Fuel price hike sparks anger

ISLAMABAD PAKISTAN increased fuel prices by 9.9 percent on Tuesday reflecting the global rise in prices, in a move that could create fresh anger among the public worried about a sharply rising cost of living.

A previous price rise, in January, was reversed days after its implementation when an important coalition party left the ruling alliance to protest against the increase, destabilising the government of Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani.

That party, the southernbased Muttahida Quami Movement, also condemned the Tuesday price rise and has said it would announce a response if the government did not reverse the raise within three days.

“The decision to increase the prices ... is completely anti-people, as it will result in price hike in other daily usage items which will affect the poor people,” the party said in a statement.

Pakistan, where tens of millions of people live in poverty, is struggling to control inflation.

The consumer price index (CPI) rose 14.19 percent in January from the same time last year.

The government is also facing a widening budget deficit in an economy that has been propped up by an $11 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) emergency loan programme since 2008.

An IMF team is due in Pakistan on Tuesday to review its economic performance, a source involved with the talks said.

The IMF says Pakistan must make tough economic reforms to revive the economy.

But rising prices can exacerbate dissatisfaction with an unpopular government which is also facing attacks by Islamist militants allied with Al Qaeda.

The United States, struggling to pacify neighbouring Afghanistan, sees stability in Pakistan as vital for keeping the government and military focused on rooting out militants based in lawless areas along the Afghan border, and attacking in both countries.

The price increases on Tuesday saw petrol go up 9.9 percent, from 72.96 rupees (85 U.S. cents) a litre to 80.19 rupees, the state Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority said in a statement.

Light diesel prices also rose by 9.9 percent to 73.21 rupees a litre, an increase of 6.60 rupees.

Economic analysts say Pakistan is likely to overshoot a revised budget deficit target of 4.7 percent agreed with the IMF in November 2010.

Some forecast the deficit to be about 8 percent, higher than the central bank’s prediction of between 6.0 and 6.5 percent, if fiscal reforms are not implemented.

Financial analysts said the fuel price increase would send the right message to the IMF, which has been pressing the government to cut a range of subsidies.

“The government had no choice but to increase oil prices as it has no fiscal space, and this is also a good signal to the IMF (International Monetary Fund),” said Asif Qureshi, director at Invisor Securities Ltd.

QATAR TRIBUN

Money changer blacklisted over drug links

Money changer blacklisted over drug links
The US Treasury Department blacklisted a currency exchange in Afghanistan yesterday that it said is a major money-laundering vehicle for narcotics trafficking organisations.
It placed the New Ansari Money Exchange in Kabul on its list of specially designated nationals, along with 15 affiliated individuals and entities.
The move prohibits US persons from transactions with them and seeks to freeze any assets they may have under US
jurisdiction.
The Treasury said New Ansari’s network has laundered money from heroin, opium and morphine trade in Afghanistan for the previously blacklisted traffickers Haji Azizullah Alizai and the Haji Juma Khan
organisation.
“The New Ansari network is yet another example of money launderers exploiting legitimate financial systems to launder their ill-gotten gains, including illicit drug proceeds, as part of their criminal enterprise,” US Drug Enforcement Administration Michele Leonhart said in a statement.
The action is part of the Treasury Department’s efforts to use authorities under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act to target the financial support networks of drug traffickers worldwide.
It has blacklisted more than 900 businesses and individuals linked to 87 drug kingpins since June 2000. Reuters

Tymoshenko raises stir with police raid Tweet

Tymoshenko raises stir with police raid Tweet
Reuters/Kiev
Tymoshenko: is herself under investigation
Former Ukrainian prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko caused a flap yesterday when she brought her deputies running from parliament with an alarm call that state security police were raiding party headquarters.
Tymoshenko, who a year ago lost a run-off for the presidency to President Viktor Yanukovich after a bitter battle, sent a Twitter message saying: “The SBU are now trying to enter our party offices to search and remove the central party server (computer).”
Deputies of Tymoshenko’s Batkyvshchina party raced out of parliament on hearing her alarm and headed to her headquarters about 2km.
A spokeswoman for the state security service, the SBU, denied her account, however.
“Our people are not down there. This is complete nonsense,” the spokeswoman said.
Journalists who went to the building did not see any police officers outside, although a pro-Tymoshenko deputy said that SBU agents had earlier been there.
“They introduced themselves as SBU police. They said they had a prosecutor’s warrant to carry out a search with the aim of removing the main information server of the Batkyvshchina party,” said Andriy Kozhemyakin, deputy head of the Batkyvshchina faction.
Tymoshenko is under investigation for alleged abuse of office while she was prime minister from 2007-10.
She says that Yanukovich is conducting a political vendetta and denies the charges against her.
She has been ordered not to leave Ukraine and is regularly summoned by prosecutors for questioning.
The bizarre incident yesterday increased political tension ahead of February 25, when her rival will celebrate a year in power, talking to Ukrainians via a television phone-in programme.
Allies of Tymoshenko inside the building said they had locked themselves in when SBU officials showed up.
Tymoshenko, in a subsequent Twitter message, said an “information war” against her was under way. “The first attack was beaten off. They (SBU) got a phone call and they ran off.”
Kozhemyakin said: “We came here and will be on permanent watch day and night from now on so that there will not be political terror like that which was rolled out against Batkyvshchina today.”
A former interior minister under Tymoshenko, Yuri Lutsenko, is being held on charges of abuse of office involving embezzlement of state funds, while former environment minister Georgy Filipchuk also faces criminal charges.
Another Tymoshenko ally, former economy minister Bohdan Danylyshin, fled Ukraine and has been granted political asylum in the Czech republic. Tymoshenko raises stir with police raid Tweet

Karwa begin tomorrow, the application of the smart card to ride the bus

Doha - Sidi Mohamed
Karwa Transportation announced for the end of the system to handle cash in the bus services, and the validity of the work card «Karwa» Smart as of Sunday. And must therefore all users of mass transit buses to get new smart cards Karwa, because it will not be selling the tickets printed, and will not be accepted as of the date specified.
There is growing demand for customer cards Karwa smart since its launch in the twenty-fourth of last November, steadily, and is characterized by smart cards, the new style is easy, and quick to deal with, as it is less expensive than the rate constant cash, through the adoption of a registration system for instant riding the bus and the moment of departure.
And exposure Karwa smart cards at $ 30 rials to the card, 20 of which SAR can be used immediately; while still remaining ten riyals to reach cumulative value of the card to charge $ 300, and then be returned automatically.
And Karwa smart cards are available and the possibility of re-shipped at a bus station Karwa team Ghanim.
Some who spoke to us through a field visit to the main bus station in Al-Ghanim, said the media campaign that accompanied the issuance of smart cards were not at the required level, many of those we met did not know the history of the smart card deal, but some of them are not heard at all.
While others said that this new system very convenient for those traveling in buses frequently per day, or more than once per day, while riding a bus from time to time and intermittently preferred the old system and pay cash.

I did not hear Basmart Card!
Mohamed Ibrahim - who was waiting for the bus heading to his area Residential - told us that he had not heard of the new smart cards, and was thinking that does not differ from that of the old cards that were sold by the company for those who wish to, but not mandatory.
Mohammed says: «I use the bus every now and then, and not a continuous or daily basis, I have not heard from before the existence of a new card is mandatory for those who wish the independence of the bus, I know the card you were dealt with long ago, a card is optional use by those who wish to , because it is cheaper and more abundant than cash ».
He said that Mohammed ad campaign that accompanied the issuance of such cards were not widespread, because many of the passengers did not know so far and, therefore, Valqsour inevitably caused by the method of advertising for this new service, which will be the only way to use the buses a day after next Sunday, says Mohammed.
Meanwhile, Mohamed extend the deal to get used to the regular people to handle the new smart cards, and gradually spread among the passengers.

Did not buy it yet
In turn, "said Mahmoud Al-Ahmad that he had learned the subject of the smart card, but he did not Iqtnea after, citing the popularity heavily on the only office in the main station area Ghanim.
And Ahmad said: «I learned long ago the subject of smart cards, new, and what the advantages to the bearer, and I heard from one of my friends that this card offers more than cash than normal, because they are counted only the number of miles traveled, unlike tariff fixed, but I did not buy it yet for two reasons: First, I often come in late for the station, and in the few times that I go to the Office of the sale of cards I find it very busy, and thus postpone the matter to be less than the number of those willing to get this card, I'm afraid to come on Sunday and I did not buy it after ».
Ahmad and demanded the need to allocate more space for the reception wanting to buy smart cards, noting that the only corner of the ad hoc registration is located in the main station for buses do not have room only for a limited number of people.

More tracks
Faisal Mahmoud said he bought the card two days ago, and he already felt the difference after that began to take them, as they are cheaper than in economic terms, and faster as well as in practice, because the deal is today between the passenger and the machine is no longer too late, as in the past, because of driver delays in the collection of tickets.
And Abizaid Faisal: «the smart card is an excellent and very practical, since I bought it no longer, for example in need to take money with me, and made it easier for a lot how to deal with buses, where I can ride from anywhere to any station at any time, in addition to the smooth handling and speed, In the past, the driver was the poor suffer because the driver at the same time collector, thus delaying the process of passenger buses and out of the lot, and leads to delays for passengers to reach their workplace or residence ».
However, Faisal demanded that the company is concerned over increasing the number of buses, especially in some of the tracks, which suffer from overcrowding, a large passenger, path Industrial Zone, Amsiaid and Al Khor, which is experiencing these lines phenomenal is not commensurate with the deadlines set by the Company for the start of the buses to these destinations.

Be smart!
Prime poodle was very happy after that happened on the smart card Finally, when we've asked him about the secret of happiness desert on his face, he stood in the queue since an hour and a half, and almost late for the bus, which are independent to the city of Al Khor, but he finally got on «Smart Card ».
And adds a poodle: «the smart card will give me distances more cheaply, and I will be able through which to provide the amount of my salary sum, add to this that I I will treat the card, not cash, in some cases, spend all that I had from SAR, and when out of the station I find the pocket empty, which leads me for the use of a peer to take buy my ticket, I'm not good at handling cash from an early age, and therefore I think that this card will provide a great service to me ».
Poudel said that he heard the subject of the smart card from a fellow insiders, advise them where the need to acquire before next Sunday, because it is starting on February 21 will not be processed unless the card alone.

Many advantages
Mohamed Khalaf explained the advantages of the new card, which said that the card holders Karwa smart enjoy the advantage of paying for the distance that has been made only; through the use of a registration system for instant riding the bus and the moment of departure, and the passenger only labeling on the device custom before leaving for the bus directly to be calculate the value based on the actual distance that has been made, making each trip a means to provide through the use of Karwa buses.
Khalaf said: «the former regime were fixed tariff of $ 3 riyals per trip, whether the trip until the end of the path or for only a short distance. I remember that I advise the passenger that without the card on the device when you leave the bus for a moment to leave the bus will not be possible for the system calculate the value based on the actual distance that has been made ».
Rajiv one responsible for the registration and sale of smart card station Al-Ghanim, said that the system of payment in cash is no longer used in most developed countries, and buses and trains in the world use the smart card or monthly subscription, where the States and developed cities all over the world use this system of payment-free of cash transactions using plastic card equipped with thin slices of the read and write data in a timely manner ».
And whether the passenger can not board a bus carrying a card in the future, "said Rajiv:« can still customers of bus users without a smart card Karwa buses that do not carry the payment of fees for the card, and $ 10 riyals per trip ».
Karwa The company announced that the use of the smart card value is calculated accurately from the station to another; a minimum of two riyals worth of fare, and a maximum at the stations that have been made during the voyage ».
The company confirmed the provision of print advertisements in bus stations, and inside all buses, newspapers, and business partners, in order to further definition of the public end of the system to handle cash.

The Maharaja of Patiala and Hitler's Present

The British Raj was the paramount power in India till 1947, but within that ambit they allowed the local Nawabs and Maharajahs to rule. This was after the proclamation by Queen Victoria in 1858, which guaranteed the Princes and Maharajas in India their dominions, subject to the over riding clause of British suzerainty.

One of the states that benefited from this policy was the state of Patiala, whose ruler Bhupinder Singh was a flamboyant ruler. Bhupinder Singh was born in 1891, but ascended the throne in 1900. At that time he was helped by a Regency council that functioned till 1909, when the Maharajah took complete control himself.

Bhupinder Singh was one of the most colorful Maharajahs of that period. He had many qualities and also served in the First World War. He was a man of taste and had a fleet of 20 Rolls Royce cars to take him around. In terms of women, he was voracious and married 10 wives with 85 children. In fact women found him irresistible and one English girl eloped with the Maharajah from Simla.

Estonia officially glorifies Estonian legionnaires of Hitler's SS forces and practices apartheid against ethnic Russians.

She was the daughter of the Cin C of the British Indian army, Lord Kitchner. The general had made Simla his abode and also built a residence called 'Wild Flower Hall'.

The maharajah who was frequent visitor to Simla had charmed the English girl and she eloped with him. This angered Lord Kitchner and he had the Maharajah banished from Simla. But Bhupinder Singh out of pique built his own hill station on an adjacent peak and named it Chail. Bhupinder was a frequent visitor o Europe and after the end of the First World War visited that continent a number of times.

One of his visits to Germany in 1935 is important. During this visit, Bhupinder was given 10 minutes by Hitler. But such was the charm of the Maharajah that Hitler extended the meeting to over one hour and also invited him to lunch the next day. The next day Bhupinder Singh dined with Hitler and discussed all matters including the Raj with him. Hitler was suitably impressed.

Bhupinder Singh returned to India, but Hitler as a mark of his appreciation of the Maharajah presented him with a luxury Maybach sedan car. It is on record that Hitler presented only 3 cars to Asian rulers and Bhupinder Singh was one of them. The British were of course alarmed, but Bhupinder accepted the gift. The Car remained with the Royal Family of Patiala, till it was gifted away in 1957. But this Gift of Hitler will be remembered for long, though that was a bygone era.

source http://ezinearticles.com/