LONDON: Golden girl Maria Sharapova and Andy Roddick, the all-American poster boy of men’’s tennis, suffered their worst Wimbledon defeats on Thursday. Sharapova endured the darkest moment of her sparkling career when world number 154, and Russian compatriot, Alla Kudryavtseva sent her spinning out in the second round. Sharapova, the 2004 champion, became the latest marquee name to crash out at the All England Club in successive days following men’’s third seed Novak Djokovic’’s defeat to Marat Safin. Sixth seed Roddick than joined the scrapheap when he lost 6-7 (5/7), 7-5, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) to Serbia’’s Janko Tipsarevic. Also exiting the tournament on a day of major shocks were men’’s ninth seed James Blake and women’’s 10th seed Daniela Hantuchova. “She played better, served and returned better and on grass they are the important elements,” admitted Sharapova after slumping to her worst defeat in six visits. “She had nothing to lose. I was far too tentative. My game wasn”t there and she took advantage of it.” Kudryavtseva, who now plays China’’s Peng Shuai, then added insult to injury by revealing the frosty relationship between Sharapova and many of the other Russian women on tour.
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The Group of Eight powers pledged four billion dollars Thursday to develop the restive Afghan-Pakistan border as North Korea’s nuclear disarmament dominated a meeting here of foreign ministers.
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ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Finance and Privatisation Naveed Qamar Thursday said the Privatisation policy will be transparent, fast and labour-friendly and that the workers of a company being privatized will be allocated its 10 percent shares.He said this while addressing a meeting of a Privatization Board here.The Minister also formed a committee, which will ensure that 10 per cent shares of a company being privatized are allocated to the workers.The meeting approved the privatization programme for the next year.It was decided that in the next year foremost priority will be given to the privatization of of Hazara Phosphate, Heavy Electrical Complex, Jamshoro Power Company, FESCO, Printing Corporation of Pakistan, Pakistan Machine Tool Factory, Khewra Salt and Lakhra Coal Mines.
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ISLAMABAD: President Pervez Musharraf has said that he does not want to disturb the political process in the country. The President said that he had done everything according to law in the past and he would continue supporting democratic process in future.Talking to PML-Q parliamentary leader in the National Assembly, Faisal Saleh Hayat, Musharraf said all the institutions should work within constitution and he would continue to strengthen democracy. He said a conciliatory approach was needed in the country. Later, Faisal Saleh Hayat told Geo News that he apprised the President about the recession of national economy and price-hike. He said President Musharraf was aware of the developments and he wanted the government to fulfill its commitments, which it made to people.
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Pakistan News
Scoreboard Thursday after Pakistan’s innings in the Asia Cup Group B match against India at National Stadium in Karachi:
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Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik won the toss and opted to bat against India in the final Group B match in the Asia Cup at the National Stadium here on Thursday.
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ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office has denied any Pakistani involvement in the attempt on Afghan President Hamid Karzai’’s life and blamed elements within the Afghan government and its Defense Ministry for the attack.The statement comes after Afghan officials accused Pakistani intelligence agencies for being involved in the attack that targeted Karzai during a victory day paradeForeign Office spokesman Muhammad Sadique during the weekly briefing said the militants operating in the Pakistani tribal areas are being supported by foreign elements.Referring to the Indo-Pak dialogue process the FO spokesman said Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Quraishi will start a 4-day visit to India from tomorrow during which he will meet Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the Indian External Affairs Minister The Foreign Minister will also visit New York next month to discuss the Pakistani request for a UN probe into Ms Benazir Bhutto’’s assassination with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon He said the Afghan refugees will return to their homeland by December 31, 2009.The spokesmen termed as mere conjecture the reports that nuclear bomb design in digital format, which was in the possession of the Tinners of Switzerland, was similar to Pakistan design. He said the conjectur is surprising as no foreigner has any access to Pakistan’’s nuclear designs.He said the US is welcomed to initiate investigation into use of the financial assistance it provided to Pakistan. However, Pakistan, does not need to conduct a probe for this, he added.
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Captain Shoaib Malik slammed a century Thursday to help Pakistan post 299-4 against archrival India in the opening inning of their Group B match of the Asia Cup.
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LAHORE: Punjab Government Thursday said the polls for by-elections were held in a free, fair and transparent environment.The team of Canadian observers also termed the by-elections as transparent and the independent media too witnessed no interference of the government in the polling process, Punjab government spokesman said.He said the government had taken strict note of a couple of unpleasant incidents and took action without any discrimination.
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KARACHI: Rear Admiral Bakhtiar Mohsin has been appointed as Commander Logistics of Pakistan Navy with immediate effect.According to Pakistan Navy spokesman, Bakhtiar took over the charge from Rear Admiral Muhammad Shafi in an impressive change of command ceremony held at PN Dockyard.Rear Admiral Bakhtiar Mohsin was commissioned in Pakistan Navy in December 1973 in the operations branch.
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