Wednesday, 3 September 2014
Sunday, 31 August 2014
TOP 10 MOST TALLEST BUILDING IN ASIA
Mankind always dreams to build something megalithic if we follow the history of this planet. Starting from the Great Pyramid of Giza built by thepharaohs, to the Lighthouse of Alexandria, which was built by the Ptolemaic Kingdom, ancient architectures throughout the world are found to support the evidence of the efforts to construct something challenging. In the modern world where science and technology dominates everything, a culture of constructing humongous architecture again boomed during late 90s. It is not only the race to build mega structures, but also a fascinating journey to the greenest buildings mankind has ever seen. UAE, China, India, Malaysia and many different countries of Asia are all in this race. So, here is the list of Top 10 Tallest Buildings in Asia.
1 Burj Khalifa | Dubai
Burj Khalifa, known prior to its inauguration as Burj Dubai, is a skyscraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is the tallest man-made structure in the world with its humongous 2,722 feet height. The construction started on 21 September 2004, and the building was officially opened on 4 January 2010. The tower’s architecture and engineering were done by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill of Chicago. Adrian Smith was the chief architect, and Bill Baker was the chief structural engineer of this project. It consists of 163 floors, plus 46 maintenance levels in the spire, and 2 parking levels in the basement. The highest residential floor in this mega structure is level 109. A major plot of Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol was filmed here.
2. Shanghai Tower | China
Shanghai Tower, which is under construction in Lujiazui, Pudong, Shanghai, is in the race to be one of the tallest skyscrapers and the tallest buildings in China. The Shanghai Tower was designed by Marshall Strabala of the American architectural firm called Gensler. Construction work of this building began in November 2008. It is 2,073 feet in height with a total floor area of 380,000 square meters. This 121 storied building is estimated to be completed on 2015. This tower will accommodate as many as 16,000 people on a daily basis. Four Seasons Hotel with 320 rooms will be located between the 84th and 110th floors which will claim to be the tallest hotel in the world at the time of its completion. This building will have the fastest elevator in the world with a speed of 59 feet / second.
3. Abraj Al Bait | Saudi Arabia
The Abraj Al-Bait also known as the Mecca Royal Hotel Clock Tower, is a government-owned building complex in Mecca, Saudi Arabia which was built under King Abdulaziz Endowment Project. This 1,972 feet building was built after the demolition of the Ajyad Fortress. This mega structure is just meters away from the world’s largest mosque and Islam’s most sacred site, the Masjid al-Haram which houses the Kaaba. It consists of 120 floors and also has a large prayer room capable of holding more than 10,000 people. This building was designed and developed under Saudi Binladin Group. It houses a 5-storey shopping mall and a clock tower which is the tallest clock tower in the world, and the largest clock face, as well, designed by the German architect, Mahmoud Bodo Rasch and his firm, SL Rasch GmbH.
4. Taipei 101 | Taiwan
Taipei 101, also known as the Taipei World Financial Center, is a landmark skyscraper located in Xinyi District, Taipei, Taiwan. The design of this building is inspired by traditional Chinese architecture, with a shape resembling a pagoda, which was developed by C.Y. Lee & partners and constructed primarily by KTRT Joint Venture. Taipei 101 comprises 101 floors above ground and 5 floors underground with its 1,667 feet height. In July 2011, the building was awarded LEED Platinum certification as the tallest and largest energy efficient building in the world. Taipei 101 features an Indoor Observation deck on 89th floor and an Outdoor Observation deck on its 91st floor. It is designed to withstand typhoon winds up to 216 km/hour, and it can also sustain the strongest earthquakes likely to occur in a 2,500-year cycle.
5. Shanghai World Financial Center | China
Shanghai World Financial Center is a gigantic skyscraper located in the Pudong district of Shanghai, China. This 1,614.2 feet building was designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox and developed by the Mori Building Company, with Leslie E. Robertson Associates as its structural engineer and China State Construction Engineering Corp and Shanghai Construction General Co. as its main contractor. This building is developed for various uses as it has offices, hotels, conference rooms, observation decks, and ground-floor shopping malls. It was bestowed with Asia & Australasia awards for Best Tallest Building from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. It also has Park Hyatt Shanghai Hotel between 79th to the 93rd floors.
6. International Commerce Centre | Hong Kong
International Commerce Centre also known as Union Square is a commercial skyscraper located in West Kowloon, Hong Kong. The height of this commercial tower is approximately 1,588 feet. This tower forms a “gateway” for Victoria Harbor with Two International Finance Centre at the opposite side of the harbor. It was designed by the American architectural firm, Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates, with Wong & Ouyang Ltd., and developed by MTR Corporation Limited and Sun Hung Kai Properties. This huge architecture consists of 118 floors, with the Ritz-Carlton Hotel between 102 to 118 levels. It also has an observatory called Sky100 on its 100th floor. OZONE, The world’s highest swimming pool and bar, can be found on the top 118th floor of this building.
7. Petronas Twin Tower | Malaysia
Petronas twin Tower is the tallest twin towers in the world located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This 1,483 feet tower complex was officially opened by the Prime Minister of Malaysia’s Tun Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad on 1 August 1999. It is designed by Argentine-American architect, César Pelli, and has 88 levels on each tower. The towers feature a double decker sky-bridge connecting the two towers on the 41st and 42nd floors, which is the highest 2-storey bridge in the world. Tower One is fully occupied by Petronas and a number of its subsidiaries and associate companies, while the offices in Tower Two are occupied by various multinational companies such as AVEVA, Boeing, IBM, TCS, Bloomberg, HCL, Microsoft and Reuters.
8. Zifeng Tower | China
Zifeng Tower, also known as Greenland Center or Greenland Square Zifeng Tower, is a super-tall skyscraper located in in Nanjing, China. Before its inauguration, it was also known as the Nanjing Greenland Financial Center. The construction of this mega project started in 2005 and it was opened for public in 2010 with its incredible 1,480 ft height. It is designed by Adrian Smith under architectural firm, Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, the same firm that designed Burj Khalifa and also specialized for humongous architectures. It has 89 floors which are used for various purposes. It comprises retail and office space in the lower section, and restaurants, hotel, and a public observatory near the top.
9. Kingkey 100 | China
Kingkey 100 also known as KK 100 and Kingkey Finance Center Plaza is a skyscraper in Shenzhen Luohu District, Guangdong province, China. The construction of this skyscraper started in 2007 and opened for public in 2011. It is the 4th tallest building in Chinese territory. This mega building complex is 1,449 feet tall as it contains 100 levels which are also reflected in its name. Out of those 100 floors, 68 floors are used for Class A office space, 22 stories for a five-star business hotel and the top four floors of the building hold a garden and several other restaurants. The luxury hotel called The St. Regis Hotel occupies from 75th floor to 98th floor of the main tower, which also has a sky garden lobby on the 94th floor.
10. Guangzhou International Finance Center | China
Guangzhou International Finance Centre, also known as Guangzhou West Tower, is a skyscraper located in Zhujiang Avenue West in the Tianhe District of Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. This 1,439 feet tall building was designed by Wilkinson Eyre. The building was the winner of the RIBA 2012 Lubetkin Prize. The construction of this skyscraper project started in December 2005, and was fully opened in 2010. It has 103 floors in it which are used as conference centers, hotels and offices. First floor through 66th floor are used as offices, floors 67 and 68 are for mechanical equipment, floors 69 to 98 have a hotel named Four Seasons with the lobby being on the 70th floor, and floors 99 and 100 are used as an observation deck.
In the near future, many other tall buildings can be seen throughout Asia because huge number of mega structures are already proposed and under construction. One of them is the Bangalore turf tower in India which will climb 1,971 feet from ground and will be the 2nd tallest man-made structure in Asia. All these modern monuments say that a sky city seems not far enough for this planet.
Sunday, 17 August 2014
Altaf Hussain slams Imran Khan over civil disobedience call
LONDON: Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain has urged Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Imran Khan to hold negotiations over latter's ‘civil disobedience’ call which he gave during his speech at Azadi March.
In a statement issued here on Monday, Hussain criticized Imran Khan, saying the PTI’ chief’s announcement of civil obedience was a great joke with people. “Khan could have done so earlier, why did he need spending nation’s money, time and energy for many days,” he said.
“People already don’t pay electricity bills as they get the power supply through Kunda,” Altaf Hussain said adding as to what damage Imran Khan was inflicting to the government through his announcement.
Saturday, 16 August 2014
Italian vintage: Ferrari sells for a record $38 million
LOS ANGELES:
A red 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO Berlinetta, which is said to be
one of only a handful, has recently been sold for $38.1 million in
California, becoming the most expensive car ever sold.
The car, with the chassis number 3851 GT, belonged to the Maranello
Rosso Collection. It was auctioned at Monterey Car Week near San
Francisco. The auctioneers did not name the new buyer.The Ferrari sold has a checkered past. Its first owner was a French racer Jo Schlesser who drove the car in competition with his friend, the Olympian Alpine ski racer Henri Oreiller during the 1962 Tour de France Automobile.
The second time the friends took the car out was during the Coupes du Salon race, where Oreiller crashed it and was killed.
Bonhams said that the car was badly damaged after hitting a trackside building and a mourning Jo Schlesser returned it to the factory for repair to as-new condition and subsequent resale.
The car was then purchased by Paolo Colombo from Italy the following year for competition, and was later sold to Ernesto Prinoth, who used it to embark upon an energetic programme of mixed hill climbing and circuit racing.
In 1965, Italian enthusiast Fabrizio Violati bought the car and kept it until his death in 2010. Since then it has been retained by the Maranello Rosso Collezione.
It’s the most expensive car to be sold ever, according to Bonhams. The previous record was held by a 1954 Mercedes-Benz W196R Formula 1 model that was sold in Britain last year for $30 million.
Among the celebrities who own a Ferrari 250 GTO are the designer Ralph Lauren, Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason and the heir to the Wal-Mart supermarket chain, Rob Walton, according to The Los Angeles Times.
Pakistan rugby to make Asian Games debut
KARACHI:
The Pakistan Rugby Union (PRU) will field the national team at the Asian Games for the first time in its history.
The squad will participate in the sevens event and according to PRU
Secretary Arif Saeed, this will be Pakistan’s first high-profile event.“Before this, we have been participating in Asian tournaments or test series with India, but this is a great opportunity,” Saeed told The Express Tribune. “It’s a breakthrough for us. If all goes well, we will compete at the Asian Games.”
Saeed added that preparations for the tournament are taking place and the players are training with temporary coach Chris Kumeroa of New Zealand.
“Kumeroa is here for a short-term assignment,” said Saeed. “He is a sevens specialist and we are hoping to get good results.
“But the dynamics of the game will be different. In the Asian Games, we can only use indigenous players and the nature of game itself is very different from 15-a-side format.
“In fact, most countries have a different team for the sevens event, so preparing the national side for the Asian Games will be a different experience for us this time.”
Saeed added that Pakistan can defeat teams like India and Mongolia, who are in the same division as Pakistan. However, he said that Japan, Hong Kong, Korea and even Sri Lanka could give the national team a tough time.
Olympics calling
Rugby will be featured in the Olympics for the first time since 1924. This time, 12 teams will get a chance to qualify for the 2016 Rio Games sevens event.
“It’s a great step,” said Saeed. “However, Pakistan will be focusing on the 2020 Olympics. The qualification path is open for this time as well, but there are 100 countries that play rugby and only 12 will compete at the main event, so our chances are almost non-existent.”
Published in The Express Tribune, August 17th, 2014.
Militants kill dozens in north Iraq ‘massacre’: officials
BAGHDAD: Militants carried out a "massacre" in the northern Iraqi village of Kocho, killing dozens of people, most of them members of the Yazidi religious minority, officials said on Saturday.
Militants from the Islamic State (IS) group are carrying out attacks against minorities in Iraq´s Nineveh province, prompting tens of thousands of people to flee.
"We have information from multiple sources, in the region and through intelligence, that (on Friday) afternoon, a convoy of (IS) armed men entered this village," senior Iraqi official Hoshyar Zebari told.
"They took their revenge on its inhabitants, who happened to be mostly Yazidis who did not flee their homes," Zebari said, referring to a religious community regarded as heretics by militants.
"They committed a massacre against the people," he said. "Around 80 of them have been killed."
Harim Kamal Agha, a senior official of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan party in Dohuk province, which borders Nineveh, put the death toll at 81 and said the militants had taken women to prisons they control.
And Mohsen Tawwal, a Yazidi fighter, told by telephone that he saw a large number of bodies in the village.
"We made it into a part of Kocho village, where residents were under siege, but we were too late," he said.
"There were corpses everywhere. We only managed to get two people out alive. The rest had all been killed."
Militants-led insurgents launched a major offensive in June that began in Nineveh and swept security forces aside, overrunning large areas of five provinces.
In one of the most dramatic chapters of the conflict, the militants stormed the Sinjar area of northwestern Iraq earlier this month prompting tens of thousands of people, many of them Yazidis, to take refugee in the mountains.
Kurdish fighters on the ground and US air strikes eventually helped most of those trapped to escape after more than 10 days under siege, but some remain in the mountains.
Boeing, South African Airways to make jet fuel from tobacco
JOHANNESBURG: US planemaker Boeing has teamed up with South African Airways to develop jet fuel from a tobacco plant as part of efforts to cut carbon emissions and promote green energy in Africa's most advanced economy.
The jet fuel will be made from a hybrid tobacco plant known as Solaris, which will be produced by alternative jet fuel maker SkyNRG, both companies said in a joint statement on Wednesday.
Test farming of the plants, which are nicotine-free, is ongoing in South Africa, with biofuel output expected in the "next few years", the companies said.
"By using hybrid tobacco, we can leverage knowledge of tobacco growers in South Africa to grow a marketable biofuel crop without encouraging smoking," Ian Cruickshank, SAA's Group Environmental Affairs Specialist, said.
This biofuel has potential in several regions where traditional tobacco is cultivated, including Africa, southern and central Europe, Asia, Oceania and Latin America, Boeing spokeswoman Jessica Kowal said.
South Africa has set the beginning of October next year as the date when fuel producers will start blending diesel and petrol with biofuel to cut its reliance on imported fuel.
The biofuels industry in South Africa, the continent's biggest agricultural producer, has been held back by an inadequate regulatory regime and concerns that biofuels would hurt food security and impact food prices.
Facebook buys cybersecurity startup PrivateCore
"I believe that PrivateCore´s technology and expertise will help support Facebook´s mission to help make the world more open and connected, in a secure and trusted way," Facebook´s Joe Sullivan said.
"Over time, we plan to deploy PrivateCore´s technology directly into the Facebook server stack."
PrivateCore was launched in 2012 in Palo Alto and specializes in protecting servers against malware and other kinds of intrusions.
PrivateCore´s Oded Horovitz said in a blog post that the two firms "have an aligned mission."
"Since the beginning, we have worked tirelessly on our technology to protect servers from malware threats, unauthorized physical access, and malicious hardware devices," he said.
"Working together with Facebook, there is a huge opportunity to pursue our joint vision at scale with incredible impact."
Terms of the deal were not announced. (AFP)
Judge rejects $324.5 million settlement over Apple, Google hiring
NEW YORK: Four Silicon Valley companies including Apple and Google failed to persuade a U.S. judge to sign off on a $324.5 million settlement to resolve a lawsuit by tech workers, who accused the firms of conspiring to avoid poaching each other's employees.
In a ruling on Friday, U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh in San Jose, California, said the class action settlement was too low, given the strength of the case against the companies. Intel and Adobe were also part of the proposed deal.
There is "substantial and compelling evidence" that late Apple Inc co-founder Steve Jobs "was a, if not the, central figure in the alleged conspiracy," Koh wrote. The judge provided details in evidence of anecdotes involving Jobs and other Valley executives to show why she thought the workers deserved more.
Representatives for Apple and Google Inc declined to comment. Intel spokesman Chuck Mulloy said the company is disappointed Koh rejected an agreement "that was negotiated at arm's length over many months," but appreciates that Koh provided additional information on her views.
Lawyers for the workers, along with an Adobe representative, were not immediately available to comment.
In their 2011 lawsuit, the tech employees said the conspiracy had limited their job mobility and, as a result, kept a lid on salaries. The case has been closely watched because of the possibility of big damages being awarded and for the opportunity to peek into the world of some of America's elite tech firms.
The case was based largely on emails in which Apple's Jobs, former Google Chief Executive Officer Eric Schmidt and some of their rivals hatched plans to avoid poaching each other's prized engineers.
PARIS BLUES
Koh referred to one email exchange which occurred after a Google recruiter solicited an Apple employee. Schmidt told Jobs that the recruiter would be fired. Jobs then forwarded Schmidt's note to a top Apple human resources executive with a smiley face.
Koh also disclosed a 2006 exchange over Google's plans to open an engineering center in Paris. Google sought to hire three former Apple engineers for the project, but Jobs objected. Jobs wrote that his company would "strongly prefer that you not hire these guys." Google then told Jobs it had scrapped plans for the Paris center, "based on your strong preference."
The four companies agreed to settle with the workers in April shortly before trial. The plaintiffs had planned to ask for about $3 billion in damages at trial, which could have tripled to $9 billion under antitrust law.
Plaintiff attorneys argued Koh should approve the deal because the workers faced serious risks on appeal had the case gone forward. Some tech workers filed objections to the settlement, however, saying both sides should go back to the negotiating table in the hopes of obtaining a larger amount.
Daniel Girard, a lawyer for one of the objectors, said he is "very pleased that the court agreed with his position." It is unclear whether objectors would be included in any future settlement negotiations.
In her ruling, Koh repeatedly referred to a related settlement last year involving Disney and Intuit. Apple and Google workers got proportionally less in the latest deal compared to the one involving Disney, Koh wrote, even though plaintiff lawyers have "much more leverage" now than they did a year ago.
To match the earlier settlement, the latest deal "would need to total at least $380 million," Koh wrote.
The judge also said the plaintiffs had strong evidence to prove how the no-poaching deals impacted wages. In response to hiring pressure from Facebook, Google co-founder Sergey Brin announced a policy in 2007 of making counteroffers "within one hour" to any Google employee approached by the social networking company.
Google then tried to entice Facebook into a no-poaching deal, Koh wrote, but Facebook refused. The Facebook threat eventually led Google to alter its salary structure and increase all salaries by 10 percent, Koh wrote.
A further hearing in the case is scheduled for September 10.
The case is In Re: High-Tech Employee Antitrust Litigation, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California 11-cv-2509.
Australian hospital accidentally declares 200 patients dead
MELBOURNE: An Australian hospital apologised "unreservedly" Thursday after sending out notices to the doctors of more than 200 patients telling them they had died instead of being discharged.
The error by Austin Hospital in Melbourne was spotted within hours and the doctors were contacted, but not before at least one had called a family member to express their condolences, the Herald Sun newspaper reported.
Austin Health, which runs the hospital, said the notices -- which were sent on Wednesday, July 30 -- were a result of "human error" after changes to a death notification template were saved to the standard discharge template.
"On recognising the error on the Wednesday morning, Austin Hospital immediately contacted all GP clinics affected," Austin Health spokeswoman Taryn Sheehy said in a statement.
"We apologised unreservedly to affected clinics who, for the most part, were very understanding about the error."
Sheehy added that patient care was not affected, but the president of the Australian Medical Association´s Victoria state branch, Tony Bartone, said the blunder was "unacceptable".
"IT issues must not undermine patient care or trust in the Victorian healthcare system," he said in a statement.
"Many of these GPs have long relationships with these patients and their families."
It would have been distressing to receive such a fax, especially relating to the unexpected death of children and teenagers."
Tsunami can even storm into PM house: Imran Khan
“Mian sahab I am telling you to step down. I have been controlling the gusto of the marchers but the control also has a limit,” he warned while addressing the participants of his Azadi March here.
Earlier, he congratulated the participants of the Azadi March, saying the first wicket had been blown away.
“I had told the people of Lahore before embarking on Azadi March that I will return victorious,” Imran Khan clad in black shalwar kameez said to the cheering crowd.
Without taking any names, he said, in a clear reference to Shahbaz Sharif that FIR is about to be lodged against the ‘small pharaoh’ in connection with Model Town tragedy.
Earlier today a sessions court held the Punjab government responsible for the killings of people in Lahore’s Model Town incident.
“Once the real story behind election rigging comes to the fore it will also throw the future of ‘big pharaoh’ in the oblivion of darkness,” the PTI chief said amid vociferous slogans of ‘go Nawaz go’.
He said tonight the PTI will celebrate the independence of Pakistan.
Imran Khan gave a choice to the marchers to go and rest in their homes tonight, saying, ‘I will spend the night here’
PAT workers portray policeman as attacker - view video
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) workers apprehended a man who they claimed to be an attacker during the address of Dr Tahirul Qadri.
PAT workers claimed the man who was armed was at the rally to carry out an attack. The man was brought onto the stage and was forgiven by Dr Qadri who said: “I have forgiven this Gullu Butt of Islamabad.”
The entire episode was played out on television screens as it took place when Dr Qadri was presenting the charter of demands.
The man identified himself as policeman Adeel Qureshi and said he had provided his identification to PAT workers prior to the entire episode being played out. Qureshi said his official card and pistol was snatched from him. According to Qureshi he was wearing his uniform which was torn by PAT workers who made him were an ordinary shirt.
A doctor said there was a 7 centimetre long and 1 centimetre deep cut on Qureshi’s head which was the result of a pointy object.
Imran Khan ignoring court orders: CM Shahbaz
LAHORE: Chief Minister Punjab Mian Shahbaz Shairf said on Saturday that Imran-Qadri partnership is a conspiracy against the democratic system that will never succeed, Geo News reported.
In a statement issued from Lahore today, the chief minister said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) leader Imran Khan’s demand of a technocrat government is unconstitutional and that he was neglecting the court’s orders.
He alleged that the certain elements wanted to snatch the happiness of people by creating chaos and feud on the occasion of national day but they failed miserably.
Shahbaz Sharif further said that people who made the Independence Day controversial can never be the well-wishers of Pakistan and its people.
He said that this is not the time to stage sit-ins and protests but to strive together to pull the country out of the miseries. He said that negative attitudes in politics can prove detrimental for the democratic system and stability of the country.
Jayawardene, Sangakkara put S.Lanka on top
COLOMBO: Mahela Jayawardene scored an unbeaten 49 in his last Test innings as Sri Lanka took charge of the second and final match against Pakistan in Colombo on Saturday.
The hosts, who trailed by 12 runs on the first innings, put on a strong batting performance to move to 177-2 in their second innings by stumps on the third day at the Sinhalese Sports Club.
Jayawardene and his close friend and long-time team-mate Kumar Sangakkara batted together for the last time in a Test match to put on 98 for the unbroken third wicket.
Jayawardene, who was warmly applauded to the crease by Pakistani fielders and some 4,000 home fans, played fluently to strike seven boundaries.
Left-handed Sangakkara was unbeaten on 54, with Sri Lanka 165 runs ahead with eight wickets in hand on a wearing pitch expected to assist spinners on the last two days.
Sri Lanka, who won the first Test in Galle by seven wickets, are hoping to sweep the short series to give Jayawardene, their former captain, a winning farewell.
Upul Tharanga made 45 in an opening stand of 54 with Kaushal Silva before both batsmen were dismissed by left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman in the post-lunch session.
Pakistan seamer Junaid Khan did not take the field in the second innings as he was taken to hospital and kept under observation after complaining of giddiness. Junaid, who took five wickets in the first innings, had been hit on the helmet by a rising ball from Dhammika Prasad in the morning session.
Earlier, Pakistan´s wicket-keeper Sarfraz Ahmed smashed a maiden Test century and Sri Lanka´s spinner Rangana Herath became the first left-arm bowler in history to take nine wickets in an innings.
Sarfraz hit a gutsy 103 as Pakistan carried their overnight score of 244-6 to 332 before they were all out at the stroke of lunch in reply to Sri Lanka´s 320.
Sarfraz, who came to bat after tea on the second day with Pakistan struggling at 140-5, led a remarkable fightback by the lower order that enabled the tourists gain the slender lead. But Herath grabbed attention in the eventful morning session by claiming the four remaining wickets to finish with 9-127, only the second Sri Lankan after Muttiah Muralitharan to take nine wickets in an innings.
The 36-year-old Herath, who surpassed his previous best of seven for 89 against Bangladesh in Colombo last year, is currently the number one Test spinner in the official rankings. He has claimed 255 wickets so far in 57 Tests.
Starting the day on 66, Sarfraz reached his hundred by hooking left-arm seamer Chanaka Welegedara for a six after pulling the previous delivery for a boundary. He was ninth out with Pakistan just six runs away from taking the lead when he edged Herath to give wicket-keeper Niroshan Dickwella his fifth catch in the innings.
Last man Junaid hit an unbeaten 13 to help Pakistan go past Sri Lanka´s total. Herath, who earlier in the morning had dismissed Rehman (16) and Wahab Riaz (17), ended the innings by bowling Saeed Ajmal for four. (AFP)
Mika Singh and Sunny Leone performing in Dallas
DALLAS: Indian Bollywood film industry mega star and a powerful and magical artist and playback vocalist Mika Singh along with Bollywood actress Sunny Leone presented a startling and breath taking performances at Allen Event Center in a high profile music concert.
The star studded music event which was attended by thousands of men and women fun loving audience was hosted by MeraBoxOffice presents, in association with StarLight HomeTheaters and Classic Management.
The event was attended by a large number of south Asian Americans living in North Texas. The touring group from India with singer Mika Singh includes Miss India Amruta Patki, Akasa Singh, Sufi singer Raman Kapoor, Geeta and Violinist Ravi Pawar and a large number of Musicians also performed.
The musical event started and ended with a special performance on Dama Dum Must Qalander. Mika Singh presented his old and new songs to applauding audience which included `Main Tere Agal Bagal Hun` Jugni' " Hun Maujan Hi Maujan, Chintala Chuntala, Khali Peeli Rooknay ka naii " , Piyar ki Murli Bajakay, Ran jhaga rang Jahga ray, 'Shona Sohhna ' dil mera Sohna' and other popular songs and received accolades from all of the audience.
On the other hand the Bollywood star dancer Sunny leone amused and thrilled all the audiences.
The concert organizers Ajay and Shalini Mittal thanked Dallas South Asian Community and the sponsors including CEO Molabs Media Mohammad Abbas, Qamarali Rayani, Akber Berani Amir Makhani, Sanjay Joshi, Nafiz Hossain, Shankar Bala Tina Patel, Marvin Das Ranga Jayanth, Bamburoo Kalpesh, Ramani Arul from Bombay Chopstix Tina and Zee, Sandeep Shrivastava, Dance Masti Group, and others.
The singer Mika Singh said that he came to Dallas after four years and the way they are welcomed and greeted in Dallas is very encouraging for which they are thankful to people of Dallas.
He made an announcement that next month the Bollywood mega star Shah Rukh Khan will be on US tour.
He said that they love Pakistani audience and also presented a special Pakistani song. The concert continued till late night. The music group will be making a big performance in Houston on 15th of August in Houston where program preparations are under way.
Houston program promoter Hum Tum Radio owner Rehan Siddiqui and Shake Entertainment CEO Amir Makhani are promoting Houston program and are inviting general public to the program.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan 17th death anniversary is today
LAHORE: The 17th death anniversary of internationally renowned late Pakistani singer and musician Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan is being observed today (Saturday).
Ustad Nusrat Fateh who was primarily a singer of Qawwali‚ was born on October 13‚ 1948 in Faisalabad. He was popularly known as “Shahenshah-e-Qawwali”.
The fame and reputation he got from all over the world is exemplary. Khan created a world record of releasing as many as 125 audio albums as a Qawwal which includes legendary numbers like Dum mustt Qalandar mustt‚ Ali Maula Ali‚ Yeh Jo Halka Halka Suroor Hai‚ Mera Pia Ghar Aya and many others.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan died on August 16‚ 1997 in London.
Thursday, 14 August 2014
Bonanza of trade: ABAD expo brings $200m worth of agreements
“The building and construction exhibition brought extraordinary results as besides domestic companies, 24 international firms also set up their stalls in the fair,” said Mohsin Sheikhani, Chairman of the Association of Builders and Developers Pakistan (ABAD), the organisers of the event that ended on Thursday.
Speaking at a press conference, Sheikhani, flanked by Senior Vice Chairman Saleem Qasim Patel and Vice Chairman Hanif Gohar, said three Chinese building material companies producing switches, tiles and ceramics had expressed interest in setting up their units in Pakistan.
During the exhibition, housing and trading projects worth Rs150 billion were designed and the construction industry planned to initiate more projects valuing Rs600 billion by the end of 2014.
Stressing the need for developing a master plan for the whole country, particularly Karachi, Sheikhani warned that if it was delayed, it would increase problems for the coming generation with the mushrooming of slums.
“Twenty years ago, slums constituted 17% of the area in Karachi, but now the ratio has jumped to 57%,” he said. “If the construction industry develops, it will boost the pace of economic growth and create thousands of new job opportunities.” In an effort to provide employment to young students, the association of builders has approached many universities for imparting training to fresh graduates in its ongoing projects.
According to Sheikhani, investors from Germany, Malaysia and many other countries want to come to Pakistan, who could assist in reducing the housing shortage. Separately, the builders association has come up with suggestions of low-cost housing schemes for the poor and reconstruction of slums.
“If the government helps execute the plan, a large number of people will get shelter for their families and a society based on equality will develop.” He also called for introducing one-window operations for addressing the problems besetting the construction industry.
On the last day of the exhibition, Independence Day celebrations were a prominent feature during which star cricketer Shahid Afridi was also present.
Pakistan Peoples Party Senator Saeed Ghani visited different stalls and said the expo would not only lead to development of the construction industry, but also boost the country’s image.
Tokyo stocks down 0.13pc by break
The Nikkei 225 index slipped 20.66 points to 15,293.91 by the break, while the Topix index of all first-section issues was down 0.13 percent, or 1.67 points, at 1,268.83.
Trading was muted with many investors away for Japan's traditional mid-summer holiday.
"With volume so light and incentives so few, the selling we're seeing today is nothing more than rudimentary after a stretch of strong gains," said Mitsushige Akino, chief fund manager at Ichiyoshi Investment Management.
"It's entirely possible, however, that even following the resumption of 'normal' trading next week, overall market movements will remain somewhat subdued," he told Dow Jones Newswires.
In share trading, Skymark rose 1.19 percent to 169.0 yen after the airline said it was terminating some domestic services and raising fares as it faces potentially huge penalties in the wake of a cancelled jet order with European plan manufacturer Airbus.
Sony climbed 1.88 percent to 1,869.5 yen after the Nikkei business daily reported the firm plans to sell image sensors for cameras used in vehicles.
The consumer electronics and entertainment giant is looking to tap new growth markets on the back of a move toward driverless cars and other "smart" vehicles that depend on image sensor technology, the newspaper said.
In currency markets, the dollar fetched 102.48 yen in midday Tokyo trade, compared with 102.45 yen in New York.
On Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.37 percent, extending the prior day's gains after jobs data continued to suggest the US labour market was improving.
Independence Day: Pakistan stars receive significant awards
KARACHI:
Pakistan off-spinner Saeed Ajmal was honoured on Independence
Day for his bowling feats by being awarded the Sitara-i-Imtiaz — one of
the highest civilian awards in Pakistan.
Ajmal’s bowling action has been questioned recently, but his performance to date was deemed worthy enough.Meanwhile, four athletes – cueist Mohammad Asif, mountaineer Samina Baig, boxer Amir Khan and tennis player Aqeel Khan – were given the President’s Award for Pride of Performance.
Asif was previously snubbed for the award, but this time he has been included after strong reservations from the snooker fraternity last year.
Asian squash champion Aamir Atlas Khan was awarded Tamgha-i-Imtiaz, while other recipients of the recognition comprise skier Mir Nawaz and hockey trio Munir Dar, Anwar Ahmed Khan and Abdul Waheed. Meanwhile, the Sports Journalism award went to Dr Nauman Niaz.
Emraan Hashmi gets his 'Aati Kya Khandala' moment
"This is one song that not just reminds of 'Aati Kya Khandala' but also has a similar stage and setting. What sets it apart is the presentation though," says an insider, "If Aamir Khan charmed Rani Mukerji with his antics in Ghulam, Emraan Hashmi is being cool, yet a 'tapori' at heart, while proposing to Humaima Malick in Raja Natwarlal. The song is bound to be a hit with the masses and those who loved Aamir Khan in 'Aati Kya Khandala' could well be 'flipping their collar' with the beats of this song."
More than just the song, what is all the more important for Emraan Hashmi is the fact that after a rather long wait, he is being seen in an avtar that masses love to see him in. After a couple of niche multiplex films like Ek Thi Daayan and Ghanchakkar, Emraan is returning to his naughty self in Raja Natwarlal and is enjoying every moment under the sun with the kind of setting that Raja Natwarlal provides him.
"I thought that now was the time to get back to basics with a film like this," says Emraan Hashmi, "It brings all such components like foot tapping dance numbers and some naughty moments, while amplifying them to a greater degree."
While he is also addressing the gallery with another 'tapori' number 'Dukki Tikki', Emraan Hashmi does confess that he missed out on these fun moments for last couple of years.
"Yes, it's something that I had missed out on. I do realize that there are certain components that my films are known for. My last couple of releases were devoid of that though. I am happy to bring it all back to my audience now. So you can pretty much join me and flip the collar," winks Emraan Hashmi before signing off.
How Pakistanis see their country today - A Complete servey
August 14 is an auspicious day for Pakistan, the day when our country gained its independence from British rule. But how many Pakistanis know how Independence Day came about?
The new generation has just perfunctory knowledge of the sacrifices that were made to gain the country. With the exception of students of history and political science and those who would be considered senior citizens, the majority know little of the efforts that went into making Pakistan.
The reasons for the creation of Pakistan are crystal clear.
As the 19th century ended, Muslims of India found themselves in a depressive state. Events of several preceding decades, and the marginalization of the community by the new rulers of India had put them in a very disadvantageous situation. The marginalized Muslims began to notice Hindus occupying positions of strength over them. They sought a forum whereby they could voice their grievances and seek rights.
In response to this desire the All India Muslim League was formed in 1906. This was to be the voice of the Muslims and its primary objective was to gain the rights of the Indian Muslims.
On August 14, 1947, the dream finally became a reality. It took over a million Muslim lives to create the homeland for the Muslims. Both the Hindus and the Sikhs went on a killing spree indulging in wanton destruction and looting of property of the Muslims. Their behaviour vindicated the demand for a Muslim nation.
The matter, of course, did not end here.
The Indian government of the day, which was drawn from the Congress Party, was using other methods to nullify the creation of Pakistan. It held back the military stores due to the new nation. More than that, it held back the finances which were rightly Pakistan’s share.
Shaharyar, student, 14 years — “I do not have any knowledge about the Pakistan Movement and neither the reasons leading to the creation of Pakistan. But I do know that Pakistan is in a bad situation and needs good leadership to get out of it”
With the help of the infusion of these finances, the government functioned and grew, enabling Pakistan to survive those crucial early days. It has come a long way since then. Nevertheless, the Indian machinations against Pakistan continued unabated which resulted in the breakaway of the Eastern wing in 1971. The country survived that trauma and continues to function.
Senior citizens have some knowledge of the Pakistan Movement which is not surprising. Some lived in the time when the matter was still fresh and were also able to get first hand information. However, with the passage of time, the new generation has only scant knowledge about the subject. This reflects inadequate educational curriculum as well as sub-standard level of teaching in schools.
In any case, all the people who were interviewed, irrespective of age, were unanimous in their view that Pakistan was experiencing major difficulties which have to be addressed and if remedial action was not taken very soon it could harm the integrity of the country.
Sixty-eight years later where does the country stand? It is interesting to know the views of some Pakistanis belonging to different age groups.
Syed Nadeem Ahmad - 51 years. “The creation of Pakistan was necessary. Initially, the country showed much cohesiveness. People, irrespective of ethnicity, were drawn to each other. There was a feeling of nationhood and everybody took pride in being a Pakistani. That, however, changed over the years. In the early days life was simple and there was much happiness. Peopled looked after each other. The government functioned well and the bureaucracy showed fair responsibility. There was corruption, but it was not rife. Things began to change in the ‘70s and became worse in the ‘80s. The country, instead of making progress went into a downward spiral, economically and politically. Despite these drawbacks, there was faith in the people that the country would return to the right path.
“The return of the democratic government in 1988 did not help at all. At best, it was a farce. Neither party would not let the other function and complete its term. As a result democracy suffered and eventually paved the way for the army to take over. Gen. Musharraf succeeded in stabilizing the economy and seemed to give good direction to the country. Nevertheless, democracy must rule, but for that good leaders are needed and they are nowhere to be found.”
Siraj Ali — 71 years. “I was about four years old when my parents left India. I don’t remember the journey from India’s Lucknow in U.P., and know only what my father and uncles have related. They talked of fear of Hindu mob attacks in Lucknow. Then on the way, the Sikhs were playing the role of butchers. I recall early difficult days in Karachi. Then things began to improve as time went on. From a jhuggi (hut) we moved to a proper house located in what was then called ‘Lalu Khet’. I attended a government school and did my matriculation. After that I joined my father’s business selling crockery in a shop. The business was reasonably good. People were generally happy. Trouble started in the late ‘60s, as a movement developed to oust Ayub Khan. His successor didn’t stay long enough, but his rule did cause a massive upheaval in the country’s politics. There was a war and a big part of Pakistan broke away.
“I blame the government in the ‘70s which started the country’s decline including its unity. It introduced corruption and lawlessness on a large scale. It was from then on that things began to turn for the worse and have continued their downward spiral. I am happy that Pakistan was created. I fear that unless the rising trend in corruption and lawlessness is not arrested it will endanger Pakistan’s existence.”
Mohammad Hassan Abid, student - 21 years. “I was never a serious student so I have little knowledge about the Pakistan Movement and whatever I know about it was through school lessons, the print media and radio and talk shows on TV. But I do believe that Quaid-e-Azam was an able leader. He had the ability to take on the British and the Indian Congress and fight for Pakistan and he won in the end.
“I also feel that Liaquat Ali Khan should have visited the USSR instead of going to the USA as the latter is responsible for Pakistan’s current deplorable situation. Ayub Khan’s tenure gave the country not only economic stability but also resulted in the development of industries, agriculture and trade. I blame West Pakistan for the secession of East Pakistan. Mr Bhutto’s foreign policies were good but his domestic and economic policies weren’t. I blame the Afghan War for the current security problems the country is facing. I also condemn the politics that Nawaz Sharif and Benazir indulged in during the 1990s. Musharraf’s rule brought Pakistan some stability and it seemed that Pakistan would finally make some progress. The government of Mr Zardari introduced corruption on a large scale. His tenure was dismal. Hopes were tied with Nawaz Sharif. So far he has proven to be a disappointment. I feel that Pakistan holds many promises. If ably led, it can make tremendous progress.”
Ali bin Mushtaq, student - 16 years. “The reasons that led to Pakistan’s creation was due to Hindu-Muslim conflict. Beyond that I have no knowledge of Pakistan’s history nor have any desire to study about the Pakistan Movement. I accept that Pakistan has a bright future but corrupt leaders are stopping that progress. I am not very optimistic about Pakistan’s future if the current situation persists.
Shaharyar, student - 14 years. “I do not have any knowledge about the Pakistan Movement and neither the reasons leading to the creation of Pakistan. But I do know that Pakistan is in a bad situation and needs good leadership to get out of it, as I hear grown ups talking about it, but I am optimistic. I feel that things will turn out all right for Pakistan.”
Atiya Fatima, housewise - 65 years. “I consider myself a proud Pakistani and am very happy that I was born in this country. I have lived all my life in Karachi and have had a happy childhood. Life was simple yet full of happiness. Karachi did not have many of the facilities that exist today, yet people were happy. Everyone ate well and looked after one another. Relations, neighbours and friends - they were all caring.
“All that changed when the Bhutto government took over. His rule saw the rise in corruption, a malady that has become worse overtime. Lawlessness, too, has become worse over time. As a result, the country and the city of Karachi are not making any progress. The intellectuals and professionals are being compelled to leave the country. This country was built in the name of Islam. In reality, the country has gone off course and is doing everything prohibited by Islam. The feelings of disunity abound and this can lead to the disintegration of the country. Only a leader of great stature can save the country and he is nowhere to be seen. Pakistan was a beautiful idea, but now I fear for its existence.”
Mohammad Hyder Khan - 75 years. “My family migrated in 1948. My father was a civilian working for the Indian army and had opted for Pakistan. We lived in a small flat in Lea Market. It was a different place then, not a squalor locality that it has now become. I got my education at Sindh Madrassahtul Islam school. While the essentials of today may have been missing then, one very important element existed in those days which was love and affection and caring of neighbours, friends and relatives, irrespective of religious or ethnic background. People met with sincere feelings and came to each other’s help when needed. Ethnicity was introduced by Ayub Khan in the 1964 elections. Ayub was displeased with Karachi as the city voted for Fatima Jinnah. But Ayub’s first five years were probably the best and Pakistan did well. In his last five years he was surrounded by sycophants and they destroyed him.
“Bhutto’s nationalization policies destroyed whatever the country had built up. His educational policies did much harm to the country as well. The quality of education has not recovered since then. His foreign policy was brilliant. Equally brilliant was the way he got Pakistan the nuclear technology. Zia ul Haq helped defeat the USSR and thus freed the Muslim Central Asian Republics, but he was so engrossed with the Afghan war that he could not launch economic development plans.
“The politics of the ‘90s during Benazir and Nawaz Sharif’s rule was disastrous for Pakistan. Musharraf’s tenure did give some stability to the country. The economy improved and the country seemed to be going in the right direction. Zardari introduced corruption on a mega scale. Lawlessness in the country and especially Karachi, increased tremendously. Zardari’s term of five years has nothing to show. Politically, economically and socially, Paksitan is in a mess. The country expected much from Nawaz Sharif. So far he has been a big disappointment. We need a leader of very high stature in order to get out of this dangerous situation. So far it is Divine intervention that has kept the country intact. But, for how long.”