mamnoon hussain to take oath as 12th president of the country in a ceremony at aiwan-e-sadr today .
chief justice of pakistan justice iftikhar muhammad chaudhry will administer the oath.
mamnoon hussain bagged 432 votes of the electoral college in the presidential elections held on 30th of july this year.
his rival wajihuddin ahmed of pti took 77 votes while the main opposition pakistan peoples party boycotted the presidential election.
the seventy-three years old mamnoon hussain is a businessman turned politician. he was born in agra in 1940 and came with his family to karachi after 1947. he studied at the institute of business administration in karachi.
mamnoon hussain remained governor of sindh from 19th june‚ 1999 to 12th october 1999.
president asif ali zardari on sunday left the presidency after successfully completing his five-year term, paving the way for india-born mamnoon hussain to take over.
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zardari is the first elected president to complete his constitutional tenure and to be replaced by an elected individual in pakistan's history that has witnessed numerous military coups.
he was given a guard of honour, which was not attended by either the prime minister or the three service chiefs.
however, sharif had hosted an official farewell lunch for zardari earlier this week and praised him for keeping the flag of democracy flying in the country.
zardari, 58, left for lahore where he is expected to spend his days working on the revival of his pakistan peoples party which was dealt a crushing defeat in the may 11 general election.
husband of former prime minister benazir bhutto, zardari had a controversial term but was able to keep democracy on track.
zardari, as president, remained in the eye of storm for holding dual office and faced allegations of using the president's house for partisan politics and ignoring key issues facing the country.
he faced a strong and assertive judiciary which pursued him over multi-million-dollar corruption cases against him in switzerland.
the casualty of the struggle was then prime minister yousuf raza gilani, who was sacked for refusing to ask switzerland to reopen the cases.
another big crisis for him was the 'memogate scandal' and also the unilateral us operation in may, 2011, in the garrison city of abbottabad that killed al-qaeda chief osama bin laden.
while the president's post is largely ceremonial, zardari, as the chief of the then-ruling ppp, played an active role in the functioning of the government.
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ukmilitary wastesful 1.58 billion pounds
UK Ministry of Defense has been implicated in 1.58 billion pounds ($2.47 billion) of wasteful spending over the last two years, which comes at a time when the country faces stringent defense cuts, UK media reported. Accounts from the 2012-2013 books obtained by The Daily Mail show that while the country was getting rid of older regiments, firing thousands of armed forces personnel and sending historical equipment to the junk yard, it was doing so to balance out losses, bad spending and accounting errors. And while some personnel were getting the sack, hundreds of others were being overpaid because of a clerical blunder, with the sum totaling 640,000 pounds and no plans to recover it. Losses in the anti-missile storage department have led to the MoD writing off more than half a billion pounds, adding to that the purchase of the wrong types of bombs for training programs and almost 400,000 pounds for lost equipment in Canada. Various other items on the list simply pile up on top of the mistakes: 100,000 pounds in security at the G8 summit, 1.5 million pounds in overpaid tax by the revenue department and almost 500,000 pounds for a dispute over computer services at one of the academies of the armed forces. In the last financial year, 33.5 million pounds allocated for military purposes got misplaced by the bookkeepers. The balance had to be written off as, according to a note in the books, there is no information on where it went. Also, while the MoD withdrew large amounts of military equipment from service – including ships and planes – it was giving other equipment away as gifts, namely 50 Leyland DAF trucks worth 450,000 pounds each to Uzbekistan and counter-terrorism training equipment to Pakistan priced at 294,000 pounds.
Thai Airways flight with 302 aboard skids off runway; 14 injured
A Thai Airways airplane carrying more than 280 passengers skidded off the runway while attempting to land at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport, injuring 14 passengers, the airline said Monday. The incident marked the second mishap in less than two weeks for Thailand's national carrier. The Airbus A330-300 that departed from Guangzhou, China, had a ‘glitch’ in its wheel base while landing late Sunday, the airline said. "After touchdown at Suvarnabhumi Airport, the landing gear malfunctioned and caused the aircraft to skid off the runway. Sparks were noticed from the vicinity of the right landing gear near the engine; the matter is under investigation," Thai Airways President Sorajak Kasemsuvan said in a statement Monday. Most of the injuries occurred as passengers evacuated the aircraft, the statement said. The aircraft was carrying 288 passengers and 14 crewmembers.
N. Korean leader Kim Jong-un has a baby - Dennis Rodman
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his wife have a baby daughter, Reuters quoted basketball star Dennis Rodman, who met with Kim last week, as saying. Kim’s wife Ri Sol appeared pregnant in photographs taken last year by North Korea’s state news agency. She then disappeared from public view and returned last October. The basketball player told The Guardian that Kim held a baby during his visit to North Korea. Rodman described Kim as a “friend,” adding that "I held their baby Ju-ae and spoke with Ms. Ri as well. He's a good dad and has a beautiful family.” Kim, who succeeded his father, is the third family member to rule North Korea. However, considering the country’s traditions, it is unlikely that Kim’s daughter would ever rule the country.
Philippine city shuts down after Muslim rebel attack
One hundred heavily armed Muslim rebels attacked the southern Philippine city of Zamboaga, shutting down its urbanized and populous center, AFP quoted authorities as saying. Members of Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) entered the city by boat, instigating clashes that left one soldier dead and six others wounded. They also took 20 civilian hostages. The rebels, who oppose peace talks, want to raise their banner of independence at city hall, Zamboaga Mayor Isabelle Climaco-Salazar said. MNLF was founded in the early 1970s to fight for an independent Islamic state in the region. Insurgencies by the group have left more than 150,000 people dead and led to the spread of more armed groups in the area.
Italian journalist freed in Syria after 5 months
Italian journalist Domenico Quirico was freed after being kidnapped in Syria in early April, Reuters quoted the Italian Foreign Ministry as saying on Sunday. The journalist came to Syria on April 6 and disappeared four days later. Quirico has vast experience in reporting on conflicts in Africa and the Middle East, and works for La Stampa daily. In June, the journalist confirmed that he was kidnapped during a phone call to his wife, noting that his health was okay. Quirico is on a flight back to Italy.
Israeli authorities approve 5,000 work permits for Palestinians
Israel has approved 5,000 work permits for Palestinians from the West Bank. The decision came just after Israel and the Palestine Authority renewed direct talks following a three-year stalemate. Nearly 70,000 Palestinians have permanent work permits for Israel, according to a defense official who spoke with AFP on condition of anonymity.
Egyptian army launches air strikes on militant hideouts in Sinai
Egyptian military helicopters launched air strikes on suspected militant hideouts for a second day in Sinai after an Al-Qaeda-inspired group claimed responsibility for a bombing that targeted Egypt’s interior minister last week. The Ansar Beit al-Maqdis group posted a statement on its website saying that one of its suicide bombers targeted the convoy of Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim, who survived the attack. The military has so far killed "nine terrorists" and destroyed militant hideouts and weapons depots, army spokesman Colonel Ahmed Aly said in a statement on Facebook.
Sinai militant group claims responsibility for bomb targeting Egypt’s interior minister
An Al-Qaeda-inspired group based in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula said it was behind a bombing that targeted the country’s interior minister, Mohammed Ibrahim, in a failed assassination attempt, AFP reported. “God has allowed your brothers in Ansar Beit al-Maqdis to shatter the security organization of the murderer Mohammed Ibrahim through a martyrdom operation,” the group said in a statement on an Islamist forum. On Thursday, a suicide bomber attacked Ibrahim’s motorcade, causing an explosion which rocked Nasr City district. More than 20 people were injured in the attack, although Ibrahim escaped unharmed.
Israeli settlements hamper Israel-Palestine peace deal – Qatari FM
The ongoing construction of Israeli settlements is an obstacle to achieving an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal, Qatar's Foreign Minister said. "There are several obstacles to this process...we are talking about settlements,"Khaled Attiya stated, as quoted by Reuters. The remark was made while he spoke at a joint news conference with US Secretary of State John Kerry, after meeting with representatives from the Arab Peace Initiative in Paris. The Arab Peace Initiative, put forward by Saudi Arabia at an Arab League summit in 2002, offers full recognition of Israel if it gives up all land seized in the 1967 Middle East war. It also highlights a “just solution”for Palestinian refugees.
Vettel tops podium at F1’s Italian Grand Prix
German driver Sebastian Vettel has come one step closer to defending his Formula 1 crown by claiming a confident win at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza. The Red Bull driver started from pole position and never allowed Spain’s Fernando Alonso of Ferrari, who finished second, to threaten his lead. Third place went to another Red Bull driver, Mark Webber of Australia. With seven races to go in the season, Vettel’s lead from Alonso in the drivers’ championship has increased to 53 points.
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10 killed, 150 injured in suicide bomb attack Afghanistan’s Wardak
At least 10 have been killed and 150 injured as a group of suicide bombers attacked a national intelligence agency compound in Wardak's provincial capital Maidan Shahr, Afghanistan, media reports, citing a local official. Attaullah Khogyani, spokesman for Wardak's provincial government confirmed that four personnel were killed and a gun battle was underway. The injured, including women and children, have been taken to hospitals for medical treatment.
Scotland Yard faces questioning after Buckingham Palace broken into
Britain’s Scotland Yard will be subject to a very serious inquiry by the home affairs select committee into what is being called the worst security breach since 1982. On Saturday, British press revealed that a man scaled the Palace’s 12 foot fence on Monday, outsmarting dozens of guards and managed to sneak into the state rooms, which can only be accessed through the courtyard on the inside. He was arrested together with a suspected accomplice, with security assuring the Royal family that this was not an act of terrorism, but an attempted robbery. The commander of the Royals’ said that the incident proves that terrorists could enter Britain’s best-guarded building undetected. The breach is the most serious since 1982, when an unemployed father of four sneaked into the Palace to find Queen Elizabeth asleep on her bed, proceeding to have a 10-minute conversation with her before a guard burst in.
Chinese reporter released early after 8 years
Chinese journalist and poet Shi Tao, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2005, was released 15 months early, the writers' organization PEN International said in a statement. It didn’t explain why the term was shortened. Shi was sent to prison for disclosing state secrets after he leaked a secret government memo, detailing restrictions on news coverage during the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square protests. His sentencing was partially based on information provided by online giant Yahoo, which provided Shi’s personal information to the prosecutors. The company, which was rebuked by the US Congress over the incident, apologized and paid compensation to Shi’s wife after the World Organization for Human Rights lodged a lawsuit.
Iranian FM visits Iraq to discuss Syria debacle
Iran's recently appointed Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, is visiting neighboring Iraq. The Syrian crisis and the US plans for a military operation against the Syrian government are top of his agenda with his Iraqi counterpart Hoshyar Zebari and other senior officials. Tehran has been a staunch supporter of Damascus in its two-year-long fight against the armed opposition. Baghdad has a common interest with the Syrian government, since the Islamist Al Nusra Front fighting to topple the Syrian government is part of an Iraq-based branch of Al-Qaeda, which wants to create an Islamist state in territories carved out of both Iraq and Syria.
The drone strike kills 15 in Afghanistan
An apparent NATO drone strike has killed 15 people in the eastern Kunar province, Afghan authorities said. Nine of those killed were civilians, including women and children, the report said. Provincial police chief Abdul Habib Sayed Khaili said the attack targeted a pickup truck soon after six militants boarded it on Saturday evening. NATO spokeswoman, 1st Lt. AnnMarie Annicelli, said on Sunday that a precision airstrike killed 10 enemy forces. She said no civilian deaths were reported in the incident.
Businesswoman linked with death-sentenced Chinese ex-minister charged
Businesswoman Ding Shumiao, who is implicated in the corruption schemes of the fallen Chinese railway minister Liu Zhijun, has been charged with bribery and illegal business activities, reports Xinhua citing the Beijing prosecutor's office. She is suspected of intervening in bidding for railway development projects through her connections in the ministry. The case involves operations totaling some $30 billion, the news agency said without clarifying details of the alleged crimes. Liu, a driving force behind China's bullet train network, received a suspended death sentence in July in what was one of highest-profile corruption cases in the country in years. The sentence is expected to be commuted to life imprisonment.
Zardari to step down as Pakistan president
Pakistan President, Asif Ali Zardari, is due to step down on Sunday after holding the office for a record five years in a country that used to live under the shadow of military dictatorship. His greatest contribution to Pakistani politics is said to be the assertion of the democratic process in the country. Six years after his wife, two-time prime minister, Benazir Bhutto, was murdered, Zardari, 58, is set to make history by becoming the first elected president to complete a full term in office and hand over to another elected candidate after a peaceful ballot box. He is due to vacate the presidency on September 8 to a guard of honor. His successor, a businessman and close ally of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Mamnoon Hussain, is to be sworn in on Monday.
