Stampede at musical show kills 3 students

LAHORE: Three female students were killed while five others fell unconscious as a result of a stampede during a mu

Written on January 9, 2012 | Posted in Politics, UN, US, female, lahore | Leave a comment

Pakistani Region Gives Women Legal Right To Property

PESHAWAR, Pakistan — A Pakistani regional assembly has passed a law making it illegal for parents not to extend property rights to female family members, RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal reports. The …

Written on January 7, 2012 | Posted in Pakistan, War, ad, female, unlmitie | Leave a comment

Egypt military ”regrets” women beaten in protests

CAIRO: Egypt s military said on Tuesday it strongly regretted attacks on female demonstrators, as footage of soldi

Written on December 20, 2011 | Posted in News, aid, female, footage, military | Leave a comment

Under 2nd Phase of Swap Deal, Israeli releases 550 Detainees

Israel released on Sunday 550 detainees, including two from Jordan and six Palestinian female detainees, as part of the second and final phase of the prisoner swap deal that secured the release on Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.

Written on December 19, 2011 | Posted in UN, ad, female, israel, unlmitie | Leave a comment

Female bombers hit Pakistani police at blast site

People comfort a boy who mourns the death of his family member after a suicide bombing in Peshawar, Pakistan on Thursday, Aug 11, 2011. A female suicide bomber detonated her explosives near police …

Written on August 11, 2011 | Posted in 2011, Pakistan, War, female, police, unlmitie | Leave a comment

Kadhafi visits Tripoli journalists hotel

TRIPOLI: Embattled Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi turned up at a Tripoli hotel where many foreign journalists are staying late on Tuesday, clenching his fists in the air in a show of defiance. He did not immediately respond to questions as he strolled through the lobby of the Rixos Hotel, which was packed with reporters. Wearing a chocolate brown cloak and his trademark fawn headdress, he gave no sign of the pressure on his four-decade-rule which has seen large swathes of the North African fall into the hands of rebels. He was accompanied by one of his female bodyguards. (AFP)

Written on March 9, 2011 | Posted in International, News, ad, africa, dha, female, media, trade | Leave a comment

Govt determined to empower women: Gilani

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani said the government is determined to implement the vision of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto for empowerment of women. Speaking on the occasion of 100th anniversary of International Women’’s Day here on Tuesday, Prime Minister Gilani said the present democratic government is fully cognizant of the existing issues and problems being faced by women ranging from domestic to national life. He said the theme of this year’’s International Women’’s Day of “access to education, training, science technology” is in accordance with the march of time. The government has taken significant initiatives for the social, political and economic empowerment of women, he added. The Prime Minister said each year International Women’’s Day provides an occasion for taking stock of the progress and reflecting on the challenges that remain in the pursuit of gender equality. He paid tribute to the brave women, who played a major role in the creation of Pakistan. “Without their commitment, sacrifices, and struggle, it would not have been possible to realize the reality of Pakistan,” he said. He congratulated women around the world who are working tirelessly to end violence, prejudice and biases against them. The Prime Minister said discrimination against women weakens society as a whole. “Women’’s rights issues are not limited to Pakistan alone. Other countries in the region are also faced with similar problems and barriers of archaic traditions and practices.” Gilani said no society can move forward without undoing the discriminatory attitudes and laws regarding women. He noted that Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto always placed women’’s empowerment agenda on her top priority. “She encouraged women to come forward and contribute to the national progress,” he said adding, “We will not bow down before the agenda of the extremists who believe in destroying girls schools.” The Prime Minister said the government is determined to mainstream women’’s issues in the policies of the government. National Policy for Development and Empowerment of Women, 2002 and National Plan of Action is being reviewed in the light of the current requirements and the vision of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed. He said the government is addressing the subject of economic empowerment of women through various initiatives. “Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), the largest ever program to provide financial support directly to the women of poor households is the bedrock of these initiatives.” Among others, it provides skills and technical training, health insurance and loans of upto Rs. 300,000, he said adding BISP has provided Rs. 25,000 for female beneficiaries in the flood affected areas. The Prime Minister said BISP is not only contributing directly to the income of five million poor families across the country but has also empowered women by channeling cash transfers through them. He congratulated Speaker of National Assembly Dr. Fehmida Mirza who took the initiative to launch the women caucus of 90 women parliamentarians. “These committed women parliamentarians have been addressing the agenda of women development and empowerment across party lines for the rights of women in Pakistan.” Gilani expressed his government’’s commitment to a strong legislative cover to address women issues, which is evident through the measures taken so far. The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2009 has been enacted alongwith Protection against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act passed by the parliament last year, he added.

Written on March 8, 2011 | Posted in 2009, 2011, Health, ISI, International, News, Pakistan, Politics, Social, UN, US, War, ad, aid, cia, education, female, islam, islamabad, nato, society, technology, training, women | Leave a comment

Discovery shuttle blasts off on final mission

CAPE CANAVERAL: The shuttle Discovery has blasted off on its final mission into orbit, marking the beginning of the end for what has been a central mission of the US space program for three decades. NASA’’s most journeyed shuttle launched at 4:53 pm (2153 GMT) on its way to the International Space Station (ISS). When it returns next month, it will be the first of the three-member fleet to enter retirement. “Good to be here,” Discovery Commander Steve Lindsey said over the radio once the shuttle disappeared from sight and reached orbit. The shuttle is transporting a spare closet module and the first humanoid robot to the ISS, and the 11-day mission is set to include two spacewalks. “It has been a pretty tremendous day in space flight for us,” said Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA associate administrator for space operations. The US team received messages of encouragement from the Europeans after their ATV-2 spacecraft docked at the ISS hours before shuttle liftoff, “which was a great way to start the day,” he added. However, the last few moments before launch were fraught with anxiety as NASA engineers raced to fix a glitch that temporarily paralyzed some ground computers. The problem was resolved and did not delay the mission further. Cracks on Discovery’’s bright orange external fuel tank emerged just before launch in early November, causing engineers to puzzle for many weeks over the cause and how to fix it. In January, they agreed that installing small metal strips, called radius blocks, on the 6.7-meter (22-foot) U-shaped aluminum brackets would reinforce their strength. The end of the shuttle program will create a gaping hole in the US space program during a period of belt-tightening and budget freezes, and will leave Russia’’s space capsules as the sole transit option to the ISS. “Bittersweet” was the word of the day at Kennedy Space Center as astronauts, engineers and space fans crowded in to get a glimpse of history by watching Discovery’’s crowning launch 27 years after it first flew into space. “There is no doubt the space shuttle is an engineering marvel,” said NASA chief technologist Bob Braun. “But it is an older vehicle. It is 30 years old; it was designed probably a decade before that,” he continued. “I think we all recognize we need to go to the next chapter. But any time you go to that next chapter, it is bittersweet.” The Discovery crew plans to deliver the Permanent Multipurpose Module, with extra storage space and an area for experiments, as well as some spare parts and the Express Logistic Carrier, an external platform for large equipment. The shuttle will also bring the first humanoid robot to the ISS. The Robonaut 2, or R2, is a joint project of General Motors and NASA and will stay behind as a permanent resident of the space station when Discovery leaves. When Discovery wraps up this tour, the oldest surviving shuttle will have flown more missions than any of its cohorts and toted 180 people into space, including the first female shuttle commander and the first African-American spacewalker. The other two shuttles are scheduled for their final flights later this year: Endeavour on April 19 and Atlantis on June 28. Discovery has broken new ground multiple times since it first launched in 1984. It transported the Hubble Space telescope, was the first to rendezvous with the Russian Mir Space Station and delivered part of the Japanese Kibo lab to the ISS. The shuttle was also the first to return to space after two major disasters: the Challenger explosion in 1986 and the Columbia disaster in 2003, when that shuttle broke up on its return toward Earth. Discovery has circled the globe more than 5,600 times and logged 142 million miles (230 million kilometers) over its 352 days in space. Rachel Wiedemann, a Boeing lead engineer charged with monitoring the shuttle’’s thermal protection shield, spoke of an emotional launch day. “This is the vehicle I am closest to, that I have the most experience working with,” said Wiedemann. “It’’s my baby.”(AFP)

Written on February 25, 2011 | Posted in 2011, America, American, IPL, International, News, UN, US, War, ad, africa, aid, budget, call, cia, europe, female, live | Leave a comment

Firing on mourners in Libya; 15 dead

TRIPOLI: Snipers from Libya’’s government forces fired on mourners attending a funeral for slain protesters Saturday, killing at least 15 people as demonstrations calling for the ouster of President Moammar Gadhafi continued for the fifth straight day. Snipers targeted the thousands of people who were attending a mass funeral in Benghazi, Libya’’s second-largest city and the site of violent protests. The mourners had gathered to honour the 35 protesters who were shot by government forces on Friday. Dozens of mourners were also injured, with many of the victims suffering from gunshot wounds to the head and chest. “Many of the dead and the injured are relatives of doctors here,” an official at the local hospital told The Associated Press. “They are crying and I keep telling them to please stand up and help us.” Saturday’’s killings pushed the overall death toll to 99 as Gadhafi’’s forces crack down hard on protesters calling for an end to his more than 40 years of autocratic rule. “The blood of our martyrs is still leaking from coffins over the shoulders of the mourners,” one protester told The Associated Press, as she stood beside about 20 coffins in Benghazi. After Friday’’s violence, the government moved to stifle online communication, a key public relations component for organizers of the demonstrations. U.S.-based Arbor Networks said Internet use in Libya ground to a halt shortly after 2 a.m. local time Saturday, with protesters confirming they were unable to get online. A few hours later, government special forces broke up a camp of protesters, which included lawyers and judges, outside of the Benghazi courthouse. One protester told the Associated Press that soldiers dispersed the crowd by firing tear gas on the group. After the violence at the funeral, local residents organized neighbourhood patrols through Benghazi as police disappeared from the streets. Residents feared the lack of police presence meant that government forces were preparing to raid homes, particularly of protest organizers, overnight. British Foreign Secretary William Hague called reports of guns and other weapons being used against demonstrators in Libya “clearly unacceptable and horrifying.” He also criticized limits on media access. Malcolm Smart of Amnesty International said Saturday that during anti-government demonstrations across much of the Arab world, protesters have remained resolute even when they have been shot at by pro-government forces. “I think that’’s in a sense the inspiration that’’s going to the protesters, and also in the minds of those in power and who do not want to go the way of those who were in power in Tunis and in Cairo,” Smart told CTV News Channel, referring to former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak and former Tunisian leader Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, who were both forced from power by popular uprisings. Canada’’s Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon said the federal government is monitoring events in Libya very closely and is “deeply concerned” about the attacks on peaceful protesters. “We call on the Libyan government to respect the rights of freedom of expression and assembly and to engage in peaceful dialogue with its people to address legitimate concerns,” Cannon said in a statement. In Libya, as in Egypt and other nations, protesters want solutions to dire poverty and high unemployment, as well as greater respect for human rights, including the right to peaceful protest. The demonstrations have largely occurred in the particularly impoverished cities in the nation’’s east, although protesters have taken to the streets in the capital of Tripoli. However, the police and military presence have remained heavy in Tripoli, where one female protester described residents as being “under siege.” (Online)

Written on February 24, 2011 | Posted in 2011, Canada, ISI, International, News, UN, US, USA, ad, aid, call, cia, dha, fair, female, internet, media, military, police, poverty, pta, tests | Leave a comment

24 Japanese missing in NZ quake: media

TOKYO: The number of Japanese citizens missing after a powerful quake struck the city of Christchurch in New Zealand has risen to 24, many of whom are believed to be trapped under rubble, reports said Wednesday. They include 11 students from Toyama College of Foreign Languages in Toyama City, who are believed to be trapped under the collapsed building of the King’’s Education College language school. Three Japanese from the cities of Morioka, Kyoto and Kobe, who studied at the same language school, were also missing, Kyodo and other news reports said. A Tokyo company organising studies abroad cannot contact 10 students who visited New Zealand on a tour through the company, the reports said. Several members of the Toyama group were in the fourth-floor cafeteria of the King’’s College building when the 6.3-magnitude quake struck at lunchtime, reducing the building to rubble. The school was first alerted to the disaster when a female teacher contacted her family in Japan by text message, saying she was trapped inside the building with seven students. Japan’’s government was to dispatch an emergency quake rescue team of some 70 rescuers and police officers as early as Wednesday morning. New Zealand declared a national state of emergency Wednesday after the quake left nearly 400 people dead or missing. Like New Zealand, Japan sits on the “Pacific Ring of Fire” zone of seismic activity and is also often hit by powerful earthquakes. (AFP)

Written on February 23, 2011 | Posted in 2011, ISI, News, UN, ad, aid, earthquake, education, female, new zealand, police | Leave a comment

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