Maulana Fazl escapes another attack

CHARSADDA: A suicide bomb blast targeting Maulana Fazlur Rehman, leader of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) killed at least 12 people in Charsadda Thursday, officials said -- the second attack against him and his supporters in two days.

Hospital sources confirmed that 29 injured have been admitted.

While talking to Geo News Maulana Fazl said: "I am fine, blast damaged my jeep and some soldiers in my convoy are injured". Ex-CM Akram Durrani and sacked minister Azam Swati were also with him.

The JUI-F chief was scheduled to hold a public meeting in Charsadda. The sources said the suicide bomber blew himself up near the convoy of JUI-F chief.

Eyewitnesses said soon after the explosion, bodies were scattered all around while the injured were seen crying for help.

Yesterday, ten people, including eight JUI-F workers and two cops, were killed when a suicide bomber exploded himself near the Swabi Interchange on the Peshawar-Islamabad Motorway minutes before the arrival of the JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman at the spot.

The JUI-F chief was scheduled to hold a public meeting in the playground of the Government High School, Swabi, and the party workers were told by former provincial education minister Maulana Fazal Ali to receive the party chief at the Swabi Interchange.

Herald exclusive: One Hour With…Joshinder Chaggar

Currently an instructor at the dance school ActOne, she wants to eventually return to training in Bharatanatyam. - Sci News File Photo.

“Bharatanatyam is my first love,” says Joshinder Chaggar — and this love for dance has morphed and deepened over the years; something she has immersed herself in. It has inspired her to reinvent herself and discover her passion for life and art — whether acting or writing or simply teaching dance. Driven and enthusiastic, Chaggar’s eagerness to express herself through art has taken her halfway across the world;  from her home in Australia to Pakistan.
Born in India to a Sikh family, Chaggar grew up in Lagos, Nigeria and Geelong in Australia, and spent her childhood mastering the Indian classical dance styles of Kathak and Bharatanatyam. The dance form that she is most passionate about, however, is Bollywood. “As a child, I was a Bollywood fanatic,” she says — something she learnt and perfected, practicing for long hours while she was a student at Swinburne University of Technology, Australia. Even when working full-time in marketing in Melbourne, she continued to train and studied contemporary dance at Deakin University.
Despite this intense interest, Chaggar realised in her mid-twenties – a time when most professional dancers are halfway through their short careers – that she wanted to dance full-time. Undeterred, she plunged into her new found profession. At that time Bollywood was the craze and Chaggar found plenty of work, making a Get Fit with Bollywood DVD in 2006 which released nationwide, touring the country with her dance troupe Bolly Movements, and then joining the Sydney-based troupe Mélange – a mix of Brazilian, Bollywood and belly dancers – where she got the chance to explore different dance forms. She hasn’t looked back since.
After moving to Pakistan in 2007, acting is what Chaggar has been drawn to the most: “I am just enjoying it because it’s a newer art form for me,” she says, adding that it is a welcome break from dancing and something she sees herself doing more of. As with everything else she does, she delved into the field with dedication and intensity, making her theatre debut with Katha’s play Mohabbat Bhi Qayamat Bhi. Her enthusiasm and energy paid off when she received rave reviews for her performance. “I was really proud of myself. I am still learning Urdu and the subtle differences in pronunciations of letters like the kh. To know that I could be on stage with veterans like Sania Saeed and Rehan Sheikh and hold my own; it was an amazing feeling,” she says.
She has taken on more roles: she can currently be seen on Hum TV’s Aye Dasht-e-Junoon, in Sabiha Sumar’s upcoming feature Rafina, as well as the short film Poshak. While she sees herself doing more acting in the near future, dance is something, she emphasises, will always be a part of her life. In Pakistan, in particular, Chaggar feels teaching dance has more of a purpose. “It’s like dance therapy, the students stand taller, the dupattas come off,” she points out.
Currently an instructor at the dance school ActOne, she wants to eventually return to training in Bharatanatyam. “I love the strength required. It’s very beautiful and spiritual,” she says adding that she will also continue to dance contemporary Bollywood, “for me, it’s all about story-telling and emotions; contemporary is like a melting pot and I love it; I can express myself so much with it.”

MOHALI: Pakistan and India moved a step closer to resumption of dialogue for normalising their ties soured by the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks when their prime ministers met here on Wednesday in a relaxed atmosphere provided by the Cricket World Cup semi-final match between their teams.

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and his Indian counterpart Dr Manmohan Singh agreed to resolve all issues through dialogue and give their nations peace and prosperity.
Talking to reporters, the two leaders described their meeting as `positive`.
Mr Gilani said his talks with Dr Singh on “all outstanding issues” focused on resolving them through dialogue. He said there was a consensus on the two sides that they had the will and ability to resolve their problems and this positive message needed to be conveyed to the world.
“We need to focus on dealing with our common enemy — inflation, poverty, hunger, disease and unemployment — for prosperity of the two countries,” he said.
Dr Manmohan Singh said that a “permanent reconciliation” was required with Pakistan.
“India and Pakistan should be working together to find cooperative solutions and need permanent reconciliation to live together in dignity and honour,” he said, adding: “We should put our ancient animosities behind us to attend to the problems of our nations.”
Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao said the match had “provided impetus” to efforts to rebuild cross-border relations.
“The meeting reaffirmed the intention that both countries want to take the process of dialogue ahead,” Ms Rao said, adding that “both sides have the same goal of normalisation of the relationship.”
“Today it is the Mohali spirit that pervades our relationship. This was an extremely positive and encouraging spirit that has been generated as a result of today`s meeting,” Ms Rao told reporters at the end of the talks between the two leaders.
She said Mr Singh and Mr Gilani had a wide-ranging conversation on a slew of issues of concern to the two countries, including the next moves in a dialogue process that is being resumed after a break over the Mumbai terror attack.
“Mr Gilani has invited Mr Singh to visit Pakistan and the proposal will be considered,” Ms Rao said.
Indicating a gradual thaw, the commerce, defence and foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan would meet over the coming months, eventually leading to the resumption of the peace dialogue between foreign ministers of the two countries, she said.
Earlier, greeting the players on the pitch, Mr Singh and Mr Gilani shook hands first with the visiting Pakistani team. They then switched positions, with Mr Gilani and Mr Singh shaking hands with the Indian players before the two retreated to their seats in a private box.
Prime Minister Gilani said the match was instrumental in bringing the two nations closer. “Today`s match brought the people and leadership of the two countries together. This, I believe, is the positive outcome of today`s semi-final,” he said in a message.
Mr Gilani said winning or losing a game did not matter much than its quality and the team spirit. He congratulated both the teams for demonstrating sportsmanship and quality game.
He conveyed special felicitations to India`s winning team for showing better performance and determination. However, he said the Pakistan team did put up the resistance and played well but it was not their day.
He expressed the hope that there would be other occasions when both teams would play with each other, both in India and Pakistan.
The prime minister conveyed to the people of India that Pakistan desired good relations with India. “The resolution of all issues through dialogue will bring peace and prosperity to our people,” he said.
Mr Gilani also attended a dinner hosted by Dr Singh. The two leaders spent considerable time together at the dinner at the premises of Mohali Stadium.
They have been together since noon after Mr Gilani arrived in Chandigarh on the invitation of his Indian counterpart to see together the `clash of their teams`. —Agencies

Work stress relates to Diabetes, Hypertension

ISLAMABAD: The cause of most disease cannot be enumerated, but factors that enhance the effect of the disease can be typically analyzed.

People from different backgrounds have different life styles that can either contribute positively or negatively to their health.

A big question is, "How do people manage stress", and "How often do people eat fruits and vegetable" Stress basically increases the sugar level in blood; sugar are among the basic energy storage molecule in the body (Raven & Johnson 1996).

Imperatively, how often do people go for medical check up

Is our environment conducive for living, and have we considered the environmental risk factors responsible for certain ailment like Diabetes and hypertension.

A simple questionnaire containing information that will aid a simple statistical analysis which will further "breed" an hypothesis on whether or what causes Diabetes, hypertension, stress and effect of antioxidant on these issues.

Information regarding genetics as conflicted to causes of hypertension and diabetes will be compared to physical data collection and correlation of this data to brood an effective link/cause of both diabetes and hypertension amongst adult workers.

Facts were drawn from the samples and work styles of; Bankers, Traders, Doctors, Nurses, Insurance Company workers, Business men & women and more gave information on their life style as related to their health issues. A little bit controversial, people from both angles (Diabetic, hypertensive and non Diabetic and hypertensive) gave information similarly regarding their life style and living conditions. But, with the help of a statistical analysis we will be able to draw a conclusion and simple hypothesis on this issue.

Tame bunny tale 'Hop' skips into blandness

"Hop" has one of the cutest bunnies you'll ever see and plenty of other eye candy among its computer-generated visuals, yet there's not much bounce to the story behind this interspecies buddy comedy.

Letting bad-boy Russell Brand supply the voice of the Easter bunny sounds like a promising way to add spice to a warm and fuzzy family flick. Too bad the movie winds up about as bland as carrot-flavored jelly beans.

Its gooey sentiment and hare-brained gags are likely to appeal only to very young kids. The filmmakers trip up on their scattered attempts to inject some hipness to "Hop" for older children and parents (a bit about a rabbit apparently cooked in a pot is handled so tepidly, it barely registers as a halfhearted allusion to the boiled bunny in "Fatal Attraction," while a couple of Hugh Hefner-Playboy bunny riffs are just dreary).

Directed by Tim Hill, a veteran at blending live action and digital animation on "Alvin and the Chipmunks" and "Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties," "Hop" skips and jumps between the fantasy land beneath Easter Island (clever location scouting, huh?) - where rabbits and chicks manufacture holiday candy - and the human world of Fred O'Hare (clever character name, huh?).

Fred (James Marsden) is a grown-up slacker living with his parents, who hound him to get a job and move out. As a boy, Fred caught a forbidden glimpse of the Easter bunny making his rounds, and his destiny seems tied to the rabbit realm.

He's not the only disappointment to his parents. Down under Easter Island, young E.B. (voiced by Brand) is about to take over the family business from his dad, the Easter bunny (Hugh Laurie). But E.B. dreams of becoming a rock 'n' roll drummer and runs away to Hollywood to follow his bunny bliss.

E.B. just happens to come across Fred at a mansion where he's house-sitting. Let's see, mischievous, screwy rabbit, fridge full of carrots, rooms loaded with plush, pricey bedding. Inevitably, E.B. unleashes mayhem on Fred, who seems to be the only person surprised that a talking rabbit is running loose in Hollywood (in a couple of weirdly self-referential but very unfunny scenes, David Hasselhoff is among those who take a talking bunny in stride).

Written by the "Despicable Me" team of Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio, along with Brian Lynch, "Hop" mostly is a lot of slapstick adventures between E.B. and Fred. They gradually form a kinship, find common ground and go through all the other usual things that arise when man befriends rabbit, including taking on scheming chick Carlos (voiced by Hank Azaria), who wants to turn Easter into a poultry-run holiday.

The vocally dexterous Azaria brings some pep to "Hop," but most of the actors, among them Gary Cole and Elizabeth Perkins as Fred's parents, are left to doze as if they'd been up all night hiding goodies for the big Easter egg hunt.

After playing stick-in-the-mud mutant Cyclops in the first three "X-Men" movies, Marsden has gotten to show comic charm in such romps as "Enchanted" and "Hairspray." In "Hop," he comes across as a genuinely nice guy - keeping in mind that genuinely nice guys can be genuinely boring. Marsden's Fred is genuinely boring.

That leaves the movie hanging on Brand. His slightly spacy Anglo mutterings lend a strange warmth to E.B., whose adorable face could inspire an entire line of cuddly plush toys.

The animation is the movie's strong point, presenting a rainbow-colored world that should satisfy young children's cinematic sweet tooth. But Carlos' legion of chicks look like downy replicas of the yellow minions of "Despicable Me," while a trio of commando rabbits known as the Pink Berets are really annoying, down to their own dreadful theme song that plays over the end credits.

"Hop," a Universal release, is rated PG for some mild rude humor. Running time: 94 minutes. Two stars out of four.

Pakistan's World Cup dream shattered by India

MOHALI: Pakistan lost the World Cup semi-final by 29 runs against India in a traditionally tense clash between the arch rivals here at the Punjab Cricket Association stadium on Wednesday.

Chasing a modest total of 261 runs, Pakistan were dismissed for 231 with a ball to spare after all of India's five bowlers took two wickets apiece.

Misbah-ul-Haq, who top-scored for Pakistan with 56, helped take them from 208 for nine to a situation where an unlikely 30 was needed off the last over.

But Zaheer Khan held his nerve, bowling four dot balls before Misbah holed out to Virat Kohli to the delight of a capacity crowd.

India's 260 for nine after winning the toss against their arch-rivals was built around Sachin Tendulkar's 85.

But they might have made considerably less had not the star batsman been dropped four times in an innings that still left him one short of a hundred international hundreds.

Left-arm fast bowler Wahab Riaz led Pakistan's attack with career-best figures of five for 46.

For Pakistan, openers Kamran Akmal and Mohammad Hafeez provided a good start of 44 runs before Kamran was caught by Yuvraj Singh at point off Zaheer Khan for 19.

Mohammad Hafeez made 43 before he was caught behind after trying to sweep seamer Munaf Patel.

Yuvraj, out for a golden duck, atoned in front of his home crowd with two wickets for no runs in five balls as Pakistan slumped to 106 for four.

The left-arm spinner bowled Asad Shafiq (30) as the batsman made room to cut and then had the experienced Younus Khan (13) caught at cover by Suresh Raina.

Umar Akmal, however, counter-attacked in trademark style, pulling and driving Yuvraj for the first two sixes of the match.

But on 29, he was bowled by Harbhajan Singh to leave Pakistan 142 for five.

Pakistan required 84 off the last 10 overs and needed a big innings from big-hitting skipper Shahid Afridi who only managed 19 before he sliced Harbhajan to Virender Sehwag at cover-point and at 184 for seven the game was almost up for Pakistan.

Earlier, the 25-year-old Wahab Riaz kept his side in the match.

Riaz, on as first change, struck fifth ball when he had dangerman Sehwag, hitting across the line, lbw for 38 including nine boundaries.

Then, on 27, Tendulkar pulled leg-spinner Afridi hard to short mid-wicket only for Misbah to drop the catch.

Tendulkar was dropped again, on 45, when Younus at mid-off failed to hold on to a mistimed drive off leg-spinner Afridi.

Riaz, however, had Kohli caught by Umar Akmal at backward point and next ball clean bowled Yuvraj with a swinging full toss.

Tendulkar was given a third reprieve by Pakistan on 70 when wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal failed to hold a tough chance off an edged Afridi leg-break.

And he was on 81 when a leaping Umar Akmal at short mid-wicket dropped a checked drive against off-spinner Hafeez.

However, Afridi ended his innings when he took a sharp catch at short extra-cover off Ajmal. Tendulkar faced 115 balls with 11 fours.

Riaz had Dhoni lbw before completing his five-wicket haul when Zaheer was caught behind.

India will now face Sri Lanka in the final to be played at Mumbai on Saturday.

NEPRA cuts PDCs tariff by 9 paisa/unit

ISLAMABAD: National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has issued approval to cut tariff of Power Distribution Companies (PDC) by 9 paisa per unit on Wednesday, Sci News reported.

The reduction has been approved against fuel adjustment surcharge for the month of February only.

As per media reports, the reduction has been allowed to power distribution companies. The decision was taken during hearing held here under NEPRA chairman Khalid Saeed.

WCB took the plea during the hearing 42 percent electricity was generated through thermosize during February which was recorded low by 6 percent as compared to the corresponding period of last year.

The reduction in tariff will be applicable to all consumers except lifeline consumers.

Radiation in sea off Japan nuke plant soars

OSAKA: The level of radioactive iodine in the sea off Japan's disaster-hit Fukushima nuclear plant has soared to its highest reading yet at 4,385 times the legal limit, the plant operator said Thursday.

The level of iodine-131, reported a few hundred metres (yards) south of its southern water outlet has risen in a series of tests since last week, carried out by plant operator the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO).

Previous readings there were 1,250 times the legal maximum on Friday, 1,850 times the limit on Saturday and 3,355 times the limit on Tuesday.

A 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami on March 11 knocked out the cooling systems of the Fukushima plant's six reactors -- triggering explosions and fires, releasing radiation and sparking global fears of a widening disaster. 

Young doctors strike continues in Punjab

LAHORE: A complete strike is being observed by the young doctors in the Out Patient Department (OPD) and emergency departments in various cities of Punjab on 31st consecutive day against the non-acceptance of their demands, Sci News reported on Thursday.

The strike is being observed on the appeal of Young Doctors Association (YDA) during which doctors fully avoided to attend the patients of OPD and emergency. No outdoor routine procedures were performed

Owing to the strike of YDA patients are facing severe problems. Doctors did not attend OPD and emergency in Multan, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, and other surrounding areas.