2nd T20I: Zimbabwe v Pakistan at Harare, Aug 24, 2013

 

Pakistan won by 19 runs 

Match details

Toss Zimbabwe, who chose to field Series Pakistan won the 2-match series 2-0

Player of the match Ahmed Shehzad (Pakistan) Player of the series Ahmed Shehzad (Pakistan)

Umpires O Chirombe and RB Tiffin TV umpire TJ Matibiri Match referee JJ Crowe (New Zealand) Reserve umpire I Chabi

Match notes

Pakistan innings Powerplay: Overs 0.1 - 6.0 (Mandatory - 37 runs, 1 wicket) Pakistan: 50 runs in 7.3 overs (46 balls), Extras 4 2nd Wicket: 50 runs in 37 balls (Ahmed Shehzad 30, Mohammad Hafeez 20, Ex 2) Pakistan: 100 runs in 13.2 overs (81 balls), Extras 4 Ahmed Shehzad: 50 off 42 balls (4 x 4, 3 x 6) 2nd Wicket: 100 runs in 65 balls (Ahmed Shehzad 64, Mohammad Hafeez 34, Ex 2) Pakistan: 150 runs in 17.5 overs (108 balls), Extras 4 Mohammad Hafeez: 50 off 36 balls (3 x 4, 2 x 6) Innings Break: Pakistan - 179/1 in 20.0 overs (Ahmed Shehzad 98, Mohammad Hafeez 54) Zimbabwe innings Powerplay: Overs 0.1 - 6.0 (Mandatory - 44 runs, 0 wicket) Zimbabwe: 50 runs in 6.6 overs (43 balls), Extras 9 1st Wicket: 50 runs in 43 balls (V Sibanda 23, H Masakadza 18, Ex 9) Zimbabwe: 100 runs in 13.6 overs (85 balls), Extras 11 Zimbabwe: 150 runs in 19.1 overs (116 balls), Extras 13

1st T20I: Zimbabwe v Pakistan Pakistan won by 25 runs

		Pakistan innings (20 overs maximum)		R	M	B	4s	6s	SR
		Ahmed Shehzad	c Waller b SW Masakadza	70	79	50	6	1	140.00
		Nasir Jamshed	c Vitori b Chatara	2	10	5	0	0	40.00
		Mohammad Hafeez*	c †Taylor b Chatara	3	8	8	0	0	37.50
		Umar Amin	c †Taylor b Utseya	14	21	18	1	0	77.77
		Sohaib Maqsood	c Sibanda b Chigumbura	26	23	16	1	2	162.50
		Shahid Afridi	not out	23	26	16	1	1	143.75
		Anwar Ali	not out	10	12	7	1	0	142.85
		Extras	(lb 5, w 8)	13
		Total	(5 wickets; 20 overs; 92 mins)	161	(8.05 runs per over)

Did not bat Sarfraz Ahmed†, Saeed Ajmal, Sohail Tanvir, Mohammad Irfan

Fall of wickets 1-14 (Nasir Jamshed, 1.5 ov), 2-21 (Mohammad Hafeez, 3.2 ov), 3-51 (Umar Amin, 8.2 ov), 4-106 (Sohaib Maqsood, 14.3 ov), 5-135 (Ahmed Shehzad, 17.2 ov)

Zimbabwe innings (target: 162 runs from 20 overs)		R	B	4s	6s	SR
	H Masakadza	lbw b Anwar Ali	18	16	3	0	112.50
	V Sibanda	b Shahid Afridi	31	42	3	0	73.80
	BRM Taylor*†	not out	32	30	3	0	106.66
	SC Williams	lbw b Mohammad Hafeez	9	7	1	0	128.57
	T Maruma	st †Sarfraz Ahmed b Shahid Afridi	10	13	1	0	76.92
	E Chigumbura	b Shahid Afridi	6	5	1	0	120.00
	MN Waller	not out	14	7	1	1	200.00
	Extras	(b 5, lb 2, w 9)	16
	Total	(5 wickets; 20 overs)	136	(6.80 runs per over)

Did not bat P Utseya, TL Chatara, SW Masakadza, BV Vitori

Fall of wickets 1-53 (H Masakadza, 7.5 ov), 2-80 (Sibanda, 12.2 ov), 3-89 (Williams, 13.3 ov), 4-111 (Maruma, 17.1 ov), 5-117 (Chigumbura, 17.6 ov)

Pakistan Bowling

	Sohail Tanvir	4	0	23	0	5.75	(2w)
	Mohammad Irfan	3	0	18	0	6.00
	Anwar Ali	3	0	21	1	7.00
	Saeed Ajmal	4	0	30	0	7.50	(2w)
	Shahid Afridi	4	0	25	3	6.25
	Mohammad Hafeez	2	0	12	1	6.00	(1w

Zimbabwe Bowling

	P Utseya	4	0	15	1	3.75	(1w)
	TL Chatara	4	0	30	2	7.50	(3w)
	BV Vitori	4	0	26	0	6.50	(2w)
	SW Masakadza	4	0	37	1	9.25	(2w)
	SC Williams	2	0	18	0	9.00
	E Chigumbura	2	0	30	1	15.00

Match details

Toss Zimbabwe, who chose to field Series Pakistan led the 2-match series 1-0

T20I debut Sohaib Maqsood (Pakistan) Player of the match Ahmed Shehzad (Pakistan)

Umpires O Chirombe and TJ Matibiri TV umpire RB Tiffin Match referee JJ Crowe (New Zealand) Reserve umpire L Rusere

Match notes

• • Powerplay: Overs 0.1 - 6.0 (Mandatory - 37 runs, 2 wickets)
  • Pakistan: 50 runs in 7.6 overs (48 balls), Extras 12
  • Pakistan: 100 runs in 14.1 overs (85 balls), Extras 12
  • 4th Wicket: 50 runs in 36 balls (Ahmed Shehzad 29, Sohaib Maqsood 26, Ex 0)
  • Ahmed Shehzad: 50 off 41 balls (5 x 4)
  • Pakistan: 150 runs in 18.5 overs (113 balls), Extras 13
  • Innings Break: Pakistan - 161/5 in 20.0 overs (Shahid Afridi 23, Anwar Ali 10)

  • Powerplay: Overs 0.1 - 6.0 (Mandatory - 42 runs, 0 wicket)
  • Zimbabwe: 50 runs in 7.1 overs (43 balls), Extras 11
  • 1st Wicket: 50 runs in 43 balls (H Masakadza 18, V Sibanda 23, Ex 11)
  • Zimbabwe: 100 runs in 15.5 overs (95 balls), Extras 15

1st T20I: Zimbabwe v Pakistan at Harare, Aug 23, 2013

Match scheduled to begin at 13:30 local time (11:30 GMT)

Current time: 05:45 local, 03:45 GMT | Match begins in: 7:45

Zimbabwe squad
 BRM Taylor*†, TL Chatara,
 CJ Chibhabha, E Chigumbura,
 T Maruma, SW Masakadza, N Mushangwe,  
TC Mutombodzi, T Panyangara, V Sibanda,
 Sikandar Raza, P Utseya, BV Vitori, MN Waller, SC Williams

Pakistan squad
Mohammad Hafeez*, Ahmed Shehzad, Anwar Ali, 
 Asad Ali, Haris Sohail, Junaid Khan, 
 Mohammad Irfan, Nasir Jamshed,  
Saeed Ajmal, Sarfraz Ahmed†, Shahid Afridi,  
Sohaib Maqsood, Sohail Tanvir, Umar Amin, Zulfiqar Babar 

England win fourth Ashes Test and series

CHESTER-LE-STREET: England won the fourth Test against Australia at Chester-le-Street by 74 runs with more than a day to spare on Monday to take an unbeatable 3-0 lead in the five-match Ashes series.

Australia, set 299 to win, were well-placed at 168 for two but collapsed to 224 all out on the fourth day as paceman Stuart Broad took six wickets for 50 runs for a Test-best match haul of 11 for 121.

This was the first time England, who had already retained the Ashes, had won three successive Test series against Australia since the 1950s.

Australia will now look to end a run of eight straight Tests without a win in the final match of the series at The Oval in south London, starting August 21. (AFP)

Indian forces violate ceasefire 3rd time in a day at LoC

RAWALPINDI: Indian forces violated ceasefire at the Line of Control (LoC) for the third time on Monday, Geo News reported.

Military sources said India’s Border Security (BSF) opened unprovoked fire at 8:50PM on Monday at checkposts in Nakyal sector, however, Pakistani forces responded in a befitting manner.

Sources said BSF opened fire at Nangatopa and Panama checkposts.

It was third time the Indian forces violated ceasefire in a day.

Margalla towers collapse accused arrested in Greece

ATHENS: Greek police have arrested an accused, wanted by Pakistan in Margalla towers, which crumbled following an earthquake in October 2005.

Dozens of people were killed after the building collapsed.

Police said 71-year-old was detained as his international arrest warrant had been issued.

Pakistani origin British national, was arrested at airport after he was to leave for UK from Zakynthos island.

UN Secretary-General arrives in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon arrived in Islamabad late Monday night on a two-day visit, Geo News reported.

The UN chief will call on President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the Speaker National Assembly besides military leadership.

He will attend the 14th August Flag hoisting ceremony as a special guest. He will also be inaugurating the Center for International Peace and Stability at the National University of Science and Technology in Islamabad and will attend an event on youth and education.

A UN statement said "In line with Malala Day last month he will meet with students in Islamabad to discuss efforts to promote and expand quality education for all".

Ban is visiting Pakistan at a time of tense situation at LoC, where India has been violating ceasefire.

Pakistan will likely to raise issue of Pak-India tense situation with Ban Ki-moon.

Train collides with car, kills four in Rajanpur

RAJANPUR: At least four people were killed in a car-train collision near Muhammadpur area in Rajanpur, Geo News reported.

Police said Peshawar bound Khushhal Khan Khattak Express smashed into the car, crossing the railways line at Jhok Mahar, killing four people on the spot.

The bodies were shifted to nearby hospital.

Pakistan mulls cutting mission staff in India

ISLAMABAD: An Indian newspaper has claimed that Pakistan foreign office had advised PM Nawaz Sharif to reduce its diplomatic staff in New Delhi after threats to them and violation of ceasefire by Indian forces at Line of Control (LoC).

The newspaper claimed that Pakistan was considering to cut its diplomatic staff after Indian authorities failed to provide proper security to diplomatic missions.

Pakistan on Monday summoned Indian High Commissioner to foreign office and expressed its reservations over violation of ceasefire by India’s security forces.

Indian forces opened unprovoked fire on Pakistani positions three times in a day on Monday.

Asian markets mostly up

HONG KONG: Asian markets mostly rose Tuesday with Tokyo lifted by a weaker yen ahead of fresh numbers that will give an indication of the strength of the US economy.

Tokyo climbed 1.35 percent by the break after slipping on Monday following disappointing Japanese growth figures.

Seoul rose 0.53 percent, Sydney was up 0.12 percent and Hong Kong opened 0.44 percent higher. But Chinese shares were down 0.14 percent.

Shares in Tokyo were boosted by a fall in the yen against the dollar. Investors bought back Tokyo shares as the greenback rose to 97.30 yen in early trade, compared with 96.90 yen in New York Monday.

The euro was at $1.3292 and 129.31 yen, mixed from $1.3299 and 128.84 yen in New York.

Investors are also closely watching a string of data releases due this week from the United States.

Figures for retail sales, housing and industrial production will give the markets clues as to whether the Federal Reserve could begin to taper its huge $85 billion a month quantitative easing programme which has buoyed international markets in recent months.

Retail data are expected on Tuesday while housing and industrial figures will be released later in the week.

US markets closed flat on Monday with the The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipping 0.04 percent while the Nasdaq Composite Index gained 0.27 percent.

European stocks also closed mixed as investors kept their positions amid heightening concerns of yet another Greek bailout, dealers said.

In oil markets, New York's main contract, West Texas Intermediate for delivery in September, was down four cents at $106.07 a barrel in morning Asian trade. Brent North Sea crude for September gained two cents to $108.99.

Gold continued its recent rise, selling at $1332.97 an ounce at 0210 GMT compared with $1,323.23 late Monday and $1,309.00 late Friday. (AFP)

Philippine rescuers race to help typhoon-hit towns

MANILA: Philippine rescuers cleared landslide-choked roads on Tuesday in an effort to reach isolated villages that were devastated by deadly Typhoon Utor, which left tens of thousands of people homeless.

The government reported that two people had been confirmed killed and 11 others were missing after Utor, the strongest storm this year, swept across the north of the country on Monday.

"Trees have fallen down, roofs have been torn off houses, electric poles and electric towers have collapsed," said National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council spokesman Reynaldo Balido, describing chaos from coastal towns to mountain villages hundreds of kilometres (miles) apart.

One of the top priorities for rescuers were three towns in Aurora province on the east coast of the main island of Luzon that were in Utor's direct path when it made landfall before dawn on Monday.

The towns, home to about 45,000 people, were still completely cut off on Tuesday morning, according to Aurora disaster chief Elson Egargue.

He said the mayor of one of the towns, Casiguran, reported that 95 percent of the buildings in the town had been destroyed.

Rescuers deployed earthmoving equipment on Tuesday to clear the national highway leading to the three towns, which was blocked in several areas by landslides, floods and fallen tree trunks, Egargue said.

However Egargue and Balido said officials had not reported any major deaths, giving cause for optimism.

Driver who killed China protester released early: media

BEIJING: A truck driver jailed for crushing a Chinese village chief to death in a case that inspired a film by dissident artist Ai Weiwei has been released early, media said Tuesday.

The death of Qian Yunhui, 53, raised suspicions that he had been murdered for campaigning over land seizures in the eastern province of Zhejiang, and the Global Times said that local residents had "suspected foul play".

Fei Liangyu was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison in February 2011.

But his sentence was reduced because of "good behaviour" and he was released on June 24, said the Communist Party mouthpiece the People's Daily.

It did not give further details or explain the delay in the news coming to light.

Two dead, several injured in Norway bus crash

OSLO: Two people were killed and several seriously injured on Monday when two buses, one Norwegian and one Swedish with foreign tourists aboard, collided in western Norway, local authorities said.

The NTB news agency said that a woman from Norway and a woman from Taiwan had died.

The frontal collision took place late Monday afternoon as the two buses travelled on a road connecting the towns of Sogndal and Lekanger, the head of local police operations, Hans Petter Harlem, said.

Sogndal mayor Jarle Aarvoll told news channel TV2 Nyhetskanalen that two people were killed and several were seriously injured.

According to police, a total of around 30 passengers were on board the two buses. The nationalities of the passengers were not immediately known.

Aarvoll said some of them were Chinese, while police said some were Taiwanese.

Taiwan's government said Tuesday that one Taiwanese tourist was killed and seven others were injured in the collision.

The deceased was identified as 26-year-old Lin Wen-ling while two women were seriously injured and five others had minor injuries, said the Tourism Bureau.

They were with a 23-member tour group, including a guide, that was on a 13-day trip to Scandinavia that left Taiwan on Thursday, the bureau said, adding that the injured had been hospitalised.

Jihadists claim rocket attack on Israel

CAIRO: A group of jihadist fighters said Tuesday they had fired a Grad rocket on the Israeli Red Sea town of Eilat in retaliation for an alleged Israeli air raid.

The Mujahideen Shura Council said in a statement published on a jihadist
forum its fighters fired the rocket at 1:00 am (2300 GMT Monday). The statement did not say whether the rocket attack caused any damage or
injuries.

The rocket, fired from the Sinai, was "a quick response to the last crime by the Jews after one of their drones bombed the Sinai peninsula killing four mujahideen" on Friday.

Another jihadist group, Egypt's Ansar Beit al-Maqdis which has claimed
allegiance to Al-Qaeda and repeated attacks on Israeli targets, has blamed the Jewish state for the Friday strike.

The group accused the Egyptian army of coordinating the attack with Israel, and threatened more strikes against the Jewish state.

"How can the Egyptian army allow the Zionist unmanned planes to cross into Egyptian territory," the statement asked.

Egypt's military has denied the claim.

Libya says 14,000 prisoners still on the run

TRIPOLI: Some 14,000 prisoners who escaped from various Libyan detention centres after the 2011 uprising against Moamer Kadhafi are still on the run, the interior minister said Monday.

Speaking less than three weeks after more than 1,200 detainees escaped during riots from a prison in the eastern city of Benghazi, Mohamed al-Cheikh told ministry officials the interior and justice ministries were "working together to get them back to prison so they can serve out their sentences".

"No fewer than 14,000 former prisoners who were serving sentences including capital punishment and life are still totally free after fleeing from prison," said Cheikh.

"This situation is one of Libya's problems," the official news agency Lana quoted him as saying.

Libya's authorities have been struggling to reestablish law and order and form a professional police and army since the fall of the regime of longtime dictator Kadhafi.

On August 1, in the latest in a string of incidents, 18 prisoners escaped during an attack on a Libyan police vehicle taking them back to prison from a courthouse in the capital.

August 14 change of guards’ dress rehearsal at Quaid’s Mausoleum held

KARACHI: August 14, the Independence Day change of guards’ dress rehearsal at the mausoleum of the father of the nation Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah was held Tuesday early morning here, Geo News reported.

A smartly turned out Pak Navy contingent laid wreath on the mausoleum and held dress rehearsal of the parade for August 14. Pak Naval Academy Commandant, Muhammad Ilyas Zahid also participated in the rehearsal.

Special security arrangements were made around the Mazar-e-Quaid on this occasion.

Islamic party enforces shutdown in Bangladesh

DHAKA: Bangladesh's largest Islamic party is enforcing a 48-hour general strike across the country to denounce a court decision that its registration with the Election Commission is invalid.

On Aug. 1, a High Court panel ruled that the Jamaat-e-Islami party's regulations violate the constitutional provision of secularism by saying it wants to impose Sharia law. Because of the court decision the party could be barred from taking part in the next elections.

TV stations report that party activists took to the streets, blocked roads and burned tyres to enforce the shutdown across the country on Tuesday, the first day of the shutdown. No major violence was reported.

The ruling came amid calls to ban the party for opposing the country's 1971 independence war against Pakistan.

First Indian nuclear submarine set for open sea trials

NEW DELHI: India announced Saturday that its first indigenously-built nuclear submarine is ready for sea trials, a step before it becomes fully operational, and called it a "giant stride" for the nation.

India unveiled the 6,000-ton INS Arihant -- Destroyer of Enemies -- in 2009 as part of a project to built five such vessels which would be armed with nuclear-tipped missiles and torpedoes.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said he was "delighted to learn that the nuclear propulsion reactor on board INS Arihant, India's first indigenous nuclear powered submarine, has now achieved criticality".

Criticality refers to the point at which a nuclear reaction is self-sustaining.

Singh described the development as "a giant stride in the progress of our indigenous technological capabilities" and said he hoped to see the submarine commissioned soon.

Arihant is powered by an 85-megawatt nuclear reactor and can reach 44 kilometres an hour (24 knots), according to defence officials. It will carry a 95-member crew.

India earlier activated the atomic reactor on-board the INS Arihant, paving the way it to begin sea trials.

The Indian navy inducted a Russian-leased nuclear submarine into service in April 2012, joining China, France, the United States, Britain and Russia in the elite club of countries with nuclear-powered vessels.

Nuclear submarines can function underwater without needing to surface regularly to be recharged, unlike their conventional diesel-electric counterparts.

India is due to receive the first of six Franco-Spanish diesel-electric Scorpene submarines in 2015, part of a multi-billion dollar project to modernise its navy.

The submarine announcement came just two days before India was due to launch its first indigenous aircraft carrier "INS Vikrant".

Almost 80 killed in Iraq car bomb attacks

BAGHDAD: A series of car bombs in Baghdad killed 57 people and wounded more than 150 on Saturday, in what appeared to be coordinated attacks on people celebrating the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

The 12 separate blasts targeting markets, busy shopping streets and parks where families like to mark Eid were part of a surge in sectarian violence in Iraq since the start of the year.

This has been one of the deadliest Ramadan months in years, with regular bomb attacks killing scores of people, especially in the capital. The latest bombings were similar to attacks in Baghdad on Tuesday in which 50 died.

More than 1,000 Iraqis have been killed in July, the highest monthly death toll since 2008, according to the United Nations.

The Interior Ministry has said the country faced an "open war" fuelled by Iraq's sectarian divisions and has ramped up security in Baghdad, closing roads and sending out frequent helicopter patrols.

On Saturday, the president of Iraqi Kurdistan said his region was prepared to defend Kurds living in neighbouring Syria, in what appeared to be the first warning of a possible intervention and a further sign that the conflict is spilling over Syria's borders.

Outside Baghdad, a suicide bomber detonated a bomb in a car on a busy street in the town of Tuz Khurmato, 170 km (105 miles) north of the capital, killing at least 10 people and wounding 45, medical and police sources said.

Tuz Khurmato is located in a particularly violent region over which both the central government and autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan claim jurisdiction.

Police believe the bomber was trying to reach the local headquarters of a Kurdish political party, but was unable to reach the building because of increased security in the area, a police source said.

In the town of Nassiriya, 300 km (185 miles) southeast of Baghdad, twin car bombs near a park killed six people and wounded 25, police and medical sources said.

Pictures showed metal shop fronts contorted by one of the blasts, with blackened scraps of debris littering the ground. Two tyres on an axle were all that was left of one of the cars used in the attack.

Car bombs also hit the city of Kerbala, killing four and wounding 11, and targeted a mosque in the northern city of Kirkuk, killing one worshipper and wounding five.

Four killed, three injured in Karachi violence

KARACHI: Four more people were killed while three others sustained injuries in ongoing incidents of firing and violence in the metropolis.

According to rescue sources, four people sustained injuries in a firing incident that took place in a hotel in Baldia town. One of the injured succumbed to his wounds in the hospital.

Two groups clashed on personal enmity in Lasbela area, killing at least one person and triggering tension in the area.

In Orangi town, a motorbike rider was shot dead while in Garden area, a woman was killed in a firing incident.

Curfew in Sri Lankan capital after mosque attack

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan police on Saturday declared a curfew in the capital, Colombo, to prevent possible religious clashes after a Buddhist mob threw rocks and vandalized a mosque, injuring at least seven worshippers.

A trustee for the mosque in Colombo, A. Hameed, said that four of the seven worshippers hurt in the attack on Masjid Deenul Islam have been hospitalized.

Police spokesman Buddika Siriwardena said two police officers were injured while trying to prevent clashes between the Buddhist mob and Muslim youth who gathered to defend the mosque.

``There is a limit to our patience, there is no point regretting if this breaks out into a major clash. But some fools do not understand this,'' said Mohamed Miflal, a Muslim community worker. ``I ask the authorities give us enough protection.''

Buddhist nationalist groups complain that Muslims are dominating businesses and are conspiring to take over the country demographically by increasing their birthrate and secretly sterilizing Sinhalese.

Since September 2011 more than 30 attacks on Muslim-owned businesses have been reported.

Mystery of Texas grave next to Oswald's solved

NEW YORK: For years, curiosity seekers visiting the Fort Worth, Texas, grave of Lee Harvey Oswald have wondered about the simple headstone next door, marked Nick Beef.

It turns out Nick Beef is alive and living in New York.

The New York Times reports that the 56-year-old man who uses that name purchased the cemetery plot next to Oswald's in 1975 and had the granite marker placed there in 1997.

Beef, born Patric Abedin, now lives in Manhattan and calls himself a nonperforming performance artist.

On Nov. 21, 1963, President John F. Kennedy and his wife, Jacqueline, landed at the former Carswell Air Force Base in Fort Worth as part of a two-day Texas tour.

Beef, then 6 years old, was sitting on the shoulders of a military police officer in the crowd when the first couple passed just a few feet away.

Oswald shot Kennedy the next day.

Young Patric used to sometimes visit Oswald's grave with his mother. He recalled that she told him: "Never forget that you got to see Kennedy the night before he died."

When he was 18, Beef read that the burial plot next to Oswald's was available. He bought it for $17.50 down and 16 monthly payments of $10.

Beef said he has often asked himself why he wanted it. "It meant something to me in life," is the only answer he can come up with.

Beef moved to New York, married, had two children and divorced. He did some freelance comedy writing using the name Nick Beef, a moniker he came up with while joking around with a friend.

His mother died in late 1996 and he returned to Texas to arrange her funeral.

He told the Times that during his stay, he visited his burial plot and decided to buy a gravestone with the exact dimensions as Oswald's.

He told the cemetery official to inscribe it Nick Beef.

He has no plans to ever be buried there. He said he would prefer to be cremated.

Chinese state media: 4 citizens killed in Kabul

BEIJING: Chinese state media say four Chinese citizens have been killed following an attack in an apartment building in the Afghan capital, Kabul.

The official Xinhua News Agency reported late Saturday that two women and one man were killed in the building on Thursday and two other Chinese men were missing. Citing the Chinese Embassy in Afghanistan, Xinhua said one of the missing men has been found alive and transferred to a safe place. China Central Television reported Saturday that the body of the second man had been found.

CCTV said the deceased were engaged in privately run small-scale business in Afghanistan.

No statement was available on the embassy's website and no potential motive was mentioned.

Xinhua says it remains unclear whether the attack was purposefully targeting Chinese nationals.

Guantanamo braces for unrest after Ramadan truce

US NAVAL BASE AT GUANTANAMO BAY: The end of Ramadan has left authorities at the Guantanamo Bay military jail preparing for an uptick in unrest at the controversial prison, US officials say.

The annual Muslim fast is traditionally regarded as an unofficial truce at Guantanamo, where some inmates have been held for around a decade without trial.

However officials expect the end of Ramadan and the festival of Eid al-Fitr will be the cue for trouble at Guantanamo, which has witnessed an unprecedented six-month hunger strike this year.

Some inmates at Guantanamo have taken advantage of a tailored menu to
observe the Eid holiday. This weekend inmates were offered halal chicken, halal beef, lamb, dates, honey, says kitchen manager Sam Scott.

Some 38 other hunger-striking inmates, however, will continue to be
force-fed by tubes, a practice which has been widely condemned by rights groups.

The number of prisoners on hunger-strike has fallen, possibly as a result of Ramadan, when authorities traditionally offer to wipe clean the slates of inmates facing disciplinary proceedings.

Guantanamo public affairs chief Captain Robert Durand said it "remained to be seen" whether inmates would resume their hunger-strike now that Ramadan was over.

"We did begin Ramadan with what we call a Ramadan pardon," he explained.
"Some welcomed that opportunity; for some of them it was not a matter of two days before they began insulting guards.

"We're not expected to see a massive disturbance but we will see an uptick in misbehaviors as we come out of Ramadan," he added.

"Misbehavior" can take different forms, from hurling urine and faeces and spitting to punching. "If there's a window of opportunity for a detainee for acting out, many will take that opportunity," said Durand, who reported a calmer atmosphere in the camp during Ramadan.

Guantanamo commander John Bogdan said detainees were generally more
compliant during Ramadan. "The detainees tend to be a little more cooperative during the month," Bogdan told AFP. "It doesn't stop all their assaults but it reduces significantly.

"We've had several detainees over the last several few months that have
been very compliant following the rules that we began to offer them -- communal operations again, living together in groups instead of individual cells," the camp commander added.

The vast majority of Guantanamo prisoners have been detained in individual cells since a major protest on April 13 which led to rubber bullets being fire after several surveillance cameras were broken.

Zak, a cultural advisor employed by the Pentagon to serve as a link between the inmates and their jailers, said the spike in trouble earlier this year was normal given that camp authorities usually offered an amnesty for Ramadan.

"Before Ramadan they act out more because they know after Ramadan they're going back to zero," he said.

Joshua Holmes, a guard at Guantanamo's Camp 5, said he had been spat at.
"I've been spit in my face," he said. "We've had a couple (of incidents), nothing very major, just like minor stuff. "There's been quite a few (urine) splash, assaults and stuff like this."

At least one nurse had been punched while attempting to insert a feeding a tube into a hunger-striker.

Prison guard James Boudreau meanwhile said staff remained unfazed by
abusive prisoners. "If you get splashed or somebody spits on you . . . you can't just not do your job anymore," Boudreau said. "It will affect you, but it's the kind of training we received, you have to be vigilant, you can't just blindly go and open the detainee door, you know what could happen."

Overnight death toll in Karachi rises to 5

KARACHI: Five persons were killed and four injured in separate incidents in different parts of the metropolitan city overnight until Sunday morning here, Geo News reported.

Rescue sources said that four persons were injured in firing at a hotel in Baldia Town, who were immediately rushed to the hospital, but two of them succumbed to their injuries.

One person was killed and one injured in Lasbela, when two groups clashed over some personal dispute. Following the incident, some enraged demonstrators torching tyres blocked the road leading to Garden from Lasbela.

Meanwhile, one woman fell prey to stray bullets at Garden traffic signal.

On the other hand, two persons including motorbike rider were gunned down in two separate incidents in Orangi Town.

Commercial banks directed to keep maximum cash in ATMs

KARACHI: State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has directed all the commercial bank to keep maximum cash in automated teller machines (ATMs) so as to facilitate masses on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr, Geo News reported.

The SBP, taking notice of public complaints about shortage of cash in ATMs, has directed the banks keep maximum cash to ensure uninterrupted operations during the Eid holidays.

It also directed for maintenance of out of order machines in 24 hours.

The SBP further said it had also received complaints pertaining to shortage of cash on the occasion of Eid last year.

Commercial banks directed to keep maximum cash in ATMs

KARACHI: State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has directed all the commercial bank to keep maximum cash in automated teller machines (ATMs) so as to facilitate masses on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr, Geo News reported.

The SBP, taking notice of public complaints about shortage of cash in ATMs, has directed the banks keep maximum cash to ensure uninterrupted operations during the Eid holidays.

It also directed for maintenance of out of order machines in 24 hours.

The SBP further said it had also received complaints pertaining to shortage of cash on the occasion of Eid last year.

Chicken prices go up ahead of Eid

KARACHI: Chicken prices have witnessed major hike in Karachi ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr, Geo News reported.

Market sources said retail fresh chicken meat price was up by Rs10 per kg to Rs270 per kg on Wednesday while Rs20 per kg increase was witnessed in broiler, bringing it to Rs180 per kg.

It may be noted here that official rates of chicken meat were fixed at Rs210 per kg by Commissioner Karachi, however, the suppliers were minting money by raising Rs40 per kg in two week.

Unnecessary Indian allegations to undermine peace efforts: Nisar

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has said that unnecessary Indian allegations would undermine the peace efforts between two countries.

Nisar severally criticized New Delhi for accusing Pakistan Army of attacking Indian troops 5 kilometer inside the boundary line. He mocked the Indian allegations as to how the Pak Army could launch such an attack deep inside the boundary line.

He said that hue and cry of Indian government and media was beyond comprehension. Nisar said that New Delhi should avoid shifting the responsibility of its failures to the Pakistan Army.

He said that Pakistan wanted peace and good relations between both the countries but it was possible only through bilateral efforts.

Egypt PM vows to disperse Islamist protest camps: TV

CAIRO: Egypt's Prime Minister Hazem al-Beblawi vowed on Wednesday that Islamist protest camps in Cairo will be dispersed, after the presidency announced the failure of foreign mediation with Mohamed Morsi's supporters.

"There will be no going back on dispersing the Rabaa and Nahda sit-ins," state television quoted him as saying of two Cairo protest camps set up after the army ousted Morsi as president on July 3.

"We did not disperse the sit-ins till now out of respect for the sanctity of the month of Ramadan," he added, referring to the holy Muslim fasting month that ends on Wednesday night in Egypt.

Ashes batsmen under investigation - report

SYDNEY: Cricket officials are investigating whether players in the Ashes series have been using silicone tape on their bats to avoid nicks being detected by "Hot Spot" technology, an Australian TV station reported Wednesday.

Australian skipper Michael Clarke and England batsman Kevin Pietersen both denied any knowledge of the use of silicone-based tape, saying such a practice would amount to cheating.

Australia's Channel Nine said the International Cricket Council (ICC) general manager of cricket, Geoff Allardice, would be investigating the matter in Durham, where the fourth Test begins on Friday.

An ICC spokesman confirmed that Allardice would be arriving in Durham on Thursday to meet the two teams to address their concerns on the controversial Decision Review System (DRS) but declined to comment on the alleged use of silicone-based tape.

Nine did not provide sources and gave no details of whether the Australian or England batsmen may have been using the tape to fool Hot Spot, which uses thermal cameras to see if a batsman has hit the ball, either with his bat or pad.

But it suggested both sides were under suspicion.

Australian skipper Michael Clarke told the Sydney Morning Herald he had no knowledge of tape being used to fox the technology, which is often used to review dismissals.

"If that's the case, then we're talking about cheating and I can guarantee there is not one person in the Australian change room that will cheat," Clarke said.

"That's not the way we play cricket.

"It's hard for me to talk for other players but I've never heard any conversation about that in the Australian change room and I can guarantee you my bat manufacturer (doesn't do that). I didn't know there was such a thing you could do to hide nicking the ball on Hot Spot."

Controversy has raged over the effectiveness of the Decision Review System during the five-match series, in which England retained the Ashes after winning the first two games and drawing the third.

Hot Spot technology uses an infra-red imaging system to determine whether a batsman has made contact with a ball -- with a bright mark often detected on the bat where the ball has hit.

Channel Nine said there was concern regarding Pietersen's dismissal in the second innings of the third Test, when a noise was heard indicating a nick but no Hot Spot was detected on the bat.

Pietersen described the report as "horrible journalism" and "hurtful lies".

"I am never afraid of getting out! If I nick it, I'll walk. To suggest I cheat by covering my bat with silicon infuriates me," he tweeted.

"How stupid would I be to try & hide a nick when it could save me on an LBW appeal, like in 1st innings where hotspot showed I nicked it," he added.

The Australian newspaper said Nine sources had indicated that the coating on modern bats could have been the reason that some faint edges were not detected by Hot Spot.

Cricket Australia said it had no immediate comment on the report.

"Until such time as we have clarification from the ICC and further details, then we are not in a position to make any further comment," a spokesman told AFP.

Lahore, Faisalabad declared high-risk dengue cities

LAHORE: Faisalabad and Lahore have been declared high-risk for dengue as 19 cases were confirmed in the cities following the rains.

Dengue is spreading in the province due to the failure of the health department and local administration. The number of dengue patients is expected to rise as the fumigation drive has not taken place in August.

In the last 24 hours, eight new dengue cases were confirmed, with four patients each from Lahore and Faisalabad. Separate wards have been set up in hospitals for the treatment of dengue patients.

First likely case of H7N9 bird flu spread by humans reported

PARIS: Chinese scientists on Wednesday reported the first likely case of direct person-to-person transmission of the H7N9 bird flu virus that has killed over 40 people since March.

The development was "worrying" and should be closely watched, the team wrote in the British online journal bmj.com, but stressed that the virus, believed to jump from birds to people, was still inadept at spreading among humans.

"People should not panic," epidemiologist Chang-jun Bao of the hard-hit Jiangsu province's Center for Disease Control and Prevention, told AFP of the report that he co-authored.

"The transmissibility of this novel virus... was not so effective."

Scientists have long feared the virus would mutate into a form that transmits easily from person to person.

In the new study, Bao and a team report on the case of a 60-year-old man who died in hospital after contracting the H7N9 virus, which he apparently transmitted to his daughter.

The 32-year-old woman, who had nursed her father for over a week, also died in hospital.

She had had no access to potentially infected poultry, leading investigators to conclude that the "most likely explanation" for her illness was direct virus transmission from her father, who had regularly visited live poultry markets.

"Aside from the exposure to her father's respiratory secretions during her bedside care, the daughter had no definite exposure to poultry or other suspect sources of infection," said Bao.

Genetic tests of virus samples from the two patients also revealed they were "almost identical".

Despite this apparent evidence of direct transmission, the virus's transmissibility remained "limited and non-sustainable," said the paper. None of 43 other people who had had close contact with the two patients, including hospital staff, contracted the virus.

"These findings suggest that potential genetic susceptibility might be one of the determinants and that avian influenza viruses... are more easily transmitted between individuals with genetic connection," said the paper.

The scientists noted they had been unable to interview the two critically ill patients and could not definitively rule out the possibility that the daughter picked up the virus somewhere else, although this seemed "less likely".

Official figures released last month said the H7N9 virus had made 132 people ill in mainland China since the first human cases were reported in March, of which 43 died. One case was recorded in Taiwan.

A study in June warned that a lull in new infections may lift in the autumn.

The results of a lab study published in the US journal Science in May showed the H7N9 strain can spread among mammals, specifically ferrets, and could do the same between humans under certain conditions.

H7 influenza viruses comprise a group that normally circulate among birds, of which H7N9 forms a subgroup that had never been found in humans until the Chinese outbreak.

Commenting on the paper in a BMJ editorial, researchers James Rudge and Richard Coker of the Communicable Diseases Policy Research Group in Thailand said it provided the "strongest evidence yet" of H7N9 transmission between humans.

"Does this imply that H7N9 has come one step closer towards adapting fully to humans? Probably not," they wrote.

Odd cases of human-to-human transmission had also been reported in other bird flu types like H5N1 and H7N7 -- none of which has mutated into an easily spreadable form, and so to see it in H7N9 was not surprising.

"While the paper... might not suggest that H7N9 is any closer to delivering the next pandemic, it does provide a timely reminder of the need to remain extremely vigilant: the threat posed by H7N9 has by no means passed," said Rudge and Coker.

Peter Horby, senior fellow at Oxford University's Clinical Research Unit in Hanoi, Vietnam, agreed that limited human-to-human transmission "does not necessarily represent the early stages of a trajectory towards full adaptation to humans".

Hrithik Roshan back in action after brain surgery

MUMBAI: Bollywood star Hrithik Roshan is back in action after undergoing brain surgery last month for an injury suffered while performing a stunt for an upcoming film.

Roshan, 39, said he was "doing absolutely fine" as he launched the trailer of "Krrish 3", the latest movie in the hit superhero franchise.

"Even with a hole in my brain, my spirit has been intact," Roshan told a news conference in Mumbai on Monday, his first official appearance since his operation on July 7.

"Life hits you hard. But it takes you three seconds to decide if you are a superhero or not. I am," he added.

Roshan, who enjoys a huge fan following because of his macho on-screen persona, was injured while shooting an action sequence for "Bang Bang", an Indian remake of the Tom Cruise-Cameron Diaz hit movie "Knight and Day".

The injury triggered headaches that were caused by a subdural haematoma or clot, often caused by bleeding in the brain due to a blow to the head.

Afterwards, Roshan underwent surgery.

Doctors told the actor to rest for four weeks after the operation, delaying the shooting schedule of "Bang Bang".

The first two movies in the Krrish series drew huge turnouts at the box office.

All three movies have been directed by Roshan's father, Rakesh Roshan.

"Krrish 3" will be released in November during Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights which is one of the country's biggest celebrations.

Oil prices mixed

SINGAPORE: Oil prices were mixed in Asian trade Wednesday as investors awaited the latest US crude stockpiles data for clues about demand from the world's biggest oil consumer, analysts said.

New York's main contract, West Texas Intermediate for delivery in
September, was up six cents at $105.36 a barrel in mid-morning Asian trade, and Brent North Sea crude for September shed 10 cents to $108.08.

Asian shares mixed, HSBC weighs on Hong Kong

       

MANCHESTER: England retained the Ashes after rain meant the third Test against Australia at Old Trafford ended in a draw on Monday.

Only 20.3 overs were possible on the fifth and final day, but that was still long enough for England to collapse to 37 for three, having been set 332 to win after Australia declared on their overnight 172 for seven.

But England, 2-0 up in the five-match series after wins by 14 runs and 347 runs at Trent Bridge and Lord's respectively, only had to draw this match to be sure of retaining the Ashes.

And they had the result they required when the match was abandoned as a draw at 4.39pm local time (1539GMT).

"It's a great feeling, a strange feeling. It's been a strange day for the lads but we've retained it after three games, played good cricket in the first two, fought hard and had a little bit of a luck today with the weather," England captain Alastair Cook said at the presentation ceremony.

"It's nice to retain the Ashes.

"It's been a really good series. We played well at Lord's (where England won the second Test by 347 runs), Trent Bridge was a nail-biting game (England got home in the first Test there by just 14 runs).

"In this game it was an important toss to win but Australia played well, put us under pressure getting 500 but we responded well with the wicket getting harder. We fought hard."

Asked if the match had ended in an anti-climax, Cook replied: "The weather hasn't been ideal but you can't predict that.

"We've retained the Ashes and now we want to go and win them.

"If you'd said that after three Tests, I'd have snapped your hand off to be in this position."

Australia captain Michael Clarke said his side had paid the price for falling 2-0 behind, with no side having won an Ashes series from that position since a Don Bradman-inspired Australia triumphed 3-2 in 1936/37.

"I don't want to take anything away from England. They deserved to be 2-0 up. That's the chance you take when you are 2-0 down in the UK, there can be a bit of rain about. The guys have worked their backsides off here."

Clarke was named man-of-the-match for his first innings 187 but he said: "It's nice to make runs but the result is more important."

Australia will have a chance to regain the Ashes when the return series starts in Brisbane in November.

But Clarke said this side still had something to play for this campaign.

"It's important we concentrate on the two Tests here. It would be a great achievement if we leave England 2-2 -- our goal is to try to level the series."

Ryan Harris struck twice after rain delayed Monday's start by 30 minutes to dismiss Cook (lbw) and Jonathan Trott (caught behind) before Peter Siddle claimed the prize wicket of Kevin Pietersen, edging to wicketkeeper Brad Haddin.

However, the bad weather for which Manchester venue Old Trafford is infamous, but which had stayed away until Sunday evening, took charge.

At the close, England were 295 runs shy of the victory target, with Joe Root, dropped on four, 13 not out and Ian Bell four not out.

Now the best Australia can hope for is to share the series 2-2. In the event of a drawn campaign, the team that last won the Ashes retains them and in this series that means England following their 3-1 win in Australia in 2010/11.

One consolation for Australia was that this result ended a run of six successive Test defeats, their worst for 29 years, and meant they avoided equalling their all-time record losing streak of seven set between 1885-88.

The series, which could yet see the first drawn Test campaign between England and Australia since 1972, continues Friday with the fourth Test at Chester-le-Street, the headquarters of north-east county Durham. (AFP)

Kenyan capital's main airport ablaze; ministry

NAIROBI: A serious fire broke out at Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Wednesday with plumes of smoke rising high in
the air, shutting down one of east Africa's most important transport hubs.

"There is a serious fire at JKIA, but we are doing everything possible to avert a crisis," said Mutea Iringo, a senior official at the interior and national coordination ministry.

Rouhani says Iran is ready to resume nuclear talks

TEHRAN: Iran is ready for ``serious'' and swift talks with world powers over its controversial nuclear program, the country's new president said Tuesday, echoing his own earlier calls for a better dialogue with the West.

The remarks by Hasan Rouhani came at his first news conference as Iran's president. The moderate cleric won a landslide victory in June presidential elections and took the oath of office on Sunday.

``We are ready to engage in serious and substantial talks without wasting time,'' Rouhani said, but warned that Iran's interactions with the West should be based on ``talks, not threats.''

Many Iranians and foreign diplomats hope Rouhani, a former top nuclear negotiator, can strike a more conciliatory tone in the talks. Four rounds of negotiations since last year have failed to make significant headway.

The U.S. and its allies fear Iran is trying to develop a nuclear weapon, a charge Tehran denies, saying its atomic program is meant for peaceful purposes only, such as power generation and medical isotopes.

Rouhani replaced Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who struck a hard-line approach when dealing with the West and its sanctions over Iran's nuclear program. The sanctions have hit the country's economy hard, decimating its vital oil exports and blocking transactions on international banking networks.

Though all Iranian policies, including the nuclear issue, are firmly in the hands of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a strong president can influence decision-making. Rouhani has in the past said that he would make it his priority to get the sanctions against Iran lifted.

"I, as the president of Iran, announce that Iran has a serious political will to solve the (nuclear) problem while protecting the rights of the Iranian people at the same time as it seeks to remove concerns of the other party,'' Rouhani told reporters in Tehran.

Earlier on Tuesday, the European Union's foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, called on Rouhani to schedule ``meaningful talks'' on the nuclear issue as soon as possible.

Spokesman Michael Mann said Ashton congratulated Rouhani on his inauguration and urged him to use his strong mandate ``to seek a swift resolution to (the international community's) serious concerns about Iran's nuclear activities.''

Ashton said she and the group of nations negotiating with Iran _ the five permanent U.N. Security Council nations plus Germany _ ``stand ready to continue talks to find a resolution as quickly as possible.''

Rouhani has repeatedly said that he believes it's possible to strike an agreement that would allow the Islamic Republic to keep enriching uranium _ the core issue at the center of the nuclear controversy and a potential pathway to atomic weapons _ while assuring the West it will not produce nuclear arms.

On Tuesday, he said uranium enrichment is Iran's right, as it is for any other country, but that he would look to ``remove mutual concerns, achieve mutual interests and a win-win deal for both sides.''

In efforts to get Iran to account for its nuclear ambitions, President Barack Obama and other Western leaders remain publicly committed to diplomacy though they stress military options against Iranian nuclear sites are not off the table.

Rouhani indicated he would ``not have any problem to talk'' directly to Washington and to ``whoever wants to talk to us in good will ... even if it is the U.S.,'' as long as the other party is ``serious about talks and abandons the language of pressure and threat.''

Rouhani admitted, however, that there is a ``long way to go until the point'' when Iran would allow the U.S. consulate to resume work in Tehran.

The United States cut diplomatic ties with Iran after militant students stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran to protest Washington's support for deposed Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi following the country's 1979 revolution. The revolution toppled the pro-U.S. monarchy and brought Islamic clerics to power.

In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged the international community to step up pressure on Tehran.

``Iran's president said that pressure won't work. Not true! The only thing that has worked in the last two decades is pressure. And the only thing that will work now is increased pressure,'' Netanyahu said in comments released by his office Tuesday.

Netanyahu has said that despite Rouhani's moderate speech, he believes the Iranian leader backs enriching uranium for nuclear weapons.

At least four dead as boat sinks in French Polynesia

PAPEETE: At least four Chinese sailors died when their fishing trawler sank 50 kilometres (30 miles) off the coast of Rapa island in French Polynesia, officials said.

The French High Commission said Tuesday a rescue aircraft was dispatched when the ship, the "Zun Yang 26", issued a distress call after springing a leak late Monday.

Sailors equipped with survival gear were found holding on to the boat as it lay on its side sinking.

The plane dropped floats which rescuers hoped the sailors would grab onto from the vessel, but nine of the ship's fourteen crew members leaped into the sea.

Of those who jumped overboard, only one had been rescued alive as of Tuesday morning, but was suffering from hypothermia.

Five sailors who did not jump from the sinking ship were air-lifted by helicopter to Rapa, an island in the south of the territory.

A surveillance plane remained in the area to try to locate four who remained missing.

Rapa is one of the most isolated islands in the world. The exact cause of the accident is not known but the area suffered strong winds on Monday and Tuesday which ripped off roofs.

Tourists desert Egypt as protests rage

CAIRO: By Giza's Great Pyramids, souvenir vendors wait restlessly in the shade, watching for the handful of tourists who still make their way down the empty street to the once-bustling landmark.

The 2011 revolution that toppled dictator Hosni Mubarak dealt a severe blow to the country's tourist industry, once a mainstay of Egypt's economy.

And things have gone from bad to worse since June, when violent protests broke out against president Mohamed Morsi. On July 3, the army ousted the Islamist leader, leading to further deadly violence and an ongoing standoff between the two sides.

The tour buses that lined the streets around the pyramids have disappeared.

"We hope to the Lord that he will bring back those busy days, because all of us rely on tourism alone," said Gameel Hassan, who has run a shop near the pyramids selling papyrus prints for nearly 20 years.

Now, his shop is empty. Only a few tourists come each day to browse the hundreds of pictures of Egyptian gods and pharoahs that cover the walls.

"To bring tourism back, we need stability and security," he said. "The parties must calm down and leave the president to rule the country in the way he sees fit," he said, referring to the country's new interim authorities.

Out in the street, Mahmoud Attiyah, who offers horseback tours of the pyramids, is glum about business.

"There have been no tourists coming from outside. From June 30 until now, there have been none," he complained.

But Morsi's removal cheered Attiyah. Like many of the vendors, he thought the Morsi government was harming Egypt's tourist industry, which once accounted for some 10 percent of GDP.

Yet not everyone has been put off.

Two travellers, laden by backpacks, made their was past the gate to the pyramids. They were followed by a crowd of jostling vendors offering souvenirs and horse rides.

Ryan Gary and Ashley Westcott, from the US state of Colorado, were unfazed by the State Department's travel warnings about the country and alarming stories on the news.

"As long as you travel safe and are smart about the kind of decisions that you are making, a lot of times the people are a lot nicer than the media makes them out to be," one said, beaming.

But tourists like Westcott and Gary are increasingly rare.

They have disappeared from the Khan el-Khalili bazaar in Cairo. This warren of narrow streets used to see coachloads of people coming to haggle over souvenirs, soak up the atmosphere and relax in cafes over a mint tea and a sheesha (water pipe).

After dark, the area is crowded with Egyptians talking a stroll after the iftar meal to break the Ramadan fast, but the foreigners are nowhere to be seen.

Hussam Manaf, 41, is a university professor in the mornings but, in the evenings, he runs the small Khan el-Khalili souvenir shop his father founded.

Surrounded by hundreds of alabaster pyramids, glass ornaments and papyrus scrolls, Manaf said only one or two tourists had visited his shop each day since June 30.

He was adamant that the tourism ministry needed to do more to promote Egypt abroad.

7 soldiers hurt in new Philippine bomb blast

COTABATO: Two roadside bombs exploded in the southern Philippines on Wednesday, one of which wounded seven soldiers, police said, in the latest attack to hit the restive region.

The bombs came just two days after a powerful blast killed eight people in the mixed Muslim-Christian city of Cotabato on Monday.

"The soldiers had just left their detachment when they were hit by a roadside bomb," Senior Superintendent Rodelio Jocson, a local police chief said.

"They sustained minor injuries and were taken to a hospital," he said.

He said the bomb was planted along the road in the remote town of Shariff Saydona Mustapha, a mostly Muslim-populated area on the southern island of Mindanao.

Hours earlier, just before dawn, another bomb exploded in the town of Midsayap, also in Mindanao, although no one was injured.

Regional military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Dickson Hermoso said it was too early to speculate whether Wednesday's bombs were linked.

However the latest incidents happened just less than 45 kilometres (28 miles) from the major trading town of Cotabato, where Monday's bomb attack occurred.

Police have said the Cotabato bomb attack may have been linked to local politics apparently targeting the sister of the city mayor, who was among the wounded.

President Benigno Aquino, however, said Tuesday that the attack may have been carried out by groups opposed to his government's peace talks with Mindanao's main rebel group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).