Geo Entertainment

Tearful Jolie gets Sarajevo film festival award

SARAJEVO: Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie was close to tears as she received a special award during an unannounced visit to Sarajevo's film festival Saturday with partner Brad Pitt. "I will start crying if you don't stop," Oscar-awarded Jolie told the audience who gave her a standing ovation at the city's National Theater. Jolie chose Bosnia's 1992-95 war as the setting for her first film as a director. "In the Land of Blood and Honey" is due to be released in December. She has also visited Bosnia as a goodwill ambassador for the U.N.'s refugee agency UNHCR and funded the construction of several houses for returnees in eastern Bosnia. Festival director Mirsad Purivatra presented Jolie with a heart-shaped award when she appeared at the closing ceremony. "Tonight we are giving the honorary Heart of Sarajevo to a great artist, not only for the great impact she has in the world of cinema but also for persisting and her active engagement in the complexities of the real world we live in," Purivatra said. Jolie, dressed in a long peach dress, stood on stage with eyes full of tears waiting for the clapping to die down. "I told Brad in the car I was afraid I was going to cry," she said, her voice breaking. Jolie's film tells the story of a love affair between a Bosniak (Bosnian Muslim) woman and a Serb, who were on opposite warring sides during the conflict. She planned to shoot parts of the film in Sarajevo and engaged a local crew. But she had to move to Budapest after some female victims of sexual violence objected to details in the plot and Bosnian authorities canceled a filming permit. "I am so honored to be here at this festival," Jolie said after receiving the award. "There is no greater example of the strengths of the artists and the festival that began during the war and grew stronger every year." The Sarajevo film festival was launched toward the end of the Bosnian capital's 43-month siege by Bosnian Serb forces. Jolie presented Austrian actor Thomas Schubert with the award for the best actor for his role in the film "Atmen," directed by Karl Markovics. Atmen, about a young offender searching for his mother, was also named best film in the festival. Romanian actress Ada Condeascu won the prize for best actress for her role in the film "Loverboy." (Reuters)

Geo Business

POL prices being revised upward

ISLAMABAD: The officials of Petroleum Ministry have once again decided to raise the prices of petroleum products, Geo News reported Sunday. According to the officials of the Petroleum Ministry, the price of petrol is being raised by Rs1.9 per litre after which its price will climb to Rs84.80. The rate of Kerosene oil is being increased to Rs1.97 per litre to Rs86.62; High Octane price will see a rise of Rs5.34 per litre; light diesel price is being jacked up by Rs2.13 per litre and; the price of High Speed Diesel is being kept unchanged at Rs92.10 per litre.

Geo World

95 dead in Syrian army attack on Hama

NICOSIA: At least 95 people were killed on Sunday when the military launched an attack on the flashpoint protest city of Hama in central Syria, a human rights activist said. Ammar Qorabi, who heads the National Organisation for Human Rights, reported the toll and also said army attacks across the country on Sunday killed at least 121 people and wounded dozens more. Earlier, Rami Abdel Rahman of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported a death toll in Hama of 45, but said that number could rise because of the number of seriously wounded and a lack of medical supplies. (AFP)

GEO Amazing and Interesting

Indian breaks 250 coconuts in 8.56 minutes

BHUBANESHWAR: Kehsab Swain from Odisha found a place in the 'Limca Book of Records' after he broke 250 green coconuts in just 8.56 minutes. Keshab achieved the milestone yesterday. Keshab had earlier broken 184 green coconuts (poida) in 6 minutes 40 seconds in 2010. This time, he went a step further and achieved a rare milestone, bring glory to Odisha. The green coconut-breaking event was organised at Rabindra Mandap in Bhubaneswar yesterday. Sports & Youth Affairs Minister, Badri Narayan Patra, Tourism & Culture Minister Prafulla Samal, former Minister Suresh Routray and Nayagarh MLA Arun Sahoo were present at the occasion. Keshab used his head, elbow and knee to break the coconuts, getting full cheer and appreciation from the crowd present there. Limca Book of Record official VBR Murty was present to certify Keshab's feat. The 38-year-old Keshab Swain hails from Dharakot in Ganjam district. He had won the Biju Patnaik Bravery Award for 2009 after saving pilgrims from a burning bus in 2008.

Geo Sports

Bell tolls for India as England edge ahead

NOTTINGHAM: Ian Bell was in sight of a century after guiding England into the lead against India in the second Test at Trent Bridge here on Sunday. England were 130 for two in their second innings at lunch on the third day -- 63 runs in front -- as they looked to go 2-0 up in this four-match series. Bell, showing great fluency, timing and panache, was 84 not out, after being promoted to number three following an injury to Warwickshire colleague Jonathan Trott. Kevin Pietersen was unbeaten on 20. The third wicket duo had shared a stand so far worth 73 after England captain Andrew Strauss was the only batsman dismissed in the session. England resumed on 24 for one, still 43 runs behind despite Stuart Broad taking a hat-trick Saturday on his way to Test-best figures of six for 46 on his Nottinghamshire home ground. India's first innings of 288 also saw Rahul Dravid make 117 -- his 34th Test century and second in as many matches after his 103 not out during England's 196-run first Test win at Lord's. Strauss was six not out and Bell nine not out after Trott was unable to bat at first-wicket down because of a shoulder injury suffered while fielding on Saturday. England started positively Sunday with Bell forcing Shanthakumaran Sreesanth for four and later driving him down the ground. In between those shots, left-hander Strauss off-drove Praveen Kumar for a well-struck boundary. But a partnership of 51 ended when Strauss was induced into pushing outside off-stump by Sreesanth and edged to India captain and wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Strauss's exit for 16 left England 57 for two. Dhoni brought on occasional left-arm spinner Yuvraj Singh, once branded a "pie-chucker" by Pietersen, who resisted the temptation to hit out against his old antagonist. Bell completed a 73-ball fifty, featuring 10 fours, with boundaries off fast bowler Ishant Sharma, a leg-glance followed by a flick through a vacant square-leg. Harbhajan Singh was introduced into the attack only for Bell to sweep his fourth ball to the fine-leg rope before a back foot force for four against the off-spinner took him into the 80s. Meanwhile a responsible Pietersen took 52 balls for his first boundary, a sweep off Harbhajan.

Geo Pakistan

Quetta firing incidents spark shutter down strike, angry protests

QUETTA: Complete shutter down strike is being observed in the provincial capital city against the last two days of target killing incidents on the call of the Hazara Democratic Party here, Geo News reported. The anguished and angry citizens protesting voiced slogans against the terrorists killing spree and the government’s utter failure to give protection to the life and security of the people. The police unfortunately instead of going after the culprits preferred taking six protesters under custody on the charges of forcing shops to shut down. Amaldar Road, Barori, Hazara town, Murreeabad, Jinnnah Road, Sharea Iqbal, Liaquat Bazar and many other areas observing shutter down strike on the call of Hazara Democratic Party. The shops and business centres remain closed, while the traffic on the roads is also very thin Police have made stringent security arrangements by deploying heavy contingents on the main roads, shopping centres and other vintage poits, while the FC trrops were patrolling around the city. Police have taken six protesters under custody on the charges of forcing shops to shut down, but HDP leaders complained that the police in their attempt to make the strike unsuccessful arrested their scores of workers. Later, HDP activists torched tyres, voiced slogans against police highhandedness and staged demos at Meezan Chowk, Liaquat Bazar and Junction Chaowk

Geo Entertainment

Salman Khan to be highest paid actor

MUMBAI: Actor Salman Khan has now moved ahead in becoming the highest paid star in the industry with an increase in his fees. With his recent hits at the box office, Salman, just like co-stars Aamir Khan and Shah Rukh Khan has now decided to demand a whopping Rs 50 crore for his next project. So far, Salman used to charge nothing less than Rs 40 crore but now with his current position at the box office he too has plans of making more big bucks. Two filmmakers who have recently signed on Salman have confirmed the news of the hike in his fee. Sources say that along with hiking his fee, the star also recommends directors for these films. He also has insisted on casting Sonakshi Sinha for ‘Kick’. But filmmaker Bhushan Kumar said that the star re-negotiates and restructures his price. "When Salman bhai did Ready, the film industry was facing a huge financial crunch. But he agreed to cut down his price from Rs 40 crore to Rs 17 crore”, he said.

Geo Health

New antibody propels hunt for universal flu vaccine

WASHINGTON: The first human antibody that can knock out all influenza A viruses has been shown effective in lab mice, an exciting step forward in the hunt for a universal vaccine, researchers said Friday. The broadly neutralizing antibody, called FI6, could help vaccinate people against the flu without scientists struggling to piece together a new cocktail each season to match the often-changing strains. Antonio Lanzavecchia, lead author of the study published this week in the US journal Science, described the finding as "significant," but noted it may be five years before it can be made into a widely available treatment. The antibody was found in plasma cells from a human donor. When given to mice heavily dosed with flu viruses, it was able to knock out the illness, offering hope for use as a remedy in people who get infected with the flu. The discovery was made by using newly patented technology to screen hundreds of thousands of plasma cells in order to isolate the rare ones that produced the antibody. The antibody was tested in all 16 subtypes of A flu viruses and consistently worked against the often-changing hemagglutinin (HA), the protein that is on the virus's surface. Mice and ferrets recovered from what would have otherwise been a lethal dose of flu virus when they were given the antibody within two days of infection. Flu pandemics are unpredictable, and millions of people around the world are infected annually with seasonal flu varieties that can be lethal for those with weak immune systems, including children, the elderly and pregnant women. The spread of A(H1N1), or "swine flu," killed at least 18,449 people and affected some 214 countries and territories after it was uncovered in Mexico and the United States in April 2009. The World Health Organization declared a pandemic on June 11, 2009. The event was formally over on August 10, 2010. (AFP)

GEO Amazing and Interesting

South Korean scientists create glowing dog

SEOUL: South Korean scientists said they have created a glowing dog using a cloning technique that could help find cures for human diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. A research team from Seoul National University (SNU) said the genetically modified female beagle, named Tegon and born in 2009, has been found to glow fluorescent green under ultraviolet light if given a doxycycline antibiotic, the report said. The researchers, who completed a two-year test, said the ability to glow can be turned on or off by adding a drug to the dog's food. "The creation of Tegon opens new horizons since the gene injected to make the dog glow can be substituted with genes that trigger fatal human diseases," the news agency quoted lead researcher Lee Byeong-chun as saying. He said the dog was created using the somatic cell nuclear transfer technology that the university team used to make the world's first cloned dog, Snuppy, in 2005. The scientist said that because there are 268 illnesses that humans and dogs have in common, creating dogs that artificially show such symptoms could aid treatment methods for diseases that afflict humans.

Geo Sports

2014 FIFA WC qualification draw set

RIO DE JANEIRO: The 2014 World Cup has officially kicked off, with the United States being drawn with Jamaica in qualifying for the North, Central America and Caribbean region for the tournament in Brazil in three years' time. The other two teams in Group A will come from preliminary qualifying matches that include Haiti, Guatemala, the U.S. Virgin Islands and five other nations. Mexico is in Group B with Costa Rica, while Cuba and Honduras are in Group C. All three group winners and runners-up will advance to a final qualifying round, beginning February 2013. African and Asian countries also found out their opponents in Saturday's qualifying draw in Rio de Janeiro, the first major World Cup event in Brazil since the South American nation was awarded the competition in 2007. In Asia, Japan will face Uzbekistan, Syria and North Korea in Group C, while Australia will play Saudi Arabia, Oman and Thailand in Group D. Iran, Bahrain and Qatar were drawn in the same Group E, along with Indonesia, while China is in Group A with Iraq, Jordan and Singapore. The African teams were divided into 10 groups for qualifiers beginning in November. South Africa, last year's World Cup host, was drawn in Group A along with Botswana. Ghana, the best African team last year, is in Group D with Zambia and Sudan. As host, Brazil is the only nation that doesn't have to qualify. But 166 other teams are having their fate decided in the draw. South America was not included in the draw because the continent's nine teams will be placed in a single group. They will play each other twice, home and away, with the top four finishers securing a World Cup spot. The fifth-place team will advance to an intercontinental playoff against a team from Asia. The other playoff will pit teams from CONCACAF and Oceania. The qualifiers began June 15 and will end Nov. 19, 2013, after 824 matches. Twenty-eight teams were eliminated in preliminary rounds before Saturday's draw. The World Cup will be played from June 12 to July 13, and the complete match schedule will be announced in October. "We love football,'' Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff said at the draw. "Today, Brazil is admired for more than just football, music and its popular festivities. I invite you to come visit us. You will find a country very well prepared for the World Cup.''

Geo Pakistan

Karachi: violence continues despite peace efforts

KARACHI: Violence continued in the metropolis despite the political parties' efforts for the restoration of peace. A dead body was found in Orangi Town on late Saturday night, raising the death toll to 14 during the past 24 hours. Earlier, a man was gunned down by unidentified armed men in Banaras area of Orangi Town. Another man, identified as Tanveer, was killed while three others injured in Gulistan e Jauhar, triggering tension in the area. In Landhi-89, Umair Ahmed and Gul Shah were shot dead while two kids wounded. Meanwhile, two groups used hand grenades and crackers against each other during their clash after which heavy firing were carried out in Sherpao Colony. Police and Rangers personnel launched search operation in the region to control law and order situation. Several suspects have been detained during the operation.

Geo World

CIA's Pakistan chief leaves country

WASHINGTON: The CIA's Islamabad station chief, who oversaw the intelligence team that uncovered Osama bin Laden's hideout, has left Pakistan for medical reasons, a US official said. The CIA declined to comment on the matter. "The chief of station is a respected, senior officer who had the full faith and confidence of folks back in Washington," the US official told AFP on condition of anonymity. "Most people will agree the officer's role in one of the greatest intelligence victories of all time means this person was pretty darn effective, no matter what the Pakistanis may think." American television, citing US and Pakistani officials, said the officer who headed one of the Central Intelligence Agency's most sensitive positions worldwide was not expected to return. It was the second such departure in seven months from the post. Despite the quick turnover at the key office, US officials told American TV that it would not hamper US intelligence efforts in Pakistan. (AFP)

Geo Business

SBP cuts policy rate by 50 basis points

KARACHI: The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Saturday slashed the discount rate by 50 basis points or 0.5 percent to 13.5 from 14, Geo News reported Saturday. Acting Governor SBP Yasin Anwar while announcing the monetary police for the next two months here said the energy crisis and bad law and order situation adversely affected the growth and feared that the fiscal deficit could climb to 6.2 percent for the previous financial year. He said the government debt is not an issue exclusively relating to 2011 rather it is a basic problem while the tax to GDP ratio presently stood at 8.6 percent which, he regretted, was at a very low level. The acting governor of the central bank said improved exports and remittances helped make foreign payments and the trade deficit remained within a limit of 0.8 percent. He said the foreign exchange reserves held by the SBP had surged to Rs14.8 billion while the rupee value slipped by 0.5 percent during the past fiscal year.

Geo Pakistan

Firing at Spini Road kills 11 in Quetta

QUETTA: Unidentified men opened fire on a van at Spini Road in Quetta that killed eleven persons including a woman and injured three Saturday, Geo News reported. According to police sources, the firing incident took place near a bus stop at Spini Road when some unknown men attacked a vehicle that killed three people, including a woman on spot while eleven others got injured. Seven persons lost their lives on their way while one succumbed to injuries after reaching to the hospital. The injured have been shifted to Bolan Medical Hospital. The area is gripped by fear while security forces have reached the spot to investigate the incident and cordoned off the area. The relatives of the victims reached the hospital and protested against the incident while Tahaffuz-e-Azadari Council has announced 40-day mourning.

Geo World

Norway mourns, buries dead, a week after massacre

OSLO: Norwegians united in mourning on Friday as the first funerals were held a week after anti-Islam extremist Anders Behring Breivik massacred 77 people in attacks that traumatised the nation. Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg mourned in Oslo's main mosque at 1330 GMT -- the time Breivik detonated a homemade car bomb in Oslo on July 22 -- after attending a memorial by his ruling Labour Party where many clutched red roses. "Evil has brought out the best in us. Hatred engenders love," he told the party of the killings that targeted his government and a Labour Party youth meeting on an island near Oslo. Many of the dead were teenagers. "We want to be one community. Across faith, ethnicity, gender and rank," Stoltenberg said of a backlash against the attacks by 32-year-old Breivik, a radical Christian who opposed multiculturalism and religious tolerance favoured by Labour. Stoltenberg has not once uttered his name in public. On Friday evening, police raised the death toll at a Labour Party summer youth camp on Utoeya island 45 km (28 miles) from Oslo to 69 from 68. The shooting followed a bomb that killed 8 in Oslo. Flags around the nation flew at half mast. Norway suspended import tolls on roses since Norwegian producers are unable to meet demand for the flowers that have become the symbol of remembrance -- a red rose is the Labour Party emblem. In Nesodden, south of Oslo, the first of the funerals was held, for Bano Rashid, an 18-year-old woman who came to Norway in 1996 with her family fleeing Kurdistan in northern Iraq. She was shot dead at the summer camp. Rashid was the first to be buried in a newly consecrated Muslim section of the cemetery by the picturesque stone-and-wood church, built in 1175. Several hundred mourners followed her casket to the grave, led by a Lutheran priest and an imam. "We have many Muslims living here now, so she will not be alone there for long," the Islamic cleric, Senaid Kobilica of Bosnia, said of the new area of the cemetery. On Utoeya island Rashid had lent a pair of rubber boots to former Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland, who spoke to the youths and then left before Breivik arrived. In a second funeral, Ismail Haji Ahmed, 19, was buried near Hamar, north of Oslo. Ahmed, a dancer who appeared in a television talent show this year, was one of three in his family who were at Utoeya, parliamentarian Thomas Breen said. "We have lost one of our most beautiful roses," he told Reuters. The two other family members survived. (Reuters)

Geo World

US boosting efforts against Al-Qaeda in Pakistan

WASHINGTON: The US is ‘doubling down’ on its strategy of covert targeted missile strikes in Pakistan in the wake of Osama bin Laden's death, believing that Al-Qaeda is susceptible to a decisive blow, a senior Obama administration official said Friday. "I think there are three to five senior leaders that if they're removed from the battlefield, would jeopardize Al Qaeda's capacity to regenerate," said retired Gen. Douglas Lute, who oversees Afghanistan and Pakistan strategy at the National Security Council. He declined to name them, other than Ayman al Zawahiri, who succeeded Bin Laden as Al Qaeda's leader. Lute's comments were an unusually explicit statement of the thinking behind the administration's increased reliance on drones and other forms of remote attack against Al-Qaeda. He avoided specifically referring to drone strikes, which are not officially acknowledged by the government, and instead talked of covert programs in Pakistan. But his meaning was clear. In a candid assessment, Lute also said the administration had not envisioned the extent to which senior Pakistani officials would be embarrassed less by the presence of Bin Laden in their country than by the US raid to kill him without their knowledge. Lute's remarks in a panel discussion at the Aspen Security Forum here came after he was asked to respond to comments Thursday night by retired Adm. Dennis Blair, who was forced to resign last year as director of national intelligence. Blair, who left after Obama sided with the CIA in a series of policy disputes between that agency and Blair's office, said drone strikes have become counterproductive because they are provoking public outrage in Pakistan and potentially creating new enemies. Blair said the US should offer Pakistan the chance to "put two hands on the trigger" as a partner in the program — and therefore only carry out strikes the Pakistanis approve. As it stands, he said, the attacks are undertaken without consultation with Pakistan's government, despite occasional cooperation in the past. Blair also argued against the US conducting unilateral drone strikes in Yemen and Somalia. Blair's comments marked the first time a former Obama administration official had publicly criticized a key tenet of the president's national security strategy. His views on drone attacks were repudiated by other former senior government officials attending the Aspen conference, including former California Congresswoman Jane Harman, a Democrat who chaired a homeland security intelligence subcommittee. The disagreement is part of a broader debate over the efficacy of relatively low-cost drone strikes versus the far more expensive, long-term use of troops on the ground to wage a sustained counter-terrorism campaign. The administration has moved to draw down US troop strength in the region, believing that the costs are unsustainable. Blair argued that the key to defeating Al-Qaeda was for the Pakistani military to mount a sustained counterinsurgency to clear and hold the Afghanistan border areas where the group's leaders have taken refuge. Lute, reflecting the administration's view, noted that Pakistan's military has a presence in those areas, but despite billions in US aid, its army has shown neither the willingness nor the capacity to root out militants. Asked about the current threat posed by Al-Qaeda, Lute echoed comments made here Thursday by Michael Leiter, who recently departed as head of the National Counterterrorism Center. Al-Qaeda has been wounded, but not yet defeated, he said, adding, "We're not ready to declare victory." Leiter had said that Al-Qaeda's leaders in Pakistan were "on the ropes," but the organization remained capable of attacks and "Pakistan remains a huge problem" because it allows safe haven for Al-Qaeda and affiliated groups in its tribal areas along the Afghan border.

Geo Pakistan

Seven devotees killed in Sariab road firing

QUETTA: At least seven devotees were killed and several others injured when unidentified armed men opened fire at them, rescue sources said. According to sources, devotees were waiting for van at Sariab road when unidentified armed assailants opened fire killing four people on the spot while three succumbed to their injuries at the hospital. The police said Kalashnikovs and pistols were using in the firing incident.

Geo World

NYPD pioneers small bomb detection system

NEW YORK: The NYPD has developed a fool proof system to detect a small atomic bomb. American officials fear that Al-Qaeda might be planning new attacks on the tenth anniversary of 9/11. They fear that terrorists might use nuclear technology and might use a small dirty bomb. In order to counter the threat, New York police is testing ground breaking counterterrorism technology that is expected to dramatically increase their ability to detect and thwart a potential radiation attack. Officials said the technology will allow a command center in lower Manhattan to monitor 2,000 mobile radiation detectors carried by officers each day around the city. The detectors will send a wireless, real-time alert if there's a reading signaling a dirty bomb threat. A dirty bomb is intended to spread panic by using a small explosive to create a radioactive cloud in urban settings. One has never been discovered or detonated in a US terror plot. But law enforcement considers dirty bombs a serious threat because they're easy to build and because of intelligence that foreign terrorists want to use them against American cities. (AP)

Geo Entertainment

'Cowboys' to outdraw 'Smurfs'

LOS ANGELES: The mash-up "Cowboys & Aliens" will likely mean a smack-down for a superhero and some Smurfs this weekend, with the Universal/Dreamworks sci-fi/Western expected to open with a gross of between $40 million and $45 million at more than 3,700 theaters in North America. Starring Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig, directed by "Iron Man's" Jon Favreau, and with Steven Spielberg among its producers, this truly original film defies categorization and industry projections for its opening have varied. Yet awareness is very high for the film, which had its world premiere at Comic-Con this past weekend, and the fan-boy factor should carry it to victory, despite weak reviews. A superhero vs. Smurf smack-down in the $30 million range is expected for the weekend's No. 2 spot as Paramount/Marvel's "Captain America: The First Avenger" tries to maintain some of last weekend's opening glory against PG newcomer "The Smurfs." Starring Neil Patrick Harris, the Sony 3-D film based on the wildly popular Smurfs comic books and the 1980s animated TV series is the very definition of cute and should do well with family audiences. "Captain America" debuted in first place last weekend with $65 million and has been a solid midweek warrior with more than $85 million deposited in "America's" treasury through Tuesday, its sixth day of release. The film should easily pass the $100 million mark in North America this weekend, when it also opens wide overseas. "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" from Warner Bros. should maintain its money-making magic, placing fourth at about $20 million domestically and likely setting still another record on Saturday when it could cross the $1 billion mark internationally after just 16 days in release. This would beat "Avatar's" 17-day sprint to $1 billion in 2009 - with the usual help from ticket-price inflation, of course. The debuting "Crazy Stupid Love" from Warner Bros. offers summer audiences something different: a PG-13 comedy in a season that's been dominated by no less than five R-rated comedies. Featuring a strong ensemble cast that includes Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, the date crowd will find much to love in this crazy mix of comedy and drama, giving it a not-so-stupid fifth-place gross approaching $18 million. (AP)

Geo Sports

India win toss, put England into bat in 2nd Test

NOTTINGHAM: India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss and elected to field against England in the second Test at Trent Bridge here on Friday. England, 1-0 up in the four-match series, made one change to the side that won the first Test by 196 runs at Lord's on Monday. Yorkshire seamer Tim Bresnan replaced fast bowler Chris Tremlett, who was ruled out with a hamstring problem. This is Bresnan's eighth Test match and first since he featured in the climax of England's 3-1 Ashes series win against Australia in Sydney in January. That meant there was no place in the side for fast bowler Steven Finn after the Middlesex paceman received a late call-up into the squad Thursday. India were forced into making two changes. Fast bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth came in for left-arm quick Zaheer Khan, who had not recovered after breaking down early at Lord's with a hamstring problem. India also had to rejig their batting order after opener Gautam Gambhir, hit on the elbow fielding at short leg at Lord's, was deemed unfit. Yuvraj Singh took his place with Rahul Dravid, as he did in the second innings at Lord's, set to open the innings alongside Abhinav Mukund. India's Sachin Tendulkar came into this match still needing one more century to become the first batsman to score a hundred international hundreds after making 34 and 12 at Lord's. Tendulkar's 51 hundreds in Tests and 48 in one-day internationals are both world records. England will replace India at the top of the ICC's World Test Championship if they win this series by 2-0 or better. Teams England: Andrew Strauss (captain), Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, Eoin Morgan, Matt Prior (wk), Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, James Anderson India: Abhinav Mukund, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Venkatsai Laxman, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain/wk), Harbhajan Singh, Praveen Kumar, Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, Ishant Sharma Umpires: Asad Rauf (PAK) and Marais Erasmus (SA), TV umpire: Billy Bowden (NZ) Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (SL)

Geo Health

Fat is more dangerous for South Asians: study

WASHINGTON: Weight gain can be more dangerous for South Asians than for Caucasians because the fat clings to organs like the liver instead of the skin, said a study published Thursday. The main difference between Caucasians and South Asians comes down to how much space there is to store fat in the body and where it holes up, said Sonia Anand, lead author of the study in the public access journal PLoS One. "South Asians have less space to store fat below the skin than white Caucasians," said Anand, a professor of medicine and epidemiology at McMaster University. "Their excess fat, therefore, overflows to ectopic compartments, in the abdomen and liver where it may affect function." When extra fats clings to the organs, it can cause high glucose and lipid levels, which are risk factors for heart disease. That means South Asians with a weight and height ratio, or body mass index (BMI), that would be considered in the healthy range for Caucasians may merit screening for conditions like diabetes and coronary artery disease. The Canada-based study recruited 108 people in all, some first- or second-generation immigrants from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, or Bangladesh and the rest Caucasian subjects whose ancestry could be traced to Europe. They underwent a series of measurements and tests to assess body fat, cholesterol and sugar levels. "Young, apparently healthy South Asians have greater metabolic impairment compared to white Caucasians who tend to develop metabolic changes at higher levels of obesity and at a more advanced age," said the study. South Asians tended to have lower HDL (or good) cholesterol, higher total body fat but lower levels of abdominal fat, fattier livers and less lean muscle mass than Caucasians of similar age, height and weight. "This study helps explain why South Asians experience weight-related health problems at lower BMI levels than Caucasians," said Arya Sharma, director of the Canadian Obesity Network and a co-author of the study. "For the clinician, this also means that individuals of South Asian heritage need to be screened for the presence of heart disease and diabetes at lower BMIs." (AFP)

Geo Business

Oil prices down in Asia on US debt fears

SINGAPORE: The US debt stalemate continued to roil crude markets in Asian trade Friday as a vote in the House of Representatives on a Republican debt plan was postponed. New York's main contract, light sweet crude for delivery in September, fell 22 cents to $97.22 per barrel. Brent North Sea crude for September delivery shed four cents to $117.32. "Investors continued to worry about the stalled US debt talks," Phillip Futures said in a report. US politicians were still wrangling over a compromise deal to stave off a debt default on August 2, with Republican lawmakers challenging their Democratic counterparts to vote for their debt plan on Thursday. However, in a sign that the plan could not garner enough support even within their own party, the vote originally scheduled for the House of Representatives on Thursday was postponed. The House was forced to recess while House Speaker John Boehner met one by one with Republican lawmakers to shore up support for his two-step plan to raise the $14.3 trillion debt ceiling enough to avert default for at least six months. With five days to go until the default deadline when the Treasury says it will run out of funds, IMF chief Christine Lagarde also piled on the pressure for a deal saying the dollar's status could be in doubt if the impasse continues.

Geo Pakistan

KESC-SSGC gas supply issue resolved

KARACHI: The problem of reduced gas supply to KESC by SSGC has been resolved after the intervention of Federal Minister for Petroleum Dr. Asim Hussain, Geo News reported Thursday. Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) had cut down the supply of gas to KESC citing non-payment of dues. The matter was finally resolved after the Petroleum Minister Dr. Asim Hussain intervened and got it sorted out by bringing the two parties to negotiating table. Later, Dr. Asim Hussain confirmed that SSGC had restored the supply of gas to KESC. The rest of the issues will also be resolved between KESC and SSGC tomorrow, he added. According to KESC administration, the supply of 180 cubic ft gas has been restored by SSGC, bringing the possibility of undertaking additional loadshedding to an end.

Geo Business

Two-day gas outage for Faisalabad industries begins

FAISALABAD: Gas supply, under gas load management plan, to industries of Faisalabad region and CNG stations of Faisalabad, Sargodha, Jhang, Toba Tek Singh, Chiniot and Khoshab has been suspended for two days and two-and-a-half-day respectively, Geo News reported on Thursday. Under the plan issued by Sui gas authorities, gas supply to industries of Faisalabad region would remain suspended from 6:00 am of July 28 to 6:00 am of July 30. Gas outages Loadshedding in the industries has left thousands of daily wages employee jobless for two days. Meanwhile, supply of gas to CNG stations of Faisalabad region districts including Faisalabad, Sargodha, Jhang, Toba Tek Singh, Chiniot, Khoshab and others has been halted from 6:00 am today for two-and-a-half-day, resulting consumers are facing severe problems.

Geo World

21 killed in Afghan attacks

KANDAHAR: Taliban bomb and gun attacks on an official's compound and a militia base in the southern Afghan province of Uruzgan killed 21 people on Thursday, including a reporter of foreign news channel. Five hours of fighting were triggered after insurgents detonated a car bomb outside the deputy provincial governor's compound close to the main hospital in Trinkot, Uruzgan's capital, a provincial government spokesman told AFP. Gunmen also attacked the nearby base of a militia commander who provides security to NATO convoys. The assault was launched from a radio and television office where 25-year-old BBC reporter Ahmed Omed Khpulwak was killed. The interior ministry said seven suicide attackers had attacked different locations in Trinkot and a motorcyle bomb was remotely detonated outside the police headquarters. It was the deadliest attack to hit Afghanistan in more than a month and comes at a critical juncture in the nearly 10-year war as thousands of US surge troops prepare to go home and other Western nations announce limited drawdowns. All foreign combat forces are due to leave Afghanistan by the end of 2014 and last week a first set of security handovers from NATO to Afghan forces took place in seven parts of the country. "As a result of these savage attacks of the enemies of Afghanistan, 21 people including three policemen were martyred, and 38 others including three police were injured," the Afghan interior ministry said in a statement. Provincial government spokesman Milad Modaser said fighting ended five hours after the attack began at noon. "The fighting is over, security forces have entered the last building (the governor's office) and a clearance operation is underway," he said. Modaser said gunmen raided the Uruzgan radio and television station and from there attacked the base of Matiulllah Khan, a well-known militia commander whose fighters protect NATO convoys on the highway from Uruzgan to Kandahar city. An army spokesman in the southern region, Hekmatullah Kuchi, said one of the blasts at the deputy governor's office was caused by a suicide bomber, and a second was caused by an Afghan soldier shooting another suicide attacker. NATO's International Security Assistance Force sent reinforcements to the scene, including helicopters, to assist in quelling the assault. Taliban spokesman Qari Yousuf Ahmadi told AFP that the attackers were from the insurgent group, but denied killing the reporter, saying the police were responsible for his death. "Seven of our volunteers have attacked the deputy governor's office and Matiullah's base," said Ahmadi. (AFP)

Geo Pakistan

Pak against any country’s regional hegemony: Gilani

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani here on Thursday said Pakistan rejects efforts to establish regional hegemony by any state. He was speaking at a function here after inaugurating a photo exhibition `Spirit of Peace' to mark Pakistan's 50 years contribution to the United Nations Peacekeeping Missions. Federal Minister for Defence Ahmed Mukhtar, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan, Chief of Army Staff Ashfaq Parvez Kayani attended the function. Gilani said the occasion commemorates Pakistan's selfless and valued role in the maintenance of peace and stability for over half a century under the banner of the United Nations. He said the history of the UN is replete with successful efforts to address the challenges posed to peace and security around the globe. Pakistan has also substantially contributed to peacekeeping efforts by responding to humanitarian crises caused by international conflicts and natural calamities, he said. Gilani said it is his firm belief that United Nations continues to remain relevant as well as indispensable to address emerging threats to international peace and security. He said Pakistan's participation in the United Nations Peacekeeping missions stems from its commitment to serve humanity, international peace and collective security. "We consider peacekeeping as the flagship activity of the United Nations, providing the basis on which the UN can build peace and stability in countries affected by conflict." "We are proud to have, as a matter of policy, partnered with the UN for over half a century to achieve the collective objective of peace and security. In doing so, we have contributed 136,000 peace keepers since our first mission in Congo in 1960," he added. The Prime Minister said Pakistan's commitment and resolve to world peace and security remains unwavering. "The practical reflection of which is our current contribution of over 10,500 personnel in eight most demanding UN peacekeeping missions across the globe. The road to peace is often paved with various perils and sacrifices including the possibility of combat." Gilani reminded that Pakistani troops often saw combat in difficult conditions for enforcement of the UN charter. "Over the years, we have suffered 240 causalities, 126 of whom made the supreme sacrifice of rendering their lives for the cause of peace and welfare of humanity. These sons of the soils, who got martyred in the line of duty, chronicled a glorious chapter of sacrifice in the UN's history and made their country proud. We are privileged to have the families of some of those Shaheeds with us today." He said no one knows the value of peace more than the Pakistani nation, which has been hit hard by militancy and acts of terrorism for the last several years. "Our people have rendered immense sacrifices. We lost the precious lives of 35,000 including 5000 security personnel and incurred a damage of billions of dollars to the national economy as a result of our participation in the war on terror." The Prime Minister said Pakistani people face acts of terrorism on a daily basis and its huge effect on the impressionable youth who are exposed to incidents of terror. Fighting militancy and terrorism is a collective responsibility of the civilized world, he said adding it calls for the adoption of `partnership approach'. He observed that the unending blame game and singling out Pakistan and Muslim community in this regard would not advance the shared goal of eliminating terrorism. "The extremist tendencies have transcended cultures and religions. This calls for concerted efforts for creating interfaith harmony and dialogue for the establishment of moderate and tolerant world," he added.

Geo Sports

Pak squad announced for Zimbabwe tour

LAHORE: Pakistani selectors Thursday announced a 16-man squad for next month's tour of Zimbabwe, where they play one Test, three one-day internationals and two Twenty20 matches. Misbah-ul-Haq will lead the squad in all three formats of the game. Squad: Misbah-ul-Haq (captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Taufiq Umar, Imran Farhat, Azhar Ali, Younis Khan, Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal, Rameez Raja Junior, Adnan Akmal, Saeed Ajmal, Yasir Shah, Sohail Tanveer, Sohail Khan, Junaid Khan, Aizaz Cheema.

GEO Amazing and Interesting

NASA probe poised for launch to Jupiter

CAPE CANAVERAL: A NASA satellite was hoisted aboard an unmanned Atlas 5 rocket at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on Wednesday in preparation for launch next week on an unprecedented mission to the heart of Jupiter. The robotic probe called Juno is scheduled to spend one year cycling inside Jupiter's deadly radiation belts, far closer than any previous orbiting spacecraft, to learn how much water the giant planet holds, what triggers its vast magnetic fields and whether a solid core lies beneath its dense, hot atmosphere. "Jupiter holds a lot of key secrets about how we formed," said lead scientist Scott Bolton, with the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, Texas. Scientists believe Jupiter was the first planet to form after the birth of the sun, though exactly how that happened is unknown. One key piece of missing data is how much water is inside the giant planet, which circles the sun five times farther away than Earth. Jupiter, like the sun, is comprised primarily of hydrogen and helium, with a sprinkling of other elements, like oxygen. Scientists believe the oxygen is bound with hydrogen to form water, which can be measured by microwave sounders, one of eight science instruments on Juno. Jupiter's water content is directly tied to where - and how -- the planet formed. Some evidence points to a planet that grew in the colder nether-regions of the solar system and then migrated inward. Other computer models show Jupiter formed at about its present location by accumulating ancient icy snowballs. LARGER THAN SISTER PLANETS However it grew, Jupiter ended up with a mass more than twice all its sister planets combined, giving it the gravitational muscle to hang on to nearly all of its original building materials. "That's why it's very interesting to us if we want to go back in time and understand where we came from and how the planets were made" -- which Juno can help NASA do, Bolton said. Juno's journey to Jupiter will take five years. Upon arrival in July 2016, Juno will thread itself into a narrow region between the planet and the inner edge of its radiation belt. The solar-powered probe will then spend a year orbiting over Jupiter's poles, coming as close as 3,100 miles (5,000 km) above its cloud tops. Only an atmospheric probe released by Galileo, NASA's last Jupiter spacecraft, has come closer, though that spacecraft was able to relay data for only 58 seconds before succumbing to the planet's crushing pressure and intense heat. Juno's electronic heart is protected in a vault of titanium, but it too will fall to the harsh Jovian radiation environment after about a year. Juno's last move will be to dive into the planet's atmosphere to avoid any chance of contaminating Jupiter's potentially life-bearing moons. Juno's launch is scheduled for Aug. 5. The spacecraft was built by Lockheed Martin Astronautics of Denver, Colorado. The mission, the second in NASA's lower-cost, quick-turnaround New Frontiers planetary expeditions, will cost $1.1 billion. (Reuters)

Geo Entertainment

'Another Earth' is a thoughtful sci-fi romance

LOS ANGELES: Can't bear to sit through yet another robot or superhero-filled extravaganza or R-rated raunchy comedy this summer? "Another Earth" offers the discerning moviegoer a welcome alternative. This indie drama -- a prizewinner at this year's Sundance Film Festival -- is a sci-fi romance. But there's not a single alien in sight. Rather, the movie's all-too-human characters are more than a little alienated from their own feelings at times, trying their best to push down and mask painful emotions. It's about exactly what the title says: a second Earth, complete with its own moon, has suddenly appeared. It hangs, shimmering on the horizon, visible from our Earth day and night and tantalizing all with its possibilities. This other Earth first appears on the very night that a smart high-school senior, Rhoda Williams(played by newcomer Brit Marling, who co-wrote the script with first-time feature director Mike Cahill), is out celebrating getting accepted by M.I.T. Driving home after a night of partying, she runs a light and slams into a car carrying respected composer John Borroughs (William Mapother), his pregnant wife and young son. When Rhoda gets out of prison a few years later, she seeks out John, the only one in his family to have survived the accident. She and John are both mere shells of their former selves, cut off from others emotionally by the after-effects of the tragedy. Without revealing her true identity, she inserts herself into his life. Slowly, these two help each other to begin to return to the land of the living. Throughout the movie, there's constant talk on the radio and on TV about the other Earth and plans to journey there. Shades of TV's "Fringe": Could it be that everyone on our Earth has a doppelganger on the second Earth, an identical twin to yourself who just might be a happier and more successful version of you? It's a question of special appeal to both Rhoda and John. Marling is a rangy blond with a long face that is just this side of interesting rather than being blandly beautiful. There is a muted intensity to her performance, which is all the more hauntingly effective for its restraint, especially as Rhoda begins to shed her emotional numbness. It's a measure of "Another Earth's" ability to move a viewer that when you come out of the movie, you'll find yourself gazing upward, checking almost hopefully to see whether a second Earth hasn't made an appearance. (Reuters)

Geo Pakistan

Clinton slams bill to impose conditions on Pak aid

WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has warned Congress that she will fight to block a Republican effort to restrict aid for Pakistan, Israel's neighbors and leftist-led Latin American nations. The House Foreign Affairs Committee last week approved a bill that would cut $6.4 billion from President Barack Obama's budget requests and impose restrictions in controversial areas such as abortion and climate change. Clinton expressed "profound concern" in a letter to the committee's Republican chairwoman, Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, and said she would recommend that President Barack Obama veto it if it reaches him. The restrictions in the bill "would be debilitating to my efforts to carry out a considered foreign policy and diplomacy, and to use foreign assistance strategically to that end," Clinton wrote in the letter sent Tuesday. "Should this bill be presented to the president, I will recommend personally that he veto the bill," she wrote. But even without a veto, it remains unclear if the bill will survive. Obama and Clinton's Democratic Party retains control of the Senate after losing the House of Representatives in elections last year. Clinton charged that the bill had "crippling restrictions on security assistance where maximum flexibility is needed," pointing to cuts on aid to Arab states including Egypt which is transitioning to democracy. The House bill would bar defense aid to Egypt, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority and Yemen if Islamist groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood, Hezbollah and Hamas are part of the government. The measure would also impose conditions on civilian aid to Pakistan, ending a five-year, $7.5 billion package without proof that the country where Osama bin Laden was killed in May is acting against militants. (AFP)

Geo Pakistan

Musharraf's APML in tatters

NEW YORK: Despite the fact that Pervez Musharraf had very cordial and encouraging meetings with some US Congressmen and senators and was assured of some support in his mission to return to Pakistan next March, he had to face strong criticism from his own friends and political supporters of his party, the APML. His close confidant for the last nine years and former chairman of Pakistan Cricket Control Board, Dr Nasim Ashraf, has resigned from all positions and basic membership of the party. He was the top boss of his party in North America with the title of Chief Coordinator of APML in North America. Dr Ashraf had established 11 chapters of APML - eight in USA and three in Canada. The reasons for his resignation are not known and all efforts to reach Dr Nasim Ashraf failed. He did not respond to phone calls. However, Pervez Musharraf did attend the wedding of Dr Nasim Ashraf's daughter in Virginia on July 22 before he left USA. Another staunch supporter of Pervez Musharraf since his days in power has also announced his complete dissociation with Musharraf and his party. Arshad Khan, a New Yorker, who held rallies to support Pervez Musharraf till recently, has publicly blamed Musharraf for making wrong decisions, promoting his relatives and those who can organise colourful evenings for him. "We cannot support his objectionable activities and wrong decisions any more. I have been supporting him for too long, even after he had resigned; but now I cannot take his nepotism, faulty decisions and struggle to capture power again," said Arshad Khan of New York's Pak-America Rabita Council. He also pointed out that Pervez Musharaf's public meeting in New York was a total failure as hardly 250 people came to listen to him. Nasim Ashraf's resignation has caused gloom among APML supporters in New Jersey, Houston and other parts of USA. Imran Siiddiqi, who was made APML coordinator for Canada by Pervez Musharaf last week, however, claims that there is no rift or unrest in his party in Canada and he will do his best to resolve issues through dialogue among members. But sources say that other party chapters in Canada have not accepted Pervez Musharaf's decision to promote Imran Siddiqui from Ontario to the top party post. Insiders have disclosed that Dr Nasim Ashraf has informed Pervez Musharaf about his plan to quit politics completely. He plans to return to his medical profession after long absence. According to his family sources, Dr Ashraf plans to spend some time with a hospital in Abu Dhabi.

Geo World

US destroys missile over Pacific in test

WASHINGTON: The US military on Wednesday destroyed one of its own nuclear-capable intercontinental missiles over the Pacific Ocean after it malfunctioned during a test, officials said. The Minuteman III missile -- which was unarmed for the test -- was aborted five minutes after takeoff from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California as a safety precaution after a "flight anomaly," a military statement said. The military had hoped to fire the missile some 4,200 miles (6,750 kilometers) to Kwajalein Atoll in a six-hour flight that would provide data for the US intercontinental ballistic program. "Established parameters were exceeded and controllers sent destruct commands," said Colonel Matthew Carroll, chief of safety for the 30th Space Wing. The military said it would provide more details later on the problem. "The air force ... is going to investigate this particular anomaly and see if they can determine what caused it," Pentagon spokesman Colonel Dave Lapan said. "These are extremely complex missions that they're undertaking," he said. The missile -- named for the "minutemen" in the US Revolutionary War who would quickly prepare for battle against British colonialists -- is a mainstay of the Cold War nuclear weapons program. The United States, while committing to reduce nuclear weapons in its START treaty with Russia, maintains 450 Minutemen III missiles in its active force at bases in the Plains states of Montana, North Dakota and Wyoming. (AFP)

Geo Health

World Hepatitis Day today

LAHORE: THE World Hepatitis Day will be observed around the globe including Pakistan on Thursday. The experts believe that Hepatitis is spreading like AIDS but it can be overcome by adopting preventive measures and running awareness campaign among the masses. "There is a need to update the people as to how they can be saved from this disease," said Prof Dr Tariq Salahuddin, Principal Post Graduate Medical Institute/Lahore General Hospital on Wednesday on the eve of World Hepatitis Day. Prof Dr Ghias-un-Nabi Tayab, LGH Medical Superintendent Dr Zafar Ikram and Associate Professor Dr Asrar-ul-Haq Toor were also present.

Geo Business

Sindh: flour to be sold at Rs 21 per Kg during Ramazan

KARACHI: Government of Sindh has decided to provide flour to people at subsidized rate of Rs 21 per Kg during the holy month of Ramazan. Food department's spokesman Munir Ahmad Jalbani told Geo news that under Sindh Government's Ramazan Package 245,000 metric tonnes of wheat will be supplied to the flour mills. He said that the issue prices will be Rs 1,760 per 100 kg (without cost of bag) and there will be total subsidy of Rs 2,256.450 million borne by the Sindh Government.

Geo Sports

Flower bemoans lack of ICC ‘leadership’ on DRS

LONDON: England coach Andy Flower on Wednesday accused the International Cricket Council (ICC) of lacking leadership over its failure to issue clear rules about the use of the Decision Review System (DRS). Under existing rules, either side in a series can veto the use of the DRS to determine lbw decisions, something India has elected to do in its ongoing series against England, who defeated the tourists at Lord’s on Monday. However the lack of the DRS during the first Test has cast the spotlight on umpiring in the game, with Billy Bowden twice denying Stuart Broad plumb lbw decisions which would have snared Sachin Tendulkar and Suresh Raina. Asked if he was concerned about the possibility of trouble in the remainder of the series Flower admitted: “Yes, I am actually. We almost saw it happen in this Test match. “It would have been wrong if the outcome of the game had been seriously affected by a couple of those decisions and it was quite right that, luckily, we did continue to create chances. It’s unsatisfactory the way it is, there is no doubt about that.” Flower pointed the finger at ICC chiefs for allowing the current situation to arise, where DRS is used in some Test series but not in others.

GEO Amazing and Interesting

Maharaja's tiger hunting Rolls may fetch $1 million

NEW DELHI: Auction house Bonhams will put under the hammer a rare Rolls Royce Phantom modified for tiger hunting by an Indian maharaja during the days of the British Raj, featuring a mounted machine gun and a cannon, that may fetch up to $1 million. The custom-made 1925 Rolls Royce was originally commissioned by Umed Singh II, the maharaja of Kotah in the 1920s at a time when tiger hunting was hugely popular in India. The flaming red vehicle, with a convertible canvas roof and bespoke hunting features including a double-barreled shotgun, spotlights for night hunting and a mountable Lantaka cannon, is expected to fetch up to $1 million when it goes on the block in mid-August in Carmel, California. "It was quite common, most of the maharajahs had specialized customized cars manufactured in the U.S. and they even had gilted frames and all sorts of things," said Pran Nevile, a writer and expert on India's colonial era known as the British Raj. The car's 8.0-liter, 6-cylinder engine with a low gearing ratio allowed "it to creep powerfully through the roughshod jungles of Rajasthan," wrote Bonhams. For centuries, big game hunting of tigers, leopards and Asiatic lions in India's forests was a favored pastime of India's rulers from the Mughal emperors to the British elite. While much tiger hunting was carried out on elephant-back, some Indian maharajahs, or "great kings" of princely states across India including arid Rajasthan, took things to the extreme. "It was more for a show but everything would be ready and then they would then go and take this Rolls Royce up to a point or the hills and from there shoot the tiger that was already captured by their servants," Nevile told Reuters. Indiscriminate hunting, however, decimated India's Bengal tiger population from an estimated 40,000 a century ago to about 1,700 today. Tigers are now a protected keystone species throughout Asia from Indonesia's Sumatra to Indochina and India. Indian maharajas were known for their high living and extravagant spending on all manner of trappings including ornate palaces, vintage cars and Louis Vuitton bags. The nawab, or ruler, of southern Hyderabad state used the famed Koh-i-Noor diamond, once the largest known gemstone in the world, as a paperweight, while the nawab of tiny western Junagadh state was renowned for spending lavishly on his dog's wedding. "They wanted to live in ostentatious style. Being a princely lot they had their own grand style and it was even copied by the British," said Nevile. (Reuters)

Geo Pakistan

Pakistani FM creates media stir in India

New Delhi:Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar has created quite a stir in India and has won over the hearts of the Indian media. "Pak Puts On Its Best Face," noted The Times of India, the biggest-selling English-language daily in India. In a rarity for the Indian media, not known for assessing the dress-sense of previous Pakistani visitors, the Mail Today tabloid devoted extensive space to her choice of outfit as she flew in to New Delhi airport on Tuesday. "The 34-year-old minister scored full marks on the fashion front when she was spotted at the Delhi airport in a monotone outfit of blue -- the colour of the season," it said. "Tasteful accessories -- Roberto Cavalli sunglasses, oversized Hermes Birkin bag and classic pearl jewellery -- added a hint of glamour to her look," it added.

Geo Entertainment

'Cowboys & Aliens' turns mash-up to mush

The genre mash-up of "Cowboys & Aliens" is more a mush-up, an action yarn aiming to be both science fiction and Old West adventure but doing neither all that well. The filmmakers - and there are a lot of them, among them director Jon Favreau, 11 producers or executive producers including Steven Spielberg, Ron Howard and Brian Grazer, plus half a dozen credited writers - start with a title that lays out a simple but cool premise: invaders from the skies shooting it out with guys on horseback. For all the talent involved, they wound up keeping the story too simple, almost simple-minded, leaving a terrific cast led by Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford stuck in a sketchy, sometimes poky tale where you get cowboys occasionally fighting aliens and not much more. Based on a graphic novel from Scott Mitchell Rosenberg, also a producer on the movie, "Cowboys & Aliens" has Craig doing the stony-faced lone rider thing to such stoic extremes it borders on blandness. Ford is similarly constricted in a stereotyped role as the tyrannical overlord of a Western town, though his unfailing charisma does imbue some spirit into his under-developed character. Really, the only clever thing about "Cowboys & Aliens" is the basic idea itself. The Western trappings are mostly dull, the aliens and sci-fi elements are unimaginative, and cramming them together is not enough to make them interesting. As the story opens in 1875, Craig's amnesiac Jake Lonergan wanders into the dusty New Mexico town of Absolution with no clue to his identity and bearing a strange metal bracelet on his wrist. Within minutes, he begins running afoul of the town's leaders, crossing the cowardly son (Paul Dano) of local cattle baron Woodrow Dolarhyde (Ford), then tussling with the sheriff (Keith Carradine) and his deputies. Just as it looks as though we're in for a showdown among a band of greedy thugs and decent townfolk in need of a hero, space craft swoop in and start snatching people right off the streets. Six-shooters are like firing blanks at the speedy ships, but Jake's wristband comes to life, and he gradually learns how to use it as a weapon to fight back against what the villagers initially assume are demons. Dolarhyde leads Jake and a posse in pursuit of the creatures, accompanied by the mysterious gun-toting Ella (Olivia Wilde), who knows more about these beings than she lets on. Director Favreau slipped from fresh and flamboyant on "Iron Man" to lame and listless on its sequel, and there's more of the latter on "Cowboys & Aliens." The posse creeps along through close encounters with outlaws and Apaches and has more abduction run-ins with the aliens. Yet other than seeing the two blended together, there's nothing here that hasn't been done far better in many Westerns and science-fiction flicks. The aliens are anonymous monsters, and the human folk are mostly cardboard types like those you'll find in any old Western. The action plays out against grand, gorgeous landscapes captured by cinematographer Matthew Libatique, while the visual effects are standard stuff, save for one very impressive explosion. As a jittery saloon owner, Sam Rockwell gets to toss out a few funny lines, and Adam Beach manages a few moments of pathos as Dolarhyde's main hand. As the sheriff's young grandson, Noah Ringer is there to broaden the movie's kid appeal but doesn't really add to the story. Though Ford is pushing 70, it's odd seeing him relegated to second billing in an action movie. His role is big, and it does give him a chance to play a bit nastier than usual. But Craig's role is the sort Ford might have done if "Cowboys & Aliens" came 20 years earlier. Craig's probably the better actor of the two, but Ford's a true movie star, and it's easy to imagine a livelier film if Jake had more of that Indiana Jones rogue's charm and less of the tightly wound menace Craig has made a part of his take on James Bond. "Cowboys & Aliens," a Universal Pictures release, is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of Western and sci-fi action and violence, some partial nudity and a brief crude reference. Running time: 118 minutes. Two stars out of four. (AP)

Geo Business

Petroleum prices likely to change effective August 1

KARACHI: Petroleum products prices expected to slightly increase, while the diesel price to be slashed effective August 1, 2011. Sources said that the prices of petrol likely to increase by Rs0.50 per litre, HOBC and kerosene by Rs1.00 per litre, while the diesel price might be slashed by Rs0.50. Pakistan petroleum products prices are correlated with the international prices. Sources said that these expectations are based on the latest international prices, which possibly could change only slightly in the next two/three days.

Geo Pakistan

Relations with Pakistan 'on right track': India

NEW DELHI: India's Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna said on Wednesday that relations with Pakistan were "on the right track" after talks with his Pakistani counterpart Hina Rabbani Khar in New Delhi. Conceding that there were challenges that lay ahead, Krishna told reporters: "I can confidently say that our relations are on the right track." Krishna added that he was "satisfied at the progress achieved" in the talks, adding: "We have reaffirmed our commitment to resolve all outstanding issues through a comprehensive, serious and sustained dialogue." Khar, speaking on her first trip to India as foreign minister, praised Krishna and drew smiles from her counterpart as the two made their statements to the media. "This is indeed a new era in bilateral cooperation between the countries," she said. "A new generation of Indians and Pakistanis will see a relationship that will hopefully be much different from the one that has been experienced in the last two decades."