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Asif Zardari and Sindh Government Exposed Again

KARACHI: Sindh local bodies’ minister Syed Owais Muzaffar resigned from his office on Monday, citing ‘health and personal reasons,’ days before holding of the local bodies elections in the province in line with the Supreme Court orders, said an official.

“Mr Muzaffar visited the CM House today (Monday) and forwarded his resignation to Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah,” said the CM House spokesman. “He has mentioned personal and health problems as reasons behind the resignation. There is no decision yet from the chief minister regarding acceptance of the resignation.”

However, sources said the Sindh chief minister took no time to accept the resignation of Mr Muzaffar and asked Information Minister Sharjeel Memon to hold the charge of the local bodies’ ministry temporarily.

When asked to confirm about his fresh responsibilities, Mr Memon stayed silent, but said the resignation of Mr Muzaffar would not affect the preparation of local bodies’ elections, due by the end of the month under the Supreme Court orders.

“It will not affect anything,” Mr Memon told Dawn. “The provincial administration and all relevant institutions are working properly under the given plan to make local bodies’ elections a success. The resignation will not affect anyone’s functioning.”

Better known as Tappi, Mr Muzaffar is said to be a foster brother of PPP co-chairman and former president Asif Ali Zardari.

He had also stepped down as Sindh health minister almost a month ago.

There was no word from the PPP leadership about the sudden exit of Mr Muzaffar from the provincial cabinet where he was seen as the key man to look after the government affairs

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Karachi University Students’ Week Or Access To Freedom?

Recently, Student’s Week was observed in one of the largest ‘governmental’ institution (Univeristy of Karachi ) of the metropolis. There were rides, food stalls, games, face paint, Mehndi stall and much more. How can we forget music? Without it, our events are incomplete! Yes, the days had several bands and singers, many of the department students who performed at the music show during the whole event, from morning till 5 pm. There remained crowd of people singing along with the lyrics while some danced, expressing their amusement level.

The ‘carnival’ had been a success! Many attended the event, outsiders too. The entrance was free, mind it! What less could have been expected then? Classes remained suspended. They should have been. Who would have focused to education otherwise?

Entertainment, funs have no restrictions. All we need to set are the ethics of our society and that of the education institutions primarily. Happening of such events is a disgrace and mere promotion of vulgar activities. It is on these occasions that girls’ pictures are captured in mobile phones of men. Fights, incidents of immodesty are no surprise to happen. Being an Islamic State, the educational institutions should keep a check over the organizing of the events. It is many times, that they get over vandal attacks by the political party members, who do not support rather condemn such activities.

Celebrating occasions, a festival is no wrong. But when it comes to doing such things at an institution, then there come several opinions; some contradictory, some supporting it.  But little do majority realize. After all, things gradually become part of our society with pacing time. Isn’t it?

To many of us, deviating from religious practices, symbolizing vulgar activities is being modern and friendly. We are okay with not observing veil, listening to music, mingling with boys, taking pictures, posing ,dancing, speaking , yelling with our utmost vocal capacity. I hope many of you agree. This is what I as a being university student usually witness.

But, a point to ponder is, would these things take us to something productive, useful? Enjoying yourself has no restriction. I agree. Again, there are certain limitations set upon by our religion, ATLEAST. Advancement notion in our society has taken the perspective of ‘westernization’. Hence we feel no wrong to go against our religion. We need to move with world. Right? Things change then why we be so conservative living in 21 st century?

Below photo was published in leading Urdu newspaper about the event of Karachi University:

Sindh Assembly Turns “Marriage Hall”

Karachi:  Provincial Sindh Assembly building, the government property, used as a platform to discuss law and order strategies of the country by the lawmakers turned to a marriage hall after the Speaker of Sindh Assembly, Agha Siraj Durrani chose the place for wedding event of one of his close relatives.

Sindh Assembly members, themselves deviated from the laws restriction. Organizing of the reception with in the premises was synonymous to bringing disgrace to the governing house. Agha Siraj Durrani by organizing the wedding event violated the rule and misused the government property.

As per the details, over 1000 people were invited at the reception where the comers were given the VPI protocol as enjoyed by the Sindh Assembly lawmakers. While, police forces were also deployed on the occasion to ensure strict security measures.

The guests were allowed to park their cars with in the premises, which are sheer over-ruling of the assembly regulations. Only assembly members and staff members are permitted to park their cars, in accordance to the rule.

Green Number Plate Cars were also used for Personal Work.

Media sources have reported that the valima reception of Agha’s nephew was held. The problem solving place turned to an amusing place. Large number of people gathered wearing heavy dress. The building was heavily decorated while aroma of scrumptious dishes spread wide in the area.  They are breaking rule of ending events before 12 AM while one dish concept, remained notification for the citizens only.

The Microsoft staff in 1978...... Bill Gates was Youngest!

Shahid Afridi With His Wife.

Hafeez and Ajmal on Top

The amazing and incredible players of Pakistan have achieved top positions in ICC ranking.

Muhammad Hafeez has become number one all rounder of the world and Syed Ajmal has achieved the position of being the best bowler.

The world institution of cricket, International Cricket Council has announced the one day rankings according to which the captain of Pakistan team, Muhammad hafeez has achieved number one position. The specialist of ‘dusra’ and the scientist of Pakistan team have also achieved the top position.

In the batting line, Virat Kohli is at number one position. Misbah-ul-Haq has achieved the position of being at number 9.

Sania Mirza Shakes Leg With Salman Khan In Bigg Boss 7

Recently Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Malik’s wife and Indian tennis star Sania Mirza was guest in Indian reality TV show Bigg Boss 7. She was guest in Diwali show which was aired on 3rd November (Sunday).

Sania was wearing a proper dress but during the show she danced with Salman Khan who hosts the show. This was criticized by many on social media and people on Facebook were of the view that Sania should avoid these type of things a. In past Sania has been seen in controversial dresses (short skirts which is worn while playing tennis).

During the show Sania said that she is very addicted to the show and she watches every episode. Her favorite contestant in the Bigg Boss 7 is Gauhar Khan and Kamya Panjabi. Sania also likes Andy (Anand Kumar) for her entertaining things

t is pertinent to mention that Shoaib Malik recently said in Geo TV morning show Utho Jago Pakistan that he and Sania has been offered movie from Bollywood but they have declined the offer.

پاک فضائیہ کے 3 اہلکاروں کیخلاف کورٹ مارشل کارروائی

منہاس ایئر بیس کامرہ پر حملے کے دوران فرائض سے غفلت برتنے کے الزام میں پاک فضائیہ کے تین اہلکاروں کے خلاف کورٹ مارشل کاروائی شروع کر دی گئی۔
اسلام آباد: (دنیا نیوز، ویب ڈیسک) پاکستان ایئر فورس کے اہم مرکز منہاس ایئر بیس کامرہ پر شدت پسندوں کے حملے کے دوران فرائض سے غفلت برتنے کے الزام میں فضائیہ کے تین اہلکاروں کے خلاف کورٹ مارشل کی کارروائی شروع کر دی گئی ہے۔ سینیئر ٹیکنیشن ظفر اقبال، کارپورل ٹیکنیشن وسیم اقبال اور سینیئر ایئر کرافٹ مین شاویز خان کے خلاف منہاس ایئر بیس کے اندر ہی قائم کی گئی فوجی عدالت میں کارروائی کا آغاز ہو چکا ہے۔ ملزمان کے وکیل لیفٹینٹ کرنل ریٹائرڈ انعام الرحیم ایڈووکیٹ کے مطابق ان تینوں ملزمان کے خلاف فرائض سے غفلت برتنے کا الزام عائد کیا گیا ہے۔ فوجی عدالت کی جانب سے جاری کردہ الزامات کی فہرست کے مطابق یہ تینوں افراد 16 اگست 2012ء کی شب شدت پسندوں کے حملے کے دوران ایئر بیس کی حفاظت میں ناکام رہے۔ انعام الرحیم کے مطابق یہ تینوں افراد جہازوں کی مرمت کے شعبے میں کام کرتے ہیں اور فوجی اڈے کے حفاظت کی ذمہ داری ان کی نہیں ہے۔ واضح رہے کہ صوبہ خیبر پختونخوا کی سرحد کے قریب واقع فضائیہ کا یہ اڈہ حساس ترین فوجی تنصیبات میں شامل ہوتا ہے جس کی حفاظت کے لیے ایک سے زیادہ ادارے ذمہ دار ہیں۔ جن تین تکنیکی اہلکاروں کے خلاف جہاز کی حفاظت میں ناکامی کے الزام کے تحت کورٹ مارشل کی کارروائی کی جا رہی ہے ان میں سے ایک کا کام جہاز کی مینٹیننس ہے۔ دوسرے کی ذمہ داری جہاز میں موجود آکسیجن کے نظام کو درست رکھنا اور تیسرے کا کام اسی جہاز کو ایندھن اور اسلحے سے لیس کرنا ہے۔ حیرت انگیز طور پر اس حملے کے بعد اس اڈے کی حفاظت پر معمور حفاظتی عملے کے کسی رکن کے خلاف کسی قسم کی تادیبی کارروائی نہیں کی گئی ہے۔ پچھلے سال ہونے والے اس حملے کے دوران پاکستانی فضائیہ کا ایک ساب 2000 طیارہ مکمل طور پر تباہ ہو گیا تھا جب کہ دو کو جزوی نقصان پہنچا تھا۔ اس حملے میں نو حملہ آوروں اور حفاظتی عملے کے دو ارکان سمیت کل 17 افراد ہلاک ہوئے تھے۔

Mathira Set To Fire The Bollywood Industry

The VJ turned actress Mathira has all set to attract the Indian movie men through her charming style. Soon she would be seen screening in a Bollywood movie, media sources have learnt.  Mathira would be show casting her acting talent in Sunil Bohra, upcoming comedy movie, ‘Ikki te vikki te nikki’.

The movie story revolves around a young man who is busy in making up his career in the Bollywood industry. Script would be written by the professional writer and actor Varun Sharma. Varun had played the child artist’s Darsheel Safary father role in Amir Khan’s movie, ‘Taaray Zameen Par.

Indian newspaper has quoted news item relating to Bohra’s statement.Bohra has confirmed the news pertaining to Mathira’s appearance in the movie as an actress. He is reported to have said that the movie’s shooting would begin from 3 rd of November; however the Pakistani icon would begin with her part after two days.

Bohra talking upon the selection of Mathira for the role stated that her picture had been shown to him by one of his friends, resident of U.A.E. Being highly impressed with her picture, Sunil showed the picture to Varun, who agreed to call the ‘actress’ for the audition.

Mathira acted well during audition and hence we decided to choose her for our movie, said the script writer.

Mathira giving statements about the movie expressed immense pleasure. After performing an item song in Pakistan’s one of the hit movies, ‘Main Hoon Shahid Afridi’, getting offer to work with Varun Sharma is a privilege to her.  The Pakistani bold girl, heart throb of many, said that following month she would leave for India where the shooting would be done for the movie.

Special cabinet session: Govt won’t allow peace process to derail, says PM

The army chief drives the prime minister to witness military exercises in Bahawalpur. PHOTO: AFP

ISLAMABAD: 

The government has ruled out any major shift in its US policy in the aftermath of the American drone strike that took out Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Hakimullah Mehsud – a strike earlier dubbed by the government an ‘attack on the peace process’.

Yet, come what may, Islamabad will pursue the peace process it initiated with the Taliban, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif told a special meeting of the federal cabinet on Monday.

“The federal cabinet has decided to respect the decisions of the all parties’ conference (APC) and pursue dialogue for peace. We will not let dialogue with the Taliban derail,” he added. “Pakistan has the right to take its decisions on its own according to its interests.”

The prime minister admitted that Friday’s deadly drone strike damaged the government’s efforts to restore peace through dialogue. “Drone strikes have severely damaged our efforts for peace talks… if cooperation cannot be extended then at least the process should not be damaged.”

The premier, however, told the cabinet that the government would not take any drastic step while reviewing its bilateral relations with the United States, an official privy to the meeting told The Express Tribune.

“National interest and national security is the top priority for our government. On such matters decisions are not taken on emotional grounds…  We have to think a thousand times of the consequences,” the official quoted the premier as telling his cabinet.  The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media on record.

The premier pointed out that unabated drone attacks indicated that Pakistan’s viewpoint on the establishment of durable peace and elimination of terrorism on a sustainable basis has not been understood.

Nawaz said the APC proved that the entire political and military leadership‚ people‚ media and civil society wanted an end to terrorism and militancy through serious and meaningful dialogue. The international community also wants an end to bloodshed.

He said Pakistan has paid the highest price of terrorism, rendering unmatchable sacrifices. “We are fully alive to the severity of the issue, but we should be allowed to address our problems according to our own strategy,” he added.

The prime minister recalled his recent statement in which he revealed the start of peace dialogue. “The ice was melting and contacts had been established from both the sides. Amidst this scenario, the drone strike inflicted serious damage to the government’s efforts for dialogue and peace.”

Earlier, Interior Minister Nisar briefed the cabinet on the sequence of events that took place before and after Friday’s drone attack, reaction of political parties to the incident, its possible fallout and ramifications across the country, the preparedness of security forces and the options available to the government.

Officials from the Foreign Office told the prime minister that the American side has clearly conveyed them that Hakimullah was among top three high-value targets set by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the US side doesn’t feel a need to explain further.

The unnamed official told The Express Tribune that the option of blocking Nato supply routes was not discussed in Monday’s meeting. The prime minister said that the military leadership would be consulted on the issue.

After briefings by the interior minister and foreign ministry officials, the prime minister directed Chaudhry Nisar to take all parliamentary leaders into confidence to set a future roadmap for talks with the Taliban.

Earlier in the day PM Nawaz warned peace could not be achieved ‘by unleashing senseless force’. Though he did not mention the drone strike directly, he stressed his desire to “give peace a chance”.

“My government is firmly resolved to bringing the cycle of bloodshed and violence to an end.

“But it cannot be done overnight, nor can it be done by unleashing senseless force against our citizens, without first making every effort to bring the misguided and confused elements of society, back to the mainstream,” the premier said.

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Any body who wants to help this family can contact Chairman Electrical Engineering MUST Mr. M. Waris.

Contact details can be provided upon request.

How Pakistan's Musharraf shook off legal cases

When Pakistan's former military ruler, Pervez Musharraf, ended his four-year exile and returned to the country to participate in May's elections, he took many people by surprise.

He had made many powerful enemies during his eight-year rule, and some of them had been in power or were about to be.

Besides, a slew of criminal charges had been lying dormant against him in various courts, awaiting his return.

But on Monday, a court granted him bail in the last of the four criminal cases instituted against him, paving the way for his release.

How he managed to turn what many had considered a miscalculation, into a legal triumph can be partly explained by the shifting nature of the country's political and judicial systems.

He obviously returned to Pakistan thinking he had done no wrong.

He also believed that his party could win some seats in parliament on the strength of an economic bubble his policies had created in the services sector in urban areas.

In addition, he knew that the country's powerful military, of which he had been the head until 2008, would not allow the politicians and the judges to drag him through the courts and convict him as a criminal.

Many thought he had miscalculated because the judges that he sacked in 2007 had been swept back to their positions by a wave of popular agitation that forced him out of power in 2008.

Insurgent judiciary

Since then, the judges, led by Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, have used a policy of "judicial activism" to encroach significantly on the sphere of the executive.

It is generally believed that what happened to Mr Musharraf was largely the result of an insurgent judiciary wanting to make history by arraigning a former army chief, something that no-one had done before.

The May elections also restored a political leadership that had been ousted from power by Mr Musharraf in a military coup in 1999. The expectation was that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's government would go the whole way to bring him down.

It mostly seemed that way in the beginning.

Days after landing in Pakistan in March, Mr Musharraf suffered the insult of having a shoe thrown at him in a crowded corridor of a court building. It narrowly missed.

A shoe was thrown at Pervez Musharraf during a visit to Karachi in March

A little more than a week later, the Supreme Court instituted hearings to explore if he could be put on trial for treason for suspending the constitution and imposing emergency rule in November 2007.

In April, an election tribunal, comprising high court judges, declared he could not be a candidate.

He was arrested later that month for putting nearly 60 senior judges under house arrest in November 2007, when he was president.

Over the next few months, his re-arrest was ordered in two high-profile murder cases; the 2006 killing of a rebel Baloch politician, Akbar Bugti, in a military operation, and the 2007 assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in a gun and bomb attack.

Public interest waning

Since April, when he was first detained, he has remained under house arrest at his residence in Islamabad.

During this period, public interest in his fate has been overtaken by other events, and the high pressure of the initial days has gradually eased.

He managed to get bail in the judges' detention case when the complainant, a lawyer, decided he did not want to pursue the matter. Whether he was persuaded by someone from the military remains a matter of speculation.

He was also granted bail in the Benazir Bhutto murder case on 20 May.

The bail came two weeks after the chief prosecutor in the case, Chaudhry Zulfiqar, was gunned down in Islamabad, ostensibly by militants with alleged links to the 2008 Mumbai attacks - another case that he had been investigating.

On 9 October, Mr Musharraf was given bail in the Akbar Bugti case, clearing him of all charges pending against him.

Mr Musharraf's supporters celebrated after he got bail in the Akbar Bugti case

But before he could be set free, he was re-arrested in the case of the 2007 Red Mosque siege in Islamabad in which more than 100 people, many of them armed militants, were killed.

With the bail granted in this case as well on Monday, Mr Musharraf is now set to walk free.

Signs of retreat

Legal experts say there was no evidence linking him directly to any of the offences for which he was charged.

But there are also those who point out that if he were not a former army chief, he would have still be in the dock, given the vast powers the judiciary has arrogated to itself.

The government of Prime Minister Sharif is also showing signs of a retreat.

The only case in which Mr Musharraf could have been pinned down legally - the high treason case - failed to take off because the government, which alone can initiate a treason case under the law, has been procrastinating despite a commitment it made in the court in August.

So unless he is charged in a fresh offence, Mr Musharraf cannot be kept in detention any more or banned from travelling abroad, experts say.

The question is, will he opt to leave the country, which most elements in the government and the army would like him to do, or stay on to carve a political future for himself in Pakistan?

The situation should become clear over the next few days.

How do you rate the treatment of Taliban??

Mubashar Luqman and Amir Liaqat urf Ghalib fight in Lahore

Indian Terrorists’ Hub Caught in Peshawar

PESHAWAR: Security agencies have thwarted major terrorism bid by arresting a foreign agency linked terrorist group along with explosion materials in Matni area of Peshawar, the provincial capital of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province.

According to SSP Operations Najib ur Rehman, the terrorists work for neighbouring country’s agency. They were also involved in blast in Qissa Khwani Bazar and their ally Mosam Khan was killed in blast.

Mosam Khan was present on the spot when the blast occurred. He came to Peshawar 10 days ago and stayed in hotel. The arrested criminals wanted to do blasts during the holy month of Moharram.

More or less, 150 people were dead in Qissa Khwani Bazar and Peshawar church. On the other hand, 91 suspects were arrested by the police in Peshawar during a search operation reports SAMAA.

The raids were carried out in Bhana Mandi area Peshawar. The police also seized weapons including hundreds of bullets, Kalashnikovs, repeaters, G3 rifles and pistols.

Veena Malik Psycho is a Patient

19 Year old Boy Sexually abused 10-month-old baby boy in Leeds UK

19 Year old Boy Abused a 10 month Baby in Leeds UK

The 19-year-old, from Leeds, was jailed for 14 years after being convicted of three counts of assault by penetration of a child under 13 and one charge of wounding with intent at Leeds Crown Court.

The court was told that the child suffered a ruptured bowel in the incident on January 26. He was left bleeding heavily and fitting. The baby had to be revived twice in hospital and now has a colostomy bag.

Judge Clarke told Ward: ‘On two occasions the baby nearly passed away. Doctors said the injuries to his bowel were acutely painful. It would have been obvious to you that he would have been in distress and severe pain and yet you continued to do it.

‘You did that not just intending serious harm, but with a sexual motive. This is perhaps the most unpleasant abuse of a baby that I have ever come across.’

Ward denied three charges of assault but was convicted by a jury.

He was sentenced to 14 years on September 19 and will initially be sent to a young offenders’ institution. The judge also ordered an eight year extension to his licence on release.

Ward’s name will be on the sex offender register for life

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Indonesian workers strike nationwide for 2nd day

The cost of living has increased dramatically in Indonesia after the government cut fuel subsidies.

JAKARTA (AP) Laborers across Indonesia went on strike for a second day Friday, demanding benefits and higher pay while protesting the hiring of contract workers, even as workers in the capital were granted a raise.

Gov. Joko "Jokowi" Widodo approved an increase from 2.2 million rupiah ($194) to 2.4 million rupiah ($211) for workers in Jakarta.

Said Iqbal, chairman of the Confederation of Indonesian Trade Unions, estimated about 2 million workers in 20 of the country s 34 provinces walked off the job Thursday. Police say the numbers are much lower because many ignored the call to strike.

Iqbal said the main demand was a minimum wage increase, which would raise salaries in the capital, Jakarta, to 3.7 million rupiah ($330) per month. The same workers were given a 44 percent pay increase following similar protests last year that involved hundreds of thousands of workers nationwide.

The laborers also are demanding that the government provide benefits and end the hiring of temporary contract workers, Iqbal said.

Iqbal said at least three people were injured after being stabbed during a clash with members of a youth organization who were angered when some striking laborers tried to force others to walk off the job.

Jakarta police spokesman Col. Rikwanto, who like many Indonesians uses one name, said more than 17,300 security personnel were deployed to safeguard the capital and surrounding areas.

The cost of living has increased dramatically in Indonesia after the government cut fuel subsidies this summer amid soaring inflation and a weakening of the local currency against the dollar.

Obama admin presses for delay in Iran sanctions

Several lawmakers emerging from the session argued that this is no time to let up on Tehran.

WASHINGTON (AP) Vice President Joe Biden and senior Obama administration officials convinced a number of senators to hold off on another round of Iran sanctions as Western powers test Tehran s willingness to scale back its nuclear aims.

The full-court press Thursday didn t sway every senator who participated in the hours-long, closed-door briefing, but the chances that the Senate Banking Committee would draft new, punitive measures next week just as negotiations occurred in Geneva diminished significantly.

"As one member of the committee, my attitude is if something is going on that may lead to a positive result, let s see where that ends up," said Republican Sen. Mike Johanns as he emerged from the session. "We can always pass a sanctions bill."

Republican Sen. Dean Heller said the administration was "making a good case" for delaying another round of penalties although he said he had not made a decision.

Joining Biden in the discussions with Democratic leadership and committee members were Secretary of State John Kerry and Treasury Secretary Jack Lew, a lineup that underscored the administration s strong desire to get Congress to wait on a new package of penalties.

Although the White House insists that tough sanctions have forced Iran to negotiate, it wants Congress to pause to give negotiators flexibility in talks with Iran.

"I like John Kerry, I got a lot of trust in John Kerry," said Democratic Sen. Jon Tester, who explained that it might make sense for the committee to wait, finalize any legislation "and let them (the administration and Western powers) do their negotiations."

Unnerving for the administration is the prospect that a Senate panel would be crafting new sanctions at the same time as Iran and six world powers meet in Geneva next week for another round of negotiations.

The chairman of the Banking committee, Democratic Sen. Tim Johnson said he was undecided on whether the panel would craft the bill next week. Republican and Democratic congressional aides indicated that it was unlikely on the same days as the international talks.

Western powers have been trying to determine Iran s seriousness in complying with demands it prove its nuclear program is peaceful since reformist President Hassan Rouhani took office in August. Both sides described their last round of negotiations as positive, with Tehran ready to discuss some curbs on programs that can create both atomic energy and the fissile core of nuclear arms.

Several lawmakers emerging from the session argued that this is no time to let up on Tehran.

"I have to hear something far more substantive to dissuade me from being an advocate for pursuing a new round of sanctions," said Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee who has repeatedly sponsored tough sanctions legislation.

Republican Sen. Mark Kirk of Illinois, who has often partnered with Menendez, said his response to the administration s intense lobbying was to keep pushing for sanctions, dismissing the latest talks with Tehran as "a long rope a dope."

"I think we need to keep rolling with the pressure," Kirk said. "Without sanctions, you have war. Sanctions are the only way to prevent a war. I don t want to condemn our allies and Israel to a war."

The Banking Committee is weighing a bill that would blacklist Iran s mining and construction sectors. It largely mirrors a House measure that passed overwhelmingly by a 400-20 vote in July. That bill also called for all Iranian oil sales to end by 2015.

The Senate bill may narrow that time frame, block international investment in more economic sectors, try to close off Iran s foreign accounts and tighten President Barack Obama s ability to waive requirements for allies and key trading partners who continue to do business with Iran.

The powerful American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which has considerable sway in Congress, favors more sanctions to stop Iran.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said Obama is not seeking an open-ended delay to new sanctions and believes there may come a point where additional economic penalties against Iran are necessary. Kerry told senators that the president wants to keep the current sanctions regime in place while negotiating with Iran.

Even if the administration succeeds in convincing Democratic leaders and Johnson to delay a vote, Kirk said he would try to attach new sanctions to the annual defense policy bill that the Senate could consider as early as the week of Nov. 12.

"I would look for every opportunity as a senator," he said

Vatican polls parishes on marriage, birth control

The survey reflects the pope's pledges to move away from what he called ‘Vatican-centric’ approach.

NEW YORK (AP) The Vatican is taking the unusual step of conducting a worldwide survey on how parishes deal with sensitive issues such as birth control, divorce and gay marriage, seeking input ahead of a major meeting on the family that Pope Francis plans next year.

The poll was sent in mid-October to every national conference of bishops with a request from the Vatican coordinator, Archbishop Lorenzo Baldisseri, to "share it immediately as widely as possible to deaneries and parishes so that input from local sources can be received."

The survey reflects the pope s pledges to move away from what he called a "Vatican-centric" approach toward one where local church leaders are more involved in decision-making.

Among the questions are whether gay marriage is recognized in their country and how priests minister to same-sex couples, including how churches can respond when gays seek a religious education or Holy Communion for their children. The poll also asks "how is God s mercy proclaimed" to separated, divorced and remarried couples.

Additional information is sought on the pastoral care of men and women who live together outside of marriage. The survey also asks parishes whether they believe married men and women tend to follow church teaching barring the use of artificial contraception.

The National Catholic Reporter, an independent news organization, was first to report Thursday that the survey will be conducted, and it posted a copy online.

Helen Osman, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in Washington, confirmed plans for the poll to The Associated Press.

"It will be up to each bishop to determine what would be the most useful way of gathering information to provide to Rome," Osman wrote in an email. In England, bishops have posted the survey online to be filled out by a wide range of Catholics, including priests, lay people, parents and nuns.

The poll findings will help set the agenda for an extraordinary synod, or meeting, of the presidents of national bishops conferences in October 2014.

The introduction to the survey lays out a broad list of concerns which the document says "were unheard of until a few years ago," including single-parent families, polygamy, interfaith marriages and "forms of feminism hostile to the church." Surrogate motherhood is lamented in the document as "wombs for hire," and the survey cites as a new challenge "same-sex unions between persons who are, not infrequently, permitted to adopt children."

Francis has said the church needs to do a better job preparing young people for marriage, lamenting that newlyweds seem to think marriage isn t a lifelong commitment but just a "provisional" one. At the same time, he has said the church process for annulling marriages isn t working and must be reviewed.

Francis  emphasis on reforming the Vatican bureaucracy and boosting the participation of local church leaders and lay people has prompted speculation about how far-reaching his changes could be.

The pope has urged pastors to focus on being merciful and welcoming rather than emphasizing only such divisive issues as abortion, gay marriage and contraception. At the same time, he has made clear his support for traditional marriage and opposition to abortion.

The introduction to the new survey extensively quotes former popes and the Catholic catechism on marriage being the union of a man and a woman for the purposes of having children.

Baldisseri, secretary general of the Synod of Bishops, wrote in his letter that the meeting next year would be followed by another on the topic in 2015.

Iraqi PM to ask Obama for more aid to stop attacks

Violence started rising in Iraq within months of the U.S. troop departure at the end of 2011.

WASHINGTON (AP) Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is expected to appeal to President Barack Obama for more U.S. assistance in beating back the bloody insurgency consuming his country.

Obama and al-Maliki will meet at the White House Friday. The Iraqi prime minister s new aid requests come nearly two years after his government refused to let American forces stay in Iraq with legal immunity after the nine-year war formally ended.

Violence started rising in Iraq within months of the U.S. troop departure at the end of 2011. The State Department says at least 6,000 Iraqis have been killed in attacks so far this year.

The White House says Obama will raise concerns about the violence in Iraq and ways to reduce it during his meeting with al-Maliki.

Beijing accuses Tokyo of provocation in fire drills

China and Japan remain at psychological war with each on different issues.

BEIJING (AFP) - Beijing s military accused Tokyo of a "highly dangerous provocation" by interfering in Chinese live-fire drills in the Pacific last week, warning that Japanese lives could be at stake, state media reported Friday.

Japanese ships and aircraft tailed Chinese navy vessels conducting the exercise in the western Pacific ocean, the defence ministry said, according to reports.

"The actions of the Japanese ships and planes not only interfered with our normal exercises but also endangered the safe navigation of Chinese ships and planes, and might lead to misjudgment and accidental injuries," the state-run China Daily quoted defence ministry spokesman Yang Yujun as saying.

Yang made the comments at the defence ministry s monthly press briefing, which foreign media are barred from attending.

According to China s state-run Global Times, the People s Liberation Army Navy was conducting drills in the western Pacific last Friday when a Japanese warship "broke into the drill zone" and remained in the area for three days.

An unspecified number of Japanese aircraft also entered the area several times, tailing and monitoring the Chinese vessels, the report said.

The ministry had lodged a "solemn representation" over the action, it added.

China gave advance warning through the International Maritime Organisation on Oct. 23 of its plans to conduct the drills, the Global Times said.

The furious Chinese response -- and implicit threat -- marks a further deterioration in the already fraught China-Japan relationship, which has soured in recent years as the two Asian giants exchange tough rhetoric over disputed islands in the East China Sea and Japanese leaders  visits to a controversial Tokyo war shrine.

The latest escalation comes a week after Beijing s defence ministry said that any Japanese move to shoot down Chinese drones would amount to an "act of war".

Also last week, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe warned China over its maritime activities, saying in a speech to Japan s Ground Self-Defense Force troops: "We will demonstrate our intention not to allow a change in the status quo."

"We must conduct surveillance and intelligence activities for that purpose," Abe said in his address, according to Japan s Kyodo news service

Indian bomber blew up to evade arrest dies of injuries

A team of five doctors tried their level best to save him but he was unconscious.

PATNA (AFP) - A bomber who blew himself up while trying to evade arrest at a rally by Indian opposition leader Narendra Modi has died of his injuries in hospital, officials said Friday.

Ainul Ansari died late Thursday, four days after suffering serious brain injuries in the blast at the rally in the city of Patna where six other people were killed in a series of explosions.

"He succumbed to his injuries late last night," said Arun Kumar Singh, director of Patna s Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences.

"A team of five doctors tried their level best to save him but he was unconscious and not responding to any medicines," Singh told AFP.

Dozens of people were also injured in the string of explosions on Sunday, shortly before Modi was due to address a mass gathering of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Police say that Ansari suffered his injuries while he tried to strap two bombs around his waist.

The bombs went off as he tried to run away from police who had been alerted by a loud explosion when Ansari and another suspect activated an explosive device they prepared in a public toilet at a Patna railway station.

Singh said they had operated twice on Ansari, who had been in a coma since Sunday, but "nothing worked" as he had "splinters, iron pieces in his brain which were difficult to remove".

Ansari was one of four people who had been arrested after the blasts which have been blamed on the Indian Mujahideen, a domestic Islamist network.

The government has since ordered that security be increased at election rallies.

Modi is despised by many Muslims as he was chief minister of Gujarat in 2002 when the state was engulfed by communal riots in which up to 2,000 died.

Bomb blast at Afghan wedding party hurts nine

There is no betterment in law and order situation in war-torn country.

KUNDUZ (AFP) - At least nine people including children have been wounded in a bomb blast at a wedding party in northern Afghanistan, provincial officials said Friday.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but similar incidents in the past have been blamed on the Taliban, who regard music and other entertainment at wedding parties as unacceptable.

"Last night a wedding party was under way in Baghlan-e-Markazi of Baghlan province, and an improvised explosive device under the tent exploded, wounding nine civilians," Gawhar Khan Babur, district governor of Baghlan-e- Markazi, told AFP.

He said two of the wounded were in a critical condition.

Baghlan provincial police chief Asadullah Shirzad confirmed the attack and said all of the wounded were elderly men and children. No local government officials were present, he said.

On Sunday, a roadside bomb blast killed 18 civilians, most of them women and children, as they were travelling in a minibus to a wedding party in central Afghanistan s Ghazni province.

Israeli air strike kills 4 Hamas activists

Gaza health ministry spokesman said one Palestinian was killed by the Israeli tank fire.

JERUSALEM (AP) Israeli aircraft bombed what the military described as a "terror tunnel" used by Hamas in Gaza and the militant Palestinian group said three of its fighters were killed in the strike early Friday.

The military said it carried out the strike after five of its soldiers were wounded as they tried to demolish another tunnel used by Gaza s Hamas rulers. That incident drew Israeli fire that killed one Hamas militant.

The soldiers were blowing up the infrastructure of a recently discovered tunnel dug in Gaza that stretched into Israel when an explosive device was detonated late Thursday, wounding the troops and drawing Israeli fire, the military said.

Gaza health ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Kidra said one Palestinian was killed by the Israeli tank fire and Hamas confirmed the man belonged to the militant group.

"During the operation, Hamas detonated an explosive device at the forces, wounding five Israeli soldiers," said a military statement. "The soldiers were evacuated to an Israeli hospital. In an immediate response the soldiers opened fire and directly hit a terrorist."
The military announced last month that it had discovered the concrete-lined, mile-long tunnel dug from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip into Israel.

"The defensive operation was aimed at preventing future terror attacks, utilizing the existing infrastructure leading to Israel," the military said. "The opening of the tunnel was discovered near Israeli civilian communities."

Hamas has dug tunnels into Israel in the past. In 2006, Hamas-allied militants sneaked into Israel through one such tunnel, killed two Israeli soldiers and kidnapped a third, holding him hostage in Gaza for five years.

Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri "blessed" the latest attacks saying his group "gave a painful lesson" to Israel.

"Gaza will be the land of hell" for Israel, he said on Friday.

Israel and Hamas are bitter enemies. Hamas does not recognize Israel s right to exist, and since it took power in the Gaza Strip, thousands of rockets have been fired at Israeli communities.

Israel carried out major military operations in 2009 and last year in Gaza in response to the rocket fire.

While various militant groups operate in Gaza, Israel says it holds Hamas responsible. The sides largely have observed a cease-fire since last November.

Hamas has ruled Gaza since 2007 after ousting the rival secular Palestinian Fatah group in bloody street fighting. Fatah and the Palestinian Authority, led by Abbas, now govern part of the West Bank only.

After the Hamas takeover, Israel and Egypt imposed a blockade on the coastal territory. Israel has eased the blockade in recent years, but still restricts the imports of some goods into Gaza.

Since the summer, Egypt s military has tried to destroy or seal off most of the smuggling tunnels under its side of the border with Gaza, and accused Hamas of fomenting unrest in Egypt.

The move followed the popularly-backed coup that ousted Egypt s President Mohammed Morsi, from the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood group, a parent organization of Hamas.

Egypt detains 22 women of Muslim Brotherhood

Egypt has also declared a state of emergency and imposed a night-time curfew.

ALEXANDRIA (Reuters) - Egypt has detained 22 women members of the Muslim Brotherhood, a security official said on Friday, fuelling tensions days before deposed President Mohamed Mursi and 14 other leaders of the Islamist group go on trial.

Security forces have arrested thousands of Islamists since the army toppled Mursi on July 3 and promised a roadmap would lead to free and fair elections.

But they rarely detain women Islamists, especially in such big numbers.Nasser al-Abd, a senior security official in Egypt s second city Alexandria, said the charges against the women include using force to disrupt traffic during protests, membership of an outlawed group and distributing illegal leaflets.

A lawyer representing the suspects said they were aged between 15 and 25. They were detained on Thursday morning.

Islamists and human rights groups accuse the army of staging a coup and returning Egypt to the days of Hosni Mubarak, who ruled Egypt with an iron fist for three decades before he was toppled in a popular uprising in 2011.

Hundreds of Islamists have been killed and the Brotherhood s leaders have been imprisoned. Egypt has also declared a state of emergency and imposed a night-time curfew.

Mursi s supporters have called for daily protests starting on Friday until the ousted president stands trial on Monday.

The trial is likely to deepen hostility between the Brotherhood and the army-backed interim government as it struggles to restore stability in the most populous Arab state.

The Brotherhood and its allies have urged crowds to move on Monday to a police institute near Cairo s notorious Tora prison, where the trial is expected to take place.

The charges relate to the deaths of about a dozen people in clashes outside the presidential palace in December after Mursi enraged his opponents with a decree expanding his powers.Mursi has been held in a secret location since his overthrow. In that time Islamist militants have staged almost daily attacks against security forces in the Sinai Peninsula.

Supporters and opponents of the Brotherhood have often clashed in the streets.A court order has banned the Brotherhood, Egypt s oldest and best organised Islamist movement, and seized its funds.The Brotherhood denies any links with violent activity.

Syria peace envoy renews call for talks

Says the participation of the opposition is essential, necessary and important.

DAMASCUS (AP) The U.N.-Arab League envoy to Syria ended a days-long visit to Damascus on Friday, calling on both the government and the opposition to attend a peace conference in Geneva later this month but acknowledging the gathering cannot take place if the opposition refuses to take part.

Lakhdar Brahimi, who had traveled to Damascus at the end of a Mideast tour to muster regional support for the conference, appeared uncertain about prospects for the meeting.
"We will say it s happened only when it happens," he told reporters at a press conference in Damascus, urging both sides to cooperate.

Brahimi s plea came just hours after officials said Israeli warplanes had attacked a shipment of Russian missiles inside a Syrian government stronghold a development that threatened to add another volatile layer to regional tensions from the Syrian civil war.

An Obama administration official confirmed the Israeli airstrike late Thursday, but provided no details. Another security official said the attack occurred late Wednesday in the Syrian port city of Latakia and that the target was Russian-made SA-125 missiles.

Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the attack. There was no confirmation from Syrian officials, and state media made no mention of the reports.

Since the civil war in Syria began in March 2011, Israel has carefully avoided taking sides, but has struck shipments of missiles inside Syria at least twice this year.

The Syrian military, overstretched by the civil war, has not retaliated, and it was not clear whether the embattled Syrian leader would choose to take action this time. Assad may decide to again let the Israeli attack slide, particularly when his army has the upper hand on the battlefield inside Syria.

The U.S. and Russia are pushing for a peace conference bringing both sides of the Syrian civil war to the table in Geneva later this month. More than 120,000 people have been killed in the nearly three-year-old conflict, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based watchdog that closely monitors the violence in Syria through a network of activists across the country. The U.N. said in July that 100,000 Syrians have been killed, and has not updated that figure since.

Millions of Syrians have been uprooted from their homes because of the fighting.
Brahimi warned that if the crisis goes on, expectations are that those directly affected by the crisis may reach half of Syria s total pre-war population of 23 million people.

"It is time for Syrians to cooperate and for others in the region and outside to cooperate with them to end this crisis," Brahimi said.

The envoy, who met this week with Syrian President Bashar Assad and Damascus-based opposition groups, said the Syrian government has confirmed it would attend.

Deeply fractured Syrian opposition groups are also split on whether to attend the Geneva talks. They also disagree over conditions for taking part from demands that Assad step down right away to guarantees that he would not be part of a negotiated solution for the country s future.

This time, Brahimi appeared to put the onus on the opposition, saying talks in Geneva cannot "go forward without the opposition."

"The participation of the opposition is essential, necessary and important," he said.