WORLD IN FOCUS

National Affairs

11-07-2012    Dawn
FBR gets new chairman: Mr Ali Arshad Hakeem, former chairman of NADRA, has been appointed the new chairman of the Federal Board of Revenue.

12-07-2012    The News
ICA issues stay order on Kishanganga Dam: The International Court of Arbitration has issued a stay order on the construction of Kishanganga Dam on the Neelum River at Gurez. According to the media reports the international court has ruled in the favour of Pakistan.

12-07-2012    The News
President signs Contempt Bill 2012 into law: President Asif Ali Zardari signed the Contempt of Court Bill 2012, which was passed by the Senate and by the National Assembly.

12-07-2012    The News
CCI reconstituted: On the advice of prime minister, President Asif Ali Zardari approved the re-constitution of the Council of Common Interests (CCI). According to the new composition of the council, prime minister will be the chairman, while chief ministers of Balochistan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Sindh will be its members. Mir Changez Khan Jamali, Dr Arbab Alamgir Khan, Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani and federal minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination will also be the member of the CCI.

13-07-2012    Dawn
Fakhruddin appointed CEC: The government appointed senior jurist Justice (retd) Fakhruddin G. Ebrahim as the Chief Election Commissioner to fill a post which has been lying vacant for four months.

14-07-2012    The News
72MW Khan Khwar hydropower project inaugurated: The 72 megawatt Khan Khwar hydropower project was formally inaugurated by Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf. It has been constructed on Khan Khwar (Nullah), a right bank tributary of the Indus River near Besham town in District Shangla of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

15-07-2012    Dawn
Iraq initials gas exploration deal with Pakistani firm: Iraq initialled a gas exploration deal with Pakistan Petroleum Ltd., a senior official said.
‘We are now initialling a contract between the Iraqi oil ministry and Pakistan Petroleum,’ said Abdul Mehdi al-Amidi, the head of the ministry’s contracts and licensing department.

15-07-2012    The News
An under-matric to assist Punjab CM on education!: The Punjab chief minister has appointed an under-matriculation individual Kizar Hayat Hiraj  as his special assistant on education, while the incumbent’s only credentials are his being the father-in-law of a Pakistan Muslim League-Q unification bloc MPA and a former Pakistan Muslim League-N loyalist.

15-07-2012    The News
Rs 13.3 crore media initiatives launched with Norway’s help: Free Media Foundation has signed a 1.4 million dollar (Rs. 13.3 crore) two-year contract with Royal Norwegian Embassy to support South Asian Free Media Association’s (SAFMA) programme ‘Media development, freedom and peace’ in South Asia.

16-07-2012    Dawn
Pakistan bags silver medal: A Pakistani student Syed Waqar Ali Shah, an A-level student of Pak-Turk International School, Karachi, won silver medal at the international mathematical Olympiad which continued for about two weeks at an Argentinean town, Mar del Plata. About 550 students from 96 countries participated in this Olympiad.

17-07-2012    Dawn
Nanga Parbat scaled from Mazeno side first time: Two British climbers, Sandy Allan and Rick Allen, have become the first to scale the 8,126-metre Nanga Parbat summit by traversing the long and knife-edged Mazeno Ridge, according to Alpine Club of Pakistan (APC). They are also the first to conquer an eight-thousander peak this year.

19-07-2012    Dawn
US House reduces Pakistan military aid by $650m: The US House of Representatives has cut $650 million from its military aid to Pakistan amid warnings that the move will send a wrong message to the Pakistani people.

19-07-2012    Daily Times
Politicised SC could end up dissolving Pakistan govt: ICG: International Crisis Group President Justice Louise Arbour has expressed fears that the judges who were restored through the 2007 lawyers’ movement have become ‘intoxicated with their own independence’ and that their current direction threatens to upend the very democratic order that restored them to the bench.

21-07-2012    The News
Pak-Afghan trade transit deal extended to Tajikistan: In a landmark development, Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to extend the Afghanistan-Pakistan Trade Transit Agreement (APTTA) to Tajikistan in what will be the first step for the establishment of a North-South trade corridor. This move would subsequently be extended to other neighbouring Central Asian states including Uzbekistan, Kirghizstan and Turkmenistan after the initiation of the first link.

23-07-2012    Dawn
Only fair polls can secure future: Ebrahim: Justice (retd) Fakhruddin G. Ebrahim who took the oath of the Chief Election Commissioner has said that only three free and fair general elections have been held in the history of the country.

23-07-2012    Dawn
South Asia faces threat of either drought or flood: The sudden propping up of the so-called El Ni±o effects in South Asia has delayed the monsoon rains in Pakistan and India, which can cause a drought-like situation in the entire region, and also worried experts who fear another round of floods if the phenomenon takes an obverse turn.

24-07-2012    Dawn
Rs14.6b bailout package for Steel Mills approved: With its capacity utilisation at a disgraceful 15 per cent, the loss-making Pakistan Steel Mills got another lease of life when the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet approved a Rs14.6 billion bailout package for it.

25-07-2012    Dawn
300 CNG stations facing closure: In a bid to put a cap on once robust CNG industry, the government has refused to renew the licence of nearly 300 CNG stations, paving way for the closure of all CNG outlets in three years’ time. CNG licences were granted for the period of 15 years with provision of a five-year extension. The government, however, has decided not to grant any extension to manage the shortfall of gas.

25-07-2012    Dawn
Sahiwal BISE notified: The Punjab government has notified formation of the Sahiwal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE). This is the 9th board in Punjab. Sahiwal was declared ninth division of Punjab by Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif two years ago, with Okara, Sahiwal and Pakpattan as its component districts.

25-07-2012    The News
Cabinet approves draft pact with US on Nato supplies: The federal cabinet approved the written agreement regarding reopening of Nato supplies to Afghanistan and decided to file a libel case against the British tabloid, ‘The Sun,’ in the courts of United Kingdom for publishing a false story about a passport scam in Pakistan.

26-07-2012    Dawn
No one travelled on fake papers for Olympics: The United Kingdom has no evidence of anyone travelling to Britain on a fake passport as part of Pakistan’s Olympic squad, said British High Commissioner Adam Thomson.

Talking to newsmen during a visit to the National Press Club, Mr Thomson said that inclusion of unrelated persons in an Olympic squad was impossible because the accreditation process had been completed months before start of the London 2012 Olympic Games.

27-07-2012    Dawn
Remarks made by SC judges upset Senate: Despite a general perception that relations between the judiciary and the executive are on the mend, members of the treasury benches in the Senate voiced concern over remarks made by some judges of the Supreme Court, including the chief justice, about opposition’s role in parliament during the adoption of the contempt of court law. One PPP senator even accused the judiciary of inciting the opposition to violence.

27-07-2012    Dawn
Pakistani doctor wins hearts minds and votes in Texas town: Arjumand Hashmi, a Pakistani cardiologist, has been elected mayor of the town of Paris in (Texas). The overwhelmingly white and Christian town has a population of 25,000.

He was profiled as ‘one of the United States’ most improbable politicians’ in an article published in The New York Times.

27-07-2012    Daily Times
Concordia Rescue Team: Pakistan’s first mountain rescue: A mountain rescue service is finally born in Pakistan. Its name is Concordia Rescue Team, and it’s made up entirely by qualified Pakistani staff. The base camp is on the Concordia Glacier, at the foot of K2, and the equipment of the team includes a hyperbaric chamber, oxygen bottles and first aid materials for high altitude diseases.

28-07-2012    Tribune
Imran Khan awarded medical fellowship: Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan has been awarded an honorary fellowship by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (RCPE) in recognition for his contribution to cancer services. The fellowship has been awarded for his contribution through the Shaukat Khanum  Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre.

The RCPE, founded on December 29, 1994 is now a professional membership organisation with over 10,000 ‘fellows’ in 91 countries.

31-07-2012    Dawn
Agreement with US on supplies signed: The government signed with the United States a memorandum of understanding (MoU) governing supplies to and from American troops in Afghanistan.

The signing of the accord for ‘Transit of cargo to and from Afghanistan through Pakistan’ paved the way for the release of $1.18 billion in Coalition Support Fund reimbursements held up for over two years.

31-07-2012    The News
PM reconstitutes ECC, ECNEC: Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf has reconstituted the 13-member Economic Coordination Committee of the Cabinet (ECC) with the Federal Minister for Finance, Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, as its chairman.

Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf also reconstituted the eight-member Executive Committee of National Economic Council (Ecnec) with Federal Minister for Finance and Economic Affairs, Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, as its chairman.

01-08-2012    Dawn
India allows investments from Pakistan: India overturned a ban on foreign investment from Pakistan, the Indian commerce ministry said. The move is aimed at building goodwill amid a renewed push for peace.

‘The government of India has reviewed the policy and decided to permit a citizen of Pakistan or an entity incorporated in Pakistan to make investments in India’ said a statement from the ministry.

02-08-2012    Dawn
Chitral youths joining Afghan army: A large number of youths in the border areas of Chitral district have joined the Afghan National Army (ANA) and also offered services to Nato forces in Afghanistan, says a statement issued by the Home and Tribal Affairs Department.

02-08-2012    The News
SBP allows two Pak banks to operate in India: The central bank has allowed the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) and the United Bank Limited (UBL) to open branches in India, underlining the steady progress in improving economic and trade ties between the two countries.

02-08-2012    The News
Pak students win debate: A three-member team of Pakistan students brought laurels to the country by winning an international debating competition, Karl Popper Debating Championship (KPDC) 2012, held in Mexico recently. Pakistani student Zainab Hameed clinched first position, Azeem Liaquat second while Ahmad Shujjan got fifth position in the international tournament. This year’s topic for the KPDC finals was ‘Guantanamo Bay prison should be closed down immediately’. Pakistan’s was the affirmative team in the final with Korea as the opposing team.

03-08-2012    Dawn
Apex court scraps contempt law: The Supreme Court inflicted yet another blow on the government when it threw out the hurriedly prepared and enacted Contempt of Court Act (COCA) 2012 designed to save the new prime minister from the ire of the judiciary.

03-08-2012    Dawn
Coalition parties send defiant message to judiciary: A meeting of parties in the PPP-led coalition government held in the presidency after the Supreme Court struck down the recently promulgated contempt law gave a strong message to the judiciary that they would continue to uphold the supremacy of parliament and face emerging challenges with ‘unity, force and conviction’.

03-08-2012    Dawn
5 army officers jailed for militant links: A military court has convicted and sentenced five military officers, including Brig Ali Khan, for maintaining links with a banned organisation, the military’s public affairs wing, the ISPR, said in a statement.

03-08-2012    Daily Times
US releases new funds for Pakistani energy projects: US Congress has released $280 million in new US assistance to support Pakistan’s energy sector. The funds will support improvements to Mangla Dam and infrastructure support and due diligence work on the Kurram Tangi Dam project.

05-08-2012    Dawn
Pakistani students excel at International Science Olympiads: Pakistani students won one silver and four bronze medals along with two honourable mentions in various events at the International Science Olympiads 2012, held in Singapore, United States, Argentina and Estonia.

These Pakistani students were facilitated under the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Careers Programme (STEM), a joint venture between the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and the Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS) to groom students for future careers in STEM.

WINNERS
Usama Tahir     Lahore Grammar School (LGS) Lahore
Hafsa Shahab     LGS Islamabad
Hassan Mirza (honourable mention)    LGS Lahore

The 43rd International Physics Olympiad
Muhammad Taimoor Iftikhar (Bronze Medal)    Rangers Public School and College, Mandi Bahauddin

The 44th International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO)
Armughan Ahmad Khan
(Bronze Medal)    LGS Lahore

06-08-2012    The News
Asif confers Nishan-e-Imtiaz on Air Chief Marshal: President Asif Ali Zardari conferred Nishan-e-Imtiaz (Military) on Air Chief Marshal Tahir Rafique Butt during a special investiture ceremony held at Aiwan-e-Sadr.

07-08-2012    Dawn
Power system may collapse soon, Senate committee told: It was officially stated in the Senate’s Standing Committee on Water and Power that a military control of the power sector in the early 90’s had failed and that the power transmission system was going to collapse in four years.

10-08-2012    Dawn
SBP cuts rate to 10.5pc; business hails move: The State Bank of Pakistan, in a surprise move, cut its key policy rate by 150 basis points to 10.5 per cent for two months amid an improved projection of inflation for 2012-13 and aimed at encouraging private investment.

10-08-2012    The News
WB, ADB want NOC from India: In a massive blow, the leading donor for Bhasha Dam, the Manila-based Asian Development Bank (ADB) has informally reversed its commitment to finance the project, top officials in EAD, Wapda, finance and water and power ministers told ‘The News’.

This has left Pakistan in the lurch and now the authorities concerned are going to put their heads together to find out alternatives to raise funds for the most important water and power project of Pakistan.

Current Pakistan International Affairs

11-07-2012    The Telegraph
First US envoy in 22 years arrives in Myanmar: The first US ambassador to Myanmar in over two decades arrived to take up his post as Washington prepares to reward reforms in the formerly army-run nation by further easing sanctions. Derek Mitchell, a veteran US policymaker on Asia, met President Thein Sein in the capital Naypyidaw, marking the latest olive branch from the US as relations between the two countries warm.

12-07-2012    The Telegraph
BBC World Service says goodbye to Bush House: The BBC World Service transmitted its final bulletin from Bush House in London, ending 71 years of radio broadcasts from the building that kept millions informed across the globe.

Since March, the service has gradually moved to the new east wing attached to Broadcasting House in Portland Place, two kilometres away.

13-07-2012    The Global Times
Thai court dismisses complaint against ruling party: Thailand’s ruling party escaped the threat of dissolution after the Constitutional Court dismissed an opposition complaint that had raised fears of reigniting the kingdom’s bitter splits.

14-07-2012    The Guardian
South African minister chosen to lead commission: African leaders have elected a female politician from South Africa to lead the African Union.
The South African minister of home affairs, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, was voted to lead the African Union Commission.

Ms. Dlamini-Zuma successfully challenged the incumbent, Jean Ping of Gabon, who has held the post since 2008. Mr. Ping had the backing of French-speaking African nations, while Ms. Dlamini-Zuma had the backing of the English-speaking nations. Ms. Dlamini Zuma is the former wife of South African President Jacob Zuma.

16-07-2012    Oman Tribune
Iraq signs energy deals: Iraq signed an initial deal with a Kuwait-led consortium and a contract was awarded to a Russia-led group to drill for energy, part of Baghdad’s efforts to strengthen its role as a major producer.

16-07-2012    The Washington Post
US drought now covers widest area since 1956: A new report says the drought gripping the United States is the widest since 1956, and the effect on the nation’s corn and soybean crops is alarming.

Fifty-five per cent of the continental US faces a moderate to extreme drought, according to the monthly State of the Climate drought report released by the National Climactic Data Centre.

16-07-2012    The Sunday Times
Human dominoes smash Guinness World Record: One thousand and one people have had a bit of a lie-in in China, toppling each other ‘and the Largest Human Mattress Dominoes record. The volunteers, most of whom were domino lovers, first carefully arranged and leaned against 1,001 mattresses in an empty section of a shopping mall in Shanghai.

17-07-2012    The Global Times
WHO awards China official for battling smoking: The World Health Organisation is giving China’s health minister an award for battling smoking in a country whose people and government remain prodigiously addicted to tobacco.

WHO said Health Minister Chen Zhu will be presented a certificate of recognition at a ceremony attended by WHO chief Margaret Chan.

17-07-2012    The Korea Times
N. Korea names new army vice marshal: North Korea has named Hyon Yong Chol to the post of vice marshal in the army, state media said, a day after it emerged that the country’s army chief had been relieved of all his posts.

Hyon had been given the title of ‘vice marshal of the Korean People’s Army’ it said in a brief statement.

17-07-2012    Daily Herald
Spain’s king cuts own salary: Spain’s King Juan Carlos will cut his salary by about seven per cent in line with reductions imposed on public sector workers in the country’s financial crisis, the royal palace said.

The king will cut 20,910 euros ($25,545) from his annual gross salary from the state’ previously set at more than 292,000 euros for this year’ and 10,455 euros from that of his son and heir Felipe, a source in the palace said.

17-07-2012    The Seattle Times
Romania yields EU on impeachment vote: The interim president of Romania, Crin Antonescu signed into law a rule that requires a majority of registered voters to take part in a referendum for it to be valid.

Coming under pressure from the European Union, Mr. Antonescu enacted the legislation before a July 29 impeachment referendum to decide the fate of the suspended president, Traian Basescu.

19-07-2012    The Sunday Times
Unrecognised Karabakh votes as tensions rise: The self-declared state of Nagorny-Karabakh was voting in leadership elections as fears grow of a new conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over its status.

Nagorny-Karabakh, which is not recognised by any country in the world, was claimed by ethnic Armenians backed by Yerevan in a horrific war after the collapse of the Soviet Union that claimed some 30,000 lives. The international community still considers it to be part of Azerbaijan.

Now almost exclusively populated by Armenians, the region calls itself the Nagorny-Karabakh republic, but its independence is not even recognised by Armenia. Azerbaijan, meanwhile, has repeatedly warned it intends to retake the territory.

19-07-2012    The Gulf Today
China, Russia veto Syria sanctions resolution at UN: China and Russia vetoed a UN resolution that could have imposed sanctions on the Syrian government angering the West as hundreds fled an army offensive against rebel districts of Damascus.

21-07-2012    The Daily Star
New Mauritius president sworn-in: Rajkeshwur Purryag became the fifth president of the Republic of Mauritius when he was sworn into the largely ceremonial post. His predecessor Anerood Jugnauth had resigned in March following open conflict with Prime Minister Navin Chandra Ramgoolam.

21-07-2012    The Moscow Times
Putin signs protocol for Russia to join WTO: President Vladimir Putin signed the bill ratifying Russia’s entry to the World Trade Organisation after 18 years of often acrimonious negotiations.

Economists have long argued that Russia needed to join the WTO as it was the only major economy outside the body following China’s membership in 2001 and the government hopes accession will stimulate growth.

22-07-2012    Hindustan Times
Congress stalwart Mukherjee elected Indian president: Congress party stalwart Pranab Mukherjee, shored up by the left and the right of the spectrum, was elected India’s 13th president, a largely ceremonial post that can acquire crucial powers in the current climate of inconclusive polls and fractious coalition governments.

Mr Mukherjee, 77, was inducted as finance minister in Indira Gandhi’s cabinet in 1982 but was shunned by her son during his 1984-89 tenure, mainly to thwart a lobby that wanted Mr Mukherjee to succeed the slain Mrs Gandhi as prime minister. He endeared himself to the current Congress leadership by controversially leading a ‘coup’ against a rare backward caste Congress president Sitaram Kesri who was replaced by Ms Sonia Gandhi.

24-07-2012    The Moscow Times
Russian cargo ship fails to dock at ISS during tests: The Russian cargo ship Progress has failed to successfully dock with the International Space Station (ISS) during tests designed to facilitate future link-ups, the US and Russian space agencies said.

24-07-2012    The Muscat Daily
Morsi names his PM: Egypt’s Islamist President Mohamed Morsi named outgoing irrigation minister Hisham Qandil, a reputed independent, as prime minister to form a new government, state television announced.

25-07-2012    The New York Times
Unusual burst of melting hits Greenland’s ice sheet: In a scant four days this month, the surface of Greenland’s ice sheet melted to an extent not witnessed in 30 years of satellite observations, NASA has reported.

On average, about half of the surface of the ice sheet melts during the summer. But from July 8 to July 12, the ice melt expanded from 40 per cent of the ice sheet to 97 per cent, according to scientists who analyzed the data from satellites deployed by NASA and India’s space research institute.

26-07-2012    The New York Times
Scientists find Grand Canyon-sized rift under Antarctic ice: Scientists have discovered a rift the size of the Grand Canyon hidden under the Antarctic ice sheet which is contributing to ice melt and a consequent rise in the sea level.

The rift, some 1.5 kilometres (one mile) deep, 10 kilometres wide and 100 kilometres long, was found by researchers using radar to measure the sub-glacial topography.

26-07-2012    Daily Mail
Baroness Warsi cleared of all allegations by House of Lords commissioner: A report into the expenses of Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, co-chairperson of the Conservative Party and Britain’s first Muslim cabinet minister, has cleared her of any wrongdoing in relation to her expenses.

26-07-2012    Khaleej Times
Egypt all-veiled TV aims to cover women’s needs: A satellite channel Maria TV in Cairo was launched on the first day of Ramadan. This channel is being run and hosted by fully-veiled presenters. The channel aims to break down the barriers for women in niqab who until the revolution that brought Islamists to power were shunned by Egypt’s lucrative television industry.

27-07-2012    Africa Daily
World’s largest ‘Cherenkov’ telescope launched in Namibia: The huge ‘Cherenkov’ telescope, the size of two lawn tennis courts and the biggest of its kind, has started to capture cosmic rays from its base in Namibia, scientists have announced. The 600-ton telescope structure with its 28-metre (92-feet) mirror will be observing the most violent and extreme phenomena of the universe in very high energy gamma rays.

28-07-2012    The New York Times
ICE to end New York floor trading after 142 years: The 142-year-old tradition of floor-based open-outcry trading at the former New York Cotton Exchange is coming to an end as the last of its contracts ‘options on futures tied to agricultural products such as sugar and cocoa’ go exclusively electronic.

29-07-2012    The Hindu
India tests army version of BrahMos cruise missile: India test-fired BrahMos supersonic cruise missile as part of a user trial by the army from a test range at Chandipur. The missile, which has a flight range of up to 290km, is capable of carrying a conventional warhead of 300kg.

29-07-2012    The Globe and Mail
Assad forces pound Aleppo, declare Damascus victory: The government of Bashar Al Assad declared victory in a hard-fought battle for Syria’s capital Damascus, and pounded rebels who control parts of its largest city Aleppo.

29-07-2012    The Herald Sun
Scientists find CO2-sucking funnels in Southern Ocean: Scientists said they had unravelled the mechanism by which Earth-warming carbon is sucked deep into the Southern Ocean to be safely locked away ‘a process that may itself be threatened by climate change. Wind, eddies and currents work together to create carbon-sucking funnels, said the research team from Britain and Australia in a discovery that adds to the toolkit of scientists attempting climate warming predictions.

About a quarter of the carbon dioxide on Earth is stored away in its oceans’ some 40 per cent of that in the Southern Ocean encircling Antarctica. At a depth of about 1,000 metres (3,200 feet), carbon can be locked away for hundreds to thousands of years, yet scientists had never been sure exactly how it gets there after dissolving into surface waters.

30-07-2012    The Guardian
Romanian president survives impeachment vote: Romanian President Traian Basescu escaped impeachment when a referendum on his removal from office fell short of the 50 per cent turnout threshold, despite a resounding vote for his dismissal. His arch rival Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta, who has led efforts to push Basescu, argues that he had lost all legitimacy.

31-07-2012    Times of India
Power failure blacks out half of India: A massive power failure hit India for the second day as three national grids collapsed, blacking out more than half the country in an unprecedented outage affecting over 600 million people.
The World’s Worst Power Cuts Asia

01-08-2012    Herald Sun
Egypt’s PM selects new cabinet: Egypt’s Prime Minister Hisham Qandil has selected a new government in which the current finance and foreign ministers will retain their posts.

Meanwhile, a military official said that army commander Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, who served as Hosni Mubarak’s defence minister and then ruled the country after the dictator’s overthrow, will be defence minister.

02-08-2012    Herald Sun
New Egypt cabinet sworn-in, faces heavy task: Egypt’s new prime minister and his cabinet were sworn-in, the first government since the election of a Muslim Brotherhood leader as the country’s first freely elected president.

02-08-2012    The Moscow Times
Uzbekistan bans foreign military bases on its soil: Uzbekistan is moving to ban foreign military bases on its territory, ending speculation it could allow the United States to reopen a base for operations in neighbouring Afghanistan.

02-08-2012    Gulf News
Australia signs N-deal with UAE: Australia has signed a nuclear supply treaty with the United Arab Emirates in a deal Foreign Minister Bob Carr said would see the Gulf state become Canberra’s first Middle Eastern uranium customer.

Carr and UAE counterpart Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan inked the deal in Abu Dhabi, with the Australian minister describing it as a ‘step forward’ for the Emirates’ domestic nuclear power plans.

03-08-2012    The Bangkok Post
Former Mongolian president jailed for corruption: A court in Mongolia has jailed former president Nambar Enkhbayar for four years after finding him guilty of corruption charges that he has called politically motivated.

03-08-2012    Hindustan Times
Indian activists led by Hazare to enter politics: Indian anti-graft activists led by Anna Hazare said they would start a new political movement aimed at winning seats in parliament for candidates committed to fighting corruption in public life.

Aides to Hazare, a 75-year-old former army driver who models his appearance on independence leader Mahatma Gandhi, broke the news at the end of his six-day hunger strike to press his demand for a new powerful anti-corruption ombudsman.

04-08-2012    Today’s Zaman
Turkey retires 40 ‘coup plot’ generals: Turkey’s military high command has retired 40 generals and admirals who are currently in custody on charges of coup plotting.

Turkey’s top military council ordered the retirement of dozens of generals and admirals who are currently being held on charges of coup plotting, the army announced on its website. Fifty-five generals and admirals are required to retire due to a lack of vacancies in their positions and one admiral due to his age as of September 1.

05-08-2012    The Times of Israel
Israel bars envoys; West Bank conference cancelled: A meeting of envoys from the Non-Aligned Movement due to convene in the Israeli-occupied West Bank was scrapped after Israel refused to admit four attendees from states with which it has no diplomatic relations, Palestinian officials said.

05-08-2012    The New York Times
Parliament votes to oust 2 top Afghan ministers: The Afghan Parliament has voted to dismiss the two most powerful members of President Hamid Karzai’s security team, a surprise move that could create new turmoil as the US-led coalition prepares to leave the country.
Lawmakers explained the move ‘which would cast out the defence minister and the interior minister in the middle of a war’ as part of an effort to end the crippling corruption and cronyism endemic in the government.

06-08-2012    Arab Times
Syrian PM defects, slips into Jordan: Syria’s Prime Minister Riad Hijab joined the anti-regime revolt and fled abroad, in what Washington and the opposition hailed as a major blow to President Bashar al-Assad.

06-08-2012    The News
NASA lands rover on Mars: NASA has successfully landed its $2.5 billion Mars Science Laboratory and Curiosity rover on the surface of the Red Planet, breaking new ground in US-led exploration of an alien world. The one-ton rover is the largest ever sent to Mars, and its high-speed landing was the most daring to date, using a never before tested rocket-powered sky crane to lower the six-wheeled vehicle gently to the surface.

07-08-2012    Gulf Times
Afghan defence minister quits: Afghan Defence Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak resigned after losing a no-confidence vote in parliament, leaving President Hamid Karzai scrambling to find a replacement for one of his top security tsars as militant attacks mount.

08-08-2012    USA Today
Toad suck voted ‘most unfortunate’ town name: A new poll across seven English-speaking countries has chosen Toad Suck, Arkansas, as having the ‘most unfortunate’ town name in the US, Yahoo News reported.
The Top 10 list was:
1.    Toad Suck, Ark.
2.    Climax, Ga.
3.    Boring, Ore.
4.    Hooker, Okla.
5.    Assawoman, Md.
6.    Belchertown, Mass.
7.    Roachtown, Ill.
8.    Loveladies, NJ.
9.    Squabbletown, Calif.
10.    Monkey’s Eyebrow, Ky.

09-08-2012    Khaleej Times
Assad names new premier: President Bashar al-Assad has appointed Wael al-Halqi as Syria’s new premier, state television reported.

Health Minister Halqi was appointed to replace Riad Hijab, whose defection to the opposition was announced.

09-08-2012    Hindustan Times
India tests nuclear-capable missile: India successfully test-fired its medium range nuclear capable Agni-II missile with a strike range of 2000km as part of a user trial by the army from the wheeler island off Odisha coast.

09-08-2012    New York Times
July in US was hottest ever in history books: US scientists say July was the hottest month ever recorded in the Lower 48 states, breaking a record set during the Dust Bowl of the 1930s.
The average temperature last month was 77.6 degrees (25 Celsius). That breaks the old record from July 1936 by 0.2 degree, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

09-08-2012    The Guardian
Libya’s council hands power to new assembly: Libya’s National Transitional Council handed power to a new assembly, in a symbolic move marking a peaceful transition following the overthrow of Moamer Qadhafi’s 40-year rule.

10-08-2012    The Guardian
Pro-Islamist elected Libya assembly chief: Mohamed al-Megaryef, a staunch opponent of Moamer Gaddafi’s overthrown regime who is seen as being pro-Islamist, was elected president of Libya’s new national assembly.
Megaryef, won with 113 votes in the General National Congress (GNC) against liberal independent Ali Zidane, who got 85.

10-08-2012    Global Times
Lee visit to disputed isles angers Japan: South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak paid a surprise visit to islands at the centre of a decades-long territorial dispute with Japan, which recalled its ambassador from Seoul in protest.

10-08-2012    New York Times
Romney Picks Ryan as Vice-Presidential Running Mate: Republican Mitt Romney reset the race for the presidency as a battle over the size and scope of the federal government Saturday, choosing as his running mate Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, the architect of the GOP’s plans to slash spending and overhaul Medicare.

SPORTS

11-07-2012    The Pioneer
Bopara stars as England complete Aussie whitewash: Ravi Bopara starred with bat and ball as England routed Australia by seven wickets in the fifth and final One Day International at Old Trafford to complete a 4-0 series win.

12-07-2012    The Sun
Gemili claims 100m world junior title: British sprint hope Adam Gemili clocked a personal best of 10.05 seconds to win the world junior 100 metres title. The 18-year-old former footballe’s time was a personal best and the second fastest run by a European athlete this year after the 10.04 secs clocked by France’s Christophe Lemaitre in Rome in May.

12-07-2012    The News
Molinari creates course record: Italy’s Francesco Molinari produced a new course record 10-under par 62 to take an early three shot lead on day one of the Scottish Open at Castle Stuart in northern Scotland.

15-07-2012    The Courier Mail
Taylor century in vain as West Indies wrap up series: New Zealand skipper Ross Taylor smashed a fine century but it was not enough to prevent West Indies wrapping up the One-day International series with a 24-run win in fourth match.

16-07-2012    The News
Saadi clinches Asian karate bronze medal: Pakistan’s outstanding martial art player, Saadi Abbas has won a bronze medal in the Asian Karate championship in Taskhent.

16-07-2012    The Manila Times
Igarashi new WBC flyweight champ: Japan’s Toshiyuki Igarashi defeated title-holder Sonny Boy Jaro of the Philippines by a split decision to become the new World Boxing Council (WBC) flyweight champion.

22-07-2012    Sydney Morning Herald
Alonso wins German GP to extend lead: Fernando Alonso extended his lead in this year’s Formula One drivers’ world championship when he drove to a flawless victory for Ferrari in the German Grand Prix.

31-07-2012    Dawn
History-maker Jung inspires German clean sweep: Germany’s Michael Jung created equestrian history at the London Games, winning gold to become the first rider to hold the European, world and Olympic individual eventing titles hours after guiding his country to gold in the team event.

31-07-2012    Dawn
Kohli century helps India seal ODI series: Virat Kohli hammered his second century of the series to lead India to a six-wicket win against Sri Lanka and clinch the One-day International series.

01-08-2012    The Daily Star
8 badminton players kicked out: Eight badminton players were disqualified from the Olympics after a scandal over ‘throwing’ matches.
Four pairs in the women’s doubles competition’ one from China, one from Indonesia and two from South Korea’ were barred after being hit by disciplinary charges of the Badminton World Federation (BWF) took action.

01-08-2012    Chicago Tribune
Phelps underlines greatness with ultimate Games record: Four years after he climbed to the top of Olympic achievement, Michael Phelps took the last step he needed to reach the absolute peak.
The greatest swimmer of all time became the most decorated Olympian of all time when he won a record 19th Olympic medal at the London Games.