ISLAMABAD: Ministry of petroleum has sent summary to finance ministry seeking hike in petroleum products prices by 6 percent for the month of May.

Well placed sources of ministry of petroleum said that ministry of petroleum had sent summary to ministry of finance for raising price of petroleum products by 6 percent for the month of May. It will be sent to Prime Minister today for his approval.

Sources told if government did not increase the prices in line with international market prices then it would have to provide additional subsidy of Rs 12 billion. Subsidy could shift additional burden to fragile economy of country.

Sources further told hike in the price of petrol by Rs 5 per liter, diesel by Rs 5.57, kerosene oil by Rs 5.5 and HOBC by Rs 5.88 per liter had been proposed in the summary.

Following the approval of summary by Prime Minister petrol prices will go up to Rs 88.85 per liter, diesel Rs 99.49 and kerosene oil Rs 89.1

LOS ANGELES: A decorous, respectable adaptation of Sara Gruen's engaging best-seller, "Water for Elephants" would have come more excitingly alive with stronger doses of Depression-era grit and sexual spunk.

The 1931 circus setting and a love triangle involving three exceedingly attractive people provides a constant wash of scenic pleasure and the film's fidelity to its source will receive nodding approval from the book's many fans. But the vital spark that would have made the drama truly compelling on the screen is missing. The Fox release earned about $17.5 million during its first weekend in North American theaters.

Films about traveling circuses, and the often daring and dodgy people who worked in them, used to be relatively commonplace in American movies and it could be that the novelty of seeing such a troupe, traveling from one town to another on a train with dozens of performers, workers and lots of animals in tow, might be enough to captivate a fair share of people today, just as Gruen's 2006 novel did.

Furthermore, the central dilemma -- that of a beautiful woman caught between her debt to the circus impresario who plucked her from a dismal existence to make her a circus star as well as his wife and her mounting passion for a handsome young man who escapes a personal tragedy by joining the company -- may be well-worn but can always work in the right hands, and Reese Witherspoon, Robert Pattinson and Christoph Waltz are all more than up to the task.

So it's mostly a question of approach. Had the same story been made at the time it's set, one can easily imagine at least two distinct and equally effective potential takes on the tale: One, directed by Frank Borzage at Fox, could have been a exalted love story between two young people fated to be together despite the obstacles, while another, directed by Michael Curtiz at Warner Bros., would have been a punchy, down-and-dirty affair about lowlifes scraping by during the depths of the Depression.

In fact, had screenwriter Richard LaGravenese, who's done a mostly fine job whittling down the novel to fit comfortably within two hours' running time, settled in to watch a dozen early-1930s Warner Bros. films before writing, some hints of period slang, brassy attitude and regional accents might have profitably made their way into the chatter to provide an idea of the different vernacular in use then. Even a tiny change -- the man informing Pattinson's character of his parents' death at the outset states they were in a "car" accident rather than an "automobile" mishap, as in the book -- reveals a trace of fear about the receptivity of a modern audience to antiquated speech. And in those days, indelible character actors would have brought to life a score of insolent, wise-cracking, phrase-making secondary parts with just a few lines apiece.

Under Francis Lawrence's sleekly studied direction, everything has been smoothed out to the extent that even dire poverty does not seem entirely unappealing. Certainly the three leads never do. Looking 300 per cent better than he did in his last non-"Twilight" outing, "Remember Me," Pattinson is entirely convincing as Jacob, a Cornell veterinary school student who escapes from the ruin provoked by his parents' untimely death by almost inadvertently joining the circus.

Due to his imagined expertise with animals, Jacob is taken under wing by the owner and ringmaster of the Benzini Bros. Circus, August (Waltz), a mercurial fellow who's brought the company a long way since he took over and rightly keeps a watchful eye on his beautiful blond wife Marlena (Witherspoon), who rides the circus' top animal attraction, a stunning white horse.

Embraced and roughly treated by turn, Jacob earns a place with the outfit due to his knowledge of animals (his father had been a vet) and his help in recruiting and training a new star, a jumbo elephant named Rosie. Something of a highbrow himself, August delights in the college boy's company but can't help but notice the growing affection between his wife and the bereaved lad.

Although there are skirmishes from time to time, it takes nearly the entire film for matters to fully come to a head and the lack of complexity, danger and underlying tension becomes all too noticeable from the mid-point onwards. Once the climax does arrive, the spectacular scene is over and done with far too quickly, giving it a borderline perfunctory feel.

Waltz, in his first big film since soaring to prominence in "Inglourious Basterds," again scores strongly as a powerful middle-aged man who doesn't eliminate the snake in his grass before it's too late. As for Witherspoon, she's as fetching as ever as the platinum blonde any guy would want to catch. But when August insults Marlena as being of a "common type," it's clear Witherspoon needed to inject a bit of Jean Harlow into her characterization to emphasize the lower depths whence she came that can never be entirely erased. Despite the hard glances and suggestion of a working class accent, Marlena is still a shade too much the lady and not enough of a dame.

Hal Holbrook does a nice job framing the tale as an elderly Jacob telling the story to a modern circus worker, although by rights he should be narrating the whole thing, not Pattinson; again, modern audience sensibilities likely came into play.

SINGAPORE: Oil was up in Asian trade Monday as escalating tensions in Libya, Syria and Yemen heightened fears of supply disruption in the Middle East and North African region.

New York's main contract, light sweet crude for delivery in June, rose 52 cents to $112.81 a barrel, while Brent North Sea crude for June gained 54 cents to $124.53.

"The violence in Syria and Yemen escalated over the weekend, and traders worry about supply disruption," said Ong Yi Ling, an investment analyst for Phillip Futures in Singapore.

In oil-producing Libya, veteran leader Moamer Kadhafi's office in his immense Tripoli residence was destroyed in an air strike by NATO warplanes enforcing a UN resolution early Monday, said an AFP journalist.

Libyan rebels have been seeking to oust Kadhafi after uprisings deposed the leaders of Tunisia and Egypt earlier this year.

In Syria, security forces shot and arrested demonstrators in a two-day crackdown over the weekend, while fresh clashes broke out between tribesmen and Republican Guard forces in Yemen's southern province of Lahij

MIRANSHAH: Three women and five children among 25 people were killed while several others injured in a US drone attack on a compound in North Waziristan, Geo News reported.

US drones fired five missiles on a compound in Spinwam, 40 kilometres (25 miles) northeast of Miranshah.

It was the first missile strike to hit the North Waziristan since March 17 when a drone attack killed 39 people,

GROS ISLET, Saint Lucia: Pakistan lost the only Twenty20 International by seven runs in an exciting finish here at the Beausejour Stadium on Thursday.

Chasing a modest target of 151 runs, they made 143 runs for nine wickets in the first ever T20I between the two countries.

For Pakistan, no batsman except Umar Akmal (41) and Asad Shafiq (25) could resist against accurate bowling by the West Indians as leg-break bowler Devendra Bishoo claimed four wickets for 17 runs and fast-medium bowler Ravi Rampaul took three for 31.

West Indies picked a youthful team for the one-off game and the upcoming ODI series, having dropped experienced batsmen Chris Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul.

One of the young faces, opening batsman Lendl Simmons got West Indies off to a great start with a lively 65 off 44 balls and left-hander Darren Bravo struck 42 off 33 as the Caribbean side brought up their 100 in the 13th over.

But, as so often, Darren Sammy's side failed to build on their good foundation and ended up falling short of a really strong total, with just two other players making double figures.

Pakistan lost both their openers, Ahmed Shehzad and Mohammad Hafeez, early but Umar Akmal's 41 from 60 balls put them in with a chance.

Bishoo, who caught the eye of West Indies selectors with his performances in regional Twenty20 cricket, then showed his value in the shortest form of the game with some astute bowling.

The vital breakthrough came when Sammmy made a fine catch at extra-cover off Bishoo, to dismiss skipper Shahid Afridi (12) and break up what was a potentially match winning partnership.

Sammy then ran out Mohammand Salman and when Marlon Samuels caught Umar at deep midwicket off Ravi Rampaul, Pakistan were in trouble at 109-7.
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But some loose bowling and some spirited resistance from Saeed Ajmal (21 not out) at the end gave the tourists a glimmer of hope and the last pair needed 14 from the final ove

PARIS The longer a man's fourth or ring finger is compared to his index finger, the more likely he is to be judged attractive by women, according to a study released Wednesday.

The results, published in the British Royal Society's journal Biological Sciences, unveil intricate links between foetal exposure of males to hormones, the development of certain physical traits, and what turns on the opposite sex.

It also adds to a growing body of research -- conducted under the banner of evolutionary psychology -- suggesting that the drivers of human behaviour are found, more than previously suspected, in "nature" rather than "nurture."

Earlier studies had already shown that the size ratio between the fourth and second fingers, especially of the right hand, is a reliable indicator of the extent a man was exposed to testosterone while still in the womb.

The bigger the gap between a longer ring finger and a shorter index, the greater the likely impact of the hormone.

For the new study, scientists led by Camille Ferdenzi of the University of Geneva designed an experiment to find out if women are drawn to the telltale signs of high testosterone levels in men -- a symmetrical face, a deeper voice, a particular body odour -- who have this more "masculine" finger configuration.

More than 80 women university students between 18 and 34 looked at pictures of 49 similarly aged men, and were asked to evaluate them for masculinity and attractiveness.

Smaller groups of women listened to recordings of the male voices, and smelled samples of their body odour, taken from cotton pads worn under the arm for 24 hours.

"The aim was to understand what makes a man attractive," and whether at least some of those qualities "were in part conditioned by the foetal environment," Ferdenzi said in an interview.

For the visual test, the results were unambiguous. "The longer the ring finger compared to the index -- that is, the greater the exposure to testosterone -- the more attractive the face was rated," she said by phone.

"We also found that attractiveness and symmetry in the face are highly correlated."

Such a preference might have evolved to boost a female's chances of reproductive success through mating with a more virile partner, she said.

Surprisingly, however, women did not consistently tag the same men as "masculine".

Nor did their preferences for voice or odours correspond to the longer ring-finger males.

"There wasn't any relation between the 2D-4D" -- 2nd digit, 4th digit -- "ratio and the reactions of the women to odour," Ferdenzi said.

One reason, she speculated, may be that voice and body odour are more dependent on fluctuating levels of adult testosterone than on pre-natal testosterone.

The ring-index finger ratio has also proven to be a useful indicator for gauging the risk of prostate cancer, likewise tied to high levels of testosterone.

Research published in December showed that the chances of developing the disease drop by a third in men whose index finger is longer than their ring finger.

LONDON: From the moment Prince William put his mother's sapphire and diamond ring on Kate Middleton's finger, comparisons between his wife-to-be and the late princess Diana became inevitable.

More than a decade after Diana's death, the "People's Princess" remains adored and the new royal bride will be measured against the young, shy blonde who captivated the world at her wedding to Prince Charles in 1981.

The royals are understandably wary of comparisons between the two women, and William himself insisted soon after the engagement that "no one is trying to fill my mother's shoes".

Diana's marriage was a famously unhappy union which broke down amid infidelity on both sides, ending in a bitter divorce and then tragedy, when the princess died in a Paris car crash in 1997.

It is not a tale to comfort a nervous bride, but fortunately, commentators see more differences than similarities between the two women.

Despite her lack of aristocratic blood, Kate will be far better prepared than Diana ever was for royal life when she walks down the aisle of Westminster Abbey on April 29.

"Kate's been very carefully groomed, it's been a long process over a period of time and she's got people around her who understand the modern media.

"She knows exactly what she's getting," said Max Clifford, a top British PR man who has represented many celebrities.

Kate and William have been together for eight years, whereas Diana was courted for just six months. In fact, Kate has been waiting so long for her boyfriend to pop the question that the press dubbed her "Waity Katy".

But Clifford says the length of time puts their relationship on a strong footing, saying "William seems to be totally in love with her and vice versa".

The young couple have had a very modern courtship.

They lived together while at St Andrews University in Scotland, where they met, and in recent months Kate has stayed with William on the island of Anglesey in Wales, where he works as a helicopter search and rescue pilot.

At the age of 29, Kate also has considerable life experience compared to Diana, who was only 20 on her wedding day, 12 years younger than Charles. Just five months separate Kate and William, who is 28.

Diana had left school before finishing her studies and her work experience was limited to a stint at a nursery.

By contrast, Kate graduated with a degree in art history from a top university, although her jobs as an accessories buyer for a clothing brand and then for her family's party goods firm have been criticised as lightweight.

Kate also had a happier and more stable childhood than Diana, whose parents divorced when she was young. Kate is close to her mother Carole and sister Pippa, her maid of honour, and says her family is a major source of support.

Up to now, William's bride has also had a better relationship with the press, which hounded the late princess right up to the moment of her death.

Despite a rocky start following Kate's move to London after graduation, when photographers mobbed her every time she left the house, warning letters from lawyers and the palace have caused the media to back off.

Kate "is an intelligent girl. She has a good head on her shoulders and is so much older than Diana was and she knows William," said royal historian Hugo Vickers.

The royal family "must be delighted. She's cautious. She's very measured -- confidence is not quite the right word, but she is assured," he added.

Diana was beautiful, charismatic and almost universally loved, but she was also unstable and the explosive fallout of her split with Charles cast a pall over the royal family that is only now starting to lift.

She also overshadowed the other royals, staying firmly in the limelight even after the divorce through her charitable causes.

WASHINGTON: US Vice President Joe Biden said in an interview published Tuesday that NATO can handle Libya without US help, saying Washington's efforts are better focused on places like Pakistan or Egypt.

"If the Lord Almighty extricated the US out of NATO and dropped it on the planet of Mars so we were no longer participating, it is bizarre to suggest that NATO and the rest of the world lacks the capacity to deal with Libya -- it does not," Biden told the Financial Times.

"Occasionally other countries lack the will, but this is not about capacity," he told the daily amid deep unease among the US public and lawmakers over military action in Libya.

Washington coordinated operations in the first days of allied intervention in Libya after the United Nations Security Council approved international military action to thwart attacks by Kadhafi forces on rebel-held cities.

It transferred command to the NATO alliance earlier this month, leaving the Pentagon primarily providing refueling and surveillance aircraft, but it still flexes its military might.

Biden argued that Washington had to decide whether to spend resources "focusing on Iran, Egypt, North Korea, Afghanistan [and] Pakistan", or give Libya more attention, stressing: "We can't do it all." "The question is: Where should our resources be?" he asked.

"This is about our strategic interest and it is not based upon a situation of what can the traffic bear politically at home," he said. "The traffic can bear politically more in Libya: There's a bad guy there, everybody knows he's a bad guy, the people don't like him, and so that's not hard," he added, referring to Kadhafi.

MUMBAI: Pune Warriors captain Yuvraj Singh produced an impressive all-round performance, but failed to stop Delhi Daredevils from posting a thrilling three-wicket win in the Indian Premier League on Sunday.

In another match, Kolkata Knight Riders defeated Shane Warne's Rajasthan Royals by eight wickets for their third victory in four games in the Twenty20 tournament.

Yuvraj top-scored with an unbeaten 66 to help Pune reach a challenging 187-5 before Delhi achieved the stiff target with four balls to spare for their first win in three games.

Delhi needed eight to win off the last over after left-arm spinner Yuvraj had finished with 4-29, but Australian James Hopes (13 not out) smashed a six and a four off successive deliveries from New Zealand seamer Jesse Ryder.

Australian David Warner (46) and skipper Virender Sehwag (37) gave Delhi a solid start when they added 75 for the opening wicket before Venugopal Rao (31) and Aaron Finch (25) contributed crucial runs in the closing stages.

Pune, who suffered their first defeat in three games, were earlier indebted to Yuvraj and Ryder (60) for setting a big target.

Yuvraj cracked five sixes, including three in the last over bowled by seamer Ashok Dinda, in his 32-ball knock and Ryder also hit five sixes in his 27-ball innings.

Ryder played a key role in putting his team on course for a big total, dominating a 54-run stand for the second wicket with Mithun Manhas (20) after the early dismissal of South African opener Graeme Smith (12).

Kolkata did not face any difficulty in chasing an 82-run target against Rajasthan, winning with more than six overs to spare. It was Rajasthan's second defeat in four matches.

Ghostface's 11-year layoff hasn't made the "Scream" franchise feel any fresher. But with a decent beginning, a mushy midsection and a killer ending, the latest installment at least doesn't feel any staler.

"Scream 4" is pretty much the same-old thing, which the filmmakers hope will seem new again given how long the horror-comedy series has been festering in its temporary grave.

Honestly, it's not an unwelcome thing to watch the return of Neve Campbell as the slasher victim who wouldn't die, Courtney Cox as the tabloid hack in bloodlust for a story and David Arquette as the bumbling Barney Fife of fright-flick cops.

Director Wes Craven has added an attractive young harvest of fresh meat on the victim and psycho front, led by Emma Roberts, Hayden Panettiere and Rory Culkin, along with amusing cameos from Anna Paquin, Kristen Bell and others.

"Scream 4" opens with the franchise's usual prologue, this one modestly clever, heavier on laughs than suspense.

But it gets the action rolling and the blood flowing for the main event: Campbell's celebrity victim Sidney Prescott returns to her hometown on a book tour for her memoir about surviving her encounters with the various Ghostface slashers.

Her arrival coincides with the anniversary of the original slayings, when the town's teenage Sidney idolaters already are in a frenzy for the annual "Stabathon" party built around the Hollywood franchise inspired by her experiences.

Of course, bodies pile up as a new Ghostface goes on a rampage.

Cox's Gale Weathers now is married to Arquette's Sheriff Dewey, and the moments of domestic duress the characters experience add a little subtext, given the actors' real-life marriage was breaking up while they shot the movie.

Bored and looking to get back into the journalism game, Gale leaps in trying to unmask the latest Ghostface, while Dewey cluelessly suffers along again, aided by a gung-ho deputy (Marley Shelton) harboring a major crush for him (Anthony Anderson and Adam Brody add decent laughs as a couple of other deputies).

Ghostface's circle of prey includes Sidney's cousin (Roberts) and some of her friends and classmates, among them Panettiere and Culkin. Mary McDonnell also appears fleetingly as Sidney's aunt; the movie progresses in such patched-together fashion that much of her role may have been sliced out.

With a screenplay by original "Scream" writer Kevin Williamson, the movie is an over-long, sometimes plodding collision of characters, any of which could turn out a killer or victim in the arbitrary world of the franchise.

This time, the crisscross of blind clues and red herrings almost makes it feel as if Craven left the unmasking of Ghostface for the last day of filming then simply handed a knife to someone with the instruction to start stabbing.

What comes after that unveiling is great fun, a really clever twist on the clichés of slasher-movie violence.

The movie drags in many spots before that climax. Craven often seems to be finger-painting with the entrails of the first three movies, slopping random blood, gore and gags on the walls to see what sticks.

"Scream 4" slathers on winking, self-referential banter about the conventions of the franchise, along with horror flicks and sequels in general.

Much of it is funny, some of the best laughs resulting when people ponder their place in the hierarchy of horror-genre characters and how that affects their odds of survival.

LAHORE: Pakistan cricket team has left for West Indies from Lahore after completing the training camp.

Talking to media before departure at Allama Iqbal airport, team manager Intikhab Alam said, "I am hopeful with young cricketers, they will perform well and InshAllah would help to win the series against West Indies."

He said that young players have a golden chance to get experience and to show their performance.

National cricket team would play a T-20 and a series of one-day international matches under the captaincy of Shahid Afridi, while two test matches under the captaincy of Misbah-Ul-Haq.

National cricket team will start the tour of West Indies with a practice match. The practice match between Pakistan and West Indies teams will begin on 18 April.

LAHORE: Most of the CNG filling stations and petrol pumps were closed on the second day of strike announced by All Pakistan CNG Association and Petroleum Retailers Association, causing inconvenience to people.

There were long queues of vehicles at a few CNG filling stations and petrol pumps that opted to continue their business.

Comparatively thing traffic was witnessed in the province metropolis due to shortage of fuel. Public transport was also thin on roads, which resulted in more and more problems for commuters.

However, in absence of normal public transport, LPG-fuelled tri-wheelers were seen busy on city roads.

According to Ghiyas Abdullah Paracha, chairman of APCNGA Supreme Council, 99 per cent CNG stations were closed in protest from Sadiqabad to Attock in the province. Out of total 2,267 CNG stations in the province, owners of 2,250 closed their business against unjustified gas distribution policy of Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Ltd (SNGPL), he added.

He maintained that CNG stations in big cities, including Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad and central and southern Punjab, were shut, supporting the strike call.

Those who opted to open CNG filling stations were involved in gas theft while some of them were members of ruling elite and opportunists, he alleged.

He expressed concern over attitude of government functionaries, saying that high-ups did not want to resolve issue of increasing gas loadshedding for CNG stations despite start of summer.

We were forced to take extreme step of closing our business, he said, adding that the masses had to suffer only due to ill-planning of government departments.

He expressed regret over problems being faced by people due to closure of CNG stations.

LAHORE: Pakistan cricket team has been attending a two-day short training camp here at the Gaddafi stadium, for the series in West Indies later this month.

The short training camp has been named the ‘conditioning camp’.

The team management said the players will take part in two practice sessions today while tomorrow there will be a day-long session.

Along with physical training, the players will also be practicing in the nets under the supervision of coach Waqar Younis.

The national team will leave for West Indies on April 14 to play one T20I, five one-day internationals and two Test matches on the tour beginning April 18

BAHAWALPUR: Prominent figure of TV and stage shows comedian actor Mastana died of liver cancer in Bahawalpur Victoria Hospital here on Monday. He was 57.

Murtaza Hassan alias Mastana was born in Gujranwala. He served TV and stage for nearly 43 years. He played different roles of them ‘Mr. Kiyun’ is one of his best.

Deceased Mastana worked in more than 2000 TV and stage dramas.

He fell prey of ‘Hepatitis C’ that was reached to liver cancer level.

Mastana left behind a son Hafiz Saad Hassan and widow.

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) ordered the Higher Education Commission (HEC) to keep working under the ordinance until any amendment in the law before adjourning the hearing for indefinite period, Geo News reported.

On Monday, the SC while hearing the constitutional petition against the devolution of HEC issued notices to Attorney General of Pakistan, Ministry of Law, Ministry of Education and HEC and later adjourned the hearing till Tuesday.

A three-judge bench, headed by the Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, heard the petition filed by the Directory of Riphah University against the devolution of HEC.

KARACHI: Chief minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah hosted a reception in honour of the Pakistan cricket team, the World Cup semi-finalists, and also announced a cash award of Rs 0.5 million each for the players.

Those attended the reception, held here at the Chief Minister House, were captain Shahid Afridi, coach Waqar Younis, manager Intikhab Alam and ten players of the team while Akmal Brothers, Abdul Razzaq, Shoaib Akhtar and Junaid Khan were not present on the occasion.

Praising the performance of the national team in the World Cup 2011, the chief minister said the World Cup 2015 would go only to Pakistan.

Captain Afridi thanked the people for providing full support to his team and said that if they continue the support then Pakistan would Insha Allah win the next World Cup.

RAWALPINDI: Former President, General Pervez Musharraf’s warrant of arrest in the former Prime Minister, Benazir Bhutto murder case could still not be served, while the lawyer of an accused senior police officer in the case made a plea for the issuance of Musharraf’s red warrant, Geo News reported.

Rawalpindi Anti-Terrorist Special Court Judge, Rana Nisar resumed trial of the Benazir murder case in Adyala Jail here today.

Benazir murder case Joint Investigation Team’s chief, FIA Director, Javed Zia, while submitting the report relating to the serving of the Pervez Musharraf’s warrant, told the court that the British home ministry’s process was still underway for the compliance.

The lawyer of former Rawalpindi CCPO, an accused in the case, Waheed Anjum said that Pervez Musharraf was enjoying life in Britain and warrant should be issued through Interpol for his arrest.

Later, the hearing of the case was adjourned until April 23.

Karachi: The Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) has warned that loadshedding duration across the city would be increased to 14 hours a day when gas supply from the Sui Southern Gas Company decreases by up to 80 Million Metric Cubic Feet Daily (MMCFD) due to the Annual Turn-Around (ATA) of Bhit Gas Field that starts from April 11.

The KESC Chief Financial Officer, Tayyab Tareen, told newsmen at a briefing on Thursday that talks were on with SSGC officials and other authorities concerned that gas supply to the KESC should not decrease to as low as 80 MMCFD but in case this happened then the power utility would have no option but to drastically increase load shedding. He said the KESC had been working on the plan for increased load shedding schedule in case the gas pressure dropped to the minimum of 80 MMCFD. In such a scenario of reduced gas supply the KESC would not be in a position to maintain exemption from load shedding to industrial areas of the city and the industrial estates could also face load shedding by up to eight hours.

A SSGC official said the ATA of Bhit Gas Field, having a production capacity of 345 MMCFD, would commence from April 11 for next 22 days and during first five days of the ATA, the gas supply to the KESC could decrease to the minimum of 80 MMCFD and then would gradually rise and after 22 days the gas volume would be fully restored and attain the present level of 170 to 180 MMCFD.

The KESC Chief of Finance said the KESC had already been facing gradual reduction in gas supply over past several months causing serious repercussions for the consumer-end tariff and for operations of power generation plants of the utility, some of which only operates on gas.

He said that reduction in gas supply had serious impact on electricity generation as furnace oil was 3.7 times more expensive than the natural gas and higher cost of fuel for power generation would cause a sharp increase in the financial burden for the consumers in a situation where international monetary organisations like the IMF has been demanding withdrawal of subsidy provided by the government in the power sector.

He sad the KESC demands that the allocated quota of gas for it i.e. 276 MMCFD should be provided to it as this allocation had been approved by the most relevant federal government fora including Economic Coordination Committee and such an improved volume of gas would be much helpful for the KESC to meet increasing demand of electric supply in the city.

He said the SSGC had been failing to provide a steady level of gas supply to the KESC and the gas volume being supplied has been much lower than the allocated quota of 276 MMCFD and this is the main reason barring the KESC from signing the gas purchase agreement with the SSGC.

He lamented the situation that KESC had been facing consistent reduction in gas supply when Sindh produces 70.8 per cent of the total gas production in the country. He said that overall allocation of gas supply to the power sector of the country had decreased from 43.5 per cent to 28.7 per cent from 2005 to 2010. While during the same period, allocation of gas supply for domestic sector increased from 14.9 per cent to 17.2 per cent, for general industries allocation increased from 19.5 per cent to 26.1 per cent, for fertilizer plants allocation increased from 16.4 per cent to 17.2 per cent, while for CNG station the allocation of gas has increased from 2.1 per cent to 7.7 per cent from 2005 to 2010.

NEW DELHI: The Indian Premier League cricket bandwagon rolls into action today with organisers hoping India’s World Cup victory last weekend will help the competition regain some of its lost sparkle.

This year’s edition — spread over 51 days and comprising 74 matches across 13 venues — will be the first after the ousting of its outspoken founder Lalit Modi, who was forced out last year under a cloud of corruption allegations.

The tournament’s future had looked in doubt amid claims of corruption, money-laundering and tax evasion, as well as secret deals to hide teams’ real owners and even links to India’s criminal underworld.

But a massive PR exercise by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has ensured the IPL has kept its date with fans, as well as sponsors and advertisers hungry for their share of the huge commercial pie.

IPL chief executive Sundar Raman dismissed fears that cricket fans in India, still recovering from celebrations after Saturday’s victory over Sri Lanka in the World Cup final, could suffer sporting overload.

“The success of the Indian team in the World Cup has made it (IPL) more interesting,” Raman told AFP, saying the tournament would “carry on from where the World Cup ended”.

“Fans are already into cricket and celebrating India’s victory. We are confident of building on the success of the last edition.”

This year’s IPL, the fourth time it has been held, will have two new teams in Kochi Tuskers Kerala and Pune Warriors, taking the total number of franchises to 10.

The opening game will feature Chennai Super Kings, led by victorious Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, and the Kolkata Knight Riders, owned by Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan.

The IPL revolutionised the sport when it burst onto the scene in 2008 with a high-octane blend of international star players, scantily-clad cheerleaders and Bollywood glamour.

Using the short Twenty20 form of the game, IPL matches are usually three-hour events packed with music, delirious crowds and countless television advertisements.

Everything from the time-out to the drinks break is sponsored by companies, earning Indian cricket authorities millions in revenue.

The fourth edition is likely to see IPL bosses reduce the decadent post-match parties, which were blamed by some for India’s failure in the World Twenty20 in the Caribbean last year.

NEW DEHLI: Indian foreign secretary Nirupama Rao has said that Indian cricket team is prepared to visit Pakistan, Geo News reported on Thursday.

In a telephonic interview, foreign secretary said that it is not that we have forbidden our team from going there. Security is always an issue and we always like to be sure about security when we allow our teams to go there.

I think cricket sometimes becomes an instrument of diplomacy, she said and added that we have seen how cricket matches have been played between India and Pakistan in the past. People in both countries have supported the idea of such contacts.

Rao said this has to be discussed between the cricketing fraternities on both sides and taken forward.

The meeting between the Prime Ministers of two countries at Mohali on March 30 on the sidelines of the cricket World Cup semifinal between the two countries, "has given a new direction" to the bilateral relationship, Rao said in the interview.

KARACHI: Government has once again persecuted Jang Group by having its sports channel ‘Geo Super’ shut down through Pakistan Electronic Regulatory Authority (PEMRA), Geo News reported Wednesday.

Government has banned Geo Super’s transmission in Pakistan. The gagging of Geo Super will deprive the people of the country of sports events including the domestic events.

In spite of financial losses suffered by Geo Super lately, the channel strived to ensure that viewers continue to catch the sporting action on TV.

According to Geo’s administration, the Government subjected the Geo Super to punishment for showing sporting events to the people.

Cheap tactics are being used to black mail Geo Super. The Government issued order on April 4 to turn Geo Super off in what appears to be a vengeful action of the government against the Jang Group.

Geo Network had been uncovering government conspiracies and raising voice against corruption.

NUEVO LAREDO: At least 40 bodies have been found on a ranch in San Fernando in Mexico's northern state of Tamaulipas, on the US border, authorities said.

"We are working on the investigation and the remains in a mass grave in La Joya, in San Fernando. There could be between 40 and 60 bodies," said an official in the Tamaulipas state prosecutor's office.

A military patrol located the mass grave, the source added. Authorities were trying to determine if the remains were those of migrants who often cross the area en route to the United States, he added.

MOSCOW: A Russian cat has set a record for having the most ears, with 3 ears on the right and 2 ears on the left for a total of five.

The cat was discovered by Vladimir Obryvkov of the Voronezh State University of Agriculture who studies animals with physical deformities. The scientist found the cat in the city of Voronezh, Russia and had planned on running tests on the cat including x-ray's, to gain more information about the recessive gene that causes this deformity.,,

The Obrykov family decided that instead of running tests on the cat and letting her go,, they would keep her. She has become a member of the family and now has a new name, Luntya

MUMBAI: While the rest of the media have been reporting that Aamir Khan is taking on his archrival Shah Rukh Khan by throwing a cricket bash at his house at the same time when SRK is having a bash at Mannat.

Fact is that Aamir has cancelled the shooting of Reema Kagti's untitled movie and is flying down to Mohali to see the high-octane India-Pakistan cricket match live.

Shah Rukh has also cancelled all his appointments to watch the Indo-Pak match with his close friends. The guest list includes Hrithik Roshan, Karan Johar, Arjun Rampal, Sanjay and wife Maheep Kapoor

COLOMBO: Pakistan's maverick paceman Shoaib Akhtar, whose colourful career has been a heady mix of on-field brilliance and off-field controversy, will quit international cricket after the World Cup.

"Yes, I will quit international cricket after the World Cup" the 35-year-old said.

"I have taken this decision after much thought. Pakistan's last match in this World Cup will also be my last. I hope that will be the final on April 2."

Akhtar made up his mind after Pakistan's 110-run defeat against New Zealand, in which he went for 70 runs in his nine overs.

He was rested for the match against Zimbabwe on Monday and was thought to be an unlikely starter for Saturday's last Group A match against Australia.

Akhtar, who made his international debut in 1997, took 178 wickets in 46 Tests, the last of which was against India at Bangalore in 2007.

He is three wickets short of 250 in 163 one-day internationals and has taken 19 wickets in 15 Twenty20 internationals.

Pakistan squad members hugged him in the dressing room on Thursday before captain Shahid Afridi embraced him as the players entered the R. Premadasa stadium in Colombo for practice.

Akhtar, known as the Rawalpindi Express during his tear away days as one of Test cricket's most feared if unpredictable talents, once cracked the 100mph barrier at the 2003 World Cup.

At this World Cup, which was always likely to be his swansong, Akhtar looked neat and tidy with figures of 0-10 and 2-42 against Kenya and Sri Lanka respectively.

He missed the win over Canada but was then smashed all over the park at Pallekele against New Zealand, with figures of 1-70, before being dropped for the game with Zimbabwe.

His career will always be remembered for a series of fitness problems, discipline violations as well as a doping offence that put the brakes on achieving his true potential.

Most recently he was fined $2,000 for breaching discipline after the defeat to New Zealand.

Team manager Intikhab Alam confirmed the fine, which was levied after an on-field spat with wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal, who missed two chances off his bowling.

Akhtar and the now banned Mohammad Asif failed drugs tests in 2006 and were suspended for two years and one year respectively, both of which were lifted on appeal.

Fitness problems forced him to miss the 2007 World Cup while he was fined heavily and banned for 13 ODIs after he hit Asif with a bat two days before the 2007 World Twenty20 in South Africa.

In 2008 he was banned for five years after publicly criticising the Pakistan Cricket Board following his exclusion from the list of centrally contracted players.

MOHALI: Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi insists that the pressure and expectation will all be on India's shoulders in Wednesday's World Cup semi-final blockbuster.

With the prize of a place in Saturday's final at stake, a fever-pitch mood is expected with the 30,000 capacity Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) Stadium sold out days ago for the crunch clash.

"We are not the most favourite team for this competition. India is the most favourite and we have played above expectations. We are very confident and we are enjoying our cricket," said Afridi.

But India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni shrugged off the hype surrounding a match which has also taken on huge diplomatic and political significance.

"It's an honour to lead the side," said Dhoni. "If you take a pressure job, you will find yourself in a pressure cooker. When you talk about hype and pressure, what does not help you needs to be kept away. "You need to top up on the skills aspect - vital areas we are focusing on."

The match will be a clash between Pakistan's well-balanced bowling attack and India's star-studded top order, including opener Sachin Tendulkar who needs just one more century for a hundred international hundreds.

"We believe we have the strongest bowling attack in the world," said Pakistan opening batsman Mohammad Hafeez, who took the new ball with his off-spin in the quarter-final win over the West Indies. "That's the key."

Pakistan's Umar Gul is arguably the best reverse-swing bowler at this tournament while Saaed Ajmal's off-spin a potent weapon.

And then there is the leg-spin of Pakistan captain Afridi who is the tournament's top bowler with 21 wickets at an average of just 10.71 apiece.

Meanwhile fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar, who will retire after the World Cup, waits in the wings. Akhtar has played just three games at this tournament but the suspicion remains that India's batsmen can be troubled by high-class fast bowling.

"Shoaib is not 100 percent but I think he is trying his level-best and we will decide (on his selection) this evening," Afridi said.

India did manage to overcome champions Australia's three-pronged pace attack in a five-wicket quarter-final win in Ahmedabad but that was on a pitch favouring spin. Even then, India collapsed to 187 for five chasing 261 for victory, and it needed a composed 57 not out from the in-form Yuvraj Singh, now back on his home ground, to see the co-hosts to victory.

Traditionally, the Mohali pitch has always offered plenty of pace and bounce and that could yet see Pakistan give Akhtar one last shot at India.

Pakistan's ability to make early inroads into a top order featuring Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir could be decisive.

India's bowlers, notably left-arm quick Zaheer Khan and off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, did a good containing job against Australia. India will look for similar results in a bid to book a place in the April 2 Mumbai final against either Sri Lanka or New Zealand.

"I think it's a great sign for both countries and sports, especially cricket always brings these two countries together," Afridi said.

Pakistan, who've yet to register an individual hundred at this event, have lost all four of their World Cup matches against India. However, Hafeez said: "Pakistan has not defeated India in the World Cup but in the last 12 years, Australia also had not lost a single World Cup game. But then they lost to us (by four wickets) and to India.

ISLAMABAD: Interpol Secretary General Ronald Nobel has revealed that terror bid during world Cup 2011 has been thwarted, Geo News reported.

He was addressing a joint press conference following his meeting with Interior Minister Rehman Malik.

Rehman Malik said that Taliban tried to enter India, adding that some people were arrested but none of them was Pakistani national.

Rehman while demanding immediate action against those fanatics involved in desecration of the Holy Quran urged Interpol secretary general to play his role. Ronald said that this act would encourage terrorists’ agenda.

He said that a man who traveled to Maldives from Karachi was arrested during the world cup, adding that the man had desires to conduct terrorism in Sri Lanka.

HANGU: At least five policemen have been killed and as many as 25 others sustained injuries as a result of a powerful explosion – apparently a suicide blast, near Doaaba police station here in Hangu early on Thursday, Geo News reported. According to reports, a suicide bomber driving an explosive-laden vehicle stormed at the Doaaba police station, ripping through the building, which killed five policemen and injured 25 more. Law Enforcement Agencies (LAE) officials have reached the crime site and kicked off rescue efforts as the poor injured police officials are being rushed to hospital for medical attainment. Doctors said some among injured are critical in condition.