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The rupee dropped a massive 3.5 per cent against the dollar during trading on Friday. Meanwhile, the State Bank of Pakistan took a series of measures in order to shore up the floundering currency.

The EarthTimes reports that the rupee closed at 69.60/80 (buying/selling), compared to 67.08/67.20 on Thursday, its biggest fall in five years. The Guardian says that the rupee has so far fallen 12.7 per cent for the year, caused by the continuing upward trend in oil prices and the country’s uncertain political situation.

Earlier on Friday the SBP announced a ban on the export of the British pound sterling, euro, and the United Arab Emirates’ dirham. The Earthtimes says the decision was taken to prevent a rapid flight of capital, as foreign exchange companies were using the currencies to buy US dollars abroad. The move led to widespread panic in the market, leading to the rupee being traded for as little as 70/70.10 in the unofficial open market.

The rupee’s rapid slide pushed the SBP into damage-control mode on Friday afternoon. CNBC Pakistan reports that SBP Governor Dr. Shamshad Akhtar called a meeting with bank chiefs and instructed them to take action to stabilise the currency. She then appeared in a press conference in an attempt to restore confidence in the rupee, staing that the currency’s current weakness was not reflective of the prevailing macro-economic situation in the country. She added that the SBP had made arrangements for large foreign exchange inflows in the coming week.

Despite a clean-up operation launched eight years ago by the Punjab government, influential milkmen in Lahore are keeping their cattle in urban areas without any fear or check. The District Administration is failing in its efforts to direct cattle owners to take their animals out of the city as 20,000 grazing animals have been reported as still being kept in the area. These animals have been responsible for spreading dirt, pollution and disease in the city.

Although the City District Government (CDG) has issued notices to cattle owners to remove their animals from the urban and prohibited areas, the District Coordination Officer admitted that there were thousands of people possessing cattle and hence, openly violating the provisions of the Local Bodies’ Ordinance. Since the deadline to remove the animals was May 5, the CDG would now start imposing fines on violators of the law.

In vicinities such as Allama Iqbal Town and Jouhar Town it has been reported that one can still find livestock including buffaloes, cows, horses and donkeys, roaming around the areas. A report in the Post stated that there had been a long litigation between the cattle owners, milkmen and the city administration regarding the removal of cattle, which the Lahore High Court had decided in favour of the city administration. Yet the milkmen are not making an effort to take their animals to the plots where they have been provided facilities for raising cattle.

An Islamic Sharia court in Malaysia has passed what is being hailed as a landmark ruling, allowing a Muslim convert to renounce Islam and revert back to her original religion of Buddhism. According to the BBC, Penang’s Sharia court ruled in favour of Siti Fatimah Tan Abdullah who converted to Islam to marry her Iranian husband Ferdoun Ashanian in 1998. Siti, who reportedly practiced Buddhism even after she had converted, filed for renunciation when her husband divorced her.

Islam is Malaysia’s official religion and more than 60 per cent of the nation’s 27 million people are Muslim. Islamic courts in the country play an authoritative role in the lives of the people to the extent that even the national judiciary cannot overrule a judgment made by a sharia court. This authority extends to everything from private family matters, to preventing conversion to other faiths and even separating inter-religious families. The case of Lina Joy, a Muslim who converted to Christianity in 1999, highlighted this when she lost her six-year long battle to legalise her conversion.

The ruling in the case of Siti, however, is a significant first step which according to minority groups will pave the way for a more tolerant approach towards apostasy (renouncing the Islamic faith) cases. “The court has no choice but to declare that Siti Fatimah Tan Abdullah is no longer a Muslim as she has never practiced the teaching of Islam,” the presiding judge Othman Ibrahim said. He also criticised the state Islamic council for not looking after the welfare of new converts.

Javeria Khan, a 19-year-old off-spinner from Karachi, took six wickets in a match against Bangladesh to give the Pakistan Women cricket team their first win in the ongoing Women’s Asia Cup in Sri Lanka on Thursday. While so far the tournament has been hugely disappointing for a below par team, a consolation win after four defeats gave the women in green something to cheer about.

The match was played in Dambulla, where the ball keeps low and the pitch supports slower bowlers. Pakistan Women batted first and were bowled out for 110 runs and only the lower order got some runs on the board. When the Bangladesh Women went in to bat, only Shathira Jakir and Ayesha Akhter were able to provide some resistance and both fell to skipper Urooj Mumtaz, who finished with three wickets. After that it was Javeria Khan who cleaned up the Bangladesh batting line-up with figures of six foreight off eight overs, including four maidens. The young offspinner was playing in only her second one-day international but managed to bring some respite to the team that lost its first four matches.Although a lot was expected from this side that only recently qualified for the women’s cricket world cup, they were hapless against the much stronger Indian and Sri Lankan teams and gave the Bangladeshi team their first ever one-day international victory in the earlier encounter. According to latest news, Pakistan have once again faced an embarrassing defeat at the hands of India Women, losing by 76 runs.

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar has taken into consideration a plan to introduce a progressive tax system through the finance bill. Dar said on Thursday that the increase in taxable income will assist the government in funding development projects in the country and also improve the economy.

To achieve a workable format of the system, his ministry is preparing a non-partisan and non-political database with the help of the National Database and Registration Authority. This is being done in order to ensure that the proposed relief reaches the right people and is not taken advantage of by the privileged members of society. Dar mentioned that while the lower-income members of the country paid around 10 per cent of their income, the rich got away with paying significantly less. “We have, therefore, decided to introduce a progressive tax system to make the rich pay taxes commensurate with their incomes,” he added.  

Though Dar has been quite vocal about blaming Shaukat Aziz for the mismanagement of the country’s economy, he chose a more reserved stance towards the former prime minister in his meeting with the press. “What is past is past. I don’t have time to dwell on what had happened or did not happen in the past eight years. I am busy in damage control, in fire fighting, and I am succeeding.”

Hezbollah and Shiite opposition fighters captured a number of Beirut neighborhoods from Sunni forces loyal to the Lebanese government on Friday. According to an Associated Press report, 11 people have been killed and over 20 wounded in three days of sporadic fighting and skirmishes.

Also on Friday, a television station owned by prominent Sunni politician Saad Hariri was forced to shut down and the office of its affiliated newspaper was attacked and torched by Shiite gunmen. Additionally, the international airport remained inaccessible as burning barricades blocked major highways in the city.

Sporadic gunfire and explosions could be heard across various parts of Beirut and Hezbollah gunmen roamed unopposed in several areas known to be dominated by supporters of Hariri and the government.

Clashes broke out in various parts of Beirut on Thursday afternoon after Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah accused the government of declaring war on his movement. Fighting began along Corniche Mazraa, an avenue separating Shiite and Sunni areas. The violence rapidly spread to other parts of the city as Shiite and Sunni gunmen fought pitched battles in the streets.  

An analysis by Robert Fisk, a writer for The Independent points out the underlying Iran-American connection in this conflict. Undoubtedly, the clashes in Beirut are between Shiite and Sunni factions, the former supporting the Iranian-backed Hezbollah and the latter allied with the American-backed Lebanese government. The latest unrest can be viewed in the larger context of the Iran-America conflict, adding an extremely dangerous and complex element to this sectarian strife.    

 The United States approach of micromanaging Pakistan’s democracy has come under scathing criticism by the Pakistani media. Although the official Bush administration position has been that the US has no intention of interfering in Pakistan’s internal affairs, the remarks made by Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee prove otherwise.

While speaking before the US House Foreign Affairs Committee, the Democratic congresswoman said that the PPP was doing a good job and that Washington “should give them the chance to do so.” She further went on to voice her disapproval of Nawaz Sharif, and his antipathy to President Musharraf. She said that “Sharif needs to be watched” due to his refusal to deal with Musharraf, which is in direct contrast with the PPP’s approach of working with the president.

Remarks such as these have been criticised as being myopic, dangerous and ignorant of ground realities. Congresswoman Jackson’s most surprising comment was her view that “Musharraf has extensive experience” in dealing with terrorism, and that he should still be supported. This in spite of the fact that a majority of Pakistani’s disapprove of Musharraf and his handling of the situation in the country. The American intelligence services and many members of congress are of the view that Musharraf has done little to combat terrorism and has only exasperated the situation.

The irony of all this is that Jackson chairs the Pakistan caucus on Capitol Hill and claims to be an expert on Pakistani affairs. Her views contradict those of her fellow Democrats, who prefer to support democracy in the country instead of a single individual. Whether this is plain hypocrisy or naive political thinking, the Americans have never had a successful Pakistan policy. The United States has the opportunity of coming on the right side of the people of Pakistan. Repeating past mistakes, and sending mixed messages does not serve American or Pakistani interests.

Once famous for its beautiful architecture, the 100-year-old Ratan Talha Hindu temple has now been turned into an auto repair workshop surrounded by rusted broken iron bars, scratched plasters, wrecked fences and broken-down cars parked outside. 

The Auqaf department leased the historic temple located on Ratan Street to a private party that converted the shrine into a storeroom. The owner of the workshop, Abdul Qayum, said that he had leased the temple two decades ago and was not aware of it being a place of worship as there were no religious statues present when the Auqaf department handed over the building.

The temple is spread over an acre with two-storey buildings surrounding it from three sides. The 14 buildings, which made up the place of worship, have been turned into shops and the courtyard that served for purification is being used to store cars waiting for repair.

The Sindh Hindu Council General Secretary, Maharaj DM said that the biggest insult was the wild animals entering the temple, which now has no gate. The council has repeatedly contacted Auqaf officials to retain possession of the temple but they have been refused each time, according to a Daily Times report. The council also complained that the workshop owner restricted Hindus from visiting the temple and only paid a few hundred rupees as rent to the Auqaf department. The owner, however, has denied these claims.
According to a report in Asia News, Peter Jacob, executive secretary of the bishops’ commission said that “this is just the latest of many proofs of what we have been saying for some time: we don’t have rule of law in Pakistan. This is a limited case, but there are very many episodes of land and buildings stolen from the minorities, [who] have no way of defending themselves.”

A young girl was killed by a stray bullet during crossfire between two rival gangs on Tannery Road in Karachi’s Lyari district on Thursday. According to Dawn Bismah, aged eight, had been standing on the balcony of her apartment when she was fatally wounded. Bismah was the first civilian casualty since Wednesday, when police forces launched a crackdown on the bloody gang warfare which has paralysed daily life for residents of the area.

The infamous Rehman Dakait has been engaged in a vicious territorial battle in Lyari with his gangland nemesis Arshad Pappu for almost a decade. With the incarceration of Pappu, his father and his two brothers, de facto control over the latter group has shifted to Ghaffar Zikri who remains at large. According to Lyari police chief Imran Shaukat, gang-members have been attacking police and each other with automatic weapons, and grenade launchers. Shaukat told BBC that he has been ordered to “liquidate the Lyari gangs in one month’s time.” He also said that he has been promised the full-support of those in power.

The conflict also has a political dimension. Daily Times reported that Rehman Dakait and his entire gang had recently been promised an amnesty and employment by local MNA Nabeel Gabol in exchange for a cease-fire. Gabol has promised the gangsters that all cases registered against them would be reassessed and the disposal of such cases would be facilitated. However, according to The News Gabol has failed to convince government and police officials to go along with his plan.

In particular, Inspector General Dr Shoaib Suddle is committed to eradicating the violent gangs of Lyari who, according to local sources, have both numbers and weapons on their side. The News reports that “more than 400 armed criminals are active in the area with the support of about 1,000 amateur hoodlums hired on daily wages, while more than 300 police personnel are said to be supporting the gangs.” Suddle himself has a reputation for both ruthlessness and effectivess. It remains to be seen if he will be up to the task of eradicating Karachi’s most feared criminals.

The US military has dropped plans to assign the former commander of the US prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to Pakistan, after sharp criticism of his Guantanamo command in the Pakistani media, the New York Times (NYT) reported in its Friday edition. Army Major General Jay Hood would have become the top US officer in Pakistan at an important time in Pakistan’s relations with the US.

Although the decision to withdraw the assignment has not been formally announced, the NYT said it appeared to be the result of Hood’s previous tenure at the Guantanamo Bay military prison. During Hood’s command from 2004 to 2006, the Army Major was criticised for his decision to force feed the detainees with the use of a restraining chair. Hood defended the decision by saying that he would not allow one of the detainees to become a martyr, thereby creating more pressure to close the camp.

According to The News, it was also during Hood’s service at Guantanamo Bay that the Pentagon released details of five confirmed cases of US personnel abusing the holy Quran. In a story published in the Washington Post on June 4, 2005, the US military admitted that soldiers and interrogators had kicked the Quran, got copies wet and stood on the holy book during an interrogation and also sprayed urine on another copy. At the time, Major Hood as Commander of Joint Task Force Guantanamo completed an inquiry into these cases of abuse. In his report, Hood chose to describe these incidents as “largely inadvertent.”

The NYT said it was not clear whether Pakistan’s new government had requested the appointment be cancelled. The newspaper cited a Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman as telling reporters on Thursday that the government was “fully cognizant of public sentiments and sensitivities regarding the reported transfer of General Hood to Islamabad.” The paper quoted a US Central Command spokesman as saying that Hood was now being considered for “a different, equally important job.”

US Ambassador Anne W. Patterson has expressed surprise at the depth of anti-Americanism Pakistanis harbour. Speaking at a meeting organised by the Management Association of Pakistan, Patterson said that Pakistan’s long-term interests are aligned with the United States’ and stated that those opposing American engagement in the country have a limited understanding of how the partnership with US has changed the lives of Pakistanis.

She also warned that the “increasingly prosperous middle class” would be the first to suffer because extremists were gaining ground. However, she assured her country’s support for the new democratic government and added that Pakistan was the third-largest recipient of American assistance in the world. She listed the donations, training and assistance US provided to Pakistani security officials and said that her country had been assisting Pakistan in developing the tribal areas for years.

However, Patterson was not visibly keen on responding to questions about views on the Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline project and nor did she seem amused by questions relating to her government’s perception about President Pervez Musharraf being a factor of stability. She urged the country to move ahead with the democratic process and assured the Pakistanis that “the scope and scale of our investments in Pakistan should serve as an indication that the US is taking a long-term view of our relationship.”

Pakistani reporter Mushtaq Yusufzai has won the inaugural Kate Webb Award presented by Agence France-Presse (AFP), the agency announced on Thursday. Yusufzai won the prize for his in-depth reporting and analyses on the the restive frontier province, bordering Afghanistan and Pakistan. He has said that he will use the award money of 5,000 euros for an international investigation into reports that Islamic groups in the West are recruiting converts, and sending them to the tribal zones.

“One of my biggest desires is to be able to trace who sends these people, who finance their trips from the West to our areas,” he told the AFP. Eric Wishart, the director of AFP Asia-Pacific, said that Yusufzai was a worthy first winner. “He has shown great courage in covering one of the most dangerous zones in the world for journalists. His stories reflect many facets of life in the border region between Afghanistan and Pakistan and his work is truly in the Kate Webb spirit.”

Yusufzai has reported on a number of issues, including extremist attacks, army offensives and shifting tribal politics that have affected the largely lawless region. He has said that his other big ambition is to visit Guantanamo Bay and interview detainees held by the United States. The inmates “are a source of inspiration for young people here to train for suicide attacks against foreigners and those who collaborate with them.”

The Kate Webb Award has drawn a range of entries from across Asia, including a posthumous submission by the Japanese photo agency APF in memory of Kenji Nagai, a video journalist who was killed while covering last September’s democracy protests in Myanmar.

As the war drums rattled up support for President Bush’s invasion of Iraq in 2003 - Ari Fliesher, the former White House spokesman austerely announced on April 1 that President Bush was overseeing all details of Operation Iraqi Liberation (OIL), which had begun 10 days earlier. The slip-of-the-tongue statement was sidelined by the White House who changed tack and came to address the Iraq invasion as Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF).

Last Saturday, Republican presidential hopeful, John McCain was forced to explain himself after he suggested that America’s foreign dependence on oil was the reason behind the Iraq war. He made his comments at a town-hall meeting in Colorado on Friday, “my friends, I will have an energy policy that we will be talking about, which will eliminate our dependence on oil from the Middle East that will prevent us from having ever to send our young men and women into conflict again in the Middle East,” McCain said. He later clarified his comments by claiming that he was referring to the first Iraq war in 1991 rather than the current operation.

According to CNN, McCain stated that he didn’t mean the US went to war in Iraq five years ago over oil. “No, no, I was talking about that we had fought the Gulf War for several reasons,” he stated to reporters. McCain went on to say that one reason (for the Iraq war) was Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait, “But also we didn’t want him to have control over the oil, and that part of the world is critical to us because of our dependency on foreign oil, and it’s more important than any other part of the world.”

He went on to clarify “if the word ‘again’ was misconstrued, I want us to remove our dependency on foreign oil for national security reasons, and that’s all I mean.” McCain was also questioned over allegations in which he suggested that the US would be in Iraq for a “100 years.”

In a war blamed on “faulty intelligence” and a subsequent misinterpretation of Iraq as an “imminent, urgent, and immediate threat” to the US - it seems that even after six years of war, the American people are hard-pressed to agree on a reason behind the invasion. In fact it appears that the pretext for the invasion, the reason for staying and the future pull-out of Iraq are all subjects of political spin rather than legitimate reasoning.

Dmitry Medvedev was inaugurated as Russia’s president on Wednesday, pledging to bolster the country’s economic development and civil rights. Medvedev took the oath of office in the Kremlin’s golden-hued Andreyevsky Hall, marking an end to Vladimir Putin’s eight years as president of Russia.

Putin, who will continue to play a pivotal role in Russian politics, is expected to be nominated as prime minister in one of Medvedev’s first acts as president. Medvedev, in turn, has pledged to continue the policies pursued by Putin.

In his inaugural address, Medvedev said his most important task would be “the development of civil and economic freedom.” Under Putin, Russia’s economy soared from near-disaster to astonishing prosperity. But the development of civil society came under question, as opposition groups were marginalised and non-governmental organisations came under heavy pressure.

The March election of Medvedev was seen by many as one of the most marked signs of Russia retreating from democracy. Most of the prominent opposition aspirants to the post were kept off the ballot and Putin’s influence was seen as a key factor in Medvedev’s election. - Associated Press

A suicide attack at a checkpoint in Bannu has killed two civilians and injured 12 others, including four soldiers and four policemen. According to eyewitnesses, the bomber blew himself up when police stopped an auto-rickshaw near the office of an intelligence agency.

According to an army statement “The suicide bomber who was riding on a cycle rickshaw blew himself up when stopped by a policeman standing on a checkpost.” The attack in Bannu is the first suicide bombing to occur since March, when the new government indicated that it would talk with militants.

The NWFP has seen dozens of suicide attacks over the past year. No group has taken responsibility for the latest attack, but militants loyal to Baitullah Mehsud have taken credit for carrying out similar attacks in the past. The NWFP Governor Owais Ahmed Ghani has strongly condemned the bombing and has expressed his condolences to the bereaved families.

The tragic death of Mohammad Tufail Shah in Karachi on April 27, is a wake-up call for the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP). According to The News, the 26-year-old Shah, who owed 1.5 million rupees to Muslim Commercial Bank (MCB), had been subjected to months of threats, intimidation and abuse. Shah finally broke down and committed suicide when a MCB loan recovery team barged into his house and misbehaved with his mother and sister. Shah’s tragic outcome is not a solitary incident and while it clearly demonstrates the illegal practice of the recovery teams it also reflects the apathy of the responsible authorities until there is a loss of life. Loan recovery teams are usually made up of reputed thugs who use violence and humiliation as a deliberate tactic to embarrass the defaulting customer.

Tufail Shah, who had acquired the loan from MCB to invest in a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) shop, was facing bankruptcy after the shop was demolished by the town nazim for alleged illegal construction. In an effort to restart his business he had defaulted on his loan payments which led to constant harassment and humiliation by the MCB recovery unit. MCB states ethical behaviour is a cornerstone of its mission and forging long term relationships a key component of their values. But according to family members of the deceased, MCB staff had started intimidation tactics and threatened him with dire consequences through their recovery team when the instalments were not paid on time. And it seems the bank’s relationship with Shah did not end with his life, as they reportedly harassed family members even at his graveyard during his funeral.

The Sindh High Court has issued notices recently to Citibank, Standard Chartered and several other banks restraining them from using force. Shah’s case highlights the need to restructure the lending policies of banks and proper intervention and protection from the SBP for both the banks and its customers.   

Pakistanis seeking to educate their children are usually faced with the options of government-run schools, British-style private schools or madrassahs which focus on religious instruction. However, a Turkish network of schools offers them a Western education with an emphasis on Islamic lifestyle, according to a recent story in the New York Times.

The PakTurk International CAG Educational Foundation (ICEF) was started in 1999 and currently operates schools in seven cities - Islamabad, Karachi, Khairpur Mirs, Lahore, Multan, Peshawar and Quetta. The schools are English-medium, and courses include math, science, English literature and Shakespeare.

The school only teaches the one prescribed class in Islamiat, but the New York Times reports that they encourage an Islamic way of life in the dormitories, where teachers lead by example and pray with their students.

One parent expressed his satisfaction with the education provided by the PakTurk school in Quetta, saying “private schools can’t make our sons good Muslims. Religious schools can’t give them modern education. PakTurk does both.”

PakTurk ICEF belongs to a Turkish network which includes over 300 schools in 80 countries. It is part of a movement run by Fethullah Gulen, a Turkish preacher who has gained a large following in Turkey due to his “ability to reconcile traditional Islamic values with modern life and science”, according to the Middle East Review of International Affairs.

The movement has a strong Turkish orientation, and most of its schools outside of Turkey are in the Turkic countries of Central Asia, adds MERIA. PakTurk ICEF schools in Pakistan teach Turkish language and literature and celebrate Turkey’s national day.

Women conducting traffic may be an unusual sight in Pakistan, but it seems to be becoming more common on the streets of Rawalpindi, Islamabad and Lahore. For the first time in Pakistan, women are joining their male counterparts in directing traffic and patrolling the streets. And though this development comes with its fair share of critics, these women are overcoming hurdles in their way as just another part of the job.

A few weeks ago, women traffic wardens began patrolling the streets of Lahore. More recently, female officers have also started standing on intersections and directing traffic in Islamabad and Rawalpindi. This is proving to be a harder task for them than for their male counterparts, as they have to deal with several drivers breaking rules just to get attention from the female wardens.

Some drivers have reportedly said that women working as traffic police is an un-Islamic practise, but then there are others who welcome the new addition on the streets. The new traffic wardens report that women and children feel more secure asking them for directions but there are many who think they would be better off inside offices. This perception is not just restricted to conservative members of the public – there are many male traffic officers who consider the women wardens more of a hassle than a help. However, the female officers are hopeful that people will eventually change their attitudes and comply instead of hooting and staring at them.

City Nazim Mustafa Kamal is on a visit to the United States in an attempt to boost the image of Pakistan’s largest city. While speaking to CNN’s Zain Verjee, Kamal said that the experience had been overwhelming and that he was encouraged by the response he was getting. He said that he wanted to inform people about the developments being made in Karachi.  According to Kamal, these developments were an ongoing process and it was the reason that local and foreign investment was pouring in.

While speaking about the situation in Pakistan, and more specifically about Karachi, he expressed his concern about the rise in militancy and extremism in the country’s financial hub. ”What I have been telling them, and what they’re realising now, is that there’s an influx of militants coming in from the northern areas and residing in Karachi, grabbing land and creating conservative Islamic schools,” Kamal said.

He went on to say that he has little confidence in the Pakistani government’s new strategy of talking to militants as part of the ‘war on terror’. “I am not optimistic about these dialogues. Pakistan will face more attacks and more challenges. It will go from bad to worse.”

A devastating cyclone pounded Myanmar on Saturday, leaving thousands of people without food, shelter and clean drinking water. According to a Reuters report, over 350 people have died and thousands have been displaced by Cyclone Nargis, a category three storm with winds of up to 190 kilometres per hour.

The storm ripped through the Irrawaddy Delta before slamming into the city of Yangon. The number of deaths is expected to rise as officials attempt to make contact with smaller islands and villages in the delta region. Five areas of the country, with a combined population of about 24 million people, have been declared disaster zones.

The cyclone caused widespread damage in Yangon, ripping down trees, structures and power lines. Many roofs were ripped off even sturdy buildings, indicating that the damage would be worse in rural areas that consist of shanty towns and flimsy structures. State television was off air in the city and clean water was almost depleted. Most stores had run out of candles, batteries and other essential items.

According to the report, the rural towns of Laputta and Kyaik were completely flattened, with only four buildings left standing. Also, about 90,000 people were left homeless on the Island of Haingyi. International aid agencies have been struggling to deliver essential supplies to the storm hit areas, with United Nations (UN) and Red Cross teams trying to assess the extent of the damage and the aid requirement.

Although the weather had cleared by Sunday, Yangon was without water and power. Food prices had doubled and storeowners were unsure of when they would be able to replenish stocks. Government officials said it was impossible to determine when power would be restored. Meanwhile, UN experts said it would take at least a few days to determine the death toll and full extent of the damage.

Pakistan’s top female tennis player, Sarah Mahboob beat Natasha Afridi 6-3, 6-0 in the final of the PTCL-Subh-e-Nau Ladies National Tennis Championship in Islamabad on Sunday. Earlier, she paired up with her opponent to win the doubles title as they beat Sara Mansoor and Saba Aziz 6-0, 6-2.

While the tournament is a welcome move by a not-for-profit organisation and a local sponsor, the lack of interest in women’s sport by the concerned authorities is reflected by the fact that the prize money for the whole tournament totalled a paltry 210,000 rupees. The winner of the ladies singles title, Mahboob was awarded prize money of 55,000 rupees while the runner-up, Afridi received 35,000 rupees.

Additionally, most local and international organisations that are involved in sky-rocketing bids to sponsor men’s tournaments and even individual sportsmen, especially cricketers usually shy away from being associated with sport events involving women. The common excuse cited for this practice is the lack of interest by the public and even the possible ‘negative publicity’ that sportswomen can bring in. However, one hopes that such displays of skill by these young women gets noticed and concerned authorities do more than just present a ‘pride of performance’ award to sportswomen.

According to the Times of India, senior Indian government officials have in private been accusing neighbouring China of comprehensive and elaborate cyber-espionage attempts. Over the past year, China has allegedly been attacking Indian computer networks on an almost daily basis. According to some analysts, the attacks coincide with recent underlying tensions between the two Asian giants.

Just last month, attack’s on the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, and National Security Council were traced back to China. Chinese government officials have dismissed the allegations as an “irresponsible fabrication” and argued that ‘hacking’ occurs on a regular basis and should not be attributed to the government without evidence.

In response, the Indian Army has assembled a team headed by General Deepak Kapoor who will drastically revamp the Army Cyber Security Establishment (ACSE) so as to better respond to information security threats.

This is not the first time that the Chinese have been accused of such cyber-assaults. In 2001, the Chinese hackers group The Honker Union attained local-celebrity status when they engaged US hackers in a no-holds-barred cyber-war following worsening relations between the two nations. Since then, the Pentagon, Germany, England and France have all accused Chinese hackers of penetrating their networks and stealing vital information.

According to Sreeram Chaulia of the Asia Sentinel, Chinese society is in fact quite supportive of such ‘patriotic hacking’. Chinese scholar Xu Wu has gone so far as to argue that such assaults are a “natural extension of China’s century-long nationalist movement.”

Over the last decade, several countries have been engaged in sporadic acts of clandestine information-warfare. Pakistan and India launched a spree of attacks against each other during the Kargil crisis. More recently, a cyber-assault on Estonia which was traced back to Russian hackers crippled the country amidst deterioratng relations between the two former Soviet states.

Work at the Karachi Custom House came to a halt on Friday as workers went on strike following the suspension of seven senior officers and 18 guards for their alleged involvement in the clearance of 183 containers without payment of duty and fictitious documentation over a four-month period at Port Qasim.

Daily Times reports that the protesting staff termed the suspension of their colleagues as being unjust and claimed that the low-ranking employees were made into scapegoats for a “faulty customs system.” They maintain that Karachi Customs House follows an outdated system called “One-Customs” in which manual declarations of cargo are processed by collecting signatures and stamps from a variety of officials before the goods are presented to the terminal authorities for delivery. Upon final release from the terminal, cargo is then presented to the customs staff at the out gates for verification. The report cites customs officials as stating that there is no way of determining if all the signatures and stamps on the documents are real - and therefore staff must rely on the customs computer operators posted at the gates. Officials state that in all cases, including the fictitious cargo case, computer operators had verified the transactions so there was no option but to release the consignments.

Customs employees claim that instead of correcting the faulty system or taking action against high-ranking officials who have allowed the system to carry-on, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) is “trying to cover-up the incident by proceeding against low-ranking customs officials and harassing the terminal operator staff.”

In February, the Customs House decided to minimise and monitor the interaction of its officials and taxpayers by blocking all mobile data and voice communication during operating hours. The department decided to take this decision in order to make the system transparent and corruption free. However, these rules were not enforced and traders and officials were seen using their phones on many occasions during the day.

The trend of buying brides has seen a recent surge in Dera Ghazi Khan. However, shortly after getting married most of these brides manage to escape, only to seeks out other husbands. According to a Dawn report, these women solicit the help of a gang, in order to be sold to men at different prices only to escape from their marriage and get a share of the gang’s profits.

The brides flee from their buyers and contact the local police, who later hand them over to the Darul Aman. Over there, the women’s ‘relatives’ turn up pretending to look for missing family members and take them away. Sources have alleged that these women belong to a ring of prostitutes who deceive people in tribal and rural areas with their run away act.

The Border Military Police caught one such woman who was on her way to be smuggled to Balochistan via Dera-Quetta road. The woman claimed to have been kidnapped from Data Sahib in Lahore and brought to the shrine of Sakhi Sarwar where she was sold by gangsters for 300,000 rupees. Dawn reported to have encountered a dozen such ‘escaped brides’ who all claimed that they were kidnapped from Data Sahib’s shrine in Lahore and brought to Sakhi Sarwar where they were sold.

However, Aslam Qureshi, who is in charge of the Darul Aman said that most of the women told the same story about being abducted but their relatives have never contacted police in their districts to register for missing women. Sakhi Sarwar SHO said that according to his experience, such women are “professional” and many may still be found in the tribal areas.

A recent World Bank report has declared Pakistan as one of the top favourable economies in the world. The “Doing Business 2008” report states that Pakistan is in second place compared to other South Asian countries in terms of certain economic indicators, such as: ease of doing business, dealing with licenses, and protecting investors.

Pakistan is quickly emerging as a powerhouse in the region, partly due to its fast paced IT industry. The government’s policies towards foreign investors have also contributed in helping the country stand out. These include 100 per cent foreign equity ownership, 100 per cent repatriation of profits for foreign investors and tax exemption for the sector till 2013.

An increasing number of foreign companies also prefer Pakistan for their outsourcing operations. This is due to the large pool of English-proficient professionals, cheap connectivity rates and competitive operational costs.

‘Doing Business 2008′ is an annual report that evaluates the regulations that directly impact economic growth and provides objective measures of business regulations and their enforcement. The report evaluates business activities based on regulation affecting the “10 stages” of a business’s life: starting a business, dealing with licenses, employing workers, registering property, getting credit, protecting investors, paying taxes, trading across borders, enforcing contracts and closing a business.

Two pieces of fossilised dinosaur dung sold for 960 dollars on Wednesday at an auction house in New York. According to the BBC, the two chunks of 130-million-year-old coprolite, the term used by palaeontologists to describe dinosaur dung, sold for more than double their maximum estimate at the Bonham auction house. The fossilised dung is similar to rock in physical composition with a colourful mineral on the inside.

This sale is a perfect example of man’s long-running fascination with dinosaurs. At a time when science and evolution barely make for an ideal dinner table (or even classroom) conversation, palaeontology continues to generate interest around the world. The sold out exhibitions this year that displayed the recently discovered skull of a 50 tonne Brachiosaurus, the fossils of an unusual fish-eating dinosaur, the Baryonyx and the BBC sponsored Walking with Dinosaurs world tour are all evidence of the appeal that the dinosaurs possess. Similarly, the dung managed to grab the attention of the dinosaur obsessed buyer Steve Tsengas. The 71-year old owner of a company that sell products to treat pet animal waste in Ohio, Tsengas was attracted to dinosaurs since childhood was extremely proud of his new possession.

Tsengas reportedly will use the dung as a marketing tool to promote his business. “Poop is big business in the pet industry,” the animal waste expert said

Time magazine has released its list of the 100 most influential people in the world. Among those chosen, two individuals have important significance for Pakistan. The magazine chose General Ashfaq Kayani and militant leader Baitullah Mehsud among the 20 leaders and revolutionaries that are influencing our world today.

General Kayani was chosen because, according to Time, he played a significant role in the peaceful manner in which the general elections took place in February. By removing military officers from the lucrative bureaucracy, Kayani sent a clear message to the nation: the army would stick to the barracks and the battlefields, not the ballot boxes. “The fight against extremism got a breath of fresh air when he came in,” as one western observer put it.

Baitullah Mehsud on the other hand was put on the list for entirely different reasons. His role in the assassination of Benazir Bhutto on December 27 plunged the nation into days of mourning and rioting. Bhutto’s murder was the Pakistani equivalent to the Kennedy assassination and the attacks of September 11 rolled into one. In stark contrast to Kayani, whose role has been positive, Baitullah Mehsud’s influence has been entirely to the country’s detriment.

The list also includes a number of other notable luminaries, ranging from politicians to artists and entertainers. Among those listed include, Russian president Vladimir Putin, Bolivian president Evo Morales, facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg, actors George Clooney and Angelina Jolie and steel magnate Ratan Tata.

For many Pakistanis performing the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca is a life-long dream. Muslims who complete the pilgrimage often return with a renewed sense of faith and are often conferred the honorific of Hajji. But they also come back with altered opinions on a wide range of issues, a new Harvard study on Pakistani pilgrims reveals.

The paper studied the impact of Hajj by studying a sample group of Pakistanis who applied for Pakistan’s Hajj visa lottery scheme. For the January 2006 Hajj, Pakistan had a quota of 150,000 pilgrims, out of which 90,000 visas were awarded by the government. The study uses a sample group of 1,600 Sunni Muslim visa applicants, and compares those who succeeded in obtaining a visa and going for Hajj with those who did not.

The study found that those who perform the Hajj are more likely upon their return to observe “universal Muslim religious practices” such as fasting and praying, while reducing the performance of “more localized practices” such as using amulets and giving dowry.

The study’s findings suggest that Hajj promotes tolerance. Those who performed the pilgrimage returned with a more positive attitude towards people from other countries. It was also observed that “Hajjis are also more likely to state that various Pakistani ethnic and Muslim sectarian groups are equal, and that it is possible for such groups to live in harmony.” Such views also extend to people of other religions. It attributes the changed impressions to the pilgrims’ extensive interaction with people from different nationalities, ethnicities and sectarian beliefs during the Hajj.

The report also notes a significant increase in favourable views towards women among Hajjis. Pilgrims return with more positive views about “women’s attributes and abilities.” They expressed greater concern over “women’s quality of life relative to other countries and crimes against women.” They were also more likely to support girls’ education and women’s participation in the professional workforce. The report argues that pilgrims’ views on women are affected by the fact that during the Hajj men and women interact in a religious setting, often for the first time for Pakistanis, and that they observe greater interaction between the sexes by those from other Muslim countries which are more accepting of such interactions.

Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan has challenged Asif Ali Zardari in the upcoming by-election. Khan has stated that if Zardari accepts, then he will file his nomination papers in district NA-55. If not, then he will refrain from contesting the polls till the reinstatement of the pre-emergency judiciary.

The PTI chairman’s statements came in response to an interview, in which Zardari insinuated that the judiciary was not the main concern of the population and that “roti, kapra, makan” was the platform which garnered the people’s vote. While Khan’s challenge is an apparent attempt to make Zardari realise the fault in his reasoning, the rationale behind it is lost on many political pundits.  

A spokesman from Bilawal House rejected Khan’s challenge and declared that the former Pakistan cricket team captain would be better off contesting against a local PPP worker in Mianwali than Zardari.  

- Photograph courtesy: White Star

The deadly Enterovirus 71 (EV 71) has been spreading through eastern China at an alarming rate. Another child died as a result of infection on Friday, raising the death toll to 21, while the estimated number of infections went up to 3,000.

According to an AFP report, the latest death took place in the city of Fuyang in the Anhui province. The region has become the centre of an epidemic that has infected thousands of children so far. About 500 new infections have been detected since Wednesday, causing a great deal of concern for health officials.

EV 71 is an extremely contagious infection which causes hand, foot and mouth disease. It is spread through direct contact with the mucus, saliva, or faeces of an infected person. Young children are more vulnerable to the disease because of weaker immune systems. Symptoms of the disease include fever, blisters, mouth ulcers and rashes.   

The disease has been spreading in Anhui since early March. The Chinese media has accused the government of deceiving the public by attempting to cover up the epidemic. Widespread news of the disease only surfaced on Monday, when it was reported that 19 children had died. A majority of the infected patients are children under the age of six. About 879 are being treated in hospitals in Fuyang, with at least 49 listed in critical or serious condition.   

Chinese health officials have warned that while adults may not show symptoms of the disease, they could act as carriers of the virus and inadvertently infect others. Meanwhile, fears of a wider epidemic have been driven by reports that a number of children have been infected with EV 71 in the neighboring Henan province. While Enteroviruses are found across the world, the World Health Organisation has expressed serious concerns because of the high number of infections and fatalities in China.  

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