DINA for the issue of December 12, 2011

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D A W N I n t e r n e t N e w s A l e r t
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December 12, 2011 Monday Muharram 16, 1433
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The DAWN Internet News Alert (DINA) is a free daily news-service
from Pakistan's largest English language newspaper, the Daily
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(c) Pakistan Herald Publications (Pvt.) Ltd., Pakistan - 2011

The link at the end of each extract can be used to access the
complete story on DAWN - the Internet Edition.


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US vacates airbase; FC in control
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By Saleem Shahid
QUETTA, Dec 11: The United States completed evacuation of the Shamsi airbase on Sunday when two aircraft took off with the last contingent of 32 troops.

Frontier Corps personnel took over the airbase after departure of the American soldiers...

http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/12/us-vacates-airbase-fc-in-control.html

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Withdrawal of tax on oil exports to Afghanistan proposed
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By Khaleeq Kiani
ISLAMABAD, Dec 11: As Nato forces in Afghanistan continue to face disruptions in oil supplies owing to tense Pak-US relations, the Economic Coordination Committee of the cabinet is expected to withdraw later this week all tax and duty exemptions on export of oil products to Afghanistan.

Informed sources told Dawn that almost all ministries concerned had supported a petroleum ministry proposal to withdraw all tax exemptions on oil exports to Afghanistan in view of substantial waste of foreign exchange, revenue loss and resultant shortage of various products in the domestic market...

http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/12/withdrawal-of-tax-on-oil-exports-to-afghanistan-propose.html

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President to submit reply in memo case
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By Syed Irfan Raza
ISLAMABAD, Dec 11: Although the presidency and the Prime Minister's House claim that the condition of President Asif Ali Zradari, currently under treatment in Dubai, is improving with every passing day, he will not be able to return to the country by Dec 19 — when the first hearing of the memo case is scheduled in the Supreme Court.

However, the presidency will submit the president's reply before that day as ordered by the apex court even if he remains hospitalised for cardiac treatment...

http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/12/president-to-submit-reply-in-memo-case.html

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Nato stoppage may last several weeks: Gilani
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Monitoring Desk
PRIME Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said on Sunday that the government could go to any length to assert the country's sovereignty, saying that "I do not rule out the closure of Pakistan's airspace to US planes".

In an interview with the BBC, the prime minister also said the closure of routes for Nato convoys could continue for "a few weeks more"...

http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/12/nato-stoppage-may-last-several-weeks-gilani.html

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Minister hints at quitting KP govt, joining PTI
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By Suhail Kakakhel
NOWSHERA, Dec 11: Pervez Khattak, Minister for Irrigation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has conveyed his intent to Chief Minister Amir Haider Khan Hoti of quitting the provincial cabinet, says his close aide.

Mian Jamshid told Dawn on Sunday that Mr Khattak had verbally conveyed his decision to the chief minister and was likely to hand over the formal resignation...

http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/12/minister-hints-at-quitting-kp-govt-joining-pti.html

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Nine Nato oil tankers gutted, driver killed
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By Our Staff Correspondent
QUETTA, Dec 11: A driver was killed and nine Nato oil tankers parked outside a hotel in the Bolan district were destroyed on Sunday night when unidentified men opened fire and torched the vehicles.

The oil tankers were returning to Karachi after the Balochistan government decided to send back all oil tankers and containers carrying supplies for Nato forces in Afghanistan for security reasons...

http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/12/nine-nato-oil-tankers-gutted-driver-killed.html

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Climate conference reaches landmark agreement
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DURBAN (South Africa), Dec 11: A UN climate conference reached a hard-fought agreement on Sunday on a far-reaching programme meant to set a new course for the global fight against climate change.

The 194-nation conference agreed to start negotiations on a new accord that would ensure that countries will be legally bound to carry out any pledges they make. It would take effect by 2020 at the latest...

http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/12/climate-conference-reaches-landmark-agreement.html

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Parliament to take up Seraiki province issue soon: Gilani
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By Khawar Ghumman
ISLAMABAD, Dec 11: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said on Sunday that the government would approach the sitting parliament for the creation of a new province in south Punjab.

"Seraiki province is the desire of people and it's an important matter which cannot be left for the next parliament," he said while talking to BBC...

http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/12/parliament-to-take-up-seraiki-province-issue-soon-gilani.html

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Iran FM regrets storming of UK embassy
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TEHRAN, Dec 11: Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi reiterated on Sunday that he regretted last month's storming of the British embassy in Tehran, but asserted that the incident was "not foreseeable".

"The incursion into the embassy was not foreseeable... The protest had the necessary permission and was supposed to be held within the law," he said, according to the Mehr news agency...

http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/12/iran-fm-regrets-storming-of-uk-embassy.html

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Kashmir minister survives attack, guard dies
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SRINAGAR, Dec 11: Suspected Muslim militants killed a policeman in an attack on Sunday on Indian-held Kashmir's senior minister, who escaped uninjured, police said.

"It was an attack on Ali Mohammed Sagar. He escaped unhurt but one of his police guards died in the shooting," the officer said on condition of anonymity...

http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/12/kashmir-minister-survives-attack-guard-dies.html

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American commander defends night raids in Afghanistan
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KABUL, Dec 11: The US Special Operations commander who directed the operation in which Osama bin Laden was killed has defended the unpopular night raids on houses in Afghanistan that have provoked the fury of the country's president and held up a security agreement with the United States.

Admiral William McRaven also backed a training programme his troops run for village police forces — an initiative that some fear could spawn militias and new violence...

http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/12/american-commander-defends-night-raids-in-afghanistan.html

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Medvedev orders poll inquiry after protests
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MOSCOW, Dec 11: President Dmitry Medvedev ordered an investigation on Sunday into allegations of fraud in Russia's parliamentary election, one day after tens of thousands of protesters demanded that it be annulled and rerun.

Medvedev responded on his Facebook site to the protesters' complaints that the Dec 4 election was slanted to favour his and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's United Russia party, but did not address their calls for an end to Putin's rule...

http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/12/medvedev-orders-poll-inquiry-after-protests.html

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Talks with Taliban denied
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By Our Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD, Dec 11: In-terior Minister Rehman Malik said on Sunday the government was not holding any peace talks with the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Talking to reporters at his residence, he confirmed that the Shamsi airbase had been evacuated by the Americans. He, however, added that nobody could say with certainty whether or not drone attacks would take place in Pakistan in the future or not...

http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/12/talks-with-taliban-denied.html

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Indian army man jailed for leaking information
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NEW DELHI, Dec 11: A court here has sentenced an army jawan to seven years in jail for supplying sensitive defence-related information to Pakistan, according to a report by the Press Trust of India news agency.

District and Additional Sessions Judge O.P. Gupta jailed Anil Kumar Dubey, 39, convicting him under Section 3 of the Official Secrets Act for passing on secret information to Pakistan about the movement and deployment of army troops in India, the PTI report said...

http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/12/indian-army-man-jailed-for-leaking-informatio.html

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Noriega heads home for remaining jail term
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PARIS, Dec 11: Former Panama strongman Manuel Noriega flew out of France on Sunday, heading home to serve more prison time two decades after being ousted in a bloody US invasion.

An Iberia plane carrying the former dictator took off from a Paris airport in the morning and headed to Madrid, from where the 77-year-old began the final leg of his journey home after a stopover...

http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/12/noriega-heads-home-for-remaining-jail-term.html


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