying scores of European holidaymakers, many of them backpackers and members of climbing teams.” The last major airline disaster was in 2006, when a 27-year-old Fokker plane crashed into a wheat field in Multan two minutes after taking off. The same year, Pakistan International Airlines discontinued use of Fokker planes. The Associated Press quoted a government official saying that “the planes were still airworthy and the decision to stop using them for passenger flights was made to allay people’s safety fears.” Other airlines have also seen plane crashes within Pakistani territory, including a Soviet (now Russian) Aeroflot cargo plane that crashed in Karachi, killing 9 people.

US concerned over ISI's links with Lashkar, Haqqani network

The US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman, Admiral Mike Mullen, has said that Washington remained concerned over Pakistani intelligence agency ISI's alleged links with Lashkar-e-Tayyaba (LeT) and the Haqqani network. Mullen said: "Any links which exist with terrorist organisations, whether it's Haqqani or LeT, are completely unacceptable. I am appalled at the release. I feel very strongly that we need to make sure to do all we can that leaks like this don't occur." The 92,000 documents released by WikiLeaks on Sunday, dating from 2004 to 2009, alleges Pakistan for allowing its spies to meet directly with the Taliban and even plot to assassinate Afghan leaders and US soldiers. Admiral Mullen said he was "appalled" at the leak of 92,000 secret military files on the Afghan mission, but that the information about Pakistan's activities and other details were taken into account during a major strategy review on the war last year. "Certainly the information that I've seen so far in the documents, there's nothing in there that wasn't reviewed or considered in the strategic review on the war last year," Mullen told reporters on his plane before landing in Iraq. The Daily Times quoted him as saying that the Obama administration was still "working through" all the documents, adding that most of the files appeared to be "field level information, raw intelligence". Asked if the files show Pakistan has duped Washington, Admiral Mullen said that was not the case and that the US had made clear to Islamabad its concerns about possible links to militant groups.

Pakistan jet with 152 on board crashes

A Pakistani passenger plane crashed in heavy rain near Islamabad on Wednesday, killing at least 90 people and officials said it was unlikely that there would be any survivors among the 152 people on board. The Airbus 321, belonging to private airline Airblue, crashed into a heavily wooded and hard-to-access hillside while flying from the southern port city of Karachi. Rescue workers were scouring the site for bodies, officials said. "Most of the bodies are charred. We're sending body-bags via helicopters. It's a very difficult operation because of the rain," said Aamir Ali Ahmed, a senior city government official. "We can pray and hope but what experts are saying is that there's no chance of any survivors," he added. Earlier reports that five survivors had been pulled from the wreckage were wrong, said Imtiaz Elahi, chairman of the state-run Capital Development Authority, a city municipal body. "It would be a miracle but we're not expecting any survivors," said another official, who declined to be named. Rescuers said they had to dig through the rubble with their bare hands, with fire and thick smoke hampering their work. The fire has since been extinguished, but access to the hillside remained limited to pedestrians and helicopters. "You find very few intact bodies. Basically, we are collecting bodies parts and putting them in bags," Bin Yameen, senior officer in the Islamabad police, told Reuters from the scene of the crash. "I don't know the exact death toll but one can imagine not many could survive in such a bad situation. The plane lost contact with the control room of the Islamabad International Airport at 0443 GMT. It was carrying 146 passengers and six crew members. The crash site is on the Margalla Hills facing Islamabad, about 300 meters (yards) up the side of the hills. Smoke could be seen from some districts of the city after the crash. "It was raining. I saw the plane flying very low from the window of my office," witness Khadim Hussain said. Heavy monsoon rains have lashed the area for the past few days.

Administration Says War Document Leak is Illegal, Harmful Amid Call for Probe

The Obama administration on Monday called the release of thousands of classified documents on the Afghanistan war a "breach of federal law," as a prominent senator said the government needs to press charges in the case. "Somebody ought to be wearing an orange jumpsuit," said Missouri Sen. Kit Bond, ranking Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs faced a barrage of questions on the leak at the daily press briefing Monday. He dismissed the contents as devoid of "broad revelations," but nevertheless expressed concern that sensitive information would be detailed in the more than 75,000 documents leaked. An expected 15,000 more also are expected to be revealed. "You have the potential for names and for operations and for programs to be out there in the public domain, that it, besides being against the law, has the potential to be very harmful to those that are in our military, those that are cooperating with our military, and those that are working to keep us safe," Gibbs said. Though a Pentagon spokesman said Monday morning that there is no investigation "at this point" and the Justice Department would not comment on the matter, Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell told Fox News the department wants to find out who originally leaked the information to "make sure there's not any more coming." He said it remains to be seen whether any action will be taken against those involved in the leak. The document dump over the weekend was not the last of it. WikiLeaks.org founder Julian Assange said he released 76,000 documents, but that the remaining 15,000 were being withheld pending further review. He said some would be released and others would be withheld until it is safe to release them. Pentagon spokesman Col. Dave Lapan told reporters Monday that the military takes the leak "very seriously" and is in the process of reviewing the information. Lapan said it could take "weeks" to review all of them as they are released. "As they are made available, we will be looking at them to try to determine the potential damage to lives of our service members and our coalition partners, whether they reveal sources and methods and any potential damage to national security," he said. Earlier, the Obama administration said the document dump would not hurt the war effort, but condemned the release as "irresponsible" and said Wikileaks "made no effort" to contact the federal government before releasing them. A U.S. official warned that much of the material covers "unvarnished, unvetted, uncorroborated reporting" from people in the region who may have "agendas." Officials also accused Wikileaks of having an anti-Afghanistan war agenda. "Wikileaks seems to have an agenda of its own -- and it goes beyond publishing classified information for the benefit of others to analyze," the U.S. official said. "They purport to be objective at the same time they offer their own opinions of the war. That's truly shameful. No one is denying that there are real challenges in Afghanistan, but you'd never want Wikileaks to be your meteorologist. They see nothing but dark clouds. As we all know, weather cycles are more nuanced than that." The classified U.S. records on the war, marking one of the largest unauthorized disclosures in military history, cover a time period that largely predates the Obama administration as well as the new strategy and surge announced at the end of 2009. They apparently cover a period from January 2004 to December 2009. The documents cover much of what the public already knows about the troubled nine-year conflict: U.S. special-ops forces have targeted militants without trial, Afghans have been killed by accident and U.S. officials have been infuriated by alleged Pakistani intelligence cooperation with the very insurgent groups bent on killing Americans. National Security Adviser Gen. James Jones said in a written statement that relations with the Pakistanis and other trouble spots have improved since the end of 2009. "On December 1, 2009, President Obama announced a new strategy with a substantial increase in resources for Afghanistan, and increased focus on Al Qaeda and Taliban safe-havens in Pakistan, precisely because of the grave situation that had developed over several years," he said. Jones lambasted Wikileaks.org for releasing the massive trove of documents. "The United States strongly condemns the disclosure of classified information by individuals and organizations which could put the lives of Americans and our partners at risk, and threaten our national security," he said. WikiLeaks posted the documents Sunday. The New York Times, London's Guardian newspaper and the German weekly Der Spiegel were given early access to the records. Assange, who held a press conference in London to address the documents, said Monday his organization has "no reason to doubt the reliability" of the records. He said the records will "shape an understanding" of the war's first six years, though he said the documents did not include any "top secret" information. He claimed that "there does appear to be evidence of war crimes in this material," in a reference to at least seven reported civilian casualties. A White House aide said many of the concerns addressed in the documents had been addressed publicly by U.S. officials. Pakistan's Ambassador Husain Haqqani said the documents "do not reflect the current on-ground realities," in which his country and Washington are "jointly endeavoring to defeat Al Qaeda and its Taliban allies." Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry, D-Mass., though, suggested the release could lead to a change in policy. He said in a written statement that "however illegally" the documents were released, they raise "serious questions" about U.S. policy toward the region. "Those policies are at a critical stage and these documents may very well underscore the stakes and make the calibrations needed to get the policy right more urgent," he said. The U.S. and Pakistan assigned teams of analysts to read the records online to assess whether sources or locations were at risk. The Guardian said the documents "fail to provide a convincing smoking gun" for complicity between the Pakistan intelligence services and the Taliban. The New York Times interpreted the papers differently, saying they reveal that only a short time ago, there was far less harmony in U.S. and Pakistani exchanges. The Times said the "raw intelligence assessments" by lower level military officers suggest that Pakistan "allows representatives of its spy service to meet directly with the Taliban in secret strategy sessions to organize networks of militant groups that fight against American soldiers in Afghanistan, and even hatch plots to assassinate Afghan leaders." 

Why should India talk to the army?

After the recent India-Pakistan talks debacle in Islamabad, there were some murmurs that have turned into a crescendo from the Indian side that the real people to talk to are in Rawalpindi, not in Islamabad. This has surprised some analysts in Pakistan.“Governments can only talk to governments, regardless of the issue of their legitimacy or efficacy. Even when State institutions talk to each other across borders, they do so with the approval of their respective governments. In the past, Indian officials and political leaders have talked to generals and politicians and bureaucrats in Pakistan, depending on who was in power and who was authorised by the government in power to talk to India. Today, American political leaders and generals talk to Pakistan’s political leaders and generals only with the implicit or explicit approval of the civilian government in power. But, for a host of reasons, this laxity or leverage is not likely to be available to India even if India were to demand it.” From the point of view of some other analysts, the Indian perspective is naïve.  Nusrat Javeed, journalist with television news channel Dunya News Pakistan, says that Delhi had been negotiating with General Pervez Musharraf and it's believed that it reached a ‘near-final’ agreement. “Musharraf was in control from October 12, 1999 until the judicial crisis erupted in 2007. But did being in ‘total control’ really help? Our friends in India want us to endorse the feeling that General Kayani is the man to talk to while the civilian government does not matter much,” said Javeed. “They should understand that Shah Mehmood Qureshi represents the forces that be and unless the ‘institutional concerns’ are addressed, nothing substantive is going to happen on the Indo-Pak front.” It is in India’s interest to keep Foreign Minister Qureshi engaged. India’s advocacy to talk directly to the security establishment smacks of double standards. If New Delhi wants to engage with the Pakistani establishment, then Islamabad should be allowed to hold talks with the Indian military establishment as well, since the issues including Kashmir, Siachen and Sir Creek are directly related to the Indian military. Would India allow Pakistan the same leeway that it wants to be granted?

Gilani prefers continuity to change in Army's top structure

“The term of the President, the Prime Minister and the Chief Justice is till 2013. The term of the Chief of Army Staff [COAS] has also been extended to 2013. Now all have secure positions and should work as per the Constitution,” Premier Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani told the media on Friday; 15 hours after he went on national television to announce the three-year extension of General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani's term. That said, Mr. Gilani left the media interaction. But, then he had said it all. He had admitted that the extension — widely covered in the international media — was an “insurance policy” to borrow a phrase used by journalist Nusrat Javed on his show. The decision itself did not take many by surprise because this has been in the air for a while now. What did surprise many, though, was the duration of the extension. Still, the response has been muted; both from the Opposition and the Pakistani media, which is ever ready to put the government in the dock on every issue. While part of the reason is the Army's continuing clout over Pakistani polity, where the military establishment remains a sacrosanct institution seldom put under the scanner, there is evident grudging respect for the way General Kayani has conducted himself over the past three years which saw the country return to a democratic framework but has been beset with problems the ruling elite appears to be blind to. In fact — in a country prone to conspiracy theories — there have been whispers of the establishment planning to put together a “national government of technocrats.” These “persistent rumours” of an “unholy alliance of the new power troika in Pakistan — generals, judges and the media — to undo the current malfunctioning system and establish a ‘national government of technocrats' to steer the country…” were echoed recently in The Friday Timeseditorial also. So, it didn't require the Prime Minister's candour to establish that stability in the political arrangement was the primary reason for the government preferring continuity to change in the Army's top command structure. “There was risk in change in the present context and caution prevailed,” explained the former Secretary (Defence Production), Ministry of Defence, Talat Masood.

No winner in Nepal run-off election

Nepal's prime ministerial election run off on Friday failed to come up with a clear winner and will be held again, after ten days. UCPN (Maoist) chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda' got 241 votes while Nepali Congress vice-president Ram Chandra Paudel got 123 votes, insufficient to lead a majority government. They need a minimum of 300 votes from the 599 Constituent Assembly members. Both contestants polled one less vote than what they got in Wednesday's election. Only 572 lawmakers were present when voting was held for Mr. Dahal while six more were present for Mr. Paudel. The prime ministerial candidates have not been able to gather a majority mainly because the CPN (UML) has stayed away from voting. With 109 seats in the Constituent Assembly, they have been demanding a consensus government. CPN(UML) chairman Jhalanath Khanal had filed his nomination withdrew later as the party was unable to gather two-thirds majority or 401 votes. The prime ministerial election has been indecisive also because various Madhesi parties decided to stay neutral and their total 82 votes have not been cast. The next election would be held on August 2.

Murali’s figures speak of a legacy

The first Test at Galle was forgettable in many ways for India, but it was a perfect script as far as Muttiah Muralitharan was concerned. He had to struggle a bit for his last wicket but when it came through, it capped off a perfect Test for Sri Lanka. They won the toss, got the runs on the board, the tail wagged with an important contribution and they finished the game strongly. Crucially, on a pitch like this, they had decisive partnerships. With the bat there was the 181-run Tharanga Paranavitana and Kumar Sangakkara stand and with the ball there was Muralitharan and Lasith Malinga. On both counts, India fell short and they paid the price. Understandably, the Test was a lot about Murali. What he has achieved is not merely a stupendous individual feat, but also means a lot to Sri Lanka. Murali put them on the cricketing map, taking perhaps 50 pc of their wickets in the last decade. There are some amazing figures around - 22 10-wicket hauls, 67 five-wicket hauls, 800 wickets overall, and when you consider that the next in the list among active cricketers is Harbhajan Singh with 355 scalps, you understand the legacy Murali leaves behind. All this was only possible through his love for bowling and his sheer passion for long spells, whether in practice or out in the middle. For the best part of his career he knew that he was the one who had to take the wickets.

Sindh minister needs his Secretary to write for him in English

When everyone is talking about the fake degrees of the MPs, Sindh Minister for Population Welfare, Ali Mardan Shah was compelled to use his secretary to write comments in English in the guests' book at the mausoleum of the Quaid-e-Azam, private TV Channels reported on Sunday. According to details, the Sindh Minister, Ali Mardan Shah visited the Quaid's mausoleum on the world population day. At the time of writing comments in the guests' book, the minister showing no care for all the cameras present for the coverage, called the Secretary Population Sindh, and asked him to write comments for him in English. The Secretary Population followed the instructions of his minister and wrote comments in the guests' book. Later, the Provincial Minister stamped his signature under that note of the Secretary Population, to pretend as it was written by him.

Lebanese mark Israel's 2006 war

The United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) was formed after the 33-day conflict and is tasked with maintaining security of Lebanon's southern border with Israel.

Amid new reports that Israel is getting ready for another war against Lebanon, people in Lebanon have marked the fourth anniversary of Israel's assault on the country.

The anniversary comes as Israeli media reported last week the Tel Aviv regime was conducting military exercises at Elyakim training base, near Haifa, to simulate attacks on Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon.

The base is covered with many simulated minefields and camouflaged bunkers. Israeli troops are exercising to pass those spots and find ""rocket sites,"" according to the report.

Israeli troops will then be transported to Golan Heights by helicopters to be trained conducting other operations.

In 2006, Israel's devastating 33-day war against Lebanon claimed the lives of more than 1,200 Lebanese civilians, many of them women and children.

However, the Israeli military faced fierce Hezbollah resistance and was eventually forced to leave Lebanon without achieving any of its objectives.

The Israeli withdrawal came after the UN Security Council issued Resolution 1701, which ended the conflict and formed the United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to maintain security of Lebanon's southern border with Israel. 

Low set for German honour

Germany coach Joachim Low is set to be awarded the country's Federal Cross of Merit for his achievements in the World Cup. Low's young squad saw off Uruguay in a dramatic third-place play-off on Saturday, coming from behind earlier in the match to secure a 3-2 win. Germany President Christian Wulff subsequently announced the honour would be made, with the players set to be decorated with the Silver Laurel. Low's side looked incredible against England and Argentina, putting four goals past their rivals in the last 16 and quarter-finals respectively. They crashed out to Euro 2008 champions Spain at the semi-final stage, but still showed an enormous amount of desire to take third, with some 300,000 supporters reported to have cheered them on in various public viewing areas in Germany.

"Irrational" Iran can't get nuclear arms: Netanyahu

"Irrational regimes" like Iran cannot be allowed to have nuclear arms and it is a mistake to think Tehran's ambitions can be contained, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on U.S. television. Netanyahu, who met President Barack Obama last week during a visit to Washington and New York, told "Fox News Sunday" that Iran was "just moving on with its efforts" to develop nuclear weapons -- a prospect he called "very, very dangerous." Asked whether a nuclear Iran could be contained, he said: "No, I don't. I think that's a mistake, and I think people fall into a misconception." "I don't think you can rely on Iran," Netanyahu said in a taped interview. "And we should not allow irrational regimes like Iran to have nuclear weapons. It's the ultimate terrorist threat today." Netanyahu declined to say whether he had any deadline for allowing diplomacy with Iran to run its course. "We always reserve the right to defend ourselves," he said, reiterating a core policy of Israel, which does not confirm or deny widely held beliefs that it has the only nuclear arsenal in the Middle East. Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only. But the United States and its allies fear Tehran is pursuing an atomic weapons program and have pushed a series of United Nations and unilateral sanctions against Iran.

Pentagon working on hummingbird-sized spy drones

A new Pentagon project aims to produce unmanned nano aerial vehicles that can be launched by soldiers in crowded urban areas to spy on enemy positions. Soldiers fighting future battleble to launch hummingbird-sized uns in crowded urban areas will be amanned nano aerial vehicles — or NAVs – capable of carrying sophisticated sensors and flying through open windows in buildings to report back on enemy positions. A new project partly funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) called the Nano Aerial Vehicle (NAV) program aims to develop an extremely small, ultra-lightweight aerial vehicle for urban military missions that can fly both indoors and outdoors and that is capable of climbing and descending vertically as well as flying sideways left and right. DARPA says the NAV program pushes the limits of aerodynamic and power conversion efficiency, endurance and maneuverability for very small air vehicle systems.

Newest friends on Facebook? Pakistan militants

Pakistan militant groups are using Facebook, Twitter, and text messages to share their views and even incite violence. They are targeting a wider, more educated, and urban, audience. The Pakistan government has "no plans" to block the messages. Extremist groups in Pakistan are joining the social networking site – and tweeting on Twitter and sending text messages – to share notes on upcoming conferences and post videos on the West’s agenda against Islam. They also spread provocative views and encourage attacks against Pakistan’s Ahmadi religious minority. And they often do so without fear of crackdown by authorities. “its now time to implenet islam [sic] and hang black water, rehamn malik and zardari till death,” posts one user, referring to the private American security firm, Pakistan’s interior minister, and Pakistan's president. That post appeared on the page of Hizb-ut-Tahrir, a global Islamist party that denounces democracy and campaigns for the establishment of a global caliphate (akin to an empire) based on Islamic Law. The user goes by “Commander Khattab,” the name of deceased Chechen guerrilla leader. “The Ahmadi community is responsible for civil-war within the Muslim community, what do you think?” posts another user on the Facebook page of Khutum-e-Naboohat. The organization, which is dedicated to denouncing the Ahmadi sect of Islam, organized street demonstrations against them ahead of a massacre of 95 Ahmadis in May. Other groups maintain websites dedicated to condemning Shiites.

The new Obama style: cozy up to world leaders

Barack Obama is well known for big speeches, not small talk. But in recent weeks, the president has turned on the charm with world leaders, trying to create warm personal ties for the cold purposes of furthering American interests. The latest example was his cozy hosting of Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to the White House. Only a few months ago, the two men were stern and steely toward each other, a result of policy differences and what appeared to be an Israeli slap at Vice President Joe Biden in March. But during a recent White House visit, Mr. Netanyahu was showered with praise. Mr. Obama referred to their “excellent one-on-one.” Perhaps the president now believes that a bit of honey in his communications with Israeli leaders – as well as with many other foreign officials – will achieve more than the vinegar of criticism. Obama’s same glad-hand approach was on display last month with Russia’s president, Dmitry Medvedev. The two lawyerly leaders, who have already met often, went out for burgers at an American diner, chatting it up like two regular guys. No doubt their newfound trust in each other helped quickly resolve the touchy issue of Russian spies being caught in the United States. The later swap of spies-for-spies on a Vienna airport tarmac did, in fact, go rather smoothly. Obama has also tried to bridge a big communication gap with China’s leader, Hu Jintao – not an easy task for any foreign leader. At the recent Group of 20 meeting in Canada, the two men worked on their relationship as much as they did on issues. The result? An invitation for a state visit to the White House – a sign of closer ties and only the third state visit hosted by Obama.

Survey: Europeans back veil ban, Americans opposed

While most Americans oppose banning face-covering Islamic veils, most western Europeans questioned in a new global poll say the garments should be forbidden — especially in France, where a ban may soon be a reality. Several European countries have been considering bans on such veils, with special attention on France, home to western Europe's largest Muslim community and a strongly secular government. The lower house of France's parliament is expected to approve a divisive bill Tuesday that would make it illegal to wear full-face veils in public. The government says such veils oppress women. Only a very small minority of French Muslim women wear veils such as the niqab or burqa, and many French Muslims fear a ban would stigmatize the whole Islamic community. A survey by the Pew Global Attitudes Project found that an overwhelming 82 percent of French respondents support a ban. The poll found 71 percent support in Germany, 62 percent in Britain and 59 percent in Spain. In the United States, 28 percent of those questioned said they would approve a ban. The pollsters questioned more than 4,000 people by telephone in the five countries as part of a larger poll on global attitudes conducted in April and May. The margin of error was plus or minus 4 or 5 percentage points for the countries asked about the veil. The study was released Thursday. In the United States and Europe, respondents to the poll who were over 55 were more likely to support a ban than those age 18 to 34. Those on the political right were more likely to support a ban than those on the left, except in Spain.

The Amazing Electronic Cigarette Released

Electronic Cigarettes offer consumers to switch over from traditional cigarettes to an e cigarette or commonly known as Electronic Cigarette. Let's face it, smoking can be kind of gross.  It leaves traces of itself all over.  You can always tell who smokes because often their car, house, clothes, breath, and hair all smell like smoke.  This is one of the worst side effects of smoking because you are instantly labeled.  Not only do you start smelling like your habit, you also are subject to all of the nasty side effects that smoke brings with it.  In the traditional method of smoking you actually burn tar, glue, and other additives and then inhale them into your lungs.  This can be dangerous to your health and the to the health of those around  you. In an effort to clean up smoking and make it a healthier practice, the electronic cigarette has been produced.  This product is pretty amazing because it allows you to take part in all of your favorite things about smoking without having any smoke!  The way that this device accomplishes this is by using a unique stem and an e liquid that is made out of a mixture of flavors, propylene glycol, and nicotine.  You can get electronic cigarettes in a variety of different shapes and sizes and you can fill them with e liquids that come in many different flavors and also have differing levels of nicotine.  This is a great way to get rid of many of the bad parts of smoking without having to quit cold turkey and go through the horrible withdrawal process

Lindsay Lohan: Mean girls go to jail

Lindsay Lohan was sentenced to 90 days in jail Tuesday for her failure to attend alcohol education classes after a series of drunk driving charges stemming back to 2007. The media orgiastically detailed every look, word and tear the fallen starlet issued in court, just as it has obsessively covered every other mishap in this young woman's excruciatingly public life. There are fights with her father, fights with her former girlfriend, fights with current and former boyfriends, fights with former BFFs like Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie. She dyes her hair. She loses too much weight. Her boobs may or may not be fake. Her lips may or may not be Restalyne-inflated. She gets kicked out of a nightclub, or not let into a nightclub, or falls down coming out of a nightclub, or passes out in the passenger seat of a car after partying at a nightclub.Meanwhile, badly behaving male celebrities collectively get a media ho-hum. Last month Motley Crue singer Vince Neil was arrested for driving under the influence, despite the fact that in 1984 he killed a rocker friend of his who had the misfortune to be in his car after a night of drinking. For that crime Neil pleaded guilty to vehicular manslaughter and was sentenced to 30 days in jail--60 less than Lindsay was just handed. Neil served 15 days and paid out $2.6 million. Chris Klein, star of the popular American Pie movies, was arrested for DUI in June. He too is a repeat offender. In May Hideki Irabu, a former Yankees pitcher, was pulled over for DUI. In all cases, the media shrugged. As for Mel Gibson, one might think he'd been arrested in 2006 for anti-Semitic remarks, not driving while intoxicated. In April, when Michael Douglas' son Cameron was sentenced to five years in jail for dealing drugs, the judge blasted his parents for being "problematic" and "immature" when Cameron was growing up. One could arguably say the same about Lindsay's parents, but her judge made no mention of this.

China, Pak ink pact to build two highways in PoK

China, which plans to have a rail link with Pakistan through the strategic Karakoram ranges, has signed another agreement with the country for building two highways in the disputed Gilgit-Baltistan region in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir close to the Chinese border. The agreement was signed during Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari’s ongoing six-day visit to China. The two highways are estimated to be built at the cost of Rs 45 Lakh, Pakistan’s official APP news agency reported. Under the agreement, China would meet 85 per cent of the cost while Pakistan would pay for the remaining 15 per cent. China would build the 165-km Jaglot-Skardu road as well as the 135-km-long Thakot-Sazin road in the disputed region. The roads, besides the new rail network across the Karakoram pass into Pakistan, would facilitate free movement of goods between the two countries. India has already expressed its concerns over the proposed rail link. External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna said in New Delhi that “we are closely watching what is happening.” Earlier, Minister of State for Defence M.M. Pallam Raju said on the issue that it is definitely a matter of concern. “But we are taking our counter measures and we are doing our own preparation.”

Psychic octopus Paul predicts Spain to beat Holland in World Cup final

The octopus said to have psychic powers after predicting all of Germany's six World Cup games correctly, has had his say regarding the final in Johannesburg on Sunday – and it is good news for Spain. The two-year-old cephalopod, called Paul and based at the Sea Life Aquarium in the western German city of Oberhausen, decided that Spain would win the final by going for the mussel in the box with a Spanish flag rather than the one with a Dutch flag on it. Before that, he had predicted that Germany will emerge victorious from their third-place play-off against Uruguay tomorrow night. "Paul is such a professional oracle he doesn't even care that hundreds of journalists are watching and commenting on every move he makes," said Stefan Porwoll, the Sea Life Aquarium manager. "We're so proud of him." The Weymouth-born octopus has become an international celebrity after picking the winner in each of Germany's World Cup games in South Africa, including the surprise defeat against Serbia in the group stage and the loss to Spain in the semi-final. The Spanish prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero said jokingly yesterday that he was prepared to offer state protection to Paul before today's performance, which was live on German TV. "I am concerned for the octopus ... I am thinking of sending him a protective team," he said. The Spanish environment and fisheries minister, Elena Espinosa, added: "On Monday, I shall be at the European Council of Ministers and I shall be asking for a [fishing] ban on Paul the octopus so the Germans do not eat him."

Petraeus: 'We Are in This to Win'

Gen. David Petraeus took command of coalition forces under the pine trees near NATO headquarters in the Afghan capital Sunday, and called on civilian and military leaders to unite in their support for the war and show "we are in this to win." Despite mounting casualties and a stiff insurgency, Gen. Petraeus vowed the North Atlantic Treaty Organization coalition had a long-term commitment to Afghanistan and that "neither insurgents nor our partners in the region should doubt that." Gen. Petraeus avoided any mention of a July 2011 deadline for beginning the withdrawal of troops—part of the Obama administration's war plan that has drawn increasing criticism, including from the Afghan ambassador to Washington. But Gen. Petraeus appeared to make a passing reference to next year's proposed drawdown, saying NATO was looking forward to Afghan forces taking more responsibility for security, and that "certainly the character of our commitment will change over time."

Devastated Diego Maradona is ready to quit after Germany rout Argentina

A tearful Diego Maradona said he may quit as Argentina coach after his side were thrashed 4-0 by Germany, their worst World Cup result since they lost to Holland by the same score in 1974. Maradona, who was brought in two years ago to save Argentina’s qualifying campaign, was on course to become only the third man, after Mario Zagallo and Franz Beckenbauer, to win the World Cup as a player and a manager. He said: ‘I may leave tomorrow but I would like these boys to go on, showcasing the real Argentine football that we played here. ‘I haven’t thought about the future and I have to check with my family. ‘This is the toughest moment of my life and only thing I can compare it to is the day that I stopped playing football. We had so many good players that it is a real kick in the teeth and I don’t have any more energy for anything.’ Maradona seemed to become involved in a scuffle with opposition fans after the game, but Germany manager Joachim Low said: ‘Maradona’s response after the match is not something I followed closely. 'We were celebrating on the bench and our players were celebrating on the pitch. 'I saw him outside the dressing room and he was disappointed, devastated, that much was clear.’

MQM workers killing policemen

Workers of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement have been booked in the murder case of a police officer and his armed guard who were ambushed in a Lines Area locality on Thursday evening, officials said on Friday. Capital City Police Officer Waseem Ahmed confirmed that the suspects nominated in the FIR (308/2010) were associated with the MQM. However, an MQM spokesman declined to comment. Inspector Nasir-ul-Hasan, the SHO of the Brigade police station, who was known for the active role he played in the ‘Karachi operation’ of the 1990s, along with his armed guard, Khurram Butt, was targeted when he was returning to the police station in his private jeep.

Top 10 World’s Most Corrupt Countries

Somalia

In a continuous state of civil war since 1991, this country has become synonymous with piracy, probably its most lucrative industry. The millions of dollars in ransom money Somalia’s pirates extract from nervous shipowners each year–Reuters reports 47 ships captured in 2009–fuels on-shore corruption and vicious gang warfare. There are signs of hope for this beleaguered nation: The African Development Bank has promised $2 million to establish a central bank and anti-corruption commission.

Afghanistan

President Hamid Karzai’s brother is widely reported to have ties to the nation’s virulent opium trade, and even President Obama has felt compelled to lecture Karzai on his government’s reputation for rampant corruption. But with the Taliban still sheltering Osama bin Laden and billions of dollars in U.S. aid for corrupt officials to steal, it’s unlikely Afghanistan will clean up its act any time soon.

Myanmar

The generals who run this Asian nation, formerly known as Burma, have a good thing going, and they’re not going to give it up. Rich in timber, minerals, natural gas, as well an ideal transit point for illegal drugs, Myanmar has become the scene of "economic plunder" by its rulers, according to dissident Ka Hsaw Wa. The U.S. government has prohibited investment in Myanmar since 1997, and more recently slapped sanctions against more than 100 of its leaders and top economic institutions

Sudan

Leave aside the fact that Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir has been indicted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and genocide. This resource-rich nation has a problem telling its citizens where their money’s going. Global Witness uncovered serious discrepancies between how Chinese oil companies report their Sudanese oil production and the government’s accounting for the same. With $6 billion in royalty revenue in recent years, even a 10% gap could mean hundreds of millions of dollars gone AWOL.

Iraq

Compared to the reign of Saddam Hussein, any government would look good. But still, Iraq’s Shiite leaders are widely criticized by citizens for corrupt dealings that deprive the country of reliable water, electricity and fuel supplies. In a possibly hopeful sign, Iraq has joined the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, an Oslo-based program that aims to reduce corruption by requiring member governments to reveal contracts and payments by foreign oil drillers.

Chad

The World Bank pulled out of a $3.7 billion pipeline project in 2008 after President Idriss Deby commandeered oil revenue that was supposed to be used for health care, education and the reduction of poverty. More recently, a Chadian court accused the nation’s finance and education ministers of corruption, including allegedly embezzling $4.3 million from a schoolbook purchasing program.

Uzbekistan

President Islam Karimov, an old communist warhorse, controls the legislature, judiciary and media and keeps getting elected by suspiciously large margins–88% of the vote in December 2007. With the government controlling large swaths of the economy, corruption and oppression are getting worse in the most populous nation in Central Asia. "Grades and degrees are routinely purchased" in the education system, according to the U.S. State Dept.

Turkmenistan

"Corruption is pervasive" in this resource-rich nation, says the State Department, with power concentrated in the hands of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov. The government controls most sectors of the economy, including Turkmenistan’s vast natural gas reserves, which make the country the second-largest gas exporter in the former Soviet Union after Russia.

Iran

If, as widely believed, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad stole the election in 2009, it’s because the wealthy families associated with Iran’s ruling mullahs and Revolutionary Guards aren’t willing to surrender control of this oil-driven economy. Inefficient subsidy programs, a huge state-controlled oil sector and smuggling to foil international sanctions all provide abundant opportunities for corruption.

Haiti

This island nation declared independence in 1804 and less than two years later its first emperor, Jean Jacques Dessalines, was shot and hacked to pieces by citizens angry over rampant corruption. Little has changed since then. The death toll from the 2010 earthquake illustrates how poorly Haiti’s government has provided for its citizens, while enriching the aristocratic families who control the economy.