BOOK REVIEW: Lahore Durbar in free fall —by Afrah Jamal The Last Sunset — The Rise & Fall of the Lahore Durbar By Amarinder Singh Roli Books; Pp 344; Rs 1,395 After the Mughals exited, but before the British arrived, the Lahore Durbar was presided over by Maharaja Ranjit Singh Bahadur, affectionately known as the ‘Lion of Lahore’, who makes a brief appearance in Amarinder Singh’s narrative, but leaves a lasting impression on his history. Ranjit Singh, who has been described in the book as a great man and an outstanding military commander, was a mass of contradictions. For instance, … Continue reading Lahore Durbar in free fall

VIEW: The Karachi conundrum —Mohammad Jamil The MQM and the ANP should decide whether they believe in peaceful coexistence for all of Karachi’s citizens or if their political and parochial interests are dearer to them. But they should remember that they have no other choice but to coexist Karachi smoulders. The plain truth is that two political entities, which happen to be ruling coalition partners both in the province and at the Centre, are pitted against each other in a bloody battle for the conquest of Karachi — the MQM for keeping the port city as its exclusive preserve, and … Continue reading The Karachi conundrum

COMMENT: Flooded out —Mujahid Eshai We must thank the IMF for its immense ‘contribution’ and tell them to take a hike. Pakistan’s priority today, more than ever, is to reconstruct and rehabilitate its people Boots, shoes, whatever. Who cares? There are enough gigantic issues facing the country because of the seemingly unending deluge sweeping away everything that came in its way. The tales of woe notwithstanding, one has to earnestly start thinking about the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the affected. Local resources being non-existent, help in terms of money being nothing more than a trickle from donor agencies and countries … Continue reading Flooded out

Thieves use breasts to distract victim Police in France are looking for two attractive female thieves who bared their breasts at a man at a cashpoint to distract him before stealing his money. telegraph.co.uk The incident was captured on CCTV at the cash machine on Paris’s Left Bank Photo: GETTY The women in their 20s exposed themselves to the victim as he punched his pin code into an ATM machine in Paris. As he stared at one, the other then withdrew 300 euros from his account before the pair fled with the money. Related Articles Foreign robbers ‘using cheap flights … Continue reading Breasts used as weapons in mugging!

Search giant posts new blog entry debunking ‘myths’ about its net neutrality proposals announced earlier this week By Matt Warman, Consumer Technology Editor telegraph.co.uk Photo: AFP Google has responded to critics of the net neutrality proposals it announced with wireless provider Google earlier this week. In a robust blog post, it tackled its detractors by claiming that “We don’t expect everyone to agree with every aspect of our proposal, but there has been a number of inaccuracies about it, and we do want to separate fact from fiction”. Google has proposed a legal framework that would allow American regulators to … Continue reading Google defends net neutrality stance

A pensioner has been banned from taking his pet owls for a walk due to health and safety concerns. telegraph.co.uk Officials say he could no longer take the owls out on the grounds that they could “run amok” and attack someone Photo: SWNS Russell Burt, 74, has spent the last ten years regularly ‘walking’ his seven pet birds around his home town. He takes one of them out every day, going for a walk with the owl perched on his hand. Related Articles Disabled boy ‘can’t be dropped off outside school gates’ Housing association warns of ban on hanging baskets … Continue reading Pensioner banned from taking pet owls for walks

Laura Schlessinger: US ‘agony aunt’ radio host forced to apologise ‘for N word rant’ A controversial American talkshow host, Laura Schlessinger, has been forced to apologise after using racist phrases on-air with a black caller while urging her “not to marry out of her race”. By Andrew Hough Published: 11:15PM BST 13 Aug 2010 telegraph.co.uk The comments by the popular US radio host prompted a furore in America. Photo: GETTY IMAGES The 66 year-old’s nationally syndicated talk-show is listened to an estimated nine million people every week. Photo: GETTY IMAGES The conservative relationship therapist or “agony aunt” uttered the word … Continue reading Laura Schlessinger: Nigger!

There’s nothing wrong with topless sunbathing What’s so wrong with being topless on the beach, asks Bryony Gordon . By Bryony Gordon telegraph.co.uk Brigitte Bardot started the trend for topless sunbathing in the sixties. Photo: Corbis Readers of a nervous disposition should look away now. Right. Have you turned the page, moved on to the obituaries, or perhaps the weather? Then I shall begin. When I go on holiday, I like to sunbathe topless. The beach towel goes down, the book comes out, and the bikini top flies off, often in the direction of a startled looking friend who has … Continue reading Topless Sunbathing – whats the big deal?

Flood victims wait to get relief goods including buckets, mats and tents in Nowshera, a town of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa PHOTO: EPA If you think running a relief camp is a joke, think again. Do you wish away volunteers who pop up at every corner? Please, don’t. They are there for a reason. Two weeks ago, I was spending what was a very boring afternoon with a jet-lagged aunt, who, for some odd reason was very worked up about the floods in Khyber-Pakhtukhwa. As news about the death toll poured in, and she started arranging for boats, I thought that, maybe – just maybe – … Continue reading Yes, we can make a difference