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I should prefer to have a politician who regularly went to a massage parlour than one who promised a laptop computer for every teacher. –AN Wilson
News saturday, 19 October, 2013
Congress pulls Us back from brink, averts default last-gasp plan will stave off most pressing crisis by extenDing us treasury's borrowing authority until feb 7 WASHINGTON
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AGenCieS
HE United States was spared the ignominy of a disastrous debt default on Wednesday when Congress passed a bill extending the nation's borrowing authority and ending a two-week government shutdown. After weeks of tumultuous debate, the measure passed first with less than two hours to run until October 17, the date from which the Treasury had warned it might not be able to pay its bills. The last-gasp plan will stave off the most pressing crisis by extending the US Treasury's borrowing authority until February 7. Lawmakers also reached
agreement on re-opening shuttered federal agencies, bringing hundreds of thousands of furloughed employees back to work and funding government through January 15. Even before the acrimonious battle reached its finish with the House vote, US President Barack Obama said he would sign the bill "immediately" as he sought to heal the wounds caused by the showdown. But he also warned that Washington must stop governing by crisis. US leaders needed to "earn back" the trust of the American people in the aftermath of the crisis, Obama said. "We'll begin reopening our government immediately, and we can begin to lift this cloud of uncertainty and unease from our businesses and from the American people." The administration's budget director Sylvia Burwell said "employees should expect to return to work in the morning". With a bitterly divided Congress locked in stalemate for a month, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid worked behind closed doors with his Republican rival Senator Mitch McConnell to craft the compromise that had
eluded Washington. "The bipartisan senate rose to the occasion and broke this deadlock," number two Senate Democrat Dick Durbin said. The mood from many House Republicans was a begrudging acceptance of a deal many of them felt failed to address their desire to rein in outsized federal spending and roll back the president's healthcare law known as "Obamacare". House Budget chairman Paul Ryan, who voted against the bill, called it a "missed opportunity". "Today's legislation won't help us reduce our fastgrowing debt," he said." In my judgement, this isn't a breakthrough. We're just kicking the can down the road." While the deal was welcomed on Wall Street, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the broader S&P 500 index up almost 1.4 percent, the signs of a close-to-humiliating, last-minute bid to avert possible global economic turmoil were plain to see. The International Monetary Fund's managing director Christine Lagarde, who over the past week had pleaded with US lawmakers to come to their senses, praised them for taking the "necessary step" of lifting the debt
ceiling. "Looking forward, it will be essential to reduce uncertainty surrounding the conduct of fiscal policy by raising the debt limit in a more durable manner," she said. After the agreement was unveiled, House speaker John Boehner bowed to the inevitable and admitted there were "no reasons" to vote against the bill, while maintaining that Republicans didn't like its terms. "We fought the good fight, we did everything we could. They just kept saying no, no, no," Boehner said of lawmakers in Obama's Democratic Party. "Our drive to stop the train wreck that is the president's health care law will continue," Boehner added, apparently seeking to placate Tea Party-backed Republicans. The legislation would allow government to borrow beyond its current $16.7 trillion debt ceiling to meet its obligations. It also provides full retroactive pay to those ordered off the job during the shutdown. The US economy has faced uncharted waters during the more than two-week crisis, with the Treasury saying that from Thursday it would no longer be able to borrow more money and avert a devastating debt default.
nawaz promises to cut power MaLaLa aLL SMILeS aS She tariff after new projects start SkIPS SChooL to Meet QueeN pm mulling to call apc on energy after he returns from trip to washington LAHORE APP
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has said the recent increase in electricity prices was approved with a heavy heart, but the prices of electricity would be reduced after production from new power projects started. Addressing Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) parliamentarians, party workers and people from various walks of life after offering Eidul Azha prayers at Jati Umra on Wednesday, Nawaz expressed firm resolve to overcome the prevailing challenges of terrorism, extremism and energy crisis during the constitutional term of PML-N government with the support of people. The prime minister said the PML-N took charge of the government in a very difficult time when the country was facing a number of critical challenges. "By the grace of Allah Almighty, we are determined to make a bright future for Pakistan through hard work and come up to the expectations and aspirations of the people," he said. Nawaz said the government took all political parties on board for preparing common agenda to eradicate the menace of terrorism from the country. The prime minister said the government adopted the dialogue process to re-
Pm’s Us visit starts sUnday ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will undertake a four-day official visit to the United States of America (US) from Sunday. According to a Foreign Office spokesman‚ this will be the first bilateral official visit of the prime minister to the US in his present term. It is also the first official visit of a prime minister to the United States in five years. During the visit‚ the prime minister will hold wide ranging talks with US President Barack Obama which will be the first meeting of the two leaders. nni
mQm to take part in punjab lb polls KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Chairman Altaf Hussain announced on Friday that his party will take part in the local bodies (LB) elections in Punjab. In a telephonic address to MQM supporters in Lahore and Multan, he urged the people of Punjab to take lead against feudalism and save Pakistan. STAFF RePORT
store peace in country and hoped that the efforts of talks would be successful. Talking about the Karachi operation, Nawaz said the government was going to introduce new laws to counter crimes and terrorism that would ensure punishment to every criminal who killed innocent people. He said the criminals would be treated according to their crimes and misdeeds irrespective of their party affiliation. "We are going to take bold decisions for the sake of restoring peace and maintaining law and order in Karachi and everywhere in the country,” he added. He was of the opinion that eradication of terrorism and other crimes was key to restore peace in Karachi and other parts of the country in order to improve investment and end economic dependency on others. The prime minister appreciated the performance of law enforcement agencies in Karachi and the decrease in crimes to some extent. Nawaz said the energy crisis had become a major challenge that badly affected the economy of the country, adding that the government was fully committed to overcome it during its five-year constitutional term. APC ON ENERGY: Meanwhile, sources said that Prime Minister Sharif had decided to call an all-parties conference to discuss the energy situation in the country after he returns from his US visit. Sources said that the government had started making contact with political parties and it was likely that the moot would be held on October 26. However, the date would be finalised after the PM’s return from US.
saudi Arabia, angered over Mideast, declines security Council seat kingDom conDemns ‘international Double stanDarDs’ on miDDle east RIYADH AGenCieS
Saudi Arabia, in an unprecedented show of anger at the failure of the international community to end the war in Syria and act on other Middle East issues, said on Friday it would not take up its seat on the United Nations Security Council. The kingdom condemned what it called international double standards on the Middle East and demanded reforms in the Security Council, which has been at odds on ways to end the fighting in Syria. Riyadh's frustration is mostly directed at Washington, its oldest international ally, which has pursued policies since the Arab Spring that Saudi rulers have bitterly opposed and
which have severely damaged relations between the two, Saudi analysts have said. Saudi Arabia has also been angered by a rapprochement between Washington and Iran, Riyadh's old regional foe, which has taken root since President Barack Obama spoke by telephone last month to the new Iranian President, Hassan Rouhani, in the highest-level contact between the two countries in more than three decades. Citing the Security Council's failure to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian dispute, take steps to end Syria's civil war and stop nuclear proliferation in the region, Riyadh said the body had instead perpetuated conflicts and grievances. "Saudi Arabia ... is refraining from taking membership of the UN Security Council until it has reformed so it can effectively and practically perform its duties and discharge its responsibilities in maintaining international security and peace," said a Foreign Ministry statement.
LONDON AGenCieS
Malala Yousafzai was reduced to fits of laughter on Friday by Queen Elizabeth II’s husband Prince Philip as she met the royal couple at Buckingham Palace. The 16-year-old, who was shot by the Taliban for championing girls’ rights to an education, met Queen Elizabeth at a reception for youth, education and the Commonwealth. The activist survived being shot in the head on her school bus on October 9 last year and was sent for treatment to Britain where she now lives. Malala, accompanied by her father, gave the queen a copy of her autobiography, “I Am Malala”, telling her, “It is a great honour for me to be here, and I wanted to present you with this book.” Accepting the gift, the 87year-old monarch replied, “That’s very kind of you.” Malala told the queen, who is head of the Commonwealth, that she was passionate about every child around the world having a right to an education. “Especially in this country as well,” she added. ”I have heard about many children that can’t go to school, and I want to continue our work.” Prince Philip, 92, joked that in Britain, people wanted their children to go to school to get them out of the house – a comment that left Malala covering her face in a fit of giggles. The reception, in the palace’s White Drawing Room,
malala yoUsafzai to get honorary canadian citizenshiP MONITORING DESK A senior government official has confirmed that Canada will bestow honorary citizenship on Pakistani teenager Malala Yousafzai as part of Wednesday’s throne speech. Yousafzai, 16, survived a Taliban assassination attempt on her life for advocating for girls’ education. Yousafzai was shot in the head in October 2012 while going home from school. Her memoir “I am Malala” was published last week, when she became the youngest nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize. Yousafzai, who now lives in England with her family, was the youngest ever nominee last week for the Nobel Peace Prize, which was won by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. Malala will join the Dalai Lama, the Aga Khan and Nelson Mandela as the sixth person to be given honorary Canadian citizenship.
was attended by 350 guests from academic institutions around the world. After the attack last October, Malala was flown to Britain for specialist care at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birming-
ham, central England, named after the present monarch’s late mother. Malala has continued her education in the city while being feted in the West, addressing the United Nations and meeting US President Barack
Obama although she was passed over for the Nobel Peace Prize last week. At an event in Edinburgh on Saturday, Malala is set to be reunited with the two school friends who were injured alongside her.
pakistani-british couple found guilty of trafficking, molesting girl LONDON AGenCieS A senior British citizen of Pakistani origin, who trafficked a 10-year-old deaf and mute girl into Britain, keeping her in his cellar to claim benefits, was convicted of repeatedly raping her. According to British media reports, Ilyas Ashar, 84, was found guilty of 13 counts of rape against the girl, who is now in her 20s, after she was kept at the home he shared with his wife Tallat in Eccles, Salford, and made to sleep in the “sparse, cold and damp” cellar. Tallat Ashar, 68, was also found guilty of trafficking and benefit fraud at an earlier trial, as was her husband Ilyas. This can now be reported after the lifting of reporting restrictions, following Ilyas Ashar's conviction for rape at a retrial.
The couple will be sentenced at Manchester Crown Court on 23 October. The jury Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester heard that the girl, who is from Pakistan, and is profoundly deaf and cannot speak, was beaten and slapped as well as being forced to work for Ashar and his family and friends in virtual slavery as a domestic servant. Details of the victim’s ordeal only emerged after she was taught
sign language following her accidental discovery in 2009 by trading standards officers who had come to the couple’s house to investigate possible illegal activities. She was found in the cellar, which was described as "sparse, cold and damp". Police said the girl cleaned and cooked at the house, and was taken to other houses belonging to the family to carry out domestic chores. Ashar used his victim to satisfy
his sexual desires as well as enlisting his wife to use the girl’s details to steal more than £30,000 in benefits as well as set up several bank accounts in her name. Two female jurors wept as the guilty verdicts were delivered against Ilyas Ashar, who was warned by Judge Peter Lakin to expect a “substantial prison sentence”. The judge said he was excusing the jurors of further jury service for a decade after hearing traumatic evidence. Ashar had been convicted at an earlier trial of two counts of trafficking a person into the UK for exploitation and three counts relating to the fraudulent obtaining of benefits. Tallat Ashar, 68, and the couple’s daughter, Faaiza Ashar, 46, were also found guilty at the previous trial of benefit fraud charges.