Chemical factory catches fire in Lahore

LAHORE: A loud blast occurred in a chemical factory located in Badami Bagh due to the explosion of a boiler which resulted in fire eruption that engulfed the entire factory but no loss of life was ascertained according to preliminary reports.The fire brigade and rescue workers have accumulated the fire scene while rescue efforts are underway, sources said.

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Pakistan’s minorities live in fear (MSNBC)

As the Taliban gains a stronger foothold in Pakistan, increasingly violent assaults against religious minorities are further evidence of its growing power and influence.

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U.S. acknowledges Pakistan drone program (Los Angeles Times)

Central Command and other military officials say the joint effort does not include the use of armed strikes on suspected militant positions, only intelligence gathering. The U.S. military has flown drones into Pakistan at least a dozen times in recent weeks in cooperation with the Pakistanis as part of a new program, U.S. officials acknowledged Wednesday.

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Pakistan Gets Sensitive U.S. Drone Images, With Limits (New York Times)

The U.S. for the first time has provided Pakistan with surveillance information collected by drones flying along the border of Pakistan and Afghanistan.

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Oil prices slide in Asian trade

SINGAPORE: Oil prices slipped in Asian trade Thursday after a plunge in US stocks and weak retail sales in the world’’s biggest economy cut short a nascent rally, analysts said.New York’’s main futures contract, light sweet crude for June delivery, fell 29 cents to 57.73 dollars a barrel. Brent North Sea crude for June delivery dropped eight cents to 57.26 dollars. The June contract expires later Thursday.

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IDPs to be provided cold water from today

MALAKAND: All camps of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), hailing from Malakand Division, will be provided with the cold-water facility form today (Wednesday).According to Emergency Response Unit (ERU) the camps, setup in Mardan, Swabi and other adjoining areas, were not provided with cold water in scorching hot weather and the complaints in this respect, were being received by administration.All camps of IDPs will be provided with cold-water amenity keeping in view the hot weather the displaced persons are confronting in order to step up relief efforts for IDPs, sources added.

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Pakistan aid director: Generosity will dry up (MSNBC)

An estimated one million people have been displaced by the fighting between government troops and Taliban militants in Pakistan’s Swat Valley, creating a major humanitarian disaster. Graham Strong,Pakistan country director for World Vision, discusses the crisis.

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Pakistan’s religious minorities live in fear (MSNBC)

As the Taliban gains a stronger foothold in Pakistan, increasingly violent assaults against religious minorities are further evidence of its growing power and influence.

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Intelligence agency nab 6 from Ittehad colony in Peshawar

PESHAWAR: At least six suspected persons were arrested from a house located in Ittehad colony in Peshawar during a crackdown launched by intelligence agency on Wednesday, Geo news reported.According to sources, the intelligence agency personnel raided a house here in Ittehad colony on information regarding the presence of suspected persons. As a result, six persons were arrested who were originally hailed from tehsil Maidan of Lower Dir.Arrested suspects have been moved to unidentified place for further investigation, sources added.

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Pakistan jets bomb Taliban as 170,000 more refugees flee (AFP via Yahoo! News)

Pakistan helicopters and fighter jets attacked Taliban targets in the northwest Wednesday as the government lobbied Afghanistan for a closer alliance in the battle against militants.

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