WASHINGTON: The US National Security Agency has monitored hundreds of millions of email and instant messaging accounts around the world, The Washington Post reported on Tuesday. The NSA’s monitoring systems focus on data crucial to government security in the United States and in allied nations, the report added. The Post based its report on information it received from senior intelligence officials and on top secret documents provided by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden.
Election tribunals yet to decide 400 complaints
ISLAMABAD: Four months since they were set up, none of the 14 election tribunals across the country has adjudicated upon a single complaint against alleged poll rigging in the 2013 general elections. Some 400 such complaints are pending in the tribunals. The law requires the tribunals to decide the cases within 120 days, but this has never happened in the electoral history of the country. This time there were hopes that the cases would be adjudicated upon within the stipulated period as the tribunals comprised retired judges who were to hear the cases on day-to-day basis free from the pressure of routine judicial workload.
Zardari to formally launch political activities tomorrow
ISLAMABAD: Five weeks after completion of his five-year term in the Presidency, Asif Ali Zardari is formally starting his political activities from Larkana with a meeting of the PPP leaders belonging to Sindh on Thursday (tomorrow), Dawn has learnt. When contacted, spokesman for the former president Farhatullah Khan Babar confirmed that Mr Zardari had invited the office-bearers of the party’s chapters from various divisions in Sindh at a dinner in Larkana on Thursday evening.
High court seeks fresh report on rape case
LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) has directed the Pakpattan district and sessions judge to file a fresh report related to the police report under Section 173 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) before the trial court regarding the gang rape of a girl. According to a handout issued on Tuesday, the LHC sought a report from the district and sessions judge within a week in order to get the investigation of the case done in a transparent manner. The handout says the alleged rape victim, a resident of village 25-EB, went to Arifwala with the suspect to get financial assistance of the Benazir Income Support Programme. The suspect took her to some unidentified place where he along with two other accomplices raped her.
Jail trial of Musharraf ordered
ISLAMABAD: On the request of the capital police, the city administration has ordered the jail trial of former president Pervez Musharraf in the murder case of a Lal Masjid cleric and his mother during the 2007 operation. The case was registered with the Aabpara police on September 2, 2013, sources in the police and administration said. They added that the request for the jail trial was made in view of threats to the former president. “According to the intelligence report, militant outfits have planned to assassinate the former president,” they added.
Death toll in Philippines quake reaches 110
CEBU: The death toll from a 7.2-magnitude earthquake that struck the central Philippine island of Bohol reached 110 Wednesday with only three people pulled alive from rubble. The three were rescued in nearby Cebu province hours after Tuesday’s quake shattered office buildings and homes and caused many centuries-old churches to crumble. In Bohol, the quake’s epicenter, rescuers counted 100 dead, said regional military commander Lt. Gen. Roy Deveraturda. Cebu reported nine fatalities, and one died on another island.
13 dead, 50 missing as typhoon lashes Tokyo area
TOKYO: At least 13 people are known to have died after a powerful typhoon lashed Japan’s Pacific coast, police said Wednesday, warning that the death toll was likely to rise. Typhoon Wipha, dubbed the strongest in a decade, caused landslides that buried houses as it churned past an island just south of Tokyo. “We’ve confirmed that 13 people have died, and the number is likely to increase later,” a police official in Oshima told AFP. Broadcaster NHK said 50 people were unaccounted for after houses were destroyed or swept away by a series of landslides and floods on Oshima, 120 kilometres (75 miles) south of the Japanese capital.
Pakistani stocks fall 175 points, rupee weakens
KARACHI: Pakistan’s main stock exchange closed lower on Monday, with the benchmark 100-share index of the Karachi Stock Exchange falling 0.81 per cent or 175.61 points to 21,599.78. Trading activity at the local bourse remained lackluster with Eid holidays just around the corner. Investors preferred to stay on the sidelines, though some interest was witnessed in specific banking and fertilizer stocks on the basis of year-end results, dealers said.
Sardars, nawabs continue to dominate Balochistan cabinet
QUETTA: Deadlock over formation of the cabinet ended with the induction of 11 new ministers in Balochistan cabinet on Monday. Hereditary politics remained entrenched in the formation of the new cabinet. In the 14 member cabinet, 11 strong tribal chieftains and fuedals were sworn in as ministers. Almost all influential families retained their positions. Governor Balochistan Muhammad Khan Achakzai took oath from 11 ministers belonging to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakhtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) and National Party.
Nawaz orders immediate work on Gaddani, Port Qasim power plants
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Mohammad Nawaz Sharif on Monday gave approval for immediate start of work on installation of two power plants in Gaddani and Port Qasim to meet the energy shortage in the country. Chairing a meeting here at the PM House to review power generation in the country, Sharif also directed the establishment of a dedicated project management office to track the progress of these power plants. The prime minister was briefed about the medium-term initiatives of the government to overcome power shortage that include wind energy generation of 2000 MW by 2016, CASA project of 1000 MW by 2017, Tarbella-V extension project by 2017 and development of 1000 MW power project at Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park by the Punjab government.
