ISLAMABAD: India has allowed Pakistan to carry out an on-the-spot physical inspection of the Baglihar dam where New Delhi had stopped almost 250,000 c

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Islamabad The Global Fund has opened a new call for proposals from countries to support their fight against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. b

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KARACHI: Khalid moves from one ATM machine to other in a perplexed manner to draw cash before Eid-ul-Fitr as most of the ATM machines are not spawning

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MULTAN: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Friday assured dynamic development across the country without discrimination to accelerate economic activity and create jobs. In a meeting with different delegations here at the Circuit House, he said that mega projects ranging from Rs 500 million to Rs 1 billion and above were being initiated in housing, health, education and other sectors. Three big projects, meant for welfare of workers were being launched, including a housing scheme under which 10,000 flats will be built for workers across Punjab, out of which 1,000 will be built in Multan. PM Gilani promised low-cost housing schemes for the poor saying construction sector is one of the major factors behind development all over the world. About 40 related sectors and variety of labourers and professionals would benefit from this initiative, he added. He said that the people will soon witness a flourishing job market in the wake of development process and deserving people will be recruited.

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MALAKAND: The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani visited Malakand on the 3rd day of Eid-ul-Fitr. He met troops and spent time with them.The COAS appreciated the high morale of the troops. COAS also visited Combined Military Hospital (CMH) Peshawar and inquired about the health of Officers/Junior Commissioned Officers and men injured during operations in FATA and Swat. Lieutenant General, Muhammad Masood Aslam, Corps Commander Peshawar accompanied the COAS during the visit.

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LONDON: Geoff Boycott said that if the English team would go to India next month considering that it can only draw the series there then it would be in fools paradise.He said that if the English team enters into the ground it would put India in trouble.In his newspaper column, Boycott further wrote that many front-ranking Indian batsmen have passed through their prime and now they have no power like earlier.The way in which Sri Lankan spinners Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis demolished Indian batting line shows that the batting power of India has been vanished and the series against Australia may be the last series for many Indian stalwarts.Boycott wrote that Steve Harmisson and Flintoff would be main weapons of England team on the tour of India. Though Indian wickets are not more helpful to fast bowlers but the bowlers keeping line and length would certainly be successful.

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BOSTON: Embattled insurance giant AIG said Friday it will sell assets outside its core businesses to repay a 61-billion-dollar loan from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.The US Federal Reserve last month agreed to a loan of up to 85 billion dollars to stave off collapse at AIG and help limit the financial market contagion.”AIG plans to retain its US property and casualty and foreign general insurance businesses, and to retain a continuing ownership interest in its foreign life insurance operations.The Blackstone Group and J.P. Morgan will be AIG’’s global coordinators for the divestiture program, AIG said, adding that its “property and casualty businesses generated approximately 40 billion dollars in revenues in 2007.”The company is exploring divestiture opportunities for its remaining high-quality businesses and assets,” said a statement.AIG Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Edward Liddy said: “We are refocusing on our traditional strengths in property and casualty underwriting.”We have a number of remarkable businesses with leading market positions and significant competitive advantages that could not be recreated today.”To realize our objective, we will sell a number of extraordinary businesses that are proving to be highly attractive to buyers,” he said. Libby said AIG had “already been contacted by numerous strong, stable parties, and we expect that buyers will recognize the value of these properties.”

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MULTAN: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has said that Benazir Income Support Program is being launched for needy, poor and vulnerable section of the society.He was speaking to several delegations, who called on him at Circuit House in Multan Friday. Prime Minister Gilani said he is not the prime minister of any single constituency or party, adding he is premier of the entire nation.Premier Gilani informed that list was being finalized at every union level according to computerized national identity cards (CNICs).He announced labour colony would be built in Multan with the capacity of 1000 flats. Gilani further said a trauma center and business center would also be set up in Multan with an estimated cost of Rs600 millions and Rs400 millions respectively.

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STUTTGART: Wimbledon champion Venus Williams said Thursday she is relishing her first meeting with world number three Dinara Safina in the quarter-finals of Stuttgart’’s WTA event.The American needed a little over an hour of Thursday’’s second-round match to hit an impressive 12 aces as she over-powered Ukraine’’s Kateryna Bondarenko 6-4, 6-2 to set up Friday’’s last-eight clash with French Open runner-up Safina.This will be the first time Venus and Safina have met on court, but the American said she played close attention to her future opponent’’s game when the Russian lost the US Open semi-final to sister Serena last month.World number two Jelena Jankovic brushed off her jet-lag after arriving in Stuttgart on Monday evening from winning last week’’s China Open in Beijing to ease her way past Alona Bondarenko 6-2, 6-0 in the second round.In Friday’’s quarter-final, Jankovic faces Russia’’s Vera Zvonareva who dominated France’’s Marion Bartoli in the second round for a 6-2, 6-0 victory. “I played her in China last week and it was a hard game, I am going to have to work very, very hard,” admitted Jankovic.

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