Random Thoughts

Mini Battle will begin on March 30

2011-03-27T13:00:00.000+05:00

The two countries, which always have been anti to each other in every walk of life ranging from politics to game, will play ICC World Cup 2011 semi-final on March 30.

In this connection experts have been naming this match as mini-battle between both of the countries. The situation for both the teams is like 'Do or Die'.

What record says? India have never been defeated in world cups matches by Pakistan. Has Pakistan need to worry little bit about the situation? The Odds of Indian team are higher than Pakistan? Will Odds favor the Indian team?
Certainly not, because if we look at other side of the coin. Pakistan have never lost any match at Mohali cricket ground from India. This makes very interesting to the match. Both of the team posses some records but unpredictability of Pakistani team makes it hot favorite team of the tournament.

Ultimately,people of sub-continent see the victory of game no matter who wins the battler..

US have made more than 1 million fake Facbook Accounts!

2011-03-08T00:23:00.001+05:00

In the age of technology where the whole world - Asia, Africa, Europe, America, Australia, is considered as a Global village. People of every country are so close to each other that they can hear voice from one remote place of the world to another, this has been blessed only because of Internet.
Technology has been considered the key of every invention, modernization, change, in short, of everything.
Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and many other revolutions have been correlated with the technology; Egyptian revolution has been considered technological revolution, which merely came into being via Facebook.

Apart from all this, one of the US newspaper claimed that US have made more than 1 million Facebook accounts to instigate agitation in the countries like Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and many more.
Experts claiming that US is controlling Facebook, through, they wish control the world or masses of the every country.

So, in gist, I'm fearing about the use of my name by US officials!!

Pakistan vs Canada

2011-03-03T18:21:00.000+05:00

Pakistan has been all out on 184, which is very meager score to win the match despite low score the morale of team is very high to win the match.

Experts opined that Canada is not a experienced team, hence, there are very bright chances that Pakistan will celeberate the victory in this match.

Lets how Green shirts can manage the vitory.

Best of Luck!

Year of Revolutions

2011-02-21T14:52:00.000+05:00

After the big chnage of technology, which changed the world totally from seperate villages to a one single global village. Now it has been experiencing the utter change in many nations in terms of REVOLUTIONS.
After the change is Tunisia and Egypt, many Arab nations are expecting to chage theri leadership. Now its turn of Bahrain, Yemen, Libya and Algeria.
Masses of the each country are on the roads to claim leadership chnage, which is two to three decades old.
We hope for the best for those nations.

Bravo Egyptian People!

2011-02-12T14:31:00.000+05:00

After the struggle of 18 days, President of Egypt, Mr. Hosni Mubarrak resigned from the chair.
Thousand of Egyptian people gather at Tahrir Square to celeberate the most memorable day of thier history.

When masses stand no governement can stand to resist them, this has been proved in recent revolution of Egypt.

Zaradari lodged case against Jang group of Publication of $100 million

2011-02-07T01:07:00.000+05:00

President Asif Ali Zardari lodged case against the Jang group of publication on telecasting the rumor of his marriage.
Sources said some days before many website including Jang group of publication on spreading false rumor of his maariage with Tanveer Zamini.
He was opined that his credibility has been damaged by the false information.

Rumors affloat on President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardar's marriage with Tanveer Zamani

2011-02-03T18:45:00.000+05:00

Asif Zardari got married to Tanveer Zamani according to Muslim Shiyat Bylaws in Dubai last week.
The ceremony has not been held. However the marriage religious vows, paper work and prenuptials have been confirmed. Nine black goats, 6 cows and 1 camel was sacrificed at this sacred occasion.
Many websites are confirming the news as the event occured in recent days.

She is a Mediterranean descent American resident, and she lives in Gramercy Park, Manhattan, New York.
Zamani is a practicing physician and known to be a Bhutto party loyalist.
She earned PhD degree in International Politics from UK. She owns estates in London, Dubai, Islamabad and Manhattan.
However, world is eagerly waiting for the official announcement.

Raymond (US Citizen) name has been put on ECL

2011-02-01T22:37:00.000+05:00

Davis Raymond has killed two Pakistani's in Lahore, which at first point has been said to be the employee of US embassy, later news confirmed he was not employee there.
Raymond's name has been put on Exit Control List (ECL).
The Lahore high court bench is listening the case of Raymond.

Facebook acquired fb.com

2011-01-25T02:02:00.002+05:00

Kindle Wireless Reading Device, Wi-Fi, Graphite, 6" Display with New E Ink Pearl Technology
Facebook has paid $ 8.5 million to acquire www.fb.com
Now users need not to type 'facebook.com' rather it can be poped up by simply typing 'fb.com'.
This is the way to make facebook unique and make it alive for ling time. This stratgey will work for organisation like social media for long time.
Best of FACEBOOK!
The King Is Dead

Pakistan Army Charged $1.4 billion for illegal use of public land

2011-01-23T17:37:00.000+05:00

about $1.4 billion by the Auditor General of Pakistan after an audit report showed that the army had been using government land for commercial purpose illegally for decades.
Auditor-General of Pakistan, Tanveer Agha, has charged the Pakistan Army a mind-blowing sum of 120 billion rupees based on an audit report that reveals illegal, commercial use of public land by the army for decades.
According to the country's famous English daily The Express Tribune, the audit report was brought up before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in a meeting held on Thursday, January 20, 2011, in Islamabad. It showed illegal commercial use of Lahore’s Fortress Stadium by the army for decades without paying anything to the government. The Auditor General told the committee that the army should pay the government 120 billion rupees (about $1.4 billion), the amount they have generated over the years by the unfair use of public land in question.
Retired Lieutenant General Athar Ali, Pakistan’s Defense Secretary, defended the army in the meeting, regarding the report as nothing else but the auditor’s attempt to malign the army. He called the report’s figures “laughable”. The committee’s chairman, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, commented that some people were trying to malign the army, though he didn’t name anyone.
The discussion is said to have got so heated that one member, named Zafar Padhiar, warned he’d quit the committee since a friend of his had advised to write his will for putting army officers to question.

In this connection, masses of Pakistan generally and Political figures particularly raised voice to make army accountable in the court of law. People who are talking about this accountability also give example of recently alleged Indian Army General who is suspended.

Pakistan: More than 3,000 companies registered in 2010

2011-01-15T14:52:00.000+05:00

The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) registered 3,151 companies during the outgoing year – a 12 per cent increase from the 2,762 registered in 2009.
According to figures released by the SECP on Friday, new registrations included 2,881 private companies, 142 single-member companies, 46 public unlisted companies and 42 foreign companies among others.
The country’s total corporate portfolio as of December 31 stood at 57,689 registered entities.
The total authorised capital and paid-up capital of the companies registered during last year was Rs43.5 billion and Rs16.9 billion, respectively.
During the same period, 910 companies increased their authorised capital with an aggregate increment of Rs163.16 billion, while 171 companies raised their paid-up capital with the total increment amounting to Rs38.67 billion.
The number of new registrations has gone up from the preceding year because of SECP’s online registration facilitation mechanism – eServices, which has made the registration process simpler and encouraged companies to abide by SECP regulations.
Almost 40 per cent of the companies were registered online, indicating the growing acceptability of the platform.

A new Wave of Target Killing in Karachi, Pakistan

2011-01-14T18:51:00.001+05:00

A new target killing wave is on surge in Karachi, which claimed the life of 22 people in 24 hours including one of Geo TV reporter Wali Khan Baber.
Pehlwan Goth and Orangi are the main areas, which have been affected since the target killing has been started.
In addition, Police and Rangers is seraching for the agitators in Pehalwan Goth.

This is main the game of Political Parties, which for their interest boost members of its party to achieve theri hidden agenda, says on fo government official.

Reviving the Memories of Ashfaq Ahmed

2011-01-13T19:27:00.003+05:00

Ashfaq Ahmed, (August 22, 1925 – September 7, 2004) was a distinguished

writer, playwright, broadcaster, intellectual and spiritualist from Pakistan. His prime qualities of heart and hand earned appreciations across the borders. He was regarded by many as the best Urdu Afsana (short-story) writer after Saadat Hasan Manto, Ismat Chughtai and Krishan Chander following the publication of his famous short-story "Gaddarya" [The Shepherd] in 1955.

Works
Aik hi boli
Aik Mohabbat 100 Dramey
Aik Muhabbat So Afsaney
Arz-e-musannif
Aur Dramey
Band Gali
Baba Sahiba
Dhandoraa - Talqeen Shah
Gadaria - Ujlay Phool
Gulldan
Hairat Kaadah
Hasart-e-Tameer
Jung Ba Jung
Khail Tamasha
Khatiya Watiyaa - Poetry
Man Chaley Ka Soda
MehmaansaraeyNangey Paoon
Safar Dar Safar
Safar e Maina
Shahla Kot
Shehre Aarzoo
Shora Shori - Talqeen Shah
Subhaey Ifsaney
Talism Hosh Afza
Tota Kahani
Uchay Buraj Lahore Dey
Waday e Jang
Zaviya - 1
Zaviya - 2
Zaviya - 3
Zaviya - 4
Zaviya - 5
Zaviya - 6

He used to say 'Allah aap ko aasaniyan ata farmaye aur aasaniyan taqseem karni ki toufeeq ata farmaye.' These words were from his hearts that nobody cab forget.

FACEBOOK WILL END ON MARCH 15th!

2011-01-10T19:54:00.000+05:00

PALO ALTO, CA –Mark Zuckerberg announced that Facebook will be shut down in March. Managing the site has become too stressful.
“Facebook has gotten out of control,” said Zuckerberg in a press conference outside his Palo Alto office, “and the stress of managing this company has ruined my life. I need to put an end to all the madness.”
Zuckerberg went on to explain that starting March 15th, users will no longer be able to access their Facebook accounts.
“After March 15th the whole website shuts down,” said Avrat Humarthi, Vice President of Technical Affairs at Facebook. “So if you ever want to see your pictures again, I recommend you take them off the internet. You won’t be able to get them back once Facebook goes out of business.”
Zuckerberg said that the decision to shut down Facebook was difficult, but that he does not think people will be upset.
“I personally don’t think it’s a big deal,” he said in a private phone interview. “And to be honest, I think it’s for the better. Without Facebook, people will have to go outside and make real friends. That’s always a good thing.”
Some Facebook users were furious upon hearing the shocking news.
“What am I going to do without Facebook?” said Denise Bradshaw, a high school student from Indiana. “My life revolves around it. I’m on Facebook at least 10 hours a day. Now what am I going to do with all that free time?”
However, parents across the country have been experiencing a long anticipated sense of relief.
“I’m glad the Facebook nightmare is over,” said Jon Guttari, a single parent from Detroit. “Now my teenager’s face won’t be glued to a computer screen all day. Maybe I can even have a conversation with her.”
Those in the financial circuit are criticizing Zuckerberg for walking away from a multibillion dollar franchise. Facebook is currently ranked as one of the wealthiest businesses in the world, with economists estimating its value at around 7.9 billion.
But Zuckerberg remains unruffled by these accusations. He says he will stand by his decision to give Facebook the axe.
“I don’t care about the money,” said Zuckerberg. “I just want my old life back.”
The Facebook Corporation suggests that users remove all of their personal information from the website before March 15th. After that date, all photos, notes, links, and videos will be permanently erased.

Well, my analysis is that its a rumor becuase Facebook has recently signed an agreement to issue IPO of $50 billion. Its almost impossible to believe that an organsiation which is enjoying the rule on social websites world is about to finish its operations.
Moreover, sources suggest that Facebook earns $2 billion a year, which is a handosme amount, which no body is going to forgo!

Cheers Buddies, there will be no end of Facebook in coming 2 years atleast!

Facebook's Initial Private Offering

2011-01-08T17:31:00.000+05:00

As investors enjoy their second straight January with positive brokerage statements in the mail, there's more than a whiff of optimism in the air. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is on course for its biggest two-year bull run since 1932, and individual investors are finally showing signs of getting back into stocks. The period Dec. 1 to Dec. 29 saw a total of $14.90 billion move out of bond funds and $5.51 billion into stock funds.
The appetite for risk is back. For better or worse, people are ready to get in on the next hot play. America, after all, has always been a place where investors could ride the good fortunes of its most innovative companies. Hasn't it?
In 1995 the locus of innovation was Web pioneer Netscape Communications, whose initial public offering ignited five of the most lucrative years in market history. In 2004 it was Google (GOOG), whose "Dutch auction" IPO invited anyone to bid on a share price; those who bid over $85—small and large investors alike—got in on what has turned out to be a 618 percent return.
Today, the It company is Facebook, the seven-year-old social network that last summer bagged its 500 millionth active user and whose founder and chief executive officer, Mark Zuckerberg, was named Time's Person of the Year for 2010. When a privately held company displays this level of innovation and enjoys this level of success—when it captures the public imagination to such a remarkable degree—it's only natural that investors want to own a piece of it. Secondary exchanges such as SharesPost have been trading insiders' shares of Facebook at a level that values the enterprise at $42 billion. A Facebook IPO would benefit insiders and investors alike; all the 26-year-old Zuckerberg needs to do is reserve the ticker symbol—FACB? FRND?—and say the word, and the wealth-creating magic of democratic capitalism would unfold.
It isn't unfolding, however—at least for now. In what feels like a profoundly unfriendly move for a company with 500 million friends, Facebook has struck a private deal with Goldman Sachs (GS) and Russian investment firm Digital Sky Technologies (which is full of Goldman veterans) to sell them a $450 million and $50 million stake, respectively, in the company. A preferred and limited roster of Goldman clients would also buy in to the tune of about $1.5 billion. The deal, which values the social network at $50 billion, or more than two Yahoo! (YHOO)s, is expected to be structured by Goldman to allow Facebook to remain below the 500-investor threshold that would force it to make an array of Securities and Exchange Commission disclosures. A special Goldman fund with numerous client investors, the legal thinking goes, could be counted as a single investor.
Some funds within the wealth management division, such as the hedge fund Goldman Sachs Investment Partners, are also likely to get some of the private Facebook stock, according to two people familiar with the matter who requested anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss the deal. Clients are being offered the opportunity to invest as much as $2 million apiece with Goldman taking a 4 percent placement fee and 5 percent of any investment profits plus an annual servicing fee, according to two clients who were offered shares. "If you're an underwriter, you love this kind of discretion," says Jay R. Ritter, a University of Florida professor who studies public offerings. "It gets you the maximum pay-to-play benefit."
The structure of the deal is also novel. While Goldman Sachs routinely distributes offerings to its institutional and high-net-worth brokerage clients (minimum account size: $10 million), interested buyers this time would have to agree to hold on to their shares until 2013 and keep a lid on material nonpublic information. Stephen Cohen, a Goldman Sachs spokesman, declined to comment.

As for as, my point of view is concerned, I would Facebook will not sustain for long. The investment in facebook is like a buble, which may vanish anytime. In social websites, there is very short life time, we saw the boom of 'orkut', its no more used by anybody. Likewise, no body is sure that Facebook will remain in the world.

In addtion, the hatered against Facebook in Muslim world is also a concern becuase it has hosted the Cartoon contest of Prophet PBUH.

Best of luck Facebook!!

Africa's impressive growth

2011-01-07T14:31:00.002+05:00

Africa is now one of the world’s fastest-growing regions
MUCH has been written about the rise of the BRICs and Asia’s impressive economic performance. But an analysis by The Economist finds that over the ten years to 2010, six of the world’s ten fastest-growing economies were in sub-Saharan Africa. On IMF forecasts Africa will grab seven of the top ten places over the next five years (our ranking excludes countries with a population of less than 10m as well as Iraq and Afghanistan, which could both rebound strongly in the years ahead). Over the past decade the simple unweighted average of countries’ growth rates was virtually identical in Africa and Asia. Over the next five years Africa is likely to take the lead. In other words, the average African economy will outpace its Asian counterpart.

Motorola unveils tablet computer, the Xoom

2011-01-06T15:35:00.000+05:00

LAS VEGAS: US telecom maker Motorola Mobility has jumped into the bustling tablet computer market with a touchscreen device powered by "Honeycomb," the latest version of Google's Android software.

Sanjay Jha, the chief executive of Motorola Mobility, also presented three new Android-powered touchscreen smartphones to reporters on the eve of the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES).

Motorola Mobility's hotly awaited tablet computer, the "Xoom," will be available in the first quarter of the year, Jha said.

With a 10.1-inch (25.6-centimeter) screen, the Xoom is about the same size as Apple's iPad, which hit stores in April and has other leading technology companies around the world scrambling to catch up.

More than 100 firms are expected to unveil tablet computers at CES, which officially opens on Thursday and features more than 2,600 exhibitors of the latest gadgets.

Jha said the Xoom will be the first tablet computer to hit stores featuring Android 3.0, or Honeycomb, an operating system developed with tablets in mind instead of smartphones.

"It's been designed ground up for the tablet, the user interface, the whole interaction," Jha said. "It has multi-tasking capability."

"All of these things, I think, deliver an experience which make Android 3.0 on our tablet probably in my opinion the most competitive product in the marketplace," he said.

Jha pointed out several features on the Xoom that the iPad does not have including front- and rear-facing cameras and the ability to play Adobe Flash video software, which is banned from the Apple device.

He said the first Xooms to hit the market will feature 3G connectivity to the Internet through US carrier Verizon Wireless. A 4G Xoom will come out later in the year and 3G versions can be upgraded to 4G.

Jha also unveiled three new smartphones, the Atrix 4G, available through US telecom giant AT&T in the first quarter of the year, the Cliq 2 and the Droid Bionic.

A laptop dock for the Atrix 4G allows a user to connect the phone to a computer monitor and surf the Web using a full Firefox desktop browser.

The Cliq 2, available through Deutsche Telekom's T-Mobile in the United States from January 19, features a slide-out keyboard and was described as a device offering "business-ready features and robust entertainment options."

The Bionic Droid, which will be available in the second quarter of the year, is designed specifically for Verizon's 4G network, which was launched in December and currently covers about one-third of the US population.

It offers mobile Internet speeds up to 10 times faster than 3G and will, for example, allow high-quality streaming of television shows.

Chief executive Jha rolled out the new products here a day after the Illinois-based Motorola split into two companies, Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions.

Motorola Mobility will focus on mobility, the Internet and computing markets while Motorola Solutions will target next-generation communications solutions to government, public safety and enterprise customers.

Pakistan: Governor Punjab has been killed

2011-01-04T22:41:00.000+05:00

ISLAMABAD: Governor Punjab Salman Taseer was dead after one of his guards, named Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri, opened fire on him when he was going towards his car in Kohsar Market here today.

Interior Minister Rehman Malik confirmed to the media that the guard has been arrested. He has confessed that he opened fire on the governor because of his support to Asia Bibi, he added. Asia Bibi was convicted on blasphemy.

A policeman of elite force opened burst on the governor. He received bullets on his chest and neck. He was rushed to Poly Clinic but succumbed to the injuries.

The police have also arrested six suspected people from the spot.

Salman Taseer, 66, appointed governor of Punjab in 2008, was killed by one of his bodyguards opposed to his public criticism of controversial blasphemy laws.

"He was a very good friend, a politician and a businessman. He was a national hero we have lost him," said interior minister and PPP stalwart Rehman Malik.

He named the assassin as Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri, a guard assigned to the governor from the garrison city of Rawalpindi on at least five or six previous occasions.

"He confessed that he killed the governor because he had called the blasphemy law a black law," Malik said.

Police and anti-terror forces surrounded the area and closed the market after the attack. A silver Toyota car with a flat wheel was parked on one side.

Blood was smeared on the road in two places, said a reporter.

The body of deceased has been shifted to PIMS hospital where autopsy is underway. According to initial post-mortem report there were 27 bullet wound on the body of Salman Taseer, adding that 22 bullets have been removed from the body.

Meanwhile, PPP Punjab senior leader Raja Riaz while talking to media said that the body of deceased would be brought back to Lahore tonight. The funeral prayer of Salman Taseer would be held at governor house tomorrow.

Musharraf to return homeland before elections

2011-01-03T23:41:00.002+05:00

Former president and head of All Pakistan Muslim League (APML)has announced that his party members are preparing ground for his return.
He was very optimistics about the election, according to him people love him and he will surely hit high score in upcoming elections.

On the other hand government led by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) said that Judiciary is ready to welcome Former President Musharraf who is said to be accused in Benazir Bhutto assassination.

Lets wait for the time to decide :)

Weekly review: KSE ends week, year with bang.

2011-01-02T17:14:00.001+05:00

KARACHI: The Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) witnessed the traditional year-end rally to give a cheerful farewell to 2010. Despite late selling on the last trading day of the year, KSE-100 index registered an increase of 1.4 per cent to end the outgoing year at 12,022 points – its highest since July 2008.
Overall, the benchmark index provided returns of about 28 per cent year-on-year.
Foreign inflows for the week clocked in at higher levels with the net amount standing at $12.2 million, compared with just $5.5 million in the preceding week. The net inflow of foreign investments for the year tallied at an impressive $526 million.
United Bank Limited (UBL) and Fauji Fertiliser Company (FFC) dominated discussions at the bourse during the week. Bestway Group’s acquisition of an additional 20 per cent stake in the bank encouraged positivity amongst investors, as did the disbursement of $633 million to the country as part of the Coalition Support Fund from the United States.
FFC’s stock ticker continued to rise despite an explanation call issued by the government to fertiliser companies over the increase in the price of fertiliser.
Although the market did not immediately respond positively to the International Monetary Fund’s nine-month extension for meeting conditions attached to the standby arrangement, the decision eased uncertainty on the political front to some extent.
Market activity during the week was heavily concentrated in blue-chip stocks, particularly from the energy sector as investors took cue from rising international oil prices. “Despite political noise, the oil and gas sector along with the banking sector stole the show at the bourse during the week,” read a KASB research report.
While the index ended the year at its highest level since July 2008, market volumes told a different tale. Average daily volumes were down 30 per cent compared with 2009, standing at a meagre average of 121 million shares.
What to expect this year?
InvestCap analyst Imran Safdar termed the immediate outlook for equity prices ‘neutral’, citing the tug of war on the political front, coupled with the silver lining of earnings growth and economic recovery.
“With the election of new directors at the exchange, a new round of negotiations on the leverage product may start and any positive outcomes should drive the index up,” stressed analyst Imtiaz Gadar in a research report. The report also termed the commencement of trial operations at Engro’s new urea plant positive for future trade sessions at the bourse.
After a difficult year, analysts maintain a positive view on the market on the back of foreign inflows, strong growth in earnings, potential introduction of a leverage product and post-flood reconstruction activities.
Nonetheless, it is important to note that higher-than-anticipated commodity prices and discontinuation of the IMF programme remain key risks.
Monday, December 27
The stock market opened the week with a bang as the bourse surged 52 points to close at a 30-month high while volumes remained at a month low.
The Karachi Stock Exchange benchmark 100-share index ended 0.43 per cent or 51.56 points higher at 11,909.73.
Tuesday, December 28
The conflict between the government and coalition partners caused jitters among investors who trimmed their positions especially in oil and fertiliser stocks, according to analysts.
The 100-share index ended 0.52 per cent or 61.68 points lower at 11,848.05.
Wednesday, December 29
Renewed local buying interest in banking stocks helped the index rise 38 points on Wednesday, in line with regional markets.
The benchmark index ended 0.32 per cent higher at 11,886.02 points.
Thursday, December 30
Investors welcomed the newly elected board members at the KSE as the benchmark index at the bourse closed at a 30-month high on Thursday.
The 100-share index rose 145.44 points, or 1.22 per cent, to end the day’s trade at 12,031.46 points.
Friday, December 31
Mixed performance was witnessed on the last trading session of the year and the index managed to close flat at 12,022.46 points after a decline of nine points, or 0.07 per cent.

Sourcse: Tribunre

The Real Blasphemers

2011-01-02T17:12:00.001+05:00

Express Tribune Reports:

The issue of Aasiya Bibi’s alleged blasphemy became one of the hottest topics for debate in 2010. At a very basic level, the question that everyone sought to answer is this: How are we, as Muslims, meant to deal with blasphemy?
This question has a simple answer: we should ignore people who are accused of blasphemy and tell them that the great man whom they are supposedly targeting in their acts of blasphemy was the one who taught us to ignore their actions and focus on more positive things in life.
There are several passages in the Quran which mention acts of blasphemy committed against the prophet and the message of Islam, three of which are more important than the others. None of these passages contains any indication that those found guilty of blasphemy ought to be killed. If there was a punishment for blasphemy in Islam, it should have been clearly mentioned in the Quran, especially in the passages where occurrences of it during the prophet’s lifetime are mentioned.
In the first passage that refers to blasphemy, the Quran informs us that hypocrites used to attend the Prophet’s (PBUH) gatherings intending to tease him. They used to say “ra‘ina” (please say it again), twisting their tongue to prolong the vowel sound ‘I,’ so it sounded like they were saying a different word which meant “our shepherd”. Instead of condemning the perpetrators to a punishment, however, the Quran said: “Believers, don’t say ra’ina; instead say unzurna and listen carefully (so that you don’t need to ask the Prophet to repeat his statements),” (Quran; 2:104). The word unzurna, like ra’ina, served the same purpose.
Another passage says: “Believers, don’t make such individuals from amongst the people of the book and the disbelievers (of Makkah) your friends, who tease and make fun of your religion. And fear Allah if you are true believers. When you are called for prayers, they make it an object of ridicule. This they do because they are a group of people who don’t know (the truth),” (Quran; 57-58). Had the intent of the divine law been to kill those who made fun of religion, this passage would have been an appropriate occasion to make this fact unambiguously clear. Instead, the believers were asked to ignore ‘blasphemous remarks’ and were told to refrain from befriending these people.
A third passage in the chapter titled “Hypocrites” talks about the designs of the leader of the hypocrites and his followers, who, during one of the expeditions of Muslims beyond Madinah, blasphemed against the Prophet (PBUH) and his companions in the following words: “They (the hypocrites) say ‘When we shall return to Madinah, the honorable shall expel the mean from there’, even though honour is for Allah and His messenger, and believers, but these hypocrites are unaware,”
(63:7-8). Indeed what Abdullah Ibn Ubai’i, the leader of the hypocrites, and his followers said was blasphemy. The message of God, however, only clarified the truth in response to the blasphemy they had uttered. Abdullah Ibn Ubai’i later died a natural death in Madinah. Despite the fact that he was living in the very city that was ruled by the Prophet (PBUH), he wasn’t put to death nor did he suffer any lesser punishments in retribution for the act of blasphemy he and his companions were guilty of committing.
If the Quran does not sanction specific punishment for blasphemy, why then are Muslims bent upon demanding death for blasphemy? The answer is that according to some Hadith, some disbelievers were killed for being guilty of blaspheming against the Prophet (PBUH) during his lifetime.
The reality is that, as has been clarified above, there is no punishment for blasphemy in Islam. The only exception is this: according to divine law, those people who directly received the message of God through His messengers were destined to be killed if they rejected and condemned it. This was a law that was specific to the direct addressees of the prophet only. It has been clarified in the Quran that such people were destined to receive the punishment of death, in one form or the other, after a certain God-ordained deadline was reached. That deadline had already arrived for the disbelievers of Makkah thirteen years after the prophetic mission had started, at the time when the Prophet (PBUH) and his companions were forced to migrate from the city to Madinah. The first phase of that punishment took care of the entire leadership of Quraish, the clan that ruled Makkah, two years after the migration in the Battle of Badr. That process continued for different people on different occasions. When the people of the book, the Jews and the Christians, denied the Prophet’s (PBUH) message, they too became eligible for the same punishment. However, in their case the punishment was relaxed: they were forced to live the life of second-rate citizens and pay Jizya, the non-Muslim tax (Quran; 9:29). Only those Jews and Christians who had not only denied the Prophet’s (PBUH) message but had also gone on to tease, insult, and threaten his life, were considered worthy of being killed like their counterpart polytheist disbelievers of Makkah.
Clearly, such punishments were meant to be applicable only to a certain group of people living in a particular era. Their crime and the rationale for their punishment have both been mentioned in the Quran. Their punishment wasn’t based on a Shari’ah law; instead it was based on God’s own direct intervention. For the rest of the people, the general rule mentioned in the Quran states that blasphemers are meant to be ignored- this was meant to continue to remain applicable for all times to come.
According to the Quran, only two types of criminals can be sentenced to capital punishment: those who are guilty of murder, or those who create mischief on earth. Anyone who took the life of another soul for reasons other than these two, according to the Quran, would be as if he killed the entire mankind. (Quran; 5:32) The law stipulating capital punishment for the act of blasphemy therefore is clearly against the Quranic message of the verse referred to above.
Of course, one could say that blasphemy is a form of ‘creating mischief on earth’ — but this argument is not valid because ‘creating mischief on earth’ has been described in the Quran like this: “Those who wage a war against Allah and His messenger and strive to create mischief on earth.” That crime is committed when an individual or a group commit murders, burglaries, or rapes and cause the life, property, and honour of innocent citizens to be harmed. Indeed, making profane remarks about the prophet is a crime, but the one committing it neither declares a war against Allah and His messenger nor does he struggle to create mischief on earth.
Islam’s message is of peace and tolerance. Bigotry, aggression, and extremism have nothing to do with it. Those who promote the latter evils in the name of Islam are the real threat to the propagation of its message.

The author is the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Central Punjab.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 2nd, 2011.

The ‘Bestway’ for United Bank Limited?

2011-01-01T15:34:00.000+05:00

Despite a restructuring in the shareholding of United Bank Limited (UBL), management control of the bank shall remain unaffected.

A letter sent by the UBL to Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan cited that “the consortium of Bestway Group (BG) and Abu Dhabi Group (ADG) hold 61.37 per cent shares in and control of UBL”. The letter explained that management control of the bank will remain with this consortium.

On the other hand, some analyst believe that Bestway will take over the management of UBL in the mid of 2011.

Welcome January 2011

2011-01-01T01:43:00.000+05:00

aey naey saal bata tujh main naya pan kia hai
her taraf khalq nay kiun shor macha rakha hai
roshni din ki wo hi taaron bhari raat wo hi
aaj hum ko nazar aati hai her baat wo hi
aasman badla hay afsos na badli hay zameen
...aik hindsay ka badalna koi jiddat to nahi
aglay barson ki tarha hongay qareenay teray
kisay maaloom nahi bara maheenay teray
janwari,farwari aur march main pare gi sardee
aur aprel ,maee ,joon main hogi garmee
tera san e dehar main kuch khoaey ga kuch paey ga
apni meeaad basar kar k chala jaay ga
be sabab detay hain kiun loag mubarak baadain
ghaliban bhool gay waqt ki karrwee yaadain
teri aamad say ghatti umer jahan main sab ki
faiz ne likhi hai ye nazm niraalay dhab kPoet: Faiz

Janaury
i
Dil behlaane ki nahi koi sabeel
january ki sard raatein hain taveel
daalta hoon apne maazi par nigaah
gaahe-gaahe kheenchta hoon sard aah
kis tarah ab dil ko raah par laoo’n main
kis bahaane se usse bhulaaoo’n main
sab ko mahv-e-khawab raat chhod ke
neend aati hai mere shabistaan mein mere
mujh ko sote dekh kar aata hai koi
mere seene se chimat jaata hai koi
dekhta hoon aa ke aksar hosh mein
koi zaalim hai mere aagosh mein
khud ko magar tanha hi paata hoon main
phir ghadi-bhar baad so jaata hoon main
phir kisi ko dekhta hoon khawaab mein
iss dafa pehchaan leta hoon tumhe
bhaag jaate ho qareeb subha-dam
chhod dete ho raheen ranj-o-gham
mujh ko tum se ishq tha mudaat huee
unn dino tum ko bhi ulfat mujh se thi
kam nigahi iqtasa-e-saal-o-sun
kya huee thi baat jaane ek din
band apna aana jaana hogaya
aur uss par ek zamaana hogaya
tum galat samjhe hawa mein baad-gumaan
baat chhoti thi magar pahonchi kahaan
jald hi main to pashemaan hogaya
tum ko bhi ehsaas kuch aisa hua
nasha pindaar main lekin thhey mast
thi giraa’n dono pe tasleem-e-shiqast
hijr ke sehra ko tay karna pada
mil gaya tha rehnuma ummeed sa
hai meri jurrat ki asal ab bhi yahi
dil ye kehta hai ke dekhein to sahi
jis mein utra tha hamaara kaarvaa’n
ab bhi mumkin hai wo khali ho makaa’n
aaj tak dete rahe dil ko fareb
ab nahi mumkin zara taab-e-shakeb
aao mere deeda-e-tar mein raho
aao,is ujde hue ghar mein raho
hausle se main pehal karta to hoon
dil mein itna soch kar darta bhi hoon
tum na thukra do meri daawat kahee’n
main ye samjhunga agar kehdo nahi
gardish-e-ayaam ko lauta liya
main ne jo kuch kho diya tha paa liya.Poet: Ibn-E-Insha

Comparison of Karachi Stock Exchnage Indices

2010-12-31T14:36:00.000+05:00

Pakistani stock market comprises of 3 stock markets namely; Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE), Lahore Stock Exchange (LSE), and Islamabad Stock Exchange (ISE). Karachi Stock market is the leading stock exchange in Pakistan. It comprises of 4 indices, i.e. All Share index, KSE-100 index, KSE-30 index, and KMI (KSE Meezan Index)-30 index.

The KSE-100 was launched in 1991 with a base of 10,000 points. It is an index acting as benchmark to compare prices on the Karachi Stock Exchange over a period of time. The index comprises 100 companies selected on the basis of sector representation and highest market capitalization, which captures over 80% of the total market capitalization of the companies listed on stock exchange. Out of the 35 sectors, 34 companies are selected i.e. one company from each sector (excluding Open-End Mutual Fund Sector) on the basis of the largest market capitalization and the remaining 66 companies are selected on the basis of largest market capitalization in descending order. This is a total return index i.e. dividend, bonus and rights are adjusted. Today index stood around 10600 points.

The Karachi Stock Exchange is launched KSE-30 index with base point of 10,000 points; the index was implemented from Friday, September 01, 2006. The objective of KSE-30 is to have a benchmark by which the stock performance can be compared over a period of time. Particularly, KSE-30 was designed to give investors with clear picture of how large companies are performing.

The KSE-30 performs on the free floating methodology. This means proportion of total shares issued by a company that are readily available for trading at Stock Exchange. It excludes the shares held by controlling directors/sponsors/promoters, government and other locked-in shares not available for trading in the normal course. The closing points were around 10300.

The Karachi Stock Exchange with the collaboration of Al Meezan Investments Management Limited launched the Pakistan’s first Islamic index, named KSE Meezan Index or KMI on September 01, 2008, Ramadan 01, 1429 Hijra.
The KMI consists of 30 companies which qualify the Shariah screening criteria. The objective of KMI-30 is to serve as a gauge for measuring the performance of Shariah Compliant Equity Investment, and it also provides investors with a suitable benchmark for comparing returns on their Shariah Compliant Investments.
Following is the criteria of KMI-30:
o The business of company should be Halal. Investment in banks, insurance companies, leasing companies, and other non-Shariah compliant is not allowed.
o Total interest bearing debt should be less than 40% of total assets invested in the business.
o Non-Shariah compliant investment must be less than 33% of total assets invested in the company, which includes investment in mutual funds, conventional money market instruments, bonds, PIBs, FIBs, CoIs, CoDs, TFCs, T-bills, and all interest based placements and all interest based loans and advances, etc.
o Non-Shariah compliant income must be less than 5% of total revenue.
o Illiquid assets must be greater than 20% of total assets employed in the business, which includes property, plant and equipment, building, furniture, intangible assets, etc.
o Market price per should be greater than Net Liquid assets per share.

Comparison:
Since very first days the KMI-30 is higher than KSE-100 andKSE-30. In the first month since inception KMI-30 was more than 1000 points higher than KSE-30 and 2000 points above than KSE-100. In the end of September 2008, KMI-30 was at 11224.87, KSE-30 was at 10064 and KSE-100 was at 9179. Today KMI-30 stands at 16791.09 whereas KSE-30 stands at 10250. This show the confidence investors have vested in KSE Meezan Index. In 2009 KSE Meezan Index has gained the top slot in the worldwide indices by posting 107.4 percent dollar based returns, while KSE-100 index secured sixth position with 60 percent dollar based returns.

If we depict the scenario of return of indices, it’s like that. The return on KMI-30 is higher than the both of the indices in Karachi Stock Market i.e. KSE-30 and KSE-100. The investors who invest in KMI got the return of more than 5%, whereas the return on KSE-30 and KSE-100 is -3% and 0.35% respectively.

If we conclude all this discussion, the gist is that investing in Islamic mode of shares is very lucrative indeed from investors’ perspective.

What happened on December 31 in the Hisory

2010-12-31T14:20:00.000+05:00

December 31 Events in History

2008 One leap second is added to the end of the year
1999 Control of Panama Canal reverts to Panama
1999 The London Eye, the world's largest Ferris wheel, opens by the banks of the Thames
1998 U.S. movie box office hits record $6.24 billion for year
1997 Intel cuts price of Pentium II-233 MHz from $401 to $268
1997 Marv Levy, retires as coach of Buffalo Bills
1997 Microsoft buys Hotmail E-mail service
1997 More Swedes died than were born in 1997, 1st time since 1809
1997 Orlando Hernandez, half-brother of pitcher Livan, defects from Cuba
1997 South African and U.S. surgeons separate Zambian Siamese twins joined at the head
1995 "Danny Gans on Broadway" closes at Neil Simon New York City
1995 "Having Our Say" closes at Booth Theater New York City after 308 performances
1995 "Heiress" closes at Cort Theater New York City after 340 performances
1995 "Paul Roebson" closes at Longacre Theater New York City after 14 performances
1995 "Racing Demon" closes at Vivian Beaumont Theater New York City after 48 performances
1995 "Tempest" closes at Broadhurst Theater New York City after 71 performances
1995 62nd Sugar Bowl: Virginia Tech beats Texas
1995 Cartoonist Bill Watterson ends his "Calvin and Hobbes" comic strip
1995 Matthew Elliott scores separate cricket century same day for Victoria
1994 1st snowless December in Baltimore Maryland
1994 Anti Apartheid Group of Netherlands (AABN) disbands
1993 Barbra Striesand does her 1st live public concert in 20 years
1993 Loveboat actress Jill Whelan (27) weds Brad St. John (33)
1992 Target date for Europe's single market
1992 WCBS TV news anchor Carol Martin weds Joe Terry
1991 CPN, Communist Party of Netherland, last day of existance
1991 Daniel R McCarthy elected New York Yankee managing general partner
1991 Dow Jones closes at record high 3168.83
1991 J Donald Crump resigned as CFL Commissioner
1991 U.S.S.R., last day of existence
1990 Iraq begins a military draft of 17 year olds
1990 Sci-Fi Channel on cable TV begins transmitting
1990 United Somali Congress seizes Presidential Palace
1989 "Me and My Girl" closes at Marquis Theater New York City after 1420 performances
1989 "Threepenny Opera" closes at Lunt-Fontanne Theater New York City after 65 performances
1989 Actress Annabella Sciorra (Jungle Fever) weds Joe Petruzzi
1989 Fog Bowl: Heavy fog rolls in on Bears 20-12 victory over Eagles
1989 Jockey Kent Desormeaux sets record with 598 wins in a year
1986 Dupont Plaza Hotel fire in San Juan, Puerto Rico kills 97
1986 Russian TU-144 flies for 1st time faster than sound
1986 WIS-AM in Columbia South Carolina changes call letters to WVOC (now WOMG)
1984 Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen loses his arm in a car crash
1984 New York City subway gunman Bernhard Goetz surrenders to police in New Hampshire
1984 Rajiv Gandhi takes office as India's 6th Prime Minister succeeds his mother, Indira Gandhi
1984 Test Cricket debut of Mohammad Azharuddin, vs. England at Calcutta
1984 U.S. leaves UNESCO
1983 Brunei gains complete independence from Britain
1983 Jose Happart installed as mayor of Voeren Belgium
1983 Nigeria's National Assembly dissolves after military coup
1982 CBS Mystery Theater final episode on radio after 8 years
1982 NBC radio cancels almost all of its network daily features
1982 TV soap "Doctors" ends 19 year run
1981 CNN Headline News debuts
1981 Lt Jerry Rawlings becomes head of Ghana, suspends constitution
1981 Netherlands unemployment stands at record 475,000
1980 A Jewish owned hotel in Nairobi Kenya is bombed killing 18
1980 New York Islanders greatest shutout margin (9-0) vs Chicago Black Hawks
1980 Senegal president Leopold Senghor resigns
1979 Winterland Rock Concert Hall in San Francisco closes after 556 concerts
1978 "Magic Show" closes at Cort Theater New York City after 1859 performances
1978 "Runaways" closes at Plymouth Theater New York City after 199 performances
1978 CIA director, Admiral Stansfield Turner retires from the Navy
1978 Iran shah names Chapour Bakhtiar premier
1978 Taiwan's final day of diplomatic relations with US
1977 "Bubbling Brown Sugar" closes at ANTA Theater New York City after 766 performances
1977 "Man of La Mancha" closes at Palace Theater New York City after 124 performances
1977 Amir Sheikh Jabir al-Ahmad al-Jabir Al Sabah becomes leader of Kuwait
1977 Cambodia drops diplomatic relations with Vietnam
1977 Donald Woods, a banned white editor flees South Africa
1977 Ted Bundy escapes from jail in Colorado
1976 TV soap "Somerset" ends 6 year run
1976 The Cars played their 1st gig
1975 42nd Sugar Bowl: Alabama 13 beats Penn State 6
1974 41st Sugar Bowl: Nebraska 13 beats Florida 10
1974 Free agent pitcher Catfish Hunter signs $3M 5 year New York Yankees contract
1974 Gold legal in U.S., Franklin Mint strikes Panama's Gold 100 balboa coin
1974 Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks join Fleetwood Mac
1974 New York Yankees sign Jim "Catfish" Hunter to 5 years for record $3.75 million
1974 Popular Electronics displays Altair 8800 computer
1973 40th Sugar Bowl: Notre Dame 24 beats Alabama 23
1973 61st Australian Mens Tennis: John Newcombe beats O Parun (63 67 75 61)
1973 Johan Cruyff chosen European soccer Player of year
1972 39th Sugar Bowl: Oklahoma 14 beats Penn State 0
1972 Leap second day; also in 1973-79, 1987
1972 Miami Dolphins beat Pittsburgh Steelers 21-7 in AFC championship game
1972 Washington Redskins beat Dallas Cowboys 26-3 in NFC championship game
1971 KAID TV channel 4 in Boise, Idaho (PBS) begins broadcasting
1971 Lieutenant General Robert E Cushman,, Jr., USMC, ends term as deputy director of CIA
1970 Congress authorizes Eisenhower dollar coin
1970 President Allende nationalizes Chilean coal mines
1970 Would have been start of Australia/England Test Cricket at MCG, washed out
1969 Congo-Brazzaville becomes People's republic, under major Ngouabi
1968 1st supersonic airliner flown (Russian TU-144)
1968 1st test flight of Tupolev TU 144
1968 New York Jets win AFL championship
1967 "Henry, Sweet Henry" closes at Palace Theater New York City after 80 performances
1967 1st NBA game at Great Western Forum, Los Angeles Lakers beat Houston 147-118
1967 Oakland Raiders beat Houston Oilers 40-7 in AFL championship game
1967 Packers beat Cowboys 21-17 in NFL championship game (-13 degrees F)
1966 Monkee's "I'm a Believer" hits #1 and stays there for 7 weeks
1966 Test Cricket debut of Bishen Singh Bedi, India vs. WI Calcutta, 2-92
1966 Toboggan Chutes begin operation in Cleveland Metroparks
1964 Donald Campbell (UK) sets world water speed record (276.33 mph)
1964 Indonesia proclaims expelled from the UN
1963 Chicago Bears win NFL championship
1963 Dear Abby show premieres on CBS radio (runs 11 years)
1963 Jerry Garcia and Bob Weir played music together for the 1st time
1962 "Match Game" debuts on NBC with host Gene Rayburn
1962 American Basketball League announces suspension of operation
1962 Dutch leave New Guinea
1962 Katanga becomes part of Democratic Republic of Congo
1962 Ohio ends suit against Reds when they agree to stay in Cincinnati for 10 yrs
1961 "lrma La Douce" closes at Plymouth Theater New York City after 527 performances
1961 1st performance of Beach Boys
1961 Beach Boys play their debut gig under that name
1961 Failed coup by Syrian group in Lebanon
1961 Green Bay Packers shutout New York Giants 37-0 in NFL championship game
1961 Marshall Plan expires after distributing more than $12 billion
1958 47th Davis Cup: USA beats Australia in Brisbane (3-2)
1958 Cubans dictator Batista flees
1958 International Geophyscial Year ends
1958 Willie Shoemaker 1st jockey to win national riding championship 4X
1957 AAU awards Bobby Morrow, James Sullivan Memorial Trophy
1955 "Vamp" closes at Winter Garden Theater New York City after 60 performances
1953 Hulan Jack sworn in as Manhattan Borough president
1953 WFBC (now WYFF) TV channel 4 in G'ville-Spartanburg, South Carolina (NBC) begins
1953 Willie Shoemaker shatters record, riding 485 winners in a year
1951 1st battery to convert radioactive energy to electrical announced
1950 Jockeys W Shoemaker and Joe Culmone set record of 388 wins in a year
1949 18 countries recognize Republic Indonesia
1948 Dutch police actions up Java gone on strike
1946 French troops leave Lebanon
1946 President Truman officially proclaims end of WW II
1945 Bradman scores 112, his 1st post-War century, SA vs. Australia Services
1945 Ratification of United Nations Charter completed
1944 48 people die in a train accident in Ogden, Utah
1944 Japanese army evacuates harbor city Akyab
1943 New York City's Times Square greets Frank Sinatra at Paramount Theater
1942 60 U boats sunk this month (330,000 ton)
1942 Battle in Barents Sea
1942 Potatoes rationed in Holland
1941 Young Park (2) in the Bronx named in honor of Samuel Young
1940 37 U boats sunk this month (213,000 ton)
1939 25 U boats sunk this month (81,000 ton)
1938 Dr. R N Harger's "drunkometer," 1st breath test, introduced in Indiana
1935 CPH becomes Dutch Communist Party
1935 Charles Darrow patents Monopoly
1934 Helen Richey becomes 1st woman to pilot an airmail transport
1932 John P O'Brien sworn-in as mayor of New York City
1930 Pontifical encyclical Casti connubii against mixed marriages
1930 U.S. tobacco industry produced 123 billion cigarettes in 1930
1929 Pope Pius XI publishes encyclical Divini illius magistri
1927 Ponsford scores 336 against SA, giving him 1146 for month
1925 14th congress of CPSU decides to accelerate industry
1924 Hubble announces existence of distant galaxies
1923 1st transatlantic radio broadcast of a voice, Pittsburgh-Manchester
1923 BBC begins using Big Ben chime ID
1923 H Tierney/J McCarthy's musical "Kid Boots," premieres in New York City
1921 Last San Francisco firehorses retired
1920 Roy Park makes 1st-ball duck in only Test Cricket India, vs. England at MCG
1918 Kid Gleason replaces Pants Rowland as White Sox manager
1917 Dutch Social-democratic trade union NVV counts 159,450 members
1914 Colonel Jacob Ruppert and Cap Huston purchase New York Yankees for $460,000
1911 Marie Curie receives her 2nd Nobel Prize
1910 U.S. tobacco industry produced 9 billion cigarettes in 1910
1907 For 1st time a ball drops at Times Square to signal new year
1907 G Mahler conducts the Metropolitan Opera
1906 French/British/Italian treaty concerning rights on Abyssinia
1902 Boers and British army sign peace treaty
1897 Brooklyn's last day as a city, it incorporates into New York City (1/1/1898)
1896 25th auto built in US
1890 Ellis Island, in New York City, opens as a U.S. immigration depot
1879 Cornerstone laid for Iolani Palace (only royal palace in U.S.)
1879 Cornerstone laid for Honolulu's Iolani Palace
1879 Edison gives 1st public demonstration of his incandescent lamp
1879 Gilbert/Sullivan's "Pirates of Penzance," premieres in New York City
1879 Opera "Pirates of Penzance" is produced (New York City)
1870 J D Schneiter patents rocket mail in France, (not done)
1862 Battle of Stone's River, Tennessee (Stone River, Monfreesboro)
1862 Battle of Murfreesboro, Tennessee
1862 President Lincoln signs act admitting West Virginia to Union
1862 Skirmish at Parker Cross Roads, Tennessee
1862 Union ironclad ship "Monitor" sank off Cape Hatteras, NC
1861 22,990 mm of rain falls in Cherrapunji Assam in 1861, world record
1859 Dutch colony in Dutch Indies counts 4,800 slaves
1857 Queen Victoria chooses Ottawa as new capital of Canada
1852 Future president and Mrs. Rutherford B Hayes marry
1841 Alabama becomes 1st state to license dental surgeons
1805 End of French Republican calendar; France returns to Gregorianism
1783 Import of African slaves banned by all of the Northern states
1781 Bank of North America, 1st U.S. bank opens
1779 English fleet beat Dutch Merchant vessels
1776 Rhode Island establishes wage and price controls to curb inflation: Limit is 70 cents a day for carpenters, 42 cents for tailors
1775 Battle of Quebec; Americans unable to take British stronghold
1762 Mozart family moves from Vienna to Salzburg
1758 British expeditionary army occupies Goree (Dakar) Senegal
1756 Russia joins the Alliance of Versailles
1745 Bonnie Prince Charlies army meets with de Esk
1744 James Bradley announces discovery of Earth's nutation motion (wobble)
1711 Duke of Marlborough fired as English army commander
1708 Great Alliance captures Bridge
1700 Frisia/Groningen adopt Gregorian calendar, tomorrow is 1/12/1701
1688 Pro-James II-earl of Devonshire occupies Nottingham
1687 1st Huguenots depart France to Cape of Good Hope
1680 Amsterdam opera at Leidsegracht opens
1670 France and England sign Boyne-treaty
1669 France and Brandenburg sign secret treaty
1621 Hungarian King Bethlen Gabor/Ferdinand II sign Treaty of Mikulov
1604 Admiral Steven van der Haghen's fleet reaches Bantam
1600 British East India Company chartered
1564 Willem van Orange demands freedom of conscience/religion
1502 Cesare Borgia (son of pope Alexander VI) occupies Urbino
1492 100,000 Jews expelled from Sicily
870 Skirmish at Englefield: Ethelred of Wessex beats Danish invasion army
765 Coffin of Ho-tse Shen-hui interred in a stupa built in China
406 80,000 Vandels attack the Rhine at Mainz
335 St. Silvester I ends his reign as Catholic Pope