Pakistan suicide bomb attack

35 killed in northwest Pakistan suicide bomb attack

The death toll in a devastating suicide car bomb attack in northwest Pakistan on Friday rose to 36 as more bodies were pulled out of the rubble of buildings that collapsed when the attacker detonated his explosives-laden vehicle in a congested area of Hangu city.

Two more bodies were retrieved from the debris today, officials in Hangu said. At least 10 policemen were among the dead.

Over 50 people were injured in the deadly attack carried out by the Pakistani Taliban to avenge the killing of Osama bin Laden in a US raid on May 2.

The bomber detonated his explosives near several government offices and a court complex in the heart of Hangu city of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.

Deputy Inspector General of Police Masood Afridi said an estimated 450 kg of explosives was used in the attack.

The condition of several of the injured is critical and officials said they feared the death toll may rise further.

The powerful blast severely damaged several government buildings, including the offices of the district police chief and the district administration chief.

Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan spokesman Ahsanullah Ahsan accepted responsibility for this attack in phone calls to reporters.

He warned the Taliban would soon carry out "bigger attacks" as revenge for bin Laden's killing.

Cities across Pakistan have witnessed a string of deadly attacks in the wake of the al-Qaida chief's death.

Spy agency 'planned' Mumbai attack

PAKISTAN government's spy agency was involved in planning the 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai, a US court has heard.

David Coleman Headley, a US-Pakistani who has already pleaded guilty to helping plan the massacre, told a Chicago court Pakistan's notorious Inter-Services Intelligence agency (ISI) supported the Kashmir-based terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba and ''co-ordinated'' with the banned militants in the lead-up to the attacks in India's largest city.

Headley's evidence compounds the embarrassment for Pakistan's military over a massive security failure on Sunday night when more than a dozen Taliban militants stormed a naval base in Karachi, killing 10 security personnel.

In November 2008, militants stormed Mumbai by boat, launching at least 10 co-ordinated attacks. They laid siege to the city for more than 60 hours, killing 166 people.

Headley was giving evidence in the trial of his childhood friend Tahawwur Rana, who is accused of helping him conduct surveillance ahead of the attacks, as well as aiding a plot to bomb a Danish newspaper for publishing cartoons of the prophet Muhammad.

Rana has pleaded not guilty. Headley agreed to testify in exchange for prosecutors not seeking the death penalty.

Headley joined Lashkar-e-Taiba in 2001 and was taught hand-to-hand combat at training camps. He told the court Lashkar-e-Taiba and ISI regularly ''co-ordinated''. He said a ''navy frogman'' from Pakistan attended a planning meeting for the Mumbai attacks and he identified a co-defendant previously only known as ''Major Iqbal'' as a member of ISI.

''They co-ordinated with each other. The ISI provided assistance to Lashkar … financial and military,'' Headley said.

The possibility of ISI's involvement in the Mumbai attacks was raised in diplomatic cables sent from the US embassy shortly after the attacks, WikiLeaks has revealed. But Pakistan has rejected the allegations. ''ISI and serving officers did not provide support to David Headley, and ISI had nothing to do with the Mumbai attacks. David was a double agent, he is not a credible witness,'' a Pakistani embassy spokesman said in Washington.

In Karachi, the armed insurgents breached the supposedly secure military compound using only two ladders and held off troops in a gunfight for more than 17 hours, blowing up two P-3C Orion surveillance planes.

Pakistan's Interior Minister Rehman Malik said the militants apparently knew about a gap in the coverage of two security cameras, and chose that location to get inside.

Four militants died in the subsequent siege - three were shot and one blew himself up - and another two were believed to have escaped, he said.

Displaying pictures of the dead attackers, Mr Malik called on Pakistanis to unite against the Taliban and al-Qaeda.

''I regret that some of us believe they are our friends and are praying for them. I appeal to the nation to consider who is the real enemy,'' he said.

Speculation continues over the fate of the Taliban's spiritual leader, Mullah Mohammed Omar, who was reported killed in the country.

While Taliban spokesmen have dismissed the reports by an Afghan TV station yesterday as ''pure propaganda'', Mullah Omar, the de facto head of state of the Taliban's ''Islamic emirate'' in Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001, is, at least, missing.

Pakistan naval base siege ends

16 die as Pakistan naval base siege ends

Pakistani security forces Monday ended a 15-hour siege here of a key naval base that terrorists stormed overnight, sparking fierce battles that left 16 people dead, officials said.

The dead included 12 security personnel and four of the attackers who exploded themselves at PNS Mehran naval base in one of the worst and most aduacious of terror attacks in Pakistan in recent times.

Four terrorists were arrested, media reports said. The attack targeted P-3C Orion aircraft, two of which were destroyed.

The terrorists reportedly took hostage a number of people, including Chinese military personnel. Their fate was not immediately known.

A large number of terrorists, their number estimated between 10 and 25, stormed the base Sunday night, Xinhua reported citing local media reports. They were armed with automatic weapons, rocket launchers and grenades.

The mayhem began in no time as the armed men scattered in the complex with one aim: kill and destroy.

Over 20 bomb explosions quickly shook the otherwise heavily-guarded naval facility Sunday night.

Four equally powerful blasts were also heard at the nearby air force base. Television footage showed thick smoke billowing from the area.

Fierce gunfights raged through the night as reinforcements of security forces rushed to the base.

The Pakistani Taliban, which is opposed to Islamabad's pro-US policies, reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack, Xinhua said.

At one point, the terrorist retreated into a building within the base holding hostages as human shield to fight back the navy commandos, Rangers and security personnel.

Pakistani commandos supported by helicopters battled the terrorists.

Four militants who had camouflaged themselves in dark outfits were arrested, Geo News reported.

After 15 hours of intermittent fighting, the security forces managed to regain control of the complex, BBC reported.

A police official said 12 security personnel were killed.

The terror attack comes within three weeks of Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden's killing May 2 in Abbottabad by US commandos. The Taliban had vowed retaliation.

Earlier reports said four foreigners were killed. They were believed to be US engineers working at the air force base.

But a spokesperson from the US consulate denied the report.

It was the third militant attack on the navy in Karachi in a month.

At least five people were killed and 18 injured in a bombing of a Pakistan Navy bus here April 28, two days after twin blasts blew up two naval buses killing four people.

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani condemned the attack.

On May 13, Pakistani Taliban suicide bombers blew themselves up near a paramilitary training centre in Charsadda in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, killing over 80 newly-trained personnel.

Last week, a Saudi consulate official was gunned down in Karachi.

Deadly tornado ravages Missouri

A massive tornado has cut a deadly swath through a Missouri city, turning homes into rubble, destroying the local high school, ripping huge chunks out of a hospital and reportedly killing at least 24 people.

The tornado, which struck the city of Joplin near the border with Oklahoma and Kansas, was the deadliest of 46 tornadoes reported to the National Weather Service in seven American states on Sunday.

Asked about a report that 24 people had died, Joplin city spokeswoman Lynn Onstot said grimly that officials were "afraid it may be more", the Associated Press reported.

"Our fear is that's a low number," she said.

"It's a warzone," Scott Meeker from the Joplin Globe newspaper told Agence France-Presse.

"We've got hundreds of wounded being treated at Memorial Hall (hospital) but they were quickly overwhelmed and ran out of supplies so they've opened up a local school as a triage centre."

People clawed through the rubble looking for friends, family and neighbours after the late afternoon storm tore buildings apart and turned cars into crumpled heaps of metal.

Flames and thick black smoke poured out of the wreckage of completely unrecognisable homes and water gushed out of broke pipes as shocked survivors surveyed the damage, early photos showed.

A tangled medical helicopter lay in the rubble outside St John Regional Medical Center, which took a direct hit.

The hospital staff had just a few moments' notice to hustle patients into hallways before the storm struck the multi-storey building, blowing out hundreds of windows and leaving the facility useless.

Triage centres and shelters were set up around the city of about 50,000 people, which is about 260 kilometres south of Kansas City.

Emergency management officials rushed heavy equipment to Joplin to help lift debris and clear the way for search and recovery operations.

Missouri Governor Jay Nixon declared a state of emergency and activated National Guard troops, and US President Barack Obama sent condolences to families of those who died in storms in Joplin and across the Midwest.

The same storm system that produced the Joplin tornado sparked tornadoes from Oklahoma to Wisconsin.

At least one person was killed in Minneapolis. But the devastation in Missouri appeared to be the worst of the day, eerily reminiscent of the tornadoes that killed more than 300 people across the US south last month.

"You see pictures of World War II, the devastation and all that with the bombing. That's really what it looked like," said Kerry Sachetta, the principal of a flattened Joplin High School.

"I couldn't even make out the side of the building. It was total devastation in my view. I just couldn't believe what I saw."

Onstot said the twister was on the ground for nearly six kilometres.

It hit the hospital and a commercial area including a construction store, numerous smaller businesses and restaurants and a grocery store.

An untold number of homes were destroyed and reduced to ruin.

The emergency manager at the neighbouring county of Springfield-Greene County was told at least 24 people were killed before he rushed over to help, a spokeswoman told Agence France-Presse.

With many phones down in the area, it was difficult to get further confirmation.

"It's so devastating we can't even grasp it at this point," Rob Chappel of the Jasper County coroner's office told AFP.

"We're still trying to rescue victims that are still trapped. With it being so dark and no electricity, everyone has underestimated how much is just gone."

Chappel said authorities probably wouldn't know the exact death toll before late Monday at the earliest.

Governor Nixon warned that the storms were not finished.

"These storms have caused extensive damage across Missouri, and they continue to pose significant risk to lives and property" Nixon said in a statement late Sunday.

"As a state, we are deploying every agency and resource available to keep Missouri families safe, search for the missing, provide emergency medical care, and begin to recover," he added.

President Barack Obama sent his "deepest condolences" to victims and said the national government stood ready to help Americans as needed.

50 most-wanted fugitives hiding in Pakistan

India lists 50 most-wanted fugitives hiding in Pakistan

Turning more heat on Pakistan, India today released a list of 50 "most-wanted fugitives" hiding in that country. The list includes underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, 26/11 mastermind and LeT founder Hafiz Saeed and dreaded terrorist Zaki ur Rehman Lakhvi and has been given to the Pakistan government, which has continuously denied that terrorists and criminals that India wants are hiding there.

Hafiz Saeed, who is involved in Mumbai terror attack and various other attacks in India, tops the list which also includes Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Maulana Masood Azhar, the main accused in the 2001 Parliament attack case. He was released in exchange of hostages in the Khandhar hijack episode in 1999.

The government's action comes in the midst of acute discomfort for Pakistan which has been tying itself in knots over the charge of sheltering al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, who was killed in a unilateral US Special Forces action in Abbottabad on May 2.

The list includes names of al Qaeda operative Illyas Kashmiri, who is accused of transnational crime and conspiracy to commit various terrorist acts in India, close associates of Dawood Ibrahim, Memon Ibrahim alias Tiger Memon, Shaikh Shakeel alias Chhota Shakeel, Memon Ayub Abdul Razak, Anis Ibrahim Kaskar Shaikh, Anwar Ahmed Haji Jamal and Mohammed Ahmed Dosa, all involved in the 1993 serial bombings in Mumbai.

Hizbul Mujahideen chief Sayeed Salauddin, Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front founder Amanullah Khan, Punjab terrorists Lakhbir Singh, Paramjit Singh Panjwar, Ranjit Singh alias Neeta and Wadhawa Singh were also named as most-wanted fugitives.

Names of Mumbai terror attack case accused Sajid Majid, Major Iqbal, Major Sameer Ali, Sayed Abdul Rehman alias Pasha and Abu Hamza were also included in the list of fugitives.

Here's the full list:

Mohd Hafiz Saeed;
Sajid Majid;
Syed Abdur Rehman;
Major Iqbal;
Ilyas Kashmiri;
Rashid Abdullah;
Major Sameer Ali;
Dawood Ibrahim
Memon Ibrahim;
Shaikh Shakeel;
Memon Ayub;
Anis Ibrahim Kaskar Shaikh;
Anwar Ahmed;
Munaf Abdul;
Mohd Tainur;
Mohd Ahmed Dosa;
Javed Patel;
Slaim Abdul;
Riyaz Abu Bakar Khatri;
Khan Bashir;
Yakub Khan;
Mohd Shafi;
Irfan Ahmed Feroz Abdul,
Ishaq Atta,
Sagir Sabir Ali,
Aftab Batki,
Maulana Mohd,
Mohd Yusuf Shah,
Cheema QAzam,
Syed Zabuiddin,
Ibrahim Athar,
Azhar Yusuf,
Mistri Zahur,
Sayeed Shahid,
Shakir Mohd,
Abdul Rauf,
Aminullah Khan,
Suffiah Mufti,
Nachan Akmal,
Khan Wazhul,
Yakub Khan Channeparambil Mohd,
Lakhbir Singh,
Paramjit Singh,
Ranjit Singh,
Wadhawa Singh,
Aabdu Hamza,
Zaki ur Rehman Lakhvi,
Amir Reza Khan

Osama in Abbottabad for 5 years

Osama in Abbottabad for 5 years, says wife: Pak report

While the US-led forces were hunting for Osama bin Laden in Pakistan's unruly tribal areas for years, the Al Qaeda chief had been living a secluded life in a million-dollar mansion in the Pakistani garrison city of Abbottabad for five years, according to one of his wives.

The Yemeni woman said bin Laden had been living in the compound in Abbottabad for the past five years, Geo News Channel quoted unnamed senior Pakistani military officials as saying.

Bin Laden usually confined himself to two or three rooms and never went outside, she told the officials.

The report said that women and children found in the compound included three wives of bin Laden. One of the women was injured in the firing.

The military officials also said that bin Laden's daughter, found in the compound, had told them that she had seen her father being killed on the upper floor of a building and then dragged down a flight of stairs.

A woman killed during the raid, previously described in some accounts as bin Laden's wife, was actually the wife of a Pakistani guard of the Al Qaeda leader, the officials were quoted as saying.

The officials said the Pakistani military and intelligence agencies were not informed about the US raid.

They contended that Pakistan had given the US a lot of information on bin Laden's whereabouts in the past two years, including intelligence gleaned from intercepts of some phone conversations in May and August last year.

US charges Pakistanis over Mumbai attack

Four newly-indicted figures are linked to the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba that is blamed for the deadly raid.

Four Pakistanis have been charged as co-conspirators in the 2008 attack on Mumbai that killed 166 people, including six Americans, US prosecutors said in Chicago.

The four who were charged on Monday, had been previously mentioned, but not named, in indictments charging American David Headley and Tahawwur Rana, Pakistani-born Chicago businessman, with helping to identify targets in India's commercial capital.

Headley and Rana have also been charged in a plot to attack a Danish newspaper that was never carried out.

Headley pleaded guilty in March 2010 and is cooperating with US investigators about making several trips to India, and later to Denmark, to scout targets for the coordinated and deadly attack.

Rana has been held since his arrest in 2009 as a conspirator with Headley, and his US trial is scheduled to begin on May 16. His attorney was not immediately available for comment.

New indictments

All of the four newly-indicted figures are linked to the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, the armed group that is blamed for the attack on Mumbai.

Those newly indicted were Sajid Mir, Abu Qahafa, Mazhar Iqbal, and a fourth defendant known only by the alias "Major Iqbal."

All four are believed to be in Pakistan.

They were charged with six counts of aiding and abetting the murder of US citizens.

Other charges related to the Mumbai attack included providing support to Lashkar-e-Taiba, identified as a terrorist organisation by the United States.

Mir was also charged in the plot against Denmark's Jyllands-Posten newspaper after it published cartoons of Prophet Muhammad that enraged many Muslims and prompted protests.

Patrick Fitzgerald, US attorney in Chicago, had requested the superseding indictment handed up by a grand jury on April 21 charging the four to be sealed to give the government time to alert US agencies and consult foreign authorities.

The Mumbai attack strained already tense India-Pakistan relations.

India has said it is not satisfied with the pace of Pakistan's investigation, and has demanded more people be put on trial for the attack, including Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, the founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Bomb blast kills seven in NW Pakistan

Suicide bomber kills seven in NW Pakistan: police

A suicide bomber on a motorbike blew himself up near a police checkpoint in northwestern Pakistan on Wednesday killing seven people and wounding 16 others, police said.

"The bomber came on a motorbike and detonated himself close to Ambar check post near Swabi town," local police chief Abdullah Jan said.

He said the checkpoint was close to a camp set up by a religious political party for a public meeting in Swabi, which is about 100 kilometres (60 miles) east of Peshawar.

"The death toll has gone up to seven including a police official," he said.

"We have recovered the body parts of the suicide bomber."

Another police officer Ejaz Ali confirmed the toll and put the number of wounded at 16.

The meeting was planned by the hardline Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) party led by Maulana Fazlur Rehman. The event was cancelled after the bombing.

Rehman was on his way to the venue when the blast happened, party spokesman Jalil Jan told AFP.

"He is safe and the meeting has been cancelled," Jan told AFP. "We can't immediately identify the attackers. We don't know who is involved. But we can say the target appears to be the JUI leadership.

"Six party supporters were martyred and seven wounded," he said.

Police official Hayatullah Khan told AFP that Rehman's convoy was set to enter the town when the blast hit.

"We were lined up and party members came out from a nearby reception camp.

Suddenly there was a huge blast amid welcome slogans by party workers. Shrapnel hit me and I received injuries to my head and leg," he said.

The northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhawa province bordering Afghanistan has frequently been the target of militant violence.

More than 4,000 people have died in suicide and bomb attacks throughout Pakistan since government forces launched an offensive against militants in a mosque in Islamabad in 2007.

Taliban and Al-Qaeda-linked militants launch almost daily attacks across northwest Pakistan and the tribal belt that Washington has branded the most dangerous place on Earth.

Ind Vs Pak World Cup quarter-final Cricket Live Score

India vs Pakistan (Ind Vs Pak) ICC World Cup semi-final Live Cricket Score.

Pakistan try hard to keep Sachin at the crease by dropping him on four occasions but skipper Shahid Afridi finally does the 'impossible' by grabbing a drive to remove the batsman on 85.

Sachin smashed 11 boundaries in his innings and was dropped on 27,45, 70 and 81 before Saeed Ajmal forced him to drive only to find a waiting Afridi at short extra cover. MS Dhoni is batting though and has been joined at the crease by Suresh Raina.

Bollywood Shouts 'Cut' for India vs Pakistan

Bollywood Shouts 'Cut' for India vs Pak World Cup semi-final

Cricket comes first for B-Town biggies. And when it's India and Pakistan in the World Cup semi-finals in Mohali, one can safely imagine B-Town shutting shop for the duration of the match.

So, come Wednesday, some will get their shoots preponed while most will watch the match at home or between extended breaks at work. A few will even watch the match live.

Akshay Kumar: Sajid Khan, Sajid Nadiadwala and a few Sajid Khan, Sajid Nadiadwala and a few of my close friends are coming over to watch the semis between India and Pakistan on the plasma TV in my house. I love cricket. I am not cheering any particular player but I'm rooting for India. Team India has to win!

Aamir Khan: : (Prepones shoot. Now, from 10 am to 2 pm) The actor plans to watch the match with his family at home. He made director Reema Kagti, whose film he is currently starring in, change the timing of the Wednesday schedule, making it from 10 am to 2 pm, so that the cast and crew could catch the action.

Sunil Shetty: : (Will be in Mohali) "I am a huge cricket lover. Gautam Singhania and I will head to Mohali for the semis between India and Pakistan. I am rooting for Team India and not for any player in particular."

Sanjay Dutt: : (Can't miss it even though he's in HK) "Though I love cricket and have watched most of the World Cup matches, sadly for the semis between India and Pakistan I am not there. What a match it will be! I am in Hong Kong shooting for Dhamaal 2. I will watch it somewhere or maybe on the Net.

Ajay Devgn: : (Will watch during the shoot) "I will be shooting for Rohit Shetty's Singham in Goa and will watch the match between breaks. Rohit has promised to wind up the shoot early that day so we can all get to watch at least half the match."

Anil Kapoor:: (Wants Sachin to crack a ton) "Yes, I do plan to watch the cricket semis between India and Pakistan as I love cricket. As of now, I'm a bit uncertain of my plans as I have some guests from Los Angeles flying down for a meeting and at night I'm having a small dinner party.

Bipasha Basu:: (Catching it at home) "I have still not decided where I will watch the match. Maybe, socially or at home with close friends. But am flying back from Kolkata on that day! Cheering for the entire team and hope they make us proud!"

Sonam Kapoor:: (Loves to watch Sachin) "I don't know yet whether I will be watching the semis or not. I enjoy the game of cricket, especially when India's playing. I love watching Sachin Tendulkar play!"

Imran Khan:: (Wants a TV on the sets) "I'm going to be shooting in Madh Island the entire day. I'm just hoping our director understands our excitement and puts a TV on the sets.

Deepika Padukone: (Watching it in London) "I will be in London shooting for Desi Boyz. As it is behind India in time, I will get ready early and catch the match before my afternoon shoot. I wish I was in Mohali, catching the action live."

Kareena Kapoor: (Hoping for things to wrap up fast) "I will be busy shooting for Reema Kagti's film with Aamir on that day unless things wrap up fast. Knowing Aamir's around, it probably will!"

Afghan Truck Explosion Kills 20

A team of suicide bombers shot their way into the compound of a road construction company in eastern Afghanistan and detonated a truck loaded with explosives, killing 20 people and wounding about 50, the Afghan government said Monday.

The attack occurred late Sunday in the Barmal district of Paktika province, the Interior Ministry said in a statement.

It said three attackers went up to the gate of the Zahir construction company, shot the guard, and then drove a large truck that was full of explosives into the compound where they detonated it.

The area is located on the border with Pakistan's lawless tribal regions, which serve as safe havens for insurgents that infiltrate into Afghanistan across the rugged and mountainous frontier.

The region has seen an escalation in violence over the past few months.

Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was the work of a suicide bomber. He said in an emailed statement that it was targeting a joint Afghan-NATO operating base.

Mokhlis Afghan, spokesman for provincial Governor Mohibullah Samim, said all the dead and wounded were laborers and there were no Afghan or foreign forces at the site. He added that the explosion was so powerful that little remained of the truck.

The U.S.-led coalition had no immediate comment.

Afghan, the spokesman, said that "all the casualties are innocent civilian people. They are all poor people who were working as laborers in a construction company. No Afghan security or international forces were involved. The Afghan army and NATO helped carry the injured to hospitals."

India, Pakistan home secretary talks begin

The home secretaries of India and Pakistan began talks here Monday to discuss issues like counter-terrorism measures, visa rules, drug trafficking and counterfeit currency notes.

The talks are being led by Indian Home Secretary G.K. Pillai and his Pakistani counterpart Chaudhry Qamar Zaman. The Indian side is also represented by internal security Special Secretary U.K. Bansal and National Investigation Agency chief S.C. Sinha.

The talks, going on at a luxury hotel here, are likely to continue till 5 p.m., sources said.

Pakistan’s Ambassador Shahid Malik was also seen at the first home secretary level talks between the two sides since the 2008 Mumbai attack.

Sources said the two sides are also expected to discuss issues related jailed fishermen in India and Pakistan.

Pak Vs WI World Cup quarter-final Cricket Live Score

Pakistan vs West Indies (PAK vs WI) ICC World Cup quarter-final Live Cricket Score.

World Cup News Updates! West Indies win toss, elect to bat vs Pakistan. West Indies captain Darren Sammy won the toss and elected to bat against Pakistan in their World Cup quarter-final on Wednesday.

Pakistan made one change to the team who beat Australia last weekend, bringing in off-spinner Saeed Ajmal for left-armer Abdur Rehman. Fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar, who will be retiring after the World Cup, was again left out.

West Indies made three changes to the side who were beaten by India on Sunday. Opener Chris Gayle, fast bowler Kemar Roach and batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul were recalled. Kirk Edwards, Sulieman Benn and Andre Russell were left out.

The winners will face either India or Australia in the semi-finals.

Teams:

Pakistan: Mohammad Hafeez, Kamran Akmal, Asad Shafiq, Younus Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Umar Akmal, Abdul Razzaq, Shahid Afridi (captain), Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz, Saeed Ajmal

West Indies: Devon Smith, Chris Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Darren Bravo, Kieron Pollard, Devon Thomas, Darren Sammy (captain), Devendra Bishoo, Ravi Rampaul, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Kemar Roach.

Pakistan vs West Indies

Pakistan vs West Indies: A different shade of green

Cricket News Updates! As the disparate green speck-shirts on the field at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium converged towards the exit and filed out at the dot of 5.30 pm on Tuesday, the solitary figure of Saeed Ajmal remained lurking around one of the nets propped up for Pakistan.

In another recent era, he’d have been left to wrap up himself and linger on, but coach Waqar Younis’ booming, snapping orders to end the session got the youngster to instantly hustle and march straight out in a show of discipline, unlike what you’d associate with Pakistan. But then, this World Cup has seen Pakistan in a new disciplined avatar — an ominous sign for the rest of the cricketing world, stumped by this significant step forward from a team that was forever termed unpredictable (read undisciplined, faction-ridden, under-achieving and prone to self-destruct).

So when Shahid Afridi came and said that in his 14 years of international career he has never seen a Pakistan team train so seriously and focus on their game, he was clearly giving an idea of how things had dawdled and drifted along in the past. It’s not just Afridi who has been saying this; the support staff too admits how the team has turned a corner and changed into an austere outfit that doesn’t flirt with controversy at the drop of hat, or many catches.

Since the entry of Waqar as coach, the team hasn’t been what it used to be. Players are no longer treated according to a hierarchy based on international experience and star images, while everyone has one thing in common — an intent to do well.

“What’s been remarkable is that they have maintained discipline. One is seeing the results now. They are stubborn to do well at any cost. That is why we have been able to pull off wins from any situation,” says former Pakistan coach and current manager Intikhab Alam, someone who has seen Pakistan cricket from close quarters over some tumultuous years.

Breaking the mould

Pakistan certainly have managed some consistency and lined up a winning streak, which they never managed in the last four years. They would beat lower-ranked teams like New Zealand, Bangladesh, West Indies and Zimbabwe but struggle against the big sides. Not here, though.

At this World Cup, Pakistan not only handed a bruising defeat to Sri Lanka in their own den but also brought the Australians’ unbeaten-march to a halt — they were the last country to have managed that, in 1999, incidentally a year when they made the World Cup final.

Their quarters opponents, the West Indies, will not only try to stop the Pakistan juggernaut but will also challenge the in-form team in a knock-out situation — which often tests the mettle of disciplined, consistent units. Afridi agrees there won’t be a second chance from here on, and the team can’t afford to take anybody lightly. Even the West Indies captain Darren Sammy insisted on keeping past performances out of consideration.

“Any team is capable of winning on their day, there is no second chance from here,” Afridi said, adding the team will go ahead without any change — which means Shoaib Akhtar will have to wait for a farewell match, and might not get to play against the Caribbean outfit.

Having played all their matches away has been a blessing in disguise for Pakistan. They haven’t had to deal with crowd pressure, tucked away in idyllic Lanka. Had they been the co-hosting nation, one suspects, the collective temperament of this team would have looked very different.

“I think our playing away has worked for us. The boys are not under immense pressure which they would have been, playing at home. There was no distraction, which helped the boys focus more,” Alam says. Pakistan has lived with the fact that they will need to bond as a team here. Nevertheless, Afridi says, the team need to focus to do well, and they can be assured of some very partisan backing from a Bangladeshi crowd.

Gayle, Roach to return

Meanwhile, the good news for the West Indies will be the return of Chris Gayle and Kemar Roach. West Indies would like to get rid of the label of having lost their last 18 matches against Test-playing nations, though pound for pound, they might pale in front of the sheer talent and Pakistan’s formidable presence. Still, the West Indians have shown glimpses of hitting the extremes and can hardly be expected to roll over.

The tickets are sold out as Pakistan and West Indies chase their dreams of a World Cup charge which will start from the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium. Up next, Mohali will be waiting with bated breath. After Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, Pakistan would be keen to dish out their disciplined drills on Indian soil as well. Ultimate glory beckons a side that’s recently befriended the idea of working by the clock.

Suicide bombing kills 34 in Peshawar funeral

At least 34 mourners were killed and 42 injured Wednesday in a suicide attack at a funeral near Pakistan's Peshawar city, media reports said.

The blast occurred in Adezai area of Peshawar city, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan, Geo News reported.

About 150 people were attending the funeral of the wife of a pro-government tribal leader when the explosion took place in Adezai area, around 20 km southeast of Peshawar, DPA said.

Adezai is a village where a militia group called Aman Lashkar is supporting the government in the fight against the Taliban, the report said.

'It was a suicide attack,' said Siraj Ahmad, a senior government official in Peshawar. 'Thirty-four people are dead and 42 injured.'

A witness told Geo television that the lone suicide bomber was about 35 to 40 years of age and he shouted 'God is great' before detonating the explosives.

Another witness said the blast threw him to the ground. 'When I got up I saw there were bodies lying everywhere.'

The suicide attack came a day after a car bomb near the office of the military's Inter-Services Intelligence agency killed 26 people and injured 131 in Faisalabad, a key industrial city in Punjab province.

The Taliban took responsibility for the Tuesday's bombing.

Nasim Sadiq, the top government official in Faisalabad, said Wednesday that around 200 kg of explosives were detonated by remote control.

'They had parked the vehicle near the compressor of a CNG (compressed natural gas) station and wanted to blow up the compressor,' Sadiq was quoted as saying.

Car Bomb Blast in Faisalabad, Pakistan

'At least 20 dead' in car bomb in Faisalabad, Pakistan

At least 20 people have been killed and more than 120 injured after a car bomb tore through a gas station in the Pakistani city of Faisalabad.

The bomb caused several gas cylinders at the station to explode, destroying cars and buildings.

Police said that the number of dead could rise as many of the injured were in a critical condition.

Militants regularly bomb targets across Pakistan, but this is the first bombing in Faisalabad in recent years.

The Pakistani Taliban said they carried out the attack, saying it was to avenge the death in custody of one of their members.

Compressed natural gas is a popular fuel in Pakistan and there were thought to be many vehicles at the gas station when the car bomb exploded.

"It was not a suicide attack," Faisalabad city commissioner Tahir Husain said. "The bomb exploded near the gas cylinders that triggered a bigger blast."
'Like an earthquake'

It is not clear whether the station was the intended target.

Correspondents say there are a number of sensitive locations in the area such as government offices, a police station and the offices of Pakistan's ISI spy agency.

The blast was so large that, according to witnesses, it reduced the station to a heap of twisted metal and rubble.

A security guard at the nearby office of Pakistan International Airlines said: "The earth moved as in an earthquake, and there was thick smoke all around."

Another eyewitness, Hussain, described the panic to AFP news agency: "Everybody was running here and there to save his life. I saw injured people and dead bodies scattered here and there."

Heavy diggers and cranes have been brought in because there are believed to be survivors still trapped in the debris.

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has expressed his sorrow over the deaths.

Faisalabad is a key hub for Pakistan's textile industry and has seen sectarian and religious shootings in the past.

But it has not been targeted by militants who have carried out bomb attacks across Pakistan in recent years.

The city is in Pakistan's Punjab province where pro-Taliban militant groups have been increasing in strength.

There has been no claim of responsibility so far, but officials have indicated they believe the Taliban are responsible.

The Pakistani Taliban have launched attacks on security establishments with devastating effect on a number of occasions in the past few years.

Pakistan's military regularly launch offensives against militant strongholds in the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan in the north-west of the country.

Cricket Live Score: PAK vs CAN 2011 ODI Live Streaming

Pakistan vs Canada (PAK vs CAN) ICC World Cup Live Cricket Score.

Pak vs Can: Pakistan lose 4 against Canada for 103, live cricket score. The beginning has been far from rosy for the Pakistan cricket team that has a habit of disappointing its fans all too often.

With a couple of awe-inspiring victories Pakistan has justified their tag as the ‘black horse’ of the World Cup. Captain Shahid Afridi led the team with a magnificent bowling attack to be the top wicket-taker so far. And today they take on Canada to end 12 years old wait for second round entry in the World Cup.

Their outstanding performance against Kenya and Sri Lanka has made them title favorites among cricket fans. Pakistan has displayed a thriller cricket despite the team was totally devastated thanks to spot fixing. Afridi could keep the hopes of the country which was suspended from the World Cup host list.

Canada on the other hand is struggling to keep alive in the mega event once they started their campaign with a couple of loss. Canada lost to Sri Lanka for 210 while Zimbabwe beat them for 175. The minnows will try to satisfy ICC which plans to shrink the WC to match winning teams.

However, Pakistan never wants to write-off any minnows like Canada. "Because of the importance of the tournament we are not going to take any team easy," Pakistan coach Waqar Younis said ahead of the game.

The former Pakistan cricketer expressed happy on teams’ performance against Sri Lanka but wants to keep the momentum ahead. He realizes that the gone is only the initial round and big ones are waiting for in the next round.

Pakistan has silenced the critics with unparallel team spirit and game strategy. Fellow teams have changed their perception over Pakistan which was struggling to find tune after a handful of internal and external traits.

Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara came to praise Pakistan as the 'dangerous side' after his side's 11-run defeat on Saturday. Pakistan enjoys the strong bowling combination lead by Afridi and Aktar.

Pakistan minister Shahbaz Bhatti shot dead by Gunmen

Gunmen Kill Pakistan's Religious Minorities Minister Shahbaz Bhatti.

Suspected Islamic militants shot dead Pakistan's federal minister for minority affairs who had campaigned for reforming the country's controversial blasphemy law.

Shahbaz Bhatti, one of the few Christians in a senior government position, was traveling in Islamabad, the capital, to attend a cabinet meeting when three gunmen open fire on his car. Eyewitness and police said the gunmen dragged Mr. Bhatti out of his car and shot him several times before escaping in a white Suzuki vehicle. Mr. Bhatti was shot eight times and died on the spot. His driver was also seriously injured.

No group immediately claimed responsibility. But the attackers left leaflets saying they had acted in the name of the Punjabi Taliban and al Qaeda.

"This is the horrible fate of this cursed person," read the leaflet. It also blamed the government of putting an "infidel Christian" in an important position. The killing of Mr. Bhatti, a Catholic in his 40s, further deepens the political instability in a country where secular-minded politicians are increasingly at odds with a rising strain of Islamism in the middle classes.

It also complicates the role of the U.S. in Pakistan. Washington has strengthened ties with the government of President Asif Ali Zardari, including a massive new civilian aid package. But the government, viewed as too pro-U.S. and secular by many Pakistanis, is increasingly unpopular.

The U.S. ambassador to Pakistan, Cameron Munter, in a statement condemned the killing of Mr. Bhatti, who he called a "Pakistani patriot and a voice for understanding."

In January, Salmaan Taseer, governor of Punjab province and a key ally of Mr. Zardari, was killed by his police bodyguard. Mr. Taseer, a Muslim, also had spoken out against the blasphemy law, which human rights groups and others say has been used to target minority groups like Christians and Ahmadi Muslims.

The police guard said he shot Mr. Taseer in a posh Islamabad shopping center because of his stance on the blasphemy issue. The guard is facing trial but has been feted as a hero by some religious groups and other sectors of the middle classes like lawyers' associations.

Mr. Bhatti had angered Islamic extremists for urging changes in the law which sanctions the death penalty to anyone found guilty of blasphemy against the prophet Muhammed.

He was head of a parliamentary committee which was examining misuse of the law. In many cases, people have used it to settle local scores unrelated to religion, human rights groups say. In recent media interviews, Mr. Bhatti had vowed to continue his campaign against the law, despite receiving repeated death threats from the Islamists.

Wajid Durrani, Islamabad's police chief, said Mr. Bhatti was provided protection in view of the threat to his life but was traveling without his security detail at the time of the attack.

The loss of one of the most prominent leaders of Pakistan's small Christian community comes amid increased persecution from Islamists. Last year, a court sentenced a Pakistani Christian farm worker to death for blasphemy. The Vatican and rights groups have slammed the verdict and called for her release.

Christians are the largest religious minority in the country, where about 5% of the nations's 180 million population are non-Muslims. "We have lost our most courageous spokesman," said Akram Massig Gil, a Christian member of parliament.

Authorities have yet to carry out a death sentence for blasphemy since the laws were tightened under the Islamist dictator Gen. Zia-ul-Haq in the 1980s. But human rights groups say the laws have encouraged militant violence against minorities. Scores of people, most of them Christians, are in detention facing trial under the law.

"Bhatti's murder is the bitter fruit of appeasement of extremist and militant groups," Human Rights Watch, the New York-based rights advocacy group, said in a statement.

Mr. Bhatti's killing also is likely to deepen security concerns for others who have spoken out against the blasphemy law. Sherry Rehman, a former minister of information and prominent opponent of the law, is currently in hiding.

Dave Lindahl

Cricket Live Score: PAK vs KEN 2011 ODI Live Streaming.

Pakistan vs Kenya ( PAK vs KEN) ICC World Cup Live Cricket Score.

ICC CWC LIVE: PAK vs KEN: Pakistan are in trouble having lost openers Hafeez and Shehzad. Kenya on fire. Elijah Otieno and Thomas Odoyo are on the ball. Click through for LIVE STREAMING!

The Toss

Pakistan have won the toss and elected to bat first against Kenya in their ICC Cricket World Cup tie on Wednesday.


Match Preview

Having suffered an embarrassing defeat at the hands of Ireland, which eventually resulted in their first exit from the ICC CWC's 2007 edition, Pakistan will be wary of taking their opponents lightly this time around.

In fact, captain Shahid Afridi has already warned his team to take every opponent seriously.

"There have been so many upsets in the World Cup in the past, like the one against Ireland four years ago. So we have that in mind and we will be on our toes in every match, be it Kenya or Sri Lanka," said Afridi.

Going into the match, Pakistan will take heart from their recent 3-2 one-day series victory over New Zealand in New Zealand just before the ICC CWC..

And even though they had mixed fortunes in their two warm-up games -- a win against Bangladesh and a defeat against England, Pakistan are well aware that if they play as a unit, they have enough firepower to go a long way in the tournament.

Pakistan's batting consisting of the likes of Mohammad Hafeez, former captain Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Akmal brothers -- Kamran and Umar, has the reputation of creating quite a flutter in the opposition camp.

In the absence of their banned opener Salman Butt, Pakistan will be banking on Hafeez and Ahmed Shehzad in the opening slot, followed by the more experienced middle-order.

Veteran Younis Khan is expected to bring in stability with all his experience of playing international cricket, followed by Test skipper and in-form Misbah and the two Akmals.

And with captain Shahid Afridi and allrounder Abdul Razzaq coming down the order, Pakistan should not have any trouble blowing the Kenyans away in their inaugural match.

As far as bowling department is concerned, Shoaib Akhtar and Umar Gul would be looking to go for the kill from the very first ball. This match will also give both the pacemen an opportunity to get back to their peak form.

Even Saeed Ajmal will get a chance to experiment with his doosra before his team face bigger names during the course of the tournament. Allrounder Afridi's fast-wrist spin is also expected to come in handy against the African nation.

Pakistan vs Kenya in ODIs/ICC Cricket World Cup

Pakistan have won all the five ODIs against Kenya between 1996 & 2004. The two countries would be meeting for the first time in the ICC Cricket World Cup.

World Cup overall

Pakistan have won 30 and lost 24 (NR 2) out of 56 contested - winning % 55.55

Kenya have won six and lost 17 out of 24 played (NR 1) - success % 26.08.

Approaching milestones

- Abdul Razzaq (4959) requires 41 runs to complete his 5000 runs.

- Having claimed 262 wickets in 254 matches, Razzaq is all set to complete the double of 5000 runs and 200 wickets.

- Younis Khan is set to post his first fifty in the World Cup. In the previous two World Cups, he did not make any impression with the bat.

- Shoaib Akhtar (244) needs six wickets to complete his 250 wickets in ODIs.

- Thomas Odoyo (363 runs + 20 wickets in 21 games) requires just 37 runs to become the first all-rounder from Kenya to complete the double of 400 runs and 20 wickets in the ICC Cricket World Cup.

Teams

Pakistan: Mohammad Hafeez, Ahmed Shehzad, Kamran Akmal (WK), Younis Khan, Umar Akmal, Misbah-ul-Haq, Shahid Afridi (Captain), Abdul Razzaq, Umar Gul, Shoaib Akhtar, Abdur Rehman

Kenya: SR Waters, MA Ouma (WK), CO Obuya, SO Tikolo, T Mishra, RR Patel, JK Kamande (Captain), TM Odoyo, NN Odhiambo, SO Ngoche, E Otieno

Dave Lindahl

Actress Sofia Hayat kidnapped by her parents

Sofia Hayat shows Asian diaspora’s life in ‘Dishonoured’

Sofia Hayat, a Britain-based actress of Pakistani origin, who was kidnapped by her parents at knife point, has scripted a film called “Dishonoured”, about the trials and tribulations of Asians in Britain. She says it is inspired by her own life.

“I have written a film script, which would be half filmed in India. The film will go on the floors by the end of this year. A production company in UK took it at $2 million. I am very excited about the project. The film’s cast will have actors from both – UK and India,” Hayat told IANS.

Sofia, also a singer and model, is in India to shoot for director Vinod Mukhia’s women-oriented drama “Diary of a Butterfly”.

In “Dishonoured”, she gives an insight to the life of a British Indian (mostly girls) who dare to pursue a career against parents will.

“It’s based on my life and based on many Asian people’s life growing up in India and England. My story starts with how a girl wants to be a performer and how she handles parents’ objection,” she said.

“My parents at kidnapped me from University at knife point because I changed my course from science to arts against their will. I could escape and police got involved. That incident made me write the book called ‘Dishonoured’. Even my music album is named ‘Dishonoured’,” she said.

Asked if she would be directing the film too, she said: “I think I have to let it go. If you can get a good director on board, he can do a better job than I can. I can be a good director because I am a creative person. I have the images of the scene to be shot. So I would be working closely in the project to make it as realistic as it can be.”

Dave Lindahl