Dunya TV

Fundamental re-set of ties with US needed: Sherry
More than 350 inmates killed in Honduras prison fire
Figure skater slips into bridal gem
Swiss to close embassy in Syria
Arab League wants UN peacekeepers in Syria
Karzai, Ahmadinejad to arrive in Islamabad today
PM contempt case: AG to submit evidences in SC today
Qantas to cut jobs as profit slums
More than 120 hurt in Bahrain clashes
Greek football federation rejects new Bill
Clinton to attend G20 meeting
Govt, YDA talks fail, protest to continue
Divorce in relations with Pakistan not an option: US
France Telecom to up stake in Egypt cell provider
England beat Pakistan in 2nd ODI

Fundamental re-set of ties with US needed: Sherry

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Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States Sherry Rehman has said here Wednesday that the tragedy of NATO attacks in Mohmand, killing 24 Pakistani soldiers, served as an end-line trigger that called for a fundamental re-set of relations with America. “The flag-draped bodies of 24 soldiers martyred at the hands of our allies and absence of an immediate apology did cause the Pakistani streets to erupt with questions about the egregious asymmetry in the calculus of comparative sacrifice between our two nations”, she pointed out. “To us, terrorists represent as much a breach of our sovereignty as state-sponsored unilateralism of any kind”, she said while calling for the need of a series of codified protocols to stay off the red line radius. The current rules of engagement, she believed, leave this vital relationship too vulnerable to the enemies of peace, as well as to the gaps in communication. In the relationship with the US, a re-set was needed for a number of reasons, she maintained adding that some of these were structural, while some of the famous ‘trust deficit’ gaps were informed by a profound cognitive, and even institutional, disconnect”. “Many of the gaps can be mitigated, if we step back, give pause and re-construct”, the ambassador said. “The marriage metaphor for instance, never seems to go away, with its implicit embrace of love and hate, life, death and in fact, divorce, which we seek to avoid”, she regretted. “The good news is that many of us on both sides think it is time that this relationship matured into a more consistent, stable and transparent equation, with weight given to mutual respect, but once again that would be the subject best reserved right now for our parliament to decide”, she asserted while referring to the ongoing review in Pakistani parliament. On the possible future of the Pak-US ties, she expressed her desire “to strengthen and broaden the bilateral relationship, help set it on a firmer, transparent, equitable footing, and educate the people of both countries to better understand each other”. “I hope to give particular attention to the large and robust American-Pakistani community in the USA, and to seek their support in advancing mutual goals”, she observed. She also called for the ties with the US to be shifted to trade instead of aid. While fighting a full-fledged war against the forces of terrorism and extremism, and coping with millions of dislocated persons, both from disasters as well as operations within Pakistan and from Afghanistan, “we have suffered losses worth 78 billion dollars (not to mention road infrastructure losses worth 122 billion dollars)”, she informed the audience. Responding to questions over Pakistani military’s commitment to the war in tribal areas, she said Pakistan was in full overstretch militarily in all the tribal areas on the western border. “With thin deployments from the Afghan side of the border, we face a substantial security threat from insurgents and militants in that area. It is impossible to open all fronts at one time, especially given the conflict in Afghanistan constantly spilling over into Pakistan”, she said. Ambassador Rehman, in her first address at a think tank, US Institute of Peace, which marked her maiden public appearance at any forum after arriving in Washington, DC for the challenging assignment, said that “Pakistan will support a peace process that is Afghan-led and Afghan owned, in real-time practice, not just as a policy platitude”. “We do not consider Afghanistan our strategic backyard, as many claim we do, but we do have the highest stakes in Afghan stability since we simply cannot afford the blowback from either a civil war there again, nor any other kind of surge into Pakistan, with its long, porous border”. “Our motives in the region are driven by a legitimate anxiety about the security transition in a post-US drawdown timeline in Afghanistan, certainly not ambition”, she added. Pakistan, she said, was firmly committed to playing a constructive role in promoting peace and stability in the region. “Pakistan is pursuing a non-intrusive peace offensive in the region. Broadening and strengthening our relationship with India, which is stepping up to our offers of multiple and sustained conversations. It is our intent to enhance our dialogue with India and to make it productive and result oriented, with the hope that the Kashmir dispute finds just and peaceful resolution”, she hoped. She termed the passing of the 20th amendment in Pakistani parliament as a historic milestone. Without mentioning the Supreme Court as such, she also suggested “all institutions of government are seeking a difficult but crucial equilibrium after long non-democratic interludes. We see this as a pivotal and often painful transition to sustainable democracy, where the civilian government stands committed to the rule of law and respect for the court”. “Pakistan today is not just about bombs and bullets”, she reminded and went on to add that “Pakistan story is also about its vast multiplicity of young musicians, resilience in the face of natural calamity, creativity in art, media, telecommunications, fashion weeks and literature festivals, but equally importantly, about the scale and complexity of ethnic, linguistic and religious diversity we negotiate every day”, the ambassador impressed upon the attentive audience.- Contributed by Awais Saleem, Dunya News correspondent in Washington, DC

More than 350 inmates killed in Honduras prison fire

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Rescue teams found the charred bodies of inmates trapped in their cells by the blaze, Officials said. Survivors described wrenching scenes of prisoners pleading for help as they were engulfed by choking smoke and flames, some unable to flee because they were still shackled to the bars of their cells in what is the world s worst prison fire in a decade. Those who were able "tried to save themselves by hurling themselves into the shower, sinks" and any other source of water they could find, one survivor said after the inferno in the prison in the central Honduran city of Comayagua. Some inmates escaped by jumping from the prison rooftop, and there were reports that others fled the crowded facility and were on the loose. Those who died were killed mostly by smoke inhalation. "More than 350 dead, it is an approximation. We cannot rule out that it could be a bit higher, but we are checking so we can give an official and precise toll for this tragedy," Security Minister Pompeyo Bonilla told reporters at the prison. The enormity of the disaster led President Porfirio Lobo to suspend Honduras s top prison officials, including the corrections chief, as well as those at the Comayagua penitentiary while an investigation is under way. "We will be carrying out a full investigation to determine what caused this sad and unacceptable tragedy, and to determine who shoulders the blame," Lobo said, adding the officials were suspended to ensure transparency in the probe. Lobo replaced corrections chief Danilo Orellana with his deputy Abraham Figueroa. The inferno broke out at around 10:50 pm Tuesday (0450 GMT Wednesday), and took about three hours to bring under control. Officials were unclear about the cause, at first believing that the blaze was sparked by a short circuit. But later they did not rule out that the fire might have been deliberately set by inmates. Victor Sevilla said he was haunted by the desperate cries for help from his fellow prisoners trapped in their cells and who could not get out in time. "I woke up with all the screaming from my fellow inmates, who were already breaking the wood and zinc ceiling," Sevilla, 23, told AFP, speaking at Comayagua s Santa Teresa hospital where he was being treated for a broken ankle after jumping to safety from a wall. Fabricio Contreras, 34, said he was also woken up by the commotion. The prisoners headed to the main gate, "but nobody opened it," he said. "The prison guards were firing in the air because they thought it was a breakout," he said. Prison officials and rescue workers dressed in white hazard suits moved in Wednesday to remove the charred remains, as distraught relatives wept openly, clinging to each other as they mourned the deaths of their loved ones. Many blamed prison authorities for moving too slowly to save them. "My son died of asphyxiation there," said Leonidas Medina, 69, at a local hospital. "The guards wouldn t open the door and they (the inmates) burned to death," he said. "They wouldn t have died if they had just opened the doors." Prisons in Honduras -- as is the case throughout Latin America -- are notoriously overcrowded. The country s 24 penal facilities officially have room for 8,000 inmates, but actually house 13,000. The prison in Comayagua, located some 90 kilometers (56 miles) north of the capital city of Tegucigalpa, held almost double its official inmate capacity. The facility is also just 500 meters (yards) from a highway that links San Pedro Sula, the economic center of Honduras, with the capital city Tegucigalpa. The Organization of American States in Washington said it was launching a probe into the disaster. The governor of the region Paola Castro said her office received a phone call from someone claiming to be an inmate, telling her that another prisoner had set the fire in a suicide bid. Desperate relatives, frustrated at being left in the dark about the fate of their loved ones, clashed with police and then stormed the prison gates early Wednesday. Security forces fired into the air in a bid to stop the unrest, but the relatives burst through a locked gate and flooded into the facility, where they gathered in a front courtyard. "My brother Roberto Mejia was in unit six," an emotional Glenda Mejia told AFP. "They ve told me that the inmates from that unit are all dead." Officials here expressed sympathy with the relatives  frustration, but called for patience. "We understand the pain of the families, but we have to follow a process under the law," Bonilla said. "We call for calm. It is a very difficult situation."

Figure skater slips into bridal gem

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Worth almost half a million U.S. dollars and studded with more than 13,000 pearls, the wedding dress was created by Japanese designer, Yumi Katsura. And Ando all but glided into the bridal experience. "I feel as though it s my real wedding day." Made with premier Mikimoto pearls, the dress is not for sale. And all those gems make it about twice as heavy as a regular wedding gown. "It s very heavy, which makes me sense the weight of the determination, honesty and love that people would devote to their weddings." Katsura believes the high quality pearls help send a positive message about her country, which has suffered since a 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

Swiss to close embassy in Syria

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The country also urged its nationals to leave Syria "as quickly as possible". The embassy closure, which follows that by the United States, was announced by Swiss Foreign Minister Didier Burkhalter and comes against a background of increasing violence in Syria where the regime is seeking to crush a nearly year-long rebellion. The embassy will be closed "in the coming days," Burkhalter told Swiss Radio. "We withdrew our ambassador very quickly" after the start of the repression, "but we had kept our embassy open to assist the 150 to 180 Swiss nationals living over there, most of whom have double nationality," the minister added. The United States closed its embassy in Syria and pulled out all its staff on Monday, while many other countries have recalled their ambassadors for "consultations". Rights groups say more than 6,000 people have been killed since Syrian forces began cracking down on democracy protests launched 11 months ago.

Arab League wants UN peacekeepers in Syria

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Arab League and urged Arab states to sever all diplomatic contact with President Bashar Assad s regime, the League s latest effort to bring an end to the violence that has killed more than 5,000 people. Syria immediately rejected the moves, spelled out in a resolution adopted Sunday by the League s foreign ministers meeting in Cairo. Saudi Foreign Minister Saud Al-Faisal conveyed the 22-nation League s deep frustration with Syria, telling delegates that it was no longer appropriate to stand by and watch the bloodshed. "Until when will we remain spectators?" he said. The bloodshed in Syria "is a disgrace for us as Muslims and Arabs to accept." Syria s state news agency said the regime rejected the Arab League decisions, which were taken without a Syrian representative present. Syria s ambassador to the Arab League, Ahmed Youssef, was quoted as saying that Saudi Arabia and Qatar were "living in a state of hysteria after their last failure at the U.N. Security Council to call for outside interference in Syria s affairs and to impose sanctions on the Syrian people." The Arab League has been at the forefront of regional efforts to end 11 months of bloodshed in Syria. The group put forward a plan that Assad agreed to in December, then sent in monitors to check whether he was complying. When it became clear that Assad s regime was flouting the terms of the agreement and the killings were continuing, the League pulled out the observers last month. "The time has come for a decisive action to stop the bloodshed suffered by the Syrian people since the start of last year," Arab League chief Nabil Elaraby told the Arab foreign ministers. "We must move quickly in all directions ... to end or break the ongoing cycle of violence in Syria." The League called for the U.N. Security Council to adopt a resolution that provides for an immediate cease-fire in Syria, the protection of civilians and overseeing a humanitarian effort for victims of the violence. It demanded that regime forces lift the siege on neighborhoods and villages and pull troops and their heavy weapons back to their barracks. It urged Syrian opposition groups to unite ahead of a Feb. 24 meeting in Tunisia of the "Friends of Syria" group, which includes the United States, its European allies and Arab nations working to end the uprising against Assad s authoritarian rule. The group was created after last weekend s veto at the U.N. by Russia and China of a Western and Arab draft resolution that would have pressured Assad to step down. That resolution also would have demanded that Assad halt the crackdown on dissent and implement the Arab League peace plan that calls for him to hand over power to his vice president and allow creation of a unity government to clear the way for elections. Elaraby told the Cairo meeting that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov wrote him a letter Saturday saying Russia could agree to joint U.N.-Arab League observers in Syria. The League also said it wanted to provide Syrian opposition groups with political and material support. It called for a halt to all diplomatic contacts with Syria and for referring officials responsible for crimes against the Syrian people to international criminal tribunals. It urged a tightening of trade sanctions previously adopted by the League that have not been fully implemented. The foreign ministers were also expected to consider a proposal by Gulf states to expel Syrian ambassadors from Arab capitals, but the resolution made no mention of that. Meanwhile, Washington piled more pressure on Syria. President Barack Obama s chief of staff, Jacob Lew, said it was only a matter of time before Assad s regime collapsed. "The brutality of the Assad regime is unacceptable and has to end," Lew told "Fox News Sunday." The U.S. is pursuing "all avenues that we can" and "there is no question that this regime will come to an end. The only question is when," he said. Late Saturday, al-Qaida chief Ayman al-Zawahri threw the terror network s support behind Syrian rebels trying to topple Assad, raising fears that Islamic extremists are exploiting the uprising that began peacefully but is quickly transforming into an armed insurgency. The Syrian regime has long blamed terrorists for the revolt, and al-Qaida s endorsement creates new difficulties for Western and Arab states trying to figure out a way to help force Assad out of power. At the Cairo meeting, foreign ministers from the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council proposed that all Arab League nations withdraw their ambassadors from Damascus and expel Syria s ambassadors from their capitals, according to officials. The proposal was not mentioned in the resolution, but the clause calling for a halt to all diplomatic contacts with Syria appeared to reflect a compromise. The six Gulf nations, particularly Saudi Arabia and Qatar, have been campaigning for a tougher stand against Assad s regime and may offer formal recognition of the National Syrian Council, the largest of Syria s opposition groups. Assad s regime has pursued a harsh crackdown against the uprising since it began last March. More than 5,400 people have been killed, according to a U.N. estimate in January. That figure has not been updated because the chaos in Syria has made it all but impossible to do so, and hundreds have been reported killed since.

Karzai, Ahmadinejad to arrive in Islamabad today

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Pakistan is due Thursday (today) to host the leaders of Afghanistan and Iran in a counter-terrorism summit likely to be overshadowed by tensions between Tehran and Israel over a series of recent bombings. Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad are due to arrive separately for the two-day summit being hosted by Pakistani head of state Asif Ali Zardari in the capital Islamabad. Israel this week accused Iran of targeting its diplomats in Georgia, India and Thailand, against a backdrop of speculation that the Jewish state or the United States could be months from launching military strikes against Iran. On Wednesday, Ahmadinejad unveiled new strides in its nuclear programme in a defiant blow to US and EU sanctions designed to rein in its atomic activities. "I don t think so," a senior Pakistani government official told AFP when asked if mounting tensions between Iran and Israel, and the showdown over Iran s nuclear programme, would dominate the summit. "The trilateral summit will discuss cooperation on counter-terrorism and transnational organised crime including drug and human trafficking and border management," the official said. The talks also come with stepped up efforts to kickstart peace talks with the Taliban designed to end 10 years of war in Afghanistan. Kabul is reportedly concerned about being sidelined by contacts between the US and the Taliban. On peace efforts in Afghanistan, Pakistan says it will support an reconciliation attempt that is Afghan-owned and led. Islamabad is moving towards a detente in its own relations with Washington, which took a drastic turn for the worse over last year s covert American raid that killed Osama bin Laden and air strikes that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers. But despite strong US objections, Pakistan says it is pressing ahead with a multi-billion-dollar project to build a gas pipeline to import fuel from Iran. "There is no change or shift regarding the gas pipeline project and it is scheduled to be completed by 2014," said the official. Pakistan calls for a "peaceful resolution" of all issues related to Iran s nuclear programme and official line on US and EU sanctions on Iran.

PM contempt case: AG to submit evidences in SC today

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According to sources, Attorney General Office has started collection of copies of NRO review petition in possible conviction of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani in court contempt case and alls the evidences will be submitted in the Supreme Court today. Copies of verdicts against Ahmed Riaz Shaikh and Adnan Khawaja and directions of the Supreme Court to implement the verdicts will also be presented in the court as evidence, the sources added. The sources further disclosed that seven names including some Law Department officials would also be considered as witnesses, adding that, names of former Attorney General Anwar Mansoor, Ex-acting AG Shah Khawar, Joint Secretay of Law Ministry Syed Sultan Shah, NAB Deputy Prosecutor General Raja Amir Abbas Advocate Abid Zubairi and two section officers of Law Ministry have also been added in the witness list.

Qantas to cut jobs as profit slums

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Australia s flagship carrier Qantas said it would cut jobs as it unveiled an 83 percent slump in profit Thursday due to industrial action and spiralling fuel costs. "Job reductions are expected as a result of aircraft retirements and operational changes," the airline said, without providing an exact number, although it said no jobs would be sent offshore.

More than 120 hurt in Bahrain clashes

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More than 120 protesters have been wounded in clashes with police in Bahrain this week, activists said on Wednesday, in a crackdown to stop majority Shi ites breaking out of their neighborhoods to stage protests one year after an uprising. The United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon expressed concern about the clashes, while a senior opposition figure said the government had put out feelers on talks to resolve the crisis in the Gulf Arab state. Police conducted operations into the night in the flashpoint town of Sitra, seizing 15 teenagers in a raid on one building after a police vehicle was damaged by a petrol bomb earlier, residents said. The streets were deserted with residents staying indoors as dozens of jeeps sped through the streets in apparent search operations. A policeman inside one vehicle fired a tear gas canister over some buildings before hurtling round a corner. Opposition activists reported similar operations in numerous other Shi ite areas of the island including Budaiya as well as Musalla and Sanabis which are on the edge of the capital. Riot police also used armored personnel carriers that have not been seen on Bahrain s streets since martial law last year. "The heightened security presence at this time aims to spread security and reassure all citizens and residents... Expressing opinion must be within the space allowed by the law," Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa said in comments on the ministry s website. It gave no information on the number of arrests this week. A U.N. statement said Ban Ki-moon expected Bahrain "to act in accordance with international human rights obligations." "The Secretary-General is concerned about reports of clashes in Bahrain between security forces and demonstrators over the past few days," the statement said. A medic who works with researchers of an international organization and asked not to be identified said the numbers of wounded in clashes this week was the highest in months. "There were over 100 cases on Tuesday and 37 of them are bad, with head injuries and fractures," he said. "On Monday we had 20 people (wounded) in villages around the country." The medic said some casualties had been hit by birdshot, controversial ammunition that Bahraini police deny using. Most of the wounded were treated in village homes or private health clinics because protesters from the Shi ite majority fear they will be arrested if they go to hospitals run by the government, which is appointed by the Sunni monarchy. The protests began as a spontaneous movement embracing both Shi ites and Sunnis, cutting across religious and class divides with demands for broad political, social and economic reform. But they descended into sectarian violence as backroom talks on democratic reforms went nowhere, and hardliners in government and the opposition seized the initiative. Government forces backed by Saudi troops crushed the month-long revolt last year. By June, when a state of emergency was lifted, 35 people had been killed.

Greek football federation rejects new Bill

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The Greek football federation criticized a new government sports Bill saying it could cast the country s teams into international exile and  kill  the sport. The Bill, which was passed overwhelmingly, gives more powers to the state-run Professional Sports Commission to impose penalties on clubs and to make frequent inspections of their financial status leading to the issuing of operating licenses. "Our intent is to protect the state from unscrupulous groups who do not pay taxes, levies and have criminal records," said Pavlos Geroulanos, the culture minister in charge of sports. "The penalties that may occur can be given by the federation, if need be. But this can only be done with proper preparation and if these penalties are to our satisfaction." The federation believes that the Bill is a violation of its self-governed status over football in the country as stipulated by world governing body FIFA and that this may lead to Greek teams being banned from playing in international competitions. The Greek national team is set to play in this summer s Euro 2012 while clubs Olympiakos and PAOK are now participating in the Europa League. The federation said it will soon call an extraordinary general assembly meeting to discuss steps to be taken in response to the bill. "The federation has not chosen the path of conflict but dialogue and understanding. The federation is the only authority to preserve the presence of Greek football in the international football family," the statement by the federation said.

Clinton to attend G20 meeting

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The chief US diplomat will attend a first G20 meeting for foreign ministers from February 18-20 in the Mexican resort of Los Cabos, the US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said. Clinton and her counterparts will tackle "global economic matters including principles for the international economic system, green growth and sustainable development, food security, and human development," Nuland said. Clinton will also hold one-on-one meetings with G20 ministers, she said. Nuland said she understood around two-thirds of the G20 countries will send a foreign minister. The Group of 20 has until now brought together the Group of Seven industrialized countries (Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States), the European Union and a dozen emerging-market economies. Those economies are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea and Turkey.

Govt, YDA talks fail, protest to continue

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Talks between the health authorities and the Young Doctors Association (YDA) failed as the Punjab government failed to convince the young doctors to withdraw their strike. The Young Doctors Association is protesting against the suspension of senior doctors regarding spurious medicine issues at Punjab Institute of Cardiology PIC. On Wednesday, the YDA closed down the indoor facility at Punjab Institute of Cardiology in protest against the Punjab government.

Divorce in relations with Pakistan not an option: US

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The spokesperson of the US State Department, Victoria Nuland has said that American administration wants a stable, peaceful and democratic Pakistan and wants to revive the relationship to the level where it was before the troubles in the recent past.     Responding to the remarks of Pakistani ambassador Sherry Rehman, who had spoken at an event earlier on Wednesday about the analogy of embrace of love, hate, life, death, and sometimes divorce in the relationship with Pakistan, Ms. Nuland said “divorce is not an option with Pakistan from our perspective”.  “We have strategic interests in common, and a lot of work to do together. We have a national interest in a Pakistan that is increasingly stable, peaceful, free of terror, democratic, etc etc. So we are continuing to do a lot of work together, and we’re looking forward to the completion of Pakistan’s internal review of our military-to-military relationship so we can get back to all the important work we have together”, she emphasized.  On another question about Sherry Rehman’s assertion of “trade-not-aid based relations” with the US, the spokesperson said that even Secretary Clinton had been one of the most vocal advocates of switching as much of the American economic relationship with Pakistan from aid to trade. “That’s been the focus of the Department’s efforts with the Pakistani Government over the last couple of years, and some of the internal reviews we’ve done are focused on that.  So we are investing in the economic health and strength of the country”, she stressed.  On a question about channeling US aid to Pakistani development projects, she pointed out that the US was investing in energy, education, democratic institutions, development, micro-lending, people-to-people contacts and other such programmes. “So it’s not about improving our image.  It’s about helping to strengthen a stable, peaceful, democratic Pakistan”, she opined.  However, she was clueless on the question as to why the US was reluctant to grant preferential quota for textile exports to Pakistan, which they had been demanding since 2001, if it was serious in helping out the ally in the “war-on-terror”.  She was also unsure whether the issue of participation of banned religious outfits in the Difa-i-Pakistan Council rallies was raised by the US with Pakistan.  She also denied that Ambassador to Pakistan, Cameron Munter had suggested a further decline in the Pak-US security cooperation relations after the retirement of incumbent DG ISI Gen. Pasha. “I think you over-read what he said. He said we have had productive relationships with the current chief, that there will be a change of chief, and we’ll have to work on establishing the same kinds of relationships and even take it to the next level if we can”, Ms. Nuland observed.  Commenting on the current level of expectation within the US administration regarding relationship with Pakistan, she agreed agreed that a lot of work needed to be done in this regard. “Obviously we’ve got a lot of work to do with Pakistan. We continue to do a lot of work. And we want to get to the point where we can continue and get back to where we were when the internal Pakistani review of aspects of the relationship is complete”, she maintained. - Contributed by Awais Saleem, Dunya News correspondent in Washington, DC

France Telecom to up stake in Egypt cell provider

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France Telecom-Orange has signed a preliminary agreement to buy most of Orascom Telecom Media and Technology Holding s stake in an Egyptian mobile provider they jointly own. The French telecoms giant currently owns about 71 percent of Mobinil, a holding company with a majority stake in the Egyptian Company for Mobile Services. Egypt-based Orascom owns the rest of Mobinil and another 20 percent direct stake in ECMS. Under the deal, its total stake in ECMS would drop to a 5 percent "economic interest." ECMS, which is trades in Egypt under the Mobinil name, is Egypt s largest mobile phone service provider by subscribers. In a statement Monday, France Telecom said that it had agreed to purchase Orascom s ECMS shares for 202.5 Egyptian pounds ($33) per share. The stock is currently trading close to 138 Egyptian pounds.

England beat Pakistan in 2nd ODI

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All Pakistan team succumbed at 230 against England’s total of 250-4. The English win comes as a solace after humiliating whitewash of the Test series by Pakistan.   Alastair Cook hit a second successive hundred to set England a promising score of 250-4 against Pakistan in the second day-night international. Cook scored 102 for his fourth hundred -- the first England captain and ninth batsmen for his country to hit back-to-back hundreds in one-dayers -- to carry on the good work after his career-best 137 in Monday s win in the first match. The 27-year-old left-hander put on 67 for the opening wicket with Kevin Pietersen (26) after England won the second successive toss and batted. He also added 49 with Jonathan Trott (23) for the second and 78 for the third with Ravi Bopara who made an attractive 58. Cook was again at his fluent best, hitting 10 boundaries off 121 balls before he gave a return catch to leg-spinner Shahid Afridi in the 42nd over. No Pakistani player could stand firmly against English bowling, with all team falling on 230 with 7 balls to spare. At one point, Pakistan needed 22 from 8 balls with no wicket to spare. Misbah scored 47.

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Cricket - Sports

Thursday, February 16, 2012

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