Karachi: 8 year old housemaid tortured

KARACHI: Once again stonehearted masters in Karachi brutalized another minor housemaid in the most torturous of ways, Geo News reported.

As per details, fed up by the agonizing screams, the residents of Gulberg Block-10 flats filed a complaint against a woman in the neighbourhood who would inflict corporal punishment upon her housemaid only 8 everyday without a respite.

Moved by the complaint, the police in a raid not only took the little girl (Abida) in their custody but also arrested the mistress of the house (Rashida) for hurting the minor too young to be a housemaid at all.

The signs of the acts of barbarity perpetrated by the vicious mistress were all over Abida's frail body.

Abida was later shifted to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for complete medical examination.

Moreover, IGP Sindh also took notice of the news after Geo News aired it. 

Wall St loses steam after Dow hits 13,000

NEW YORK: Stocks ended little changed on Tuesday, paring gains after the Dow topped 13,000 for the first time since May 2008, and as higher oil prices damped prospects for the economy.

Greece's securing a bailout to avoid a disorderly default provided some support to stocks, but investors said the news had mostly been priced in to the market.

Fresh highs in oil prices gave investors a reason to sell. U.S. crude futures rose 2.5 percent to a nine-month high of $105.84 a barrel on Iran supply worries.

Since the start of the year, signs of improvement in the economy and stabilization of Europe's debt crisis have driven the Dow up 6.1 percent, while the S&P has climbed 8.3 percent.

The Dow ended at 12,965 after briefly climbing above the psychologically key 13,000. Wal-Mart was the biggest drag on the Dow, sliding after its quarterly profit came in short of expectations.

Despite the upbeat news on Greece "we're running into some minor selling pressure, given the extent of the rally we've seen," said Fred Dickson, chief market strategist at D.A. Davidson & Co. in Lake Oswego, Oregon.

In addition, "gas prices across country are raising some questions about earnings," he said. Higher gasoline prices hurt corporate profits as consumers cut back on other spending and businesses' expenses rise.

Euro zone finance ministers agreed on a 130 billion euro ($172 billion) rescue for Greece to avert a chaotic default after forcing Athens to commit to unpopular cuts and private bondholders agreed to take bigger losses.

Even with the bailout, Greece faces a long road to economic recovery. European Union officials said the Greek economy will only return to growth in 2014 after a recession that will shrink output by 17 percent.

The Dow Jones industrial average .DJI finished up 15.82 points, or 0.12 percent, at 12,965.69. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index .SPX was up 0.98 point, or 0.07 percent, at 1,362.21. The Nasdaq Composite Index .IXIC was down 3.21 points, or 0.11 percent, at 2,948.57.

Wal-Mart shares fell 3.9 percent to $60.07, erasing most of the stock's gains so far in 2012.

Among the day's rising shares, Home Depot Inc (HD.N) was up 0.4 percent at $46.92 after the home improvement chain's quarterly profit beat estimates.

Macy's Inc (M.N) climbed 1.2 percent to $36.69 as the department store chain posted higher profit and forecast more sales gains this year.

Kraft Foods Inc (KFT.N) advanced 1.5 percent to $38.57 after the food company forecast earnings growth of at least 9 percent this year even as it prunes its portfolio of North American brands. Kraft, Wal-Mart and Home Depot are all Dow components.

Limiting losses on the Nasdaq, Apple Inc (AAPL.O) was up 2.5 percent to $514.85 after the U.S. International Trade Commission ruled the iPhone maker did not infringe patented technology owned by Android phonemaker HTC Corp (2498.TW). (Reuters)

Cricket: Pietersen ton helps England whitewash Pakistan

DUBAI: Pakistan were whitewashed as England won all the four One-day Internationals of the series to take revenge of Pakistan’s clean sweep in the three-Test series in the United Arab Emirates.

Kevin Pietersen’s second consecutive hundred guided England to a four-wicket victory with four balls remaining here at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.

Chasing 238, England made 241 for six in 49.2 overs to complete the clean sweep against Pakistan.

Pietersen, who opened the innings with his captain Alistair Cook, scored a career best 130 off 153 balls with twelve fours and two sixes.

This was his ninth hundred in his One-day International career.

Pietersen helped England recover from 68-4 with a 109-run stand for the fifth wicket with Craig Kieswetter (43) to maintain his team's domination in the series in which they won the first match by 130 runs, second by 20 and the third by nine wickets.

By virtue of this win England overtook Pakistan at number five and pushed their rivals to sixth in the ICC (International Cricket Council) one-day rankings and partially compensated their 3-0 loss in the preceding three-Test series.

Pakistan were all out for 237 runs in 50 overs after their captain Misbah-ul-Haq elected to bat first

The main scorers were Asad Shafiq (65), Azhar Ali (58) and Misbah-ul-Haq (46).

For England, paceman Jade Dernbach finished with a career-best 4-45.while Steve Finn and debutant Danny Briggs claimed two wickets each.

Both teams now play three Twenty20 internationals in Dubai (February 23 and 25) and Abu Dhabi (February 27).

Jackson concert promoters out of Joe Jackson lawsuit

LOS ANGELES: The promoters of what was to have been Michael Jackson's comeback concerts were dropped on Tuesday from a wrongful death lawsuit brought by the singer's father Joe.

Joe Jackson had alleged that promoters AEG Live were negligent in hiring Dr. Conrad Murray to care for Jackson as he prepared for the 2009 concerts.

But a Los Angeles judge ruled that AEG Live should not be a defendant in Joe Jackson's lawsuit while the company is already named in a separate lawsuit filed by the "Thriller" singer's mother Katherine Jackson.

AEG Live attorney Marvin Putnam called the decision "a major victory" for the concert promoter, which has denied any wrongdoing.

Murray was convicted in November of the involuntary manslaughter of Jackson, 50, through an overdose of the anesthetic propofol and sedatives. He is serving four years in a Los Angeles county jail.

Tuesday's decision leaves Murray and a Las Vegas pharmacy that supplied the propofol as the remaining defendants in Joe Jackson's civil lawsuit. That case has a preliminary hearing set for January 28 2013.

Katherine Jackson's lawsuit, which alleges that AEG is responsible for the medical decisions made by Murray, is set for trial in September 2012.

Jackson died on June 25, 2009 in Los Angeles, after returning from rehearsals for the series of London concerts that were due to start on July 8. (Reuters)

Aussie club owner says he doesn't like football

SYDNEY: Fans often question whether wealthy club owners have a real passion for their teams but the followers of ailing A-league outfit Gold Coast United were left in no doubt at the weekend when Clive Palmer said he did not even like the sport.

A billionaire mining magnate, Palmer launched the club to much hoopla as an expansion team in 2008 and they finished third and fourth in the regular season in their first two years, albeit in front of the smallest crowds in the league.

The crowds have dwindled further this season - just 1723 turning out to watch them play Adelaide United two weeks ago - as the club has struggled on the pitch to fall well adrift at the bottom of the 10-team league.

The club's highly regarded coach Miron Bleiberg looks set to depart after being suspended for questioning the appointment of a 17-year-old as captain and Palmer's outburst at the weekend sparked a war of words with Football Federation Australia (FFA).

"I don't even like the game," Palmer told Brisbane's Sunday Mail. "I think it's a hopeless game. Rugby league's a much better game."

Palmer's comments cut deep for a sport still striving to gain a foothold in a crowded Australian market where rival codes rugby league and Australian Rules rule the roost and FFA chief executive Buckley condemned them.

"The comments are offensive to the players, coaches, administrators and volunteers who are the life and soul of Australian football," he said in a statement.

"We welcomed Clive into the game and lauded his investment, but no matter how frustrated Clive may feel about his involvement, these comments are out of order.

"I remind Clive that as a chairman and owner of a club, he has obligations to the competition, his fellow club chairman and investors in the other nine clubs, and to the game itself." (Reuters)

US takes distance from ‘Balochistan resolution’

WASHINGTON: The United States on Tuesday reiterated that it supports Pakistan's territorial integrity after Islamabad voiced anger
over a US lawmaker's call for self-determination in restive Balochistan.

The State Department said that it had heard Pakistani diplomats' complaints both in Islamabad and Washington over the resolution proposed last week by Dana Rohrabacher, an outspoken Republican congressman.

"The United States respects the territorial integrity of Pakistan," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters.

"Members of Congress introduce legislation on many foreign affairs topics, but they don't in any way imply US government endorsement of those positions," she said.

"With regard to Balochistan itself, we encourage all the parties in Balochistan to work out their differences peaceably and through a political process," she said.

Balochistan in southwestern Pakistan has been torn by violence since 2004, with human rights groups charging that hundreds have been detained, killed or gone missing as government forces try to crush the uprising.

Baloch rebels want a greater share of the oil, gas and mineral deposits in the region touching Iran and Afghanistan. Taliban and sectarian extremists have also taken up arms in the region.

Rohrabacher recently chaired a hearing on Balochistan and Friday proposed a resolution saying that the Baloch people "have the right to self-determination and to their own sovereign country, and they should be afforded the opportunity to choose their own status."

Two fellow Republicans joined Rohrabacher in sponsoring the resolution but few believe it has chances of approval soon. Rohrabacher earlier pushed unsuccessfully to cut off all aid to Pakistan after US forces found and killed Osama bin Laden on its soil.

Pakistani leaders including Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani have repeatedly voiced outrage over Rohrabacher's efforts on Balochistan, amid strong anti-US sentiment in the country.
Rohrabacher's proposal is a "concurrent resolution," meaning that even if passed it would not have legal force and would not need the signature of President Barack Obama, a member of the rival Democratic Party. (AFP)

Afghan officials meeting Taliban in Pakistan

KANDAHAR: Afghan officials are holding talks with the Taliban in Pakistan, the head of a provincial peace council in the insurgency's heartland Kandahar said on Tuesday, in a possible signal that Islamabad is boosting its support for Afghan peace efforts.

Kandahar peace council head Ata Mohammad Ahmadi told Reuters the officials have been meeting for "some time" with mid-level Taliban commander in the southwest Pakistani city of Quetta, where the leadership of the militant group is said to be based.

"In the last 10 days, our peace council delegation have gone to Quetta three times in twos and threes," he said.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai's government has repeatedly called on regional power Pakistan to support its efforts to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table.

Ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan were strained for months after the assassination in September of Afghan peace envoy and former president Burhanuddin Rabbani.

Afghan officials blamed Pakistan's intelligence agency, allegations angrily denied by Islamabad.

But Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar said after a recent trip to Kabul that a lot of the ill will between the neighbours had faded. She said Pakistan would encourage Afghan militant groups to pursue peace if asked by Kabul.

Karzai held talks with Pakistani leaders in Islamabad last week.

"We are very optimistic about President Karzai's recent trip to Pakistan and that may have opened the door," Arsala Rahmani, a senior member of Afghanistan's High Peace Council - tasked with reaching out to insurgents - told Reuters.

In a statement released on Tuesday, Karzai said:

"While emphasizing the importance of Pakistan's support for the peace process, I hereby request our brotherly government of Pakistan to support and facilitate our direct negotiation efforts as part of the peace process."

Afghanistan is known to want access to Taliban leaders belonging so the so-called Quetta Shura, named after the city where it is believed to be based.

The Kabul government believes they would be the decision makers in any substantive peace negotiations aimed at ending the war now in its eleventh year.

Pakistan, seen as critical to efforts to stabilise Afghanistan, has consistently denied giving sanctuary to insurgents and denies that any Taliban leaders are present in the southwestern city of Quetta, near the Afghan border.

It is unlikely that any meetings between Afghan officials and Taliban commanders could take place in Quetta without the knowledge of Pakistan's pervasive intelligence agencies.

Pakistan may have stepped up its cooperation with the Afghan government by allowing what Ahmadi said were meetings in Quetta. Pakistani officials were not immediately available for comment.

It was unclear if the reported Quetta meetings were part of broad Afghan government efforts to bring the Taliban into peace talks under the 70-member High Peace Council set up by Karzai. (Reuters)