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Lahore: Fire breaks out in paper mill
Barricade removed from road in front of Mirzas residence
Pakistan's nuclear weapons are in safe hands: US
Commissionerate system restored in Sindh
USS Cole bomb suspect arraigned at Guantanamo
Turkey: quake kills at least 3, dozens trapped
Ahmadinejad: Iran won't retreat from nuclear path
Russia rules out backing Iran sanctions despite UN findings
Britain, France urge new strong sanctions on Iran
US military adds armed robotic helicopters to fleet
Indian court convicts 31 Hindus of killing Muslims
Occupy Wall Street starts march on Washington
US twins to celebrate 11th birthday on 11-11-11
Djokovic, Murray reach Paris Masters 3rd round
Money not my motivation, insists Djokovic

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According to details, a fire broke out in a paper mill in Walton locality of Lahore in the early hours of Thursday morning. Smoke and flames are still rising from the paper mill as fire fighters from all nearby fire brigade stations of the city are busy in controlling the fire. Cause of fire is still not known.

Barricade removed from road in front of Mirzas residence

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Defence Housing Authority (DHA) and police have removed barricades from the road in front of Dr Zulfiqar Mirza’s residence in Khayaban-e-Shamsher area of Defence Phase-V in Karachi. The barricades were placed there for the security purposes. The road was opened for traffic. According to DHA sources, barricades placed in front of residences and offices of the other VIPs in the area will also be removed. The sources said that barriers from outside the foreign consulates buildings in the area will also be removed. Notices in this regard have been issued.

Pakistan's nuclear weapons are in safe hands: US

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The United States believes that Pakistan s nuclear weapons are in safe hands, a State Department spokesman said, rebutting a report that Islamabad s atomic arsenal was vulnerable to theft. Two US publications, ‘The Atlantic’ and the ‘National Journal’, citing unnamed sources, last week said Pakistan had transported nuclear weapons in low-security vans on congested roads to hide them from US spy agencies. State Department spokesman Mark Toner told reporters in Washington that the United States was not persuaded that safety had been compromised. "We have confidence that the government of Pakistan is well aware of the range of potential threats to its nuclear arsenal and is accordingly giving very high priority to securing its nuclear weapons and materials effectively," Toner told reporters. "We continue to have confidence... that they re taking appropriate steps," he said. Pakistan at the weekend rejected as "pure fiction" the report s assertion that transporting the weapons in such a manner had made them more susceptible to theft by Islamist militants.

Commissionerate system restored in Sindh

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Commissionerate system in Sindh has been restored and notification in this regard has also been issued. According to details the notification was issued after consensus was reached between the coalition partners in Sindh government. Accordingly the Commissionerate System, Sindh Local Government Ordinance 1979 and Police Act 1861 have been restored According to the notification, the current DCOs will act as commissioners and deputy commissioners. Five divisions of Karachi have also been restored. Karachi will have to be divided into five districts. Five divisions of Sindh will be revived including Hyderabad, Sukkhur, Mirpur Khas, Karachi and Larkana. The new system will replace DCOs by commissioners in their respective divisions.

USS Cole bomb suspect arraigned at Guantanamo

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The main accused of the USS Cole bombing, Abd Al-Rahim Hussyn Muhammad Al-Nashiri, appeared for arraignment hearing before a military commission at Guantanamo Bay detention center Wednesday. Al-Nashiri, born in Saudi Arabia, is charged of masterminding USS Cole bombing in 2000 that killed 17 US sailors and injured 39 others. He is also accused of Limburg tanker bombing and other alleged terrorist attacks. He was arrested in UAE in 2002 and was allegedly heading al-Qaeda operations in the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Peninsula prior to his arrest. Al-Nashiri’s trial has assumed great significance because he is the first Guantanamo Bay detainee who is facing death penalty on account of charges against him, if proved guilty. The prosecution was supposed to read out all the charges to him at the hearing, but the judge waived that part with the consent of defense team. The defense had filed three motions before the arraignment, which took most of the time as both sides presented their arguments. The first motion of the defense was regarding the intention of US officials made clear through public statements that Al-Nashiri will not be released even in case of acquittal. “Realities can change. Two years ago, there’s talk of closing down Gitmo, and now we are here again”, said the judge on a lighter note. However, the judge did ask the prosecution “how can one be held captive indefinitely”? The prosecution argued that the defense team was making assumptions about a situation, which had not arrived yet. On the insistence of the judge, the prosecution did concede “there is no legal bar on Al-Nashiri to walk free after acquittal, if hostilities end”. The judge denied the defence motion and directed that it will be taken up at the right time. Defense also requested ex-parte assistance from convening authority for submission of evidence and assistance of experts without bringing it in the knowledge of the government. They argued that they “feared disclosure of defence practices”. Prosecution showed reservations on how this could be used by defence. The judge later agreed to a suggestion by Defence attorney to draft a letter jointly with the trial counsel for sending to convening authority (i.e. government) and gauge reaction before giving a decision. On the third motion, regarding screening of attorney’s mail to the detainee, a fierce battle of arguments ensued spanning over two hours. The defence counsel termed it a breach of the attorney-clent privilege while the prosecution maintained it was necessary to “protect national security and safety interests”. The judge ruled in favour of Defence motion on this point and asked them to clearly mark correspondence as privilege mail on envelope and each paper in the mail. They could get together with Guantanamo’s Joint task Force (JTF) officials to devise a mechanism in this regard, the judge asserted while adding that “the JTF will only look at the marking and not the content of the mail”. “Other unauthorized material like magazines etc, marked as privilege mail, may be seized by JTF”, he observed. Nashiri, 46, appeared calm during the proceedings and also reserved his right to plea (guilty or innocence) in the hearing to a later date, when the judge, Mr. John C. Pohl, asked him how he would like to plead in the case. He was given the services of an Arabic translator as the judge explained his rights and the legal course to him. Richard Cammon led the defense team for Al-Nashiri while the lead trial counsel for the prosecution was Lt. Commander, Andrea Lockhart. Both sides agreed that Nashiri would not be subjected to any physical custody in the courtroom, as he appeared in his white jail uniform before the court. The judge, though, explained to him that he could wear civilian clothes if he so desired when the jury stage of the trial will begin, in case he thought that jail dress could provoke some negativity amongst the jury against him. The defense counsel also questioned the judge on his qualification to hear the case and his views on death penalty. After the presentation of arguments on all three motions and completion of arraignment process, the judge asked the prosecution how much time they wanted to present their case. The trial counsel said that they could do so on February 2nd 2012 while the defence counsel pointed out that they required at least a year to respond after going through all the evidence presented. The judge would notify a further date of hearing at a later stage. However, he ruled that a hearing in his chamber with both counsels to discuss the case and custody issues etc. of evidence would take place in January 2012. He also informed Al-Nashiri that court proceedings could go on, even in case of his voluntary absence. The accused though affirmed that he intends to attend all the sessions.   The special counsel of the US department of justice, human rights activists, families of the USS Cole bombing victims and members of the general public also witnessed the hearing at Guantanamo as well as two other locations at Fort Meade in Maryland and Norfolk, Virginia with close circuit cameras. Orders from Obama administration in late 2008 to suspend all Guantanamo military Commission hearings for 120 days were over-ruled by the judge in Al-Nashiri case. The charges against him were dropped in February 2009 but the charges have been reinstated now. He has already been sentenced to a death penalty by a Yemeni court in 2004.  Talking to media after the hearing, defense attorney, Richard Cammon, said that the decision in this case could take years and also complained about the loopholes in the military’s court procedures that made delays unavoidable. “We are not responsible for the previous 11 years”, he stated while emphasizing “hurried or unfair justice is a false sense of closure”. When asked if Al-Nashiri had shown any remorse on his alleged actions, he said “Nashiri is not a person without heart or feelings” without giving any clear answer. He also pointed out “he can’t imagine in current political environment that any US president will authorize his release, even after acquittal”. Chief Prosecutor, Mark Martins read out a message stating “charges had been publicly announced against a person who carried out attacks against US citizens”. “He planned boats operation with Osama bin Laden and 23 others, and handled al-Qaeda operations”. “We must use all powers to counter transnational terrorism. For families and friends of victims, nothing can bring loved ones back, but we are committed to bring those to justice under the law and provide accountability”, he opined. John Clodfelter and Saundra Flanagan spoke on behalf of the affected families and hoped that “decision in the case will bring some sense of closure in their grief”. “It was pitiful to see Nashiri because he has not gotten away with his crime and he deserves a death penalty if not worse”, they maintained. “We hope and pray that some day we have an end of it”, they said in a somber tone. - Contributed by Awais Saleem, US correspondent of Dunya News

Turkey: quake kills at least 3, dozens trapped

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An earthquake struck eastern Turkey on Wednesday night, killing at least three people and leaving dozens trapped in the rubble of toppled buildings damaged in the previous temblor, which had killed 600 people. About two-dozen buildings collapsed in the provincial capital of Van following a 5.7-magnitude quake, though most of them were empty or had been declared unfit because they were weakened by the earlier quake, according to media reports. In a grim replay of scenes from last month s quake in the same region, men climbed onto piles of debris and frantically clawed at twisted steel and crumbled concrete in an attempt to find survivors. Voices could be heard calling for help from under the debris, and at least 13 people were pulled alive from the rubble in early rescue efforts, according to Turkish media. Rescue workers used the glare of high-powered lights to work through the night. There were several aftershocks. A small fire broke out at a hospital but all patients were safely evacuated. One of the buildings that collapsed was the Bayram Hotel, Van s oldest and best-known hotel. It was built in the 1970s and renovated last year. Some of the guests were journalists who were covering the aftermath of the 7.2-magnitude quake on Oct. 23, which left thousands homeless and led a number of countries to send tents, blankets and other supplies to assist Turkey in the aid effort.

Ahmadinejad: Iran won't retreat from nuclear path

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President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad vowed Wednesday that Iran won t retreat "one iota" from its nuclear programme, denying claims that it seeks atomic weapons. Key ally Russia gave the Islamic Republic a major boost, rejecting tighter sanctions despite a UN watchdog report detailing suspected arms-related advances. Israel called on the world to stop Iran s nuclear program in response to the UN International Atomic Energy Agency s report. The Israeli statement did not refer to the option of a military attack, Israel considers Iran its most dangerous enemy, In his first reaction to the report, Ahmadinejad strongly criticized the agency a day after it claimed Tehran was on the brink of developing a nuclear weapon saying the IAEA is discrediting itself by siding with "absurd" US accusations. The comments, broadcast live on state TV, were a sharp rebuke to Western warnings that Iran appears to be engaged in a dangerous defiance of international demands to control the Islamic Republic s nuclear ambitions. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu s office said the IAEA report confirmed long-standing claims by Israel and Western countries that Iran is developing nuclear bombs. "The significance of the report is that the international community must bring about the cessation of Iran s pursuit of nuclear weapons, which endanger the peace of the world and of the Middle East," the statement said. Until its statement late Wednesday, Israel had been largely silent over the report, wanting to portray the issue as a global concern, not a dispute between two enemies. Israel sees Iran as an existential threat, citing the nuclear program, Ahmadinejad s calls for Israel s destruction and Iran s support for Arab militant groups. Israeli officials are hopeful the international community will pass tough new sanctions that cripple Iran s key energy sector or target its central bank, which would hinder its ability to conduct international trade.

Russia rules out backing Iran sanctions despite UN findings

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Russia on Wednesday ruled out backing new sanctions against Iran and held urgent consultations with its ally after the publication of the most damning report to date from the UN nuclear watchdog. Moscow s attempt to relieve its close trade partner s growing diplomatic isolation came one day after the IAEA agency went ahead with the publication of an unprecedented report on Iran that both China and Russia reportedly wanted to suppress. The UN agency disclosed finding "credible" intelligence showing the Islamic state s interest in nuclear weapons -- the first time it has so openly supported claims initially raised by Israel and the United States. The report saw France and Britain join a US call for much stronger punishments and drew another stark warning from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Russia had previously condemned the findings  publication as an effort by the West to justify potential military action. But it has also carefully avoided saying anything about the contents of the massive document directly. The foreign ministry said on Tuesday it would take time going through its details before issuing a formal conclusion on whether the data collected by UN nuclear programme inspectors was persuasive. But Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov made clear that Moscow would resist the tougher sanctions no matter what the UN report said. "Any additional sanctions against Iran will be interpreted by the international community as a means of changing the regime in Tehran," Gatilov told Interfax. "This approach is unacceptable to us, and Russia does not intend to review this proposal," he said without specifying whether Moscow would actually veto further sanctions.

Britain, France urge new strong sanctions on Iran

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Britain and France, in a joint statement Wednesday, called for new tougher strong sanctions to be imposed on Iran unless Tehran cooperates over its nuclear programme. The call came after Iran vowed it "will not budge an iota" from its nuclear path despite a new UN report hardening suspicions it is seeking atomic weapons. "The parties shared their utmost concern regarding the military dimension to Iran s nuclear programme in the light of ... (the) IAEA report and made clear their determination to seek new powerful sanctions if Iran refuses to cooperate," the two nations said in their joint statement. "Our goal remains to ensure that Iran fully adheres to its international obligations," it added. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN s nuclear watchdog, in its report published Tuesday spoke of "credible" evidence that Iran is working towards making nuclear warheads to fit inside Shahab-3 medium-range missiles. Iranian officials immediately dismissed the report as "baseless". Tehran has long insisted that its nuclear programme is purely for civilian energy purposes. Washington said it was looking at imposing more sanctions on the Islamic republic in the wake of the report s findings. Earlier in the day Britain warned Iran it would take new measures if Tehran does not "change direction." "Iran needs to change direction," Foreign Secretary William Hague told parliament. "We want a negotiated solution and have extended the hand of reconciliation to Iran time and time again." If Tehran refuses to engage in serious negotiations about its nuclear programme, "we must continue to increase the pressure and we are considering with our partners a range of additional measures to that affect," said Hague. "The assertions of recent years by Iran that their nuclear programme is wholly for peaceful purposes are completely discredited by this report." And France said it was ready for "unprecedented sanctions" if Tehran continued to defy the world over its atomic programme. "If Iran refuses to abide by the demands of the international community and rejects all serious cooperation, we are prepared to adopt, with those countries that follow, unprecedented sanctions," the French foreign ministry said in a statement.

US military adds armed robotic helicopters to fleet

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The US military plans to add a lethal new drone to its fleet -- a robotic helicopter for the US Navy equipped with laser-guided rockets, defense giant Northrop Grumman said Wednesday. The armed Fire Scouts will mark a new era in naval warfare, offering an alternative to pilots flying attack helicopters or fighter jets off warships and reflecting a broader shift to robotic technology across the US military in recent years. An unarmed version of the MQ-8B Fire Scout is already flying surveillance and reconnaissance missions for the US Navy, using cameras and sensors inside a cone on the aircraft s nose. Northrop Grumman won a contract in September worth $17 million to outfit the choppers with 70 mm rockets, with racks capable of carrying eight or 14 of the weapons on an aircraft, the company said. "The operational system will be delivered by 2013," company spokesman Warren Comer told AFP. The Fire Scout joins two other armed drones in the US arsenal, the Predator and the Reaper, which are unmanned planes that have become the weapon of choice in covert CIA strikes against suspected Al-Qaeda militants and their associates in Pakistan and elsewhere. "By arming the Fire Scout, the Navy will have a system that can locate and prosecute targets of interest. This capability shortens the kill chain and lessens the need to put our soldiers in harm s way," George Vardoulakis, Northrop s vice president for tactical unmanned systems, said in a statement. The Fire Scout, which had its first test flight in 2000 and first landed on a naval ship at sea in 2006, is due to be deployed on new littoral combat ships under construction. The helicopter, which is seven meters (23 feet) long and three meters (about 10 feet) high, can reach an altitude of 20,000 feet (6,000 meters), fly at a speed of more than 115 knots (200 kilometers) per hour and stay in the air for more than eight hours, employing sensors and radar to track targets. The US Navy has a fleet of about 15 Fire Scouts and plans to build 168 of the helicopters, according to the Pentagon. The Fire Scout has been deployed to Afghanistan to help target insurgents and one of the unmanned helicopters went down in the NATO-led air campaign over Libya in June. Last year, US commanders in Washington considered shooting down an unarmed Fire Scout when it strayed off course and flew toward the US capital after losing ground communications.

Indian court convicts 31 Hindus of killing Muslims

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A court sentenced 31 Hindus to life imprisonment Wednesday for killing dozens of Muslims by setting a building on fire during one of India s worst rounds of communal violence nine years ago. Judge SC Srivastava acquitted 41 other Hindus of murder charges for lack of evidence. Those convicted can appeal to a higher court. Relations between Hindus and Muslims have been largely peaceful since the bloody partition of the subcontinent into India and Pakistan on independence from Britain in 1947. But mistrust runs deep and there are sporadic bouts of violence. The worst recent violence erupted in 2002 in Gujarat state. More than 1,000 people, most of them Muslims, were killed by Hindu mobs after a train fire killed 60 Hindus returning from a pilgrimage. Muslims were blamed for the fire. Rioters set a building on fire in a village in Mehsana district, about 25 miles (40 kilometres) north of Ahmadabad, the main city in Gujarat state. Thirty-three Muslims, including 20 women, who had taken shelter there were burned alive. Two of the suspects died during the trial, which was expedited by orders from India s Supreme Court. Muslims account for about 14 percent of India s population of 1.1 billion but lag far behind the Hindu majority in most social indicators, from literacy to household income. Wednesday s verdict was the first in nine cases of rioting and murder pending against hundreds of Hindu hard-liners. With the Supreme Court ordering a speedy trial of the suspects, the courts are expected to issue verdicts in the other eight cases within a year. Indian courts are notorious for long delays. The Gujarat state government, run by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, was accused of looking the other way when Hindu hard-liners attacked the Muslim community after the train fire. Cedric Prakash, a rights activist, said the verdict showed that the wheels of justice were moving in the right direction. "The conviction of such a large number of suspects in a communal violence incident in the country is unprecedented. Other cases now need to be expedited and the guilty, irrespective of the office they hold, should be convicted as soon as possible," Prakash told reporters. He is the director of Prashant, a center for protecting human rights, justice and peace in the state.

Occupy Wall Street starts march on Washington

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A ragtag, but enthusiastic group of Occupy Wall Street protestors, one of them not even wearing shoes, set off from New York Wednesday on a two-week march to Washington, DC. Monitored at every step by police, two dozen activists filed aboard a ferry leaving Manhattan to cross the River Hudson to New Jersey and begin their ambitious protest march. The marchers hope to arrive in the capital by November 23 in time to protest the meeting of a congressional committee set to decide whether or not to extend tax cuts that the protestors claim help only the very rich. Walking 20 miles a day, they plan to stop in a dozen cities and towns along the way, spreading OWS  anti-capitalist message. "The reason for going down to DC specifically is to make sure the billionaires get taxed," said Mae Fraser, 32, toting a rucksack and jostling through the thick lunch-hour crowds on her way to the ferry. Occupy Wall Street sprang up in New York in September with an encampment in Zuccotti Park, near Wall Street. Since then, protests have spread to a dozen other US cities as mostly youthful activists seek to highlight what they say is gross inequality and unfairness in the US economy. The walk grabbed plenty of media attention, with US network cameras crowding to catch the protestors  departure. Some of the protestors looked like they had more enthusiasm than experience. One man pulled a small suitcase on wheels and a young man set off without shoes, explaining that his feet hurt after an accident and he hadn t managed to find comfortable footwear. "The shoes I made are kind of falling apart," Owen Johnson, 22, said.

US twins to celebrate 11th birthday on 11-11-11

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A set of twins from Wisconsin have big plans for Friday: They will be celebrating their 11th birthday on the 11th day of the 11th month of 2011. Bouncing and squirming on their grandmother s couch, Betsy and Katie Overman are making plans: Maybe they ll go to school and stay for just 11 minutes. Perhaps they ll mark 11 minutes after 11 o clock with a countdown. The State Journal reports that an aunt has already given them 11 bags, each containing 11 little presents. Katie is hoping to be given guinea pigs but just two. Betsy wants an Amazon Kindle. They plan to go shopping at the Mall of America in Minnesota.

Djokovic, Murray reach Paris Masters 3rd round

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Novak Djokovic dismissed Ivan Dodig of Croatia 6-4, 6-3 in the Paris Masters second round on Wednesday showing no signs of the shoulder injury that bothered him last weekend at the Swiss Indoors. The top-ranked Serb had complained of shoulder pains in his semifinal loss to Kei Nishikori in Basel. But he said he was fine after practice on Tuesday. Andy Murray and Roger Federer also moved into the third round. Murray improved his record to 16-0 since the US Open by beating Jeremy Chardy of France 6-2, 6-4, and Federer cruised past French wild card Adrian Mannarino 6-2, 6-3. "I thought it was a decent start," Murray said. "I mean, I didn t lose my serve. I don t think he had any break points, so that was good." While some players have complained about the slowness of the surface, Federer wasn t among them. "In Paris, it s faster than (four) years ago when I lost against Nalbandian," Federer said. "It was almost like the French Open No. 2." Mardy Fish is just one win away from securing his spot for the ATP World Tour Finals after routing Florian Mayer of Germany 6-1, 6-2. David Ferrer of Spain, Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia, Alexandr Dolgopolov of Ukraine and John Isner of the United States also won in straight sets to advance. The fourth-seeded Ferrer beat Nicolas Mahut of France 6-4, 6-4. Mahut double-faulted to drop serve at 1-1 before sending a backhand return long to lose the first set. The Spaniard clinched victory on an unforced error to next meet Dolgopolov who downed Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany 6-3, 7-6 (6). The 11th-seeded Tipsarevic defeated Alex Bogomolov Jr. of the United States 6-1, 6-0. Bogomolov took the opening game before losing 12 in a row. Tipsarevic will next play Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic. Isner ousted Igor Kunitsyn of Russia 6-4, 6-4 and was praised by Murray for his big serve. No. 8 Gael Monfils of France and No. 9 Nicolas Almagro of Spain were the only seeded players to lose Wednesday. Andreas Seppi of Italy downed Almagro 6-3, 7-5 and Monfils lost 6-3, 6-4 to Feliciano Lopez of Spain.

Money not my motivation, insists Djokovic

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World number one Novak Djokovic has laughed off suggestions that he only turned up for the Paris Masters in order to avoid missing out on a $1.6 million windfall. Djokovic s participation was cast into doubt by a shoulder injury and, having already pulled out of last month s Shanghai Masters, another withdrawal would have cost him his lucrative share of the ATP bonus pool. However, after arriving in Paris on Tuesday, he breezed through his second-round match on Wednesday, beating Croatia s Ivan Dodig 6-4, 6-3 to reach the third round. Afterwards, he insisted his only motivation was to finish the season as strongly as possible. "To be honest, it was really funny for me to see people coming up with these stories -- I even heard that I would get on the court and only play one game, just to get this money," he said. "This is ridiculous. Look, we are all athletes. This is our job. We are all playing to be paid at some stage. This is normal. I don t see what s unusual about that. "On the other hand, I came here because I want to compete. I want to play a tournament. If I know that I m physically good enough to be competing, I will compete. If I don t, I will not compete. "It s as simple as that. There is nothing else that can affect my decision." Djokovic, whose 10 titles this year include successes at the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the US Open, will play 15th-seeded compatriot Viktor Troicki for a place in the quarter-finals.

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