BERLIN: The 12th World Athletics Championships concluded its fifth day on Wednesday, producing gold medals in four events, men’’s discus throw, men’’s 1,500m race, women’’s 100m hurdles and women’’s 800m race.

Robert Harting of Germany won men’’s discus title, with an overjoyed host audience at Berlin’’s Olympic Stadium. The 24-year-old, a silver medalist of the last world championship in 2007, threw a best distance of 69.43 meters only in the sixth and last attempt.

“I was shaking my head during the competition because I was not satisfied with my throws,” Harting told reporters following the competition. “I owe the last meter of my sixth attempt to the audience.”

Piotr Malachowski of Poland had led from the first round, but he finally lost the title and took silver with 69.15 meters.

Defending champion and Olympic gold medalist Gerd Kanter of Estonia did not perform well and only took bronze with 66.88 meters.

The men’’s 1,500m race was won by Yusuf Saad Kamel of Bahrain, who was born in Kenya. His mark was 3 minutes, 35.93 seconds.

Kamel, 26, is the son of Billy Konchellah, a former Kenyan 800mrunner who won two World Championships gold medals.

Ethiopia’’s Deresse Mekonnen won silver with 3:36.01, while defending champion Bernard Lagat of the United States only took bronze with a mark of 3:36.20.

In women’’s 100m hurdles, veteran Brigitte Foster-Hylton of Jamaica won gold with 12.51, a season’’s best for her. The 34-year-old was the bronze winner in Helsinki in 2005 and silver winner in Paris in 2003.

Canada’’s Priscilla Lopes-Schliep, bronze medalist at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, won silver with 12.54. The bronze medal went to Jamaica’’s Delloreen Ennis-London, who also won medals at the 2005 and 2007 world championships. She finished the race with a mark of12.55.

South Africa’’s Caster Semenya, whose gender is in controversy, won women’’s 800 meters gold.

The 18-year-old, who has led the world since her 1:56.72 breakout performance at the African Junior championships last month, won gold with 1 minute, 55.45 seconds.

Defending champion Janeth Jepkosgei Busienei of Kenya had to face a tough race and take silver with 1:57.90. Jennifer Meadows of Britain got third with 1:57.93.

Hours before the race, the ruling body IAAF said that a gender test had been conducted on Semenya to confirm whether she was a real woman or not. But the test result could not be available until some time later.

There had been doubts about Semenya’’s gender because of her masculine physique. But the IAAF said she must be allowed to run as there is still no firm evidence to show that she is not a woman.

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Karachi

Karachi Strategic Development Plan-2020 has completely changed the planning paradigm of the city, noted architect and town planner Arif

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Karachi

The wife of a police officer was gunned down on Wednesday in the Korangi area in a targeted killing.

Unidentified armed men tr

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KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah Thursday announced a Rs 2 billion Ramazan relief package whereby atta will be supplied throughout the Province at Rs 10 per Kg as against Rs 30 and above per Kg it is available at present.

He made the announcement at a crowded press conference at Chief Minister House.

Sindh Information Minister Shazia Marri, Advisor to Chief Minister Rashid Rabbani and Special Assistant Waqar Mehdi were also present on the occasion.

The Chief Minister said that Flour Mill owners have guaranteed to open four atta sale centres by each of them. He said there are 171 flourmills in Sindh and 71 in Karachi.

If need felt, more centres could be opened to meet public demand for atta during the entire month of Ramazan, he stated.

The Chief Minister informed that in order to check hoarding or sale of atta at excess price, teams of DDOs and ADOs who have been entrusted with magisterial powers under permission from High Court, have been formed.

These Teams will carry out raids under supervision of DCOs and EDOs (Revenue) and catch the black-marketers.

He said that not only atta, these teams will also check prices of other essential items as well for which prices have been fixed.

Qaim Ali Shah said all the shopkeepers have been specifically directed to display price lists conspicuously at their outlets or else action will be taken in case of default.

These teams, he pointed out, would submit their reports on daily basis and reviewed by the Government. He informed that these teams would operate in city areas on rotation basis.

He pointed out that this relief package was conceived after great consultation because present is the government of the people who have given PPP a big mandate and it is our responsibility to pay attention on their condition.

He recalled that it too had remained the commitment of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto with the people to solve their problems.

Replying a question, the Chief Minister said that this subsidized atta will not be sold in wholesale. However, there will be no exception for hotels and tandoorwalas who can also buy this atta but have to sell the “roti” on reduced price or else they will face action under Price Control Act.

Answering another question, the Chief Minister said that this subsidy is only for atta while for sugar the federal government has already fixed the price at Rs 50 per Kg.

In Sindh, he told the questioner, talks will be held with sugar mill owners and he hopes that sugar would also be available here at still a reduced price.

To another question, he said, the government will ensure that this highly subsidized atta is not smuggled out to other provinces where atta price is higher. For this purpose a check will be kept at the borders.

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ISLAMABAD: Foreign Office spokesman said Pakistan welcomes US cooperation in the energy sector, however it has no linkage with Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline.

Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit said this at a weekly briefing here on Thursday.

He said Pakistan and China will sign several agreements and Memorandums of Understanding during President Asif Ali Zardari’’s visit to China beginning Friday. This will be the 4th visit of the President to China in the past few months, he added.

The spokesman said during his five-day visit, the President will be hosted by the party and provincial leadership of Guangdong and Zhejiang provinces. They will have a wide-ranging interaction to expand investment and trade between the two countries, he said.

The spokesman said, particular focus will be on promoting collaboration in agriculture, agro-based industry, fisheries, water conservation, health and hydel power generation projects. The Chinese Foreign Minister will also call on the President during this visit.

Replying to a question, the spokesman said Pakistan is an energy deficient country and it would welcome initiative by the United States to help overcome this problem. He said, “The energy deficit is affecting our economic development, and this is one of the biggest challenges the incumbent government is facing.”

The spokesman said there was no linkage of the American offer to assist in energy sector with the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project.

Regarding expansion of the US mission in Islamabad, he said, “Media reports about the number of US Marines to be posted in the mission are highly inflated, and absolutely incorrect.”

He said the existing number of marines is in single digit. He, however added that the exact details of the expansion plans would be known when the US embassy formally approaches Pakistan Government in this regard.

Replying to a question about Dr. Aafia’’s case, the spokesman said Pakistan’’s embassy in Washington is in touch with the US authorities, and is sparing no effort to seek early repatriation of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui to Pakistan.

He said, “There are legal proceedings, and we are trying our best to put up a credible defence.” Answering a question about meeting between foreign secretaries of Pakistan and India, Abdul Basit said, “Pakistan and India are engaged through diplomatic channels to fix a meeting between the two foreign secretaries.”

He said, Pakistan would like that the meeting takes place as quickly as possible as according to the understanding arrived at Sharam El-Sheikh, the two foreign secretaries were to meet and submit report to the Foreign Ministers who will be meeting in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session.

Replying to a question, he said he would not deny reports that Pakistan extended an invitation to the Indian Foreign Secretary to visit Islamabad for a meeting with his counterpart.

To another question, he said expulsion of Jaswant Singh by BJP was their internal matter. About praise of Quaid-e-Azam by Jaswant Singh in his book, the spokesman said the Quaid was a great leader and this is widely acknowledged across the world. It is a welcome change if it is also being realized in India.

Replying to a question about visit of the UN Commission probing assassination of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, the spokesman said the Commission has to submit its findings within six months and they will keep on visiting Pakistan. He denied speculations about any sort of differences between Pakistan and the UN over the terms of reference of the commission.

The spokesman expressed the hope that presidential elections in Afghanistan would contribute towards stability and prosperity of Afghanistan.

About visit of the Pakistani ambassador in Kabul to Punjsher Valley, he said Pakistan has always maintained good relations with all parties in Afghanistan and this was part of its policy.

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Pakistan News

KARACHI: Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE), witnessing range-bound activity on Thursday, inched up by 21 points to close at 7,973.

The share market started downbeat but later buying in energy stocks pulled the major Index into the green territory, giving the capital market a positive close.

The trade volume was recorded at 100 million shares today.

DG Khan Cement was today?s volume leader which shed Rs1.70 to close at Rs34.

KSE-30 Index finished the day 8 points up to 8,441.

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Pakistan News

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Wednesday linked the trial of General (retd) Pervez Musharraf under Article 6 of the Constitution to a

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Islamabad

The Islamabad administration has finalised all necessary arrangements for setting up two ?Sasta Bazaars? and 35 Fair Price Shops for

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ISLAMABAD: A debate is taking place across the country on whether the former president Pervez Musharraf be put to trial under Article 6 of the Constitution or not.

Political leadership seems divided on the issue with some speaking in favour of prosecution of dictators while others question whether it should be Pervez Musharraf to face the action first. And there are still other politicians who are blaming the government for not initiating an action against the former president.

Talking to Geo News former federal minister, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said if the government has courage it should prosecute all those who abrogated the Constitution. A ban should be put against all the people who supported a military dictator, he added.

Central Information Secretary of Pakistan Muslim League-N, Ahsan Iqbal told Geo News that it is a ?golden opportunity? to bring the Constitution violating dictator before the court.

Former federal minister for parliamentary affairs, Dr. Sher Afgan Niazi noted that the Supreme Court has also given remarks against General Iskandar Mirza, General Yahya and General Zia. Therefore, he said, action should be taken against all the generals, journalists and judges who supported the violators of the Constitution starting from 1956.

Some people have strongly supported the idea that any action in this connection should be initiated against all the dictators of the past.

Addressing the assembly yesterday, Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani said he forgave Musharraf over his resignation; however, if parliament tables a consensus resolution against him, then he would support it.

He said the Leader of the Opposition does not have the majority to get the resolution approved; the judiciary, having played their role, said the rest lies with the parliament.

He also proposed Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) to go for a doable action.

Addressing the National Assembly prior to him, Opposition leader in National Assembly, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said Pakistan People?s Party (PPP) put into oblivion the pledge regarding the trial of a dictator.

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LAHORE

THE Judicial Activism Panel (JAP) has condemned Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh?s statement about Pakistan, terming it a meddling w

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Pakistan News