Johannesburg: Athletes who use banned substances face up to four-year bans from competitive sport under beefed-up rules approved Friday to curb doping amid scandals like that of cyclist Lance Armstrong. Global leaders passed the third World Anti-Doping Code at a conference in Johannesburg, hoping the threat of tougher punishments will deter would-be cheaters. “We’ve got stronger sanctions for those who intentionally dope, we’ve also got greater flexibility when it comes to the sanctioning of athletes,” said John Fahey, outgoing president of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). The code governs competitive sports from athletics to football to cycling, and has been backed by powerful sporting bodies like the Internatio...
November 16, 2013 at 1:12 am | News Desk
Rawalpindi: Following violent sectarian clashes, authorities have decided to impose curfew and suspend mobile phone services in Rawalpindi city of Pakistan’s Punjab province, local media reports. At least a dozen people have been killed and several others injured in the clashes between two groups that gripped the city on Friday evening. According to local media, the provincial government has imposed the curfew in the city over the request of the commissioner. “People have been ordered to remain inside their homes during the curfew from 8am to 12 midnight while the mobile phones services will also be remained suspended.” Sources say as many as 11 people have been killed in the clashes. Earlier, the government called in the...
November 16, 2013 at 1:12 am | News Desk
Johannesburg: Athletes who use banned substances face up to four-year bans from competitive sport under beefed-up rules approved Friday to curb doping amid scandals like that of cyclist Lance Armstrong. Global leaders passed the third World Anti-Doping Code at a conference in Johannesburg, hoping the threat of tougher punishments will deter would-be cheaters. “We’ve got stronger sanctions for those who intentionally dope, we’ve also got greater flexibility when it comes to the sanctioning of athletes,” said John Fahey, outgoing president of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). The code governs competitive sports from athletics to football to cycling, and has been backed by powerful sporting bodies like the Internatio...
November 16, 2013 at 1:00 am | News Desk
London: Some of the world’s biggest broadcasters on Friday urged the UN Security Council to take greater action over the killing of journalists in conflict zones. The organisations including the BBC, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Japan’s NHK said the dangers facing their reporters were making it difficult to provide accurate news from some corners of the world. “Increasing violence and intimidation against journalists means that the work of international broadcasters is being impeded,” the statement said. “We are deeply concerned that in some parts of the world acts and threats of violence against journalists are growing in scale and intensity.” The statement was also issued on behalf of the...
November 16, 2013 at 1:00 am | News Desk
Tacloban (Philippines): Fears that the dire situation among desperate typhoon survivors in the Philippines would tip into violence receded Friday, as relief operations scaled up and a reinforced police presence deterred looters. At Tacloban airport, which had witnessed frenzied scenes earlier in the week as crowds fought for a seat on any plane leaving the devastated city, a semblance of order had been restored. “Things are looking very different here than they were when we arrived,” said Captain Jon Shamess of the US Airforce’s 320th Special Tactics Squadron, which had flown in from Okinawa on Tuesday to help secure the airport. “Before, as soon as a plane landed, people were all rushing towards it trying to get on,...
November 16, 2013 at 1:00 am | News Desk
Efforts to fight money laundering and empty shell companies would be strengthened by two bills introduced in the US Congress on October 23, by giving federal regulators enhanced powers to hold bank executives personally responsible for misdeeds. The move in the US House of Representatives comes after banks had to pay at least $5bn in fines and settlements to resolve allegations of laundering money for drug cartels, Iranian clients and the Cuban government. However, no bank executives have been indicted in those cases. Tackling shadowy shell companies was also on the agenda of the G8 meeting of the world’s largest economies in June. British Prime Minister David Cameron in particular pushed for the true beneficial ownership of companies...
November 15, 2013 at 2:58 pm | News Desk
Muhammad Yousaf Pakistan’s first experience with handing over of state owned enterprises to private sector in the 1980s. Though almost every government in power since Gen Zia has unanimously adhered to this formula but the Sharifs have proved themselves to be really fond of this technique. Every time they come to power there is a renewed call for deregulation of important state owned corporations that have by and now become a burden on the economy. In his first term as country’s premier, he let away 26 percent shares and complete management of several banks and industrial units to private investors as country’s first major privatization plan in spite of fierce opposition and charges of corruption by the workers. The process foll...
November 15, 2013 at 2:37 pm | News Desk
Washington: US carrier Sprint will launch HTC’s first and flagship phablet HTC One Max on November 15 on signing two year new 2 year contract for $249.99. Samsung made the debut of phablet way back in 2011 with its Samsung Galaxy Note. But now Nokia and HTC have joined the market while Apple is rumored to join the market next year. Now customer have the choice weather to go with Samsung, Nokia or HTC. Sprint has announced it will be the first U.S. carrier to offer the HTC One Max to its customers. The HTC One Max takes everything people love about the HTC One and amplifies it by using a gorgeous 5.9-inch 1080p Full HD display, 1.7Ghz quad-core processor, and an updated HTC Sense 5.5, all wrapped inside the familiar anodized aluminum ...
November 15, 2013 at 1:56 am | News Desk
FRANKFURT: German auto giant Volkswagen said Thursday it is recalling 2.6 million cars worldwide due to various technical problems affecting different models of its various brands. The problems ranged from faulty lighting, leaky engine fuel lines and possible malfunction when synthetic oil is used in its gear box, a spokesman said. The recall is one of the biggest in the company’s history. The new VW Amarok is unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show. It includes 800,000 of its compact Tiguan sports-utility vehicle which could be affected by faulty fuses that can trip lighting circuits. Volkswagen also said it is recalling its 2-litre Amarok pickup truck because of leaky engine fuel lines, which affects around 239,000 vehicles. Volkswagen&rs...
November 15, 2013 at 1:04 am | News Desk
MUMBAI: Adult star turned Bollywood actress, Sunny Leone has expressed hope before the audience that they will be scared extremely by watching her diversified performance in upcoming horror movie ‘Ragini MMS 2’. Leone said that she felt extremely excitement regarding her upcoming horror movie which was being filmed since a year and added much different things to make it huge film coming releasing next year’s January. The bold actresses expressed her hope during a TV show, ‘MTV Webbed’, said that she want everyone to be scared of me for the first time. Sunny Leone debuted in Pooja Bhatt’s romance movie ‘Jism 2’ and subsequently performing in an item song left a ‘BOLD’ and ‘R...
November 15, 2013 at 1:04 am | News Desk
Pakistan Rupee Exchange Rate