Fun Asia Entertainment hosts musical concert in Dallas

DALLAS: Fun Asia Entertainment of Dallas hosted a musical concert of famous Indian playback singer Sonu Nigam at Allen Event Centre.

The jam packed hall, and enthusiastic crowd made it a successful event. A large number of Pakistani, Indians and other South Asians were among the participants.

Sonu Nigam performed with a variety of his famous songs which ranged from bhangra to sad and tragic tracks.

The participants cheered and appreciated the performance by whistles, claps and dances. His big performances included “Kal ho na ho”, “Merey Haath mein”, “Mein ne jis ko chaha”, “Mujh ko neend aa rahi hay”, “Kabhi alwida na kahna”, “Dheerey dheerey sapnoon ki dunya mein aa ja”, “Dil Mangta hay”, “Aa ja Sohniye”, “Mahi way….”.

Other performers who came with him also made great performances which forced the audience into ecstatic mood.

The concert kept going for five hours, which was thoroughly enjoyed by participants. FunAsia owners John Hamid, Shariq Hamid and Farrukh Hamid thanked the audience for their presence.

They said that Fun Asia Entertainment will keep bringing great entertainment programs for South Asian community.

Sonu Nigam also presented parodies of various singers and performers. The concert was also attended by famous Indian actress Minakshi Shishawri who also enjoyed the performance and praised Sonu Nigam.

Pakistan assures support for establishing Asia Infrastructure Bank

ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar on Monday assured full support to the Chinese government for the establishment of Asia Infrastructure Bank. A statement issued by the Ministry of Finance said Ishaq Dar held a bilateral meeting with Chinese Finance Minister Lou Jiwei during the 47th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors at Astana on Monday.

The minister also appreciated the proposal for its establishment as it is likely to contribute to the development of infrastructure needs of the region.The minister appreciated the Chinese contribution to the economic development of Pakistan and conveyed the best wishes from the prime minister of Pakistan to the Chinese leadership.

Appreciating the Chinese support for building the economic corridor from Kashgar to Gwadar, both sides agreed to work on an integrated plan for overcoming the difficulties likely to be encountered in the planning and implementation of the economic corridor.

Ishaq Dar assured full support for the initiative of establishing the economic corridor as it will not only reduce the transportation costs, but also result in the development of local regional economies through increased connectivity through enhanced levels of movement of people and goods.

In a meeting with a US delegation led by Marisa Lago, Assistant Secretary International Markets and Development, on the occasion of 47th annual meeting of Board of Governors of Asian Development Bank, Finance Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Monday said that Pakistan was expecting the World Bank to consider Dassu Hydro Project and would appreciate the US support in this regard.

Dar said Pakistan was goingahead with Diamer Bhasha Dam Project which would serve the dual purpose of generating electricity and acting as a water reservoir for both agriculture and flood controls.

The finance minister briefed the US delegation about the structural reforms and stabilization measures undertaken by the present government since its coming into power in June 2013.He informed the delegation that through prudent macroeconomic management austerity measures resorting to external sources of funding and retiring domestic debt obligations the government had been successful in putting the economy on the stable growth trajectory.

The minister suggested the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to adopt innovative approaches for addressing the newly arising challenges through reviewing ADB’s processes, rewarding innovative approaches and by adopting result based lending modalities.

The minister represented Pakistan during the Governor Round Table Conference, in the 47th annual meeting of the ADB Board of Governors at Astana today, said a statement issued by the Ministry of Finance.The theme of the conference was to suggest a role for ADB in handling the challenges currently faced in the Asia and Pacific economies due to different levels of economic development.

Dollar holds steady, eyes on Obama Asia tour

TOKYO: The dollar held steady against the yen in Asia on Wednesday, with traders looking for developments in US-Japan free trade talks as President Barack Obama starts an Asian tour.

In Tokyo midday trade, the greenback changed hands at 102.57, a touch down from 102.60 yen in New York Tuesday afternoon, while the euro bought $1.3809 and 141.66 yen, against $1.3804 and 141.65 yen.

Akira Moroga, manager of forex product group of Aozora Bank, said with Obama due in Tokyo later Wednesday investors will be keeping an eye on signs of progress in the vast Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade pact.

Work on the deal has stalled recently, with Washington and Tokyo at loggerheads over tariffs on Japanese agricultural products. Any signs of progress could help boost the Nikkei and stoke yen selling, Moroga said.

Also on Wednesday, Bank of Japan governor Haruhiko Kuroda repeated his view that there was no imminent need to expand its stimulus programme to reach an inflation target of 2.0 percent next year.

"At this point, there is nothing more to say than we will continue the quantitative and qualitative easing programme in its current form until we achieve our goal to generate stable 2.0 percent inflation," Kuroda told a parliamentary session.

The Australian dollar fell to 93.14 US cents from 93.75 cents after data showed Australian inflation was lower than expected in the first three months of the year. The figures raise the possibility the country´s central bank will lower interest rates to boost the faltering economy.

Also on investors´ radars is the crisis in Ukraine, which on Tuesday relaunched military operations against pro-Kremlin separatists, hours after US Vice President Joe Biden ended a two-day Kiev visit in which he warned Russia over its actions in the former Soviet republic.

Crude oil prices fall further in Asia

SINGAPORE: Oil prices extended losses in Asian trade Friday as data showing a slowdown in China´s giant economy sparked concerns about weak demand.

Expectations that Libyan oil will return to the market after rebels lifted a blockade of crude terminals also helped push prices lower, analysts said.

New York´s main contract West Texas Intermediate for May delivery eased 16 cents to $103.24 a barrel in mid-morning trade while Brent North Sea crude tumbled 12 cents to $107.34 for its May contract.

Crude prices ease in Asia

SINGAPORE: Oil prices eased in Asian trade Monday as traders booked profits after strong gains last week on positive US economic data and the tensions in Ukraine.

New York´s West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for May delivery eased 24 cents to $101.43 a barrel in late-morning trade and Brent North Sea crude for May dipped 22 cents to $107.85.

Missing plane carrying 239 triggers Southeast Asia search

KUALA LUMPUR: Several nations searched waters off Southeast Asia on Saturday after a Malaysia Airlines jet carrying 239 passengers disappeared and was presumed lost, leaving stunned relatives demanding answers.

Contact with Flight MH370 was lost somewhere between Malaysia's east coast and southern Vietnam, but its fate remained a mystery more than 16 hours after it slipped off radar screens.

Air search operations were halted at nightfall, though ships continued searching, the airline said, adding that no trace of the passenger plane had been found as of late Saturday.

The flight was en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, with 227 passengers and 12 crew members from 14 nations, the airline said.

Frustrated officials and passengers' families struggled to make sense of the disappearance of the Boeing 777-200 which -- like the Malaysian national carrier -- has a solid safety record.

The airline said the plane, on an overnight flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, relayed no distress signal, indications of rough weather, or other signs of trouble.

"We are looking at all possibilities but it is too soon to speculate," Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said, when asked whether terrorism could have been a factor.

The plane's disappearance triggered a search effort involving vessels from several nations with rival maritime claims in the tense South China Sea.

China, which had 153 of its nationals on the plane, said it ordered maritime patrol vessels to begin scouring the area.

Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines said they threw aircraft and vessels into the effort, and Singapore dispatched an air force C130 transport plane to the region.

Najib said the US navy also had agreed to send planes to help.

Authorities will search "for as long as it takes," Najib told reporters.

Overlapping claims to the South China Sea, a resource-rich, vital shipping lane, have been a growing source of friction between China and its neighbours.

- Contact lost after two hours -

================================

Contact with the aircraft was lost at 2:40 am Malaysian time (1840 GMT Friday), about two hours after take-off from Kuala Lumpur International Airport, the airlines's CEO Ahmad Jauhari Yahya said.

"Our focus now is to work with emergency responders and authorities, and mobilise full support," he told a press conference, adding the airline's "thoughts and prayers" were with those affected.

If a crash is confirmed, it would be only the second fatal crash ever for the widely used Boeing 777.

A 777-200 operated by South Korea's Asiana Airlines skidded off the runway in San Francisco in 2013, killing three.

Malaysia Airlines also has an admirable safety record. Its worst-ever crash occurred in 1977, when 93 passengers and seven crew perished in a hijacking and subsequent crash in southern Malaysia.

Indonesia-based aviation analyst Gerry Soejatman said a "24-hour golden window" for search and rescue efforts was closing fast.

"You can't assume that there are no survivors, and if there are any, it is absolutely crucial that they are picked up within a day, or the chances of survival drops significantly," he said.

The 153 Chinese passengers aboard the plane included an infant, while 38 Malaysians and 7 Indonesians were aboard.

Six Australians, four French nationals, and three Americans including an infant, were also among those listed.

The pilot had flown for the carrier since 1981, it said. The plane is more than 11 years old.

"This news has made us all very worried," Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in Beijing.

"We hope every one of the passengers is safe. We are doing all we can to get more details."

- Distraught relatives -

========================

Vietnamese state media quoted a naval official in the country as saying the plane had crashed into the sea off Vietnam's southern coast.

But hours later, Hanoi had offered no further information and the claim could not be confirmed.

The lack of information sparked fury among anguished relatives in Beijing.

"They should have told us something before now," a visibly distressed man in his 30s said at a hotel where passengers' families were asked to gather.

"They are useless," another young man said of the airline. "I don't know why they haven't released any information."

At Kuala Lumpur's airport, distraught family members trickled in to a designated waiting area for loved ones, escorted by authorities.

Hamid Ramlan, a 56-year-old Kuala Lumpur police officer, said his daughter and son-in-law were on the flight for an intended holiday in Beijing.

"My wife is crying. Everyone is sad. My house has become a place of mourning," he said. "This is Allah's will. We have to accept it."

"Being a policeman over 33 years, this is my worst day."

A deadly accident would be a huge blow for Malaysian Airlines, which has bled money for years as its struggles to fend off competition from rivals such as fast-growing Malaysia-based AirAsia.

Analysts have blamed poor management, government interference, and union resistance to reform of the airline.

Pakistan beat Bangladesh to reach Asia Cup final

DHAKA: Pakistan beat Bangladesh by three wickets on Tuesday to reach the Asia Cup final.
Bangladesh's highest-ever one-day international score of 326-3 was built around a brilliant 132-ball 100 by opener Anamul Haque before Pakistan chased down the target in 49.5 overs with a fighting 103 by Ahmed Shehzad and a firey 25-ball 59 by Shahid Afridi. Fawad Alam made 74.

Pakistan will meet Sri Lanka in Saturday's final.

Shahzad, Afridi take Pakistan to Asia Cup final

DHAKA: Shahid Afridi smashed the second fastest one-day half-century and Ahmed Shehzad hit a hundred to give Pakistan a three wicket win over Bangladesh on Tuesday and a place in the Asia Cup final.
The 34-year-old, who hit two consecutive sixes to give Pakistan a one-wicket win over India on Sunday, was once again Pakistan's saviour as they chased down their highest-ever target of 327 in 49.5 overs in Dhaka.
Afridi overshadowed a brilliant 123-ball 103 by opener Ahmed Shehzad and a sedate 74 by Fawad Alam who both set the tone for the chase, but it was the aggression of Afridi which helped Pakistan overcame a tough resistance from the hosts.
Pakistan will meet Sri Lanka in Saturday's final.
Afridi, who went into bat with Pakistan needing 101 off 52 balls, smashed paceman Shafiul Islam for a four to reach fifty off just 18 balls, one short of one-day cricket's fastest-ever half-century record held by Sri Lanka's Sanath Jayasuriya, made against Pakistan in Singapore in 1996.
He equalled his own record of second fastest one-day fifty, set twice by him. He scored an 18-ball fifty during his 37-ball hundred against Sri Lanka in Nairobi in 1996 and another 18-ball fifty against the Netherlands at Colombo in 2002. In all, Afridi took seven sixes and two boundaries off just 25 balls.
Pakistan's previous best run chase in a one-day was 322-6 against India at Mohali in 2007.
Pakistan captain Misbah-ul Haq praised Afridi as "hero."
"He's really playing well and he's cashing into his form which is really good for us," said Misbah.
"Everybody knows the kind of player he (Afridi) is when he is in full swing and nobody can stop him." Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim admitted Afridi snatched the game.
"When Afridi plays like that there was very little we can do. He took away the game," said Rahim.
Before Afridi's blitz, it was a remarkable turnaround for the hosts who suffered a shock upset defeat against new-comers Afghanistan in their second match on Saturday. Bangladesh made several changes after their 32-run loss, the most prominent being all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan's return after he was suspended for three matches over indiscipline.
That paid off as a revamped batting line-up led by Anamul bettered Bangladesh's previous highest-ever total of 320-8, made against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo in 2009.
Pakistan too got a solid 97-runs by the 21st over with Mohammad Hafeez (52) and Shehzad in a punishing mood.
But they were derailed by left-arm spinner Mominul Haque (2-37) who dismissed Hafeez and Sohaib Maqsood (two), while Shakib had captain Misbah-ul Haq for four.
Shehzad completed his fifth one-day hundred but was bowled by Abdur Razzak, after hitting 12 fours and six. Shehzad added 105 runs for the fourth wicket with Alam.
But Alam and Afridi broke the hearts of a capacity home crowd after Bangladesh had been given a chance by their batsmen.
Anamul and Imrul Kayes (59) put on 150 for the opening stand and cashed onto some sloppy fielding and bowling by Pakistan.
Afridi went for 64 runs in his ten overs while paceman Mohammad Talha conceded 68 in seven and Umar Gul 76 in his 10.
But it was the left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman, brought in as one of two changes in Pakistan's squad, who suffered the worst fate as he was suspended from the attack over dangerous bowling.
He became the first bowler in international cricket to concede eight runs without bowling a legal delivery.
Kayes hit five boundaries and two sixes off 75 balls.
Anamul hit six boundaries and four well-timed sixes before he was caught off Saeed Ajmal who took 2-61.
Mominul (51), Rahim (51 not out) and Shakib with a 16-ball 44 comprising six fours and two sixes, made the final touches as Bangladesh scored 121 in the last 10 overs.

4 Apr 2014 : Ban vs Pak 8th match : Afridi powers Pakistan into Asia Cup final

Mirpur : Pakistan clinched a cliff-hanger by chasing down Bangladesh’s total of 326/3 in their highest successful One-Day International (ODI) run-chase to qualify for the final of the Asia Cup at the Shere Bangla National Stadium here Tuesday.

Full Scorecards
After his match-winning knock of an unbeaten 34 against India Sunday, Shahid Afridi (59) once again produced a special innings to take Pakistan home with three wickets and a ball to spare.
Coming in to bat with Pakistan in trouble at 225/5 in the 42nd over pursuing a monumental target, Afridi scored the joint second-fastest ODI half-century in just 18 balls. This was also his third 50 off 18 balls.
In the last over Pakistan needed three runs. The first two balls were dot deliveries with Umar Akmal (14 not out) taking a run off the third. Next ball, set-batsman Fawad Alam (74) was run-out in a mix up to make it two from two. But Akmal made sure he took the defending champions into the final by hitting a boundary on the penultimate delivery.
Earlier, Bangladesh began brilliantly with a 150-run opening wicket partnership between wicketkeeper-batsman Anamul Haque (100), who scored his second century, and Imrul Kayes (59).
Monimul Haque (51) and captain Mushfiqur Rahim (51 not out) also struck important half-centuries while all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan hit an incredible 44 off 16 balls, which included six boundaries and two sixes, to take the home side to their highest ever ODI score.
Pakistan bowling was not impressive, giving away 21 extras including 15 wides. Only off spinner Mohammad Hafeez contained the hosts with brilliant figures of 10-0-27-0.
In reply, Pakistan took off well with a 97-run first-wicket partnership. Opener Ahmed Shehzad (103) scored the second century of the match, and Hazeez also struck with the bat, scoring 52. But from 97 for no loss, the visitors went to 105/3 in a couple of overs.
Then Shehzad and Alam, who scored his highest ODI score, recorded an important 105-run fourth-wicket partnership before Shehzad perished. Abdur Rehman (8) also did not last long when man of the match Afridi came into the picture with the score at 225/5 in 41.2 overs.
What he did next was history as he completely took the match away from Bangladesh making 59 off 25 balls which included two boundaries and seven spectacular sixes. There were a couple hiccups thereon but Akmal guided home his side.
Mominul was the pick of the Bangladeshi bowlers taking 2/37 in nine overs.
Last edition’s runners-up Bangladesh lie fifth and last with no points, losing all three matches, while Pakistan qualified in second position for the final with 13 points.