3 Tools to Measure Social Media Engagement & Referrers on Your Blog

While it is great to add social media sharing buttons and toolbars to your blog or website, it is even better to know how they are actually helping with your social engagement. The following free tools will help you learn just how well your site is doing on the social engagement front.

1. Topsy Analytics

If you want to see information about how many tweets your site is getting, you can start with Topsy Analytics. Simply enter your site:yourdomain.com to see the tweets for your site for the past day, week, two weeks, or month. Beneath the graph, you can also see the top links in the past 24 hours at a glance with the number of tweets each. Use this tool to see your own site’s activity, or enter two other competitors to see how their site is trending compared to yours and what their most popular posts & pages are.

2. Google Analytics

Have you ever wondered about how visitors from social media sites compare to the rest of your visitors? If so, don’t just look at your traffic sources to find your social media referrers. Add an Advanced Segment to your Google Analytics instead. To create one, click on the Advanced Segments dropdown and then the + New Custom Segment button. Name your Advanced Segment Social Media (or similar). Then start adding in referral traffic sources by changing the dropdowns to Include > Source > Containing > domain.com. Click the Add ‘OR’ statement to include more than just one traffic source. Social media traffic sources and related tools / shorteners include, but are not limited to, the following:

• facebook.com – Includes traffic from the main site and the mobile site (m.facebook.com). Consider adding the Like button for more traffic and sharing on this network.
• twitter.com – Includes traffic from the main site and the mobile site (mobile.twitter.com). Consider adding the official retweet button for more traffic and sharing on this network.
• plus.google.com – Google’s own social network. Consider adding the +1 button for more traffic and sharing on this network.
• linkedin.com – Top professional social network. Consider adding the LinkedIn share button for more traffic and sharing on this network.
• youtube.com – Top video social network. Consider adding video networks like vimeo.com and others if you use them.
• hootsuite.com – Twitter management tool.
• paper.li – Service that allows users to create a custom or automated “newspaper” with the latest tweets from their followers, hashtags, or Twitter lists.
• twitterfeed.com – Service that allows users to automatically update their social accounts (Twitter, Facebook, etc.) with the latest blog posts from an RSS feed.
• t.co – Twitter’s official link service – one of the few shorteners that is trackable in Google Analytics.

You can continue on to add social bookmarking sites like the following to your Social Media segment, or create a separate segment for them”

• stumbleupon.com – This social bookmarking network can lead to more visits in one than all other social media sites combined if you’re lucky. Consider adding the StumbleUpon badge for more traffic and sharing on this network.
• digg.com – While traffic is down, it’s still a great social bookmarking network to get featured on. Consider adding the Digg button for more traffic and sharing on this network.
• decicious.com – Delicious has changed a lot since it’s Yahoo days. Consider adding a Save this link for more traffic and sharing on this network.
• reddit.com – Reddit took over the social bookmarking scene when Digg dropped off. Consider adding the Reddit button for more traffic and sharing on this network.
• bizsugar.com – If your content is focused on business related topics, this is the perfect community for you. Consider adding the BizSugar voting button for more traffic and sharing on this network.
• blogengage.com – This bookmarking community is dedicated to blogging. Consider adding the Blog Engage vote buttons for more traffic and sharing on this network.
• myseocommunity.com – This is the new bookmarking community on the scene for SEO lovers and Internet marketers.

When you’ve finished adding social media referrers, click the Save Segment button. You will now be able to see all of your Google Analytics data based on visitors from social media and bookmarking sites. Select multiple segments (including All Visits) from Advanced Segments to compare social media visitors with all of your traffic to learn more. Creating other segments for your search-related traffic, direct traffic, and traffic from other sources can help you determine which area of online marketing is working the best towards bring traffic to your site. Add goals in Google Analytics to further determine what traffic sources (including social media) are driving the right kind of visitors to your site as well.

3. Google Webmaster Tools

Want to find out how much impact Google’s +1 button (the equivalent of the Facebook like button for their social network) has on your rankings and click through in search results? Find out in Google Webmaster Tools. If you have Google Analytics set up, then add your site to Google Webmaster Tools and verify it using the Google Analytics tracking code. Wait a few days, then start looking under the +1 Metrics section. Under Search impact, you will see a graph of the times people saw your website in search results with the +1 count annotated. Below that, you will see statistics about the click through rates of impressions with the +1 count annotated vs. those without. Under the Activity section of your +1 Metrics, you can see the number of +1’s you have attained on your website and its content. Beneath that, you will see details of specific pages on your site and the +1’s they have received. Under the Audience section (if you have enough +1’s), you will be able to see some demographics about the people who are socially engaging with your site via the +1 button. This is a screenshot from Distilled showing the types of demographics you’ll see.
This will give you a better feel for the type of audience that is socially engaged on your site and help you to see what type of content gets the most interest by your targeted demographic.

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Occupy Your Rights: OWS: Occupy Buffalo Eviction

On February 2, 2012, OccupyBuffalo was forcefully evicted from Niagara Square in Buffalo, New York after peacefully occupying without a single infraction since October of 2011.

This eviction was a result of a disagreement between OccupyBuffalo and the City of Buffalo. Originally, the City offered to extend a prior approved joint agreement from 2011 to occupy until March 8th, 2011. OccupyBuffalo wanted the agreement to run until the end of the March in order to find another location and to serve the needs of the community.

Occupiers had until Wednesday [Feb 2] night as a deadline to leave, after 4 months of peaceful occupation. The occupation wished to further discuss this with the city. OccupyBuffalo denied the sudden and unexplained choice by the city to vacate dependent upon the cities actions to not renew the
prior contract until end of March.

The First Amendment of the Constitution provides for ‘the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
That is exactly what OccupyBuffalo did. That is not what occurred. The permit to stay [that need not be obtained under the First Amendment yet was] in the square expired at midnight. Crews [Buffalo Police Department, bulldozers, dump trucks, and the SWAT team in riot gear] moved in to dismantle all structures in Niagara Square. The City and OccupyBuffalo have always worked together. This is a model occupation.

The raid occurred around 2:30am Thursday. 10 were arrested. All equipment, save for one or two items, were destroyed.  I watched live on Ustream in abject horror. I thought: I cannot believe this is occurring in my city.

This abuse of power was an immense shock as witnessed on Ustream by BootsofSolidarity because it occurred when people were sleeping. Peaceful resistance technique was again taught [on video] by a seasoned community leader when the raid began. It is heard on the stream: “The Buffalo Police Department said they will not destroy anything.”

Occupiers were also educated on possible arrest, meaning if they did not wish to take a chance, then to go across the street and for those that chose to exercise their legal, civil and human rights, then to stay put, peacefully.
There were no misunderstandings within the occupation.

SWAT Team members and Buffalo Police officers moved in on OccupyBuffalo with dump trucks, bulldozers and scooped the tents, equipment and all private and personal property into the dump trucks to be picked up at a “location” and sorted through.

Nearly everything was destroyed. This was not part of the agreement to vacate. Occupiers were simply told they may need to vacate.
OccupyBuffalo has melded into a community of teach ins, education, free food for the hungry, information on war, diversity of all faith, government, politics and true democracy.

Before this illegal raid, OccupyBuffalo was and is currently nominated for Top 20 out of 157 nominated occupations for a “community activist” award through FDL Action, coordinated by Jane Hamsher [HuffPost, Alternt, American Prospect, CNN, MSNBC, PBS, and producer of Natural Born Killers.

Mayor Brown told Channel 2 News there was nothing but positive discussions between the two parties and: "As part of their contract there is the potential for renewal, but again we are talking. The talks are going very well. There has been a very positive communication with the City's Law Department, special events division and the occupiers from the very beginning and we feel that this will go forward in a very positive fashion."

Buffalo Police Commissioner Daniel Derenda stated: "We did not anticipate violence but we prepared for the worst and hoped for the best."

When speaking to Channel 2 News, Mayor Brown said the peaceful protest in Buffalo has been a model for other protest movements around the county. He told a reporter "there is a chance the protesters will be allowed to stay."

In court on Thursday morning [VIDEO HERE] the 10 arrested [that never needed to be] were charged with disorderly conduct and trespassing, yet dismissed with restrictions: no occupying in a 3 mile radius to Niagara Square.
The City has offered an abandoned house, at this point, to the occupation. Why was the house not offered before the raid and arrests? Before the destruction of private property? Is that any different than what government bodies and police forces blame occupiers for doing?  Destructing governmental and city property by occupying it?

OccupyWallStreet has recognized this violation, as well as the world. OccupyBuffalo will continue with or without a place to occupy in order to continue to serve the community as they have been.

In the meantime, are you aware of your legal, civil and human rights?

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We have failed you Sir Abdus Salam

Yesterday marked the 85th Birthday of Dr.Abdus Salam, theoretical physicist and the only Pakistani Nobel Laureate. He is not our national hero, his name is rarely ever mentioned, in his life the only befitting ‘honour’ we could provide him was a life in self exile, in his death however we went a step ahead by blanking out the term ‘Muslim’ from his epitaph. A member of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, a member of the Scientific Commission of Pakistan and the Chief Scientific Adviser to the President, Salam was one of the most prolific researchers in theoretical elementary particle physics. No minister or high government official attended his funeral.
He was an Ahmadi.

Happy Birthday Salam Sahab, we have failed you.
Over 5,000 gathered in Rawalpindi yesterday, blaring witness to the systematic hate, prejudice that has been curtailed by a whole series of ordinances, acts and constitutional amendments against the Ahmadiyya community, that had been the cause of Salaam’s self exile four decades ago. Nothing has changed since, for the Ahmadis it has only gotten worse.
The rally called out by traders’ associations was attended by activists of Jamaatud Dawa, Jamaat-i-Islami, Sipah Sahaba (banned organisation) and Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat in Rawalpindi,  claimed that a ‘worship place’ belonging to the Ahmadiya community was built without permission, The irony of protest on land encroachments by parties who themselves have been involved in extortion and land encroachments is immeasurable. But it was not long until the real incentive became clear.  A few weeks ago anti-Ahmadi banners had appeared in the same area, threatening the residents to leave, claiming their existence was unconstitutional and any restraint from them could lead to ‘repercussions’.
Terrified, no one spoke.
If you are Pakistani passport holder chances are you have signed a declaration claiming Qadianis as non-Muslims, this means that you declare them prohibited from calling themselves ‘Muslim’, to call their ‘places of worship’ mosques, to pray in ‘Muslim mosques’ or ‘public prayer areas’, to give azaan, to greet others with salaam, to publicly quote from the Quran – these amongst others could get one up to three years in prison.
Now they want to take away their right to worship. Through intimidation and hate mongering, speakers at the conference yesterday blatantly announced that there will be a 100,000 Qadri’s raging against the Ahmadis, issuing an ultimatum to the Ahmadiyya community to stop praying.
If they do and if the authorities fail to take action against the open call for aggression and violence, you and I will be responsible for authorising prejudice, for remaining silent in the face of aggression, for letting the hatred breed within our society, for not standing up for one of our own and for allowing men driven by their convoluted faith kill in the name of God.
If being party to vigilantism burdens your conscience, voice your concern, stand up and be counted.
Our state reminds me of Faiz’s words that he had scribbled in Dr. Abdus Salam’s diary when they met at an airport.
‘Nisar mein teri galiyon kay aye watan kay jahan
Chali hai rasm kay koi na sar utha kay chaley’
(My salutations to thy sacred streets, O beloved nation!
Where a tradition has been invented- that none shall walk with his head held high)
jo koii chaahanewaalaa tawaaf ko nikale 
nazar churaa ke chale, jism-o-jaan bachaa ke chale
(If at all one takes a walk, a pilgrimage
One must walk, eyes lowered, the body crouched in fear)

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An imaginative angle to Pakistan’s English white wash

Once upon a time Pakistan cricket ruled the world. In eighties and early nineties they challenged the very best. After an agonizing period of underachievement in best part of late nineties came the worst phase when they became pariahs of the cricketing world. But then fortune changed as success started to smile upon them again.
Pakistan, often, can do what others only dream of – in both success as well as failures. A whole decade from 1999 to 2010 was marred by controversies, shocking defeats and underachievement. The young generation will remember that era like ‘once upon a time we were so rubbish’, but a true fan or a chronic follower of Pakistan cricket will only give it a passing reference though in a sad and touching way. There is so much in Pakistan cricket that it cannot be ignored as a product. The brand has always been attractive and will always be.
By thrashing and ‘green-washing’ England, Pakistan has signaled return back to the golden days. Tomorrow’s historian will remind his readers by saying ‘once upon a time World’s number one team was rolled over by Pakistan who were isolated to the edge of the cricketing fraternity’. That will be the time when true merits of this huge success would be realized. They say when we are too close to a thing we cannot appreciate its true value.  Today we can celebrate this victory and term it a huge one but its grandiosity will continue to increase with each passing day. The reason being this win is a harbinger of something special to come. As a cricket lover and follower I can sense that.
It is team Misbah. Misbah has surprised even his biggest fan by becoming the central figure of Pakistan’s success. The man who enjoys love and hate relationship with his fans has come out as a messiah for his beleaguered team. Merely two years ago, after being overlooked in the squad of 35, he was contemplating retirement and wanted to burn his kit out of frustration. After the manic events of 2010 in which spot-fixing saga shook the cricket world, he became the logical choice, and the only reasonable one, for captaincy. His calmness, friendly nature and strong mind turned a bunch of individuals into a fighting unit.
The task has just begun. We have seen enough desolation. Now is the time to rise and shine. The victory achieved in the Arabian Desert should not go to waste. Under Misbah, the team will achieve more and continue its ascendancy. But the test is what next after Misbah and the current bunch. We need to plan a smooth transition in the next two years. If we can mastermind that effectively, we would be able to say proudly somewhere in the future, ‘we were invincible once upon a time’!

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Humsafar terrible appeal

Ashar stares at his love interest with desire that would give school girl goose bumps. PHOTO: PUBLICITY

The appeal of Humsafar is obvious. You could cut through the weird chemistry between Khirad and Ashar, the hero authors of romance novels would be envious of. Eye candy, nakedly sexual, he stares arduously at his love interest with desire that would give the Grammarian and the Aisha Bawany schoolgirl goose bumps. He is clean cut. He smiles infrequently and when he does, it seems as if it were a gift. Physical contact is at a minimum. Sex is implied, and there is a chastity reminiscent of Zia-era dramas that drives people insane with tension.

Khirad on the other hand, played by the cherubic Mahira with bright makeup, and translucent skin, appears surprisingly asexual — the recipient of the man’s desire, derision, and disdain – not interfering too much with the screen appeal of Ashar, with nice beauty, but insipid enough to not be threatening to female viewers. She is also surprisingly silent, when all you want is for her to sit him down and feverishly explain the terrible misunderstanding the entire infuriating play is constructed on, over a cup of coffee or a glass of vodka.
If Khirad’s father taught her such great values, why was her marriage into an affluent family (mild protestations notwithstanding) and its inevitable accompaniments – an abusive mother-in-law, and a passive aggressive unpredictable husband — the only way to material security?
Her mind that works faster than a calculator could also have landed her a PhD stipend at the University of Punjab where she could have raised her daughter modestly, but well. If not, then perhaps a junior analyst position at Engro where she would have adequate medical coverage for her child. And if not that, there could be situations around inflation and lack of opportunities. Eventually, she could have met a man less verbally challenged than Ashar and they would have actual conversations instead of old words reverberating in their heads like bipolar memories. In fact, what Khirad’s father taught her was the hegemonic values – where honesty is inextricably entwined with being a good wife and a submissive, self-denying woman whose moral sexuality is her ticket to livelihood.
The house is central to the play. It is luxurious. It has a swimming pool (virginal) in the background, and tasteful art. It is sterile, hotel-like, and it’s the woman’s object of ultimate attainment. Khirad got thrown out, and in a scene that played cruelly on all women’s insecurities, we are shown that what capitalist patriarchy giveth, it taketh if you can’t abide by bourgeois society’s moral ethics. Underlining Khirad’s dramatic eviction from the house is the fact that she did abide by these ethics and is of unblemished character. It is she of moral purity who deserves the house rather than the manipulative mother-in-law.

In an earlier episode, it is the mother-in-law who is threatened with eviction if she does not agree with her husband’s decision to respect his dying sister’s wish. But the mother-in-law’s non-nuanced evil aside, isn’t it troubling that women despite age, motherhood and having maintained homes are always on the verge of losing it all — always at the whim of later apologetic, yet unapologetic men? Sadly, after this they have to rely on puppeteering their sons for personal fulfillment. Note that the mother-in-law has a possibly satisfying career in an NGO – but this worldly fulfillment fades in comparison to the infinite delights of tormenting her child.
If Khirad had not submitted happily to Ashar’s gradual advances, and had asserted sexual autonomy or indifference, then what? When she does give up on him, it is because he is weak and could not protect her. But imagine a Khirad who is coming of age and is actually exploring multiple, conflicting sexual emotions towards her cousin-husband and maybe even her classmate, and later, raising her child as a single mother and meeting a man of her choice? But this would, of course, mean complexity and a screenplay that does not rely on overly simplistic archetypes. Functioning within the confines of patriarchy, Khirad cannot lose her chance of reunion with Ashar by responding to any other man in her four and a half years as a single woman. Playing on scenes in Bollywood, where the woman’s purity is depicted through devoted, childlike prayer as the male voyeurs, here too in Episode 19, Ashar is shown after Khirad has vulnerably bared it all before her God.
Ashar, too, stays pure. But promiscuity will not cost him a home. His celibacy (and virtual impotency) is affirmation of his unattainability. No wafer (think vamp) like Sara sink her claws in him. Sara’s character, again, is monosyllabic evil. And the fact that she runs the show at corporate HQ when Ashar is in the doldrums is not commendable, but rather evidence of her manipulative abilities. That she uses yoga to keep herself grounded in her evil designs is yet again weird social commentary as is her always western attire. And since the drama is PG, we never see Ashar succumbing to Sara’s advances (though it would add a twist and a moral dilemma) despite being in hotels together and constantly in each other’s homes.
The terrible appeal of Humsafar is that it confirms characters and stories set in deeply patriarchal frameworks. It is sexist justice that soothes the hearts of patriarchal vigilantes, and keeps us on because we want to see the mother-in-law shamed, humiliated and thrust out, and moral purity rise to the top in the reunion of Khirad and Ashar. 
It is a modern day fairy tale, better than Cinderella, worse than Shrek; the born again revival of TV drama in a tweeting world.

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Foreign policy of Pakistan is too narrowly focused

One thing that bothers me about how Pakistan conducts its foreign policy is how narrowly it is focused on a few states. The four horsemen of Pakistan’s foreign policy are: the U.S., China, Saudi Arabia, and India. These states take an overwhelming and disproportionate level of our government’s interest, time, money, effort. Almost everything we do is run through the prism of relations with one or more of these states.
Now, it’s trivially true that some partners and/or rivals will be more important than others, depending on history, geography, the distribution of power, and so on. This much is true for all countries.
What’s unique, or at least noteworthy, about the situation in Pakistan is the near-absence of other areas and regions of the world. Think about it: when’s the last time you heard about an important state visit to/from Brazil? Or Australia? Or South Korea?
I don’t know the first thing about investment and money, but I’ve always heard the phrase “diversifying your portfolio”. Well, Pakistan’s portfolio is not very diverse at all. It puts us at a disadvantage, in that we are more vulnerable to small changes in each of the four aforementioned states.
Furthermore, we leave a lot of potential gains on the table by ignoring different parts of the world. Consider textiles. Pakistan’s textile industry constitutes about sixty percent of its exports. It is a massive, massive part of our economy. So with good reason, we have approached the U.S. (unsuccessfully) and the EU (successfully, it seems) to loosen tariffs and trade barriers on textiles.
Now, with respect to our successful lobbying with the EU, this is great news. The reason this is great news is that there are a number of countries in the EU which, presumably, would very much like our textiles. The following is a list culled from the CIA World Factbook, with countries whose “main” imports include textiles. The EU countries are shaded orange.

Source data: CIA World Factbook

Of course, there happens to be another region of the world that would, presumably, very much like our textiles. Here’s the list from above again, but this time with African countries shaded blue.

Source data: CIA World Factbook

Now, it’s perfectly plausible that we have, in fact, engaged in a lot of lobbying efforts for more trade with Africa, and I just haven’t heard about it. But I’ve never really heard anyone else talk about it either. My guess is our economic, political and diplomatic relationships with African countries, particularly the non Arab ones, are essentially dormant.
I’m only using textiles (and Africa, for that matter) as an illustration of a broader point. Pakistan needs to do a better job of engaging with states out there on the basis of mutual interests. Maybe it’s not trade, but rather cultural exchange programs. Or student scholarships, or sports tours, or whatever. There’s a whole lot of foreign policy beyond drones, war, terrorism, and oil, and there’s a whole lot of countries out there not named the U.S., China, Saudi Arabia, and India. I hope the new power team from LUMS in charge of our foreign ministry grapples with this issue a little bit.

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Army chief accountable for drone attacks: Dr AQ Khan

ISLAMABAD - Renowned nuclear scientist Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan on Wednesday said that the army chief was answerable for the US drone attacks inside Pakistan because he has taken an oath for safeguarding the borders of the country.
"If India attacks Pakistan then will the army chief retaliate or wait for the permission of the rulers," Dr AQ Khan questioned.
Talking to media persons here, he said Pakistani rulers are virtually the slaves of the US, adding that Pakistan People's Party (PPP) while voting against Syria in the United Nation Security Council (UNSC) even did not consult China.
DR. AQ Khan lamented that the PPP has forgotten that Basharul Assad's father was the only person who supported Bhutto when the entire world left him alone.
Commenting on the distribution of laptops by the Punjab government among the students, he said that this scheme will face the fate of Yellow Cabs Scheme, adding that laptops will be found more in markets and less with the students.
DR AQ Khan said that if Punjab government wants computerization then Shahbaz Sharif should open new computer centres in the province.

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Pakistan signs pact with Google to promote tourist sites

Under the agreement, Google Inc will promote historical and tourist sites on the internet, particularly Google Maps, to promote worldwide awareness about Punjab Province's heritage.

Pakistani authorities and Google have signed an agreement to use Google Maps to promote historical and tourist sites across the country's most populous province of Punjab. The Punjab provincial government and Google Inc yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding for cooperation in  information technology at the Arfa Karim Software Technology Park in Lahore.
Under the agreement, Google Inc will promote historical and tourist sites on the internet, particularly Google Maps, to promote worldwide awareness about Punjab's heritage.
Punjab Tourism Department Secretary Allah Bakhsh Malik and Google Asia's William Fitzgerald signed the MoU as per a PTI report.
Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said access to the historical and tourist sites of Punjab through Google would promote awareness about modern and ancient Lahore and the province's historical and cultural heritage.
The Punjab government is implementing a programme on information technology and measures are being taken for the speedy computerisation of land records, he said.
Sharif urged Google Inc to extend assistance for this project.
"There are a number of projects of the Punjab government about which Google Inc can provide information to the people of the world," he said.
Fitzgerald said interaction between the Punjab government and Google Inc in information technology was a good beginning.

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Maldives ex-leader 'a coup victim'

New Maldives president Mohammed Waheed Hassan denies he was behind a plot to oust his predecessor Mohamed Nasheed

 

Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed has said was forced from office in a coup and demanded that his successor immediately resign.

Mr Nasheed was greeted by roaring applause as he spoke to about 2,000 members of his party in the capital, Male, a day after he resigned when police joined widening street protests against his government.
He was replaced by his former vice president, Mohammed Waheed Hassan, who denied claims there was a plot to oust Mr Nasheed and called for the creation of a national unity government.
The Maldivian Democratic Party reaffirmed Mr Nasheed's role as its leader and declared it would not join a coalition.
"I call on Mohammed Waheed to immediately resign from the presidency," he told his supporters.
He demanded the nation's top judge investigate those he says were responsible for his removal.
"We will come to power again," he said. "We will never step back. I will not accept this coup and will bring justice to the Maldivians."

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EU set to adopt new sanctions against Syria

BRUSSELS — A senior EU official say the bloc will soon impose harsher sanctions against Syria as it seeks to weaken the regime and end President Bashar Assad's crackdown against political opponents.

Pro-Syrian regime supporters wave Syrian and Russian flags as they cheer a convoy believed to be transporting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Damascus, Syria, Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012. Thousands of Syrians waving Russian flags cheered Russia's foreign minister as he arrived in Damascus Tuesday for talks with embattled President Bashar Assad on the country's escalating violence. (AP Photo/Muzaffar Salman)

Pro-Syrian regime protesters hold a banner in Arabic that reads, "Thanks Russia," as they cheer a convoy believed to be transporting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Damascus, Syria, Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012. Thousands of Syrians waving Russian flags cheered Russia's foreign minister as he arrived in Damascus Tuesday for talks with embattled President Bashar Assad on the country's escalating violence, as activists reported a fourth day of shelling in Homs and worsening humanitarian conditions. The poster in Arabic, top left, reads, "thanks Russia and China," as the other poster with Syrian President Bashar Assad's portrait reads, "Bashar Assad, we love you and you will stay forever." (AP Photo/Muzaffar Salman)

Pro-Syrian regime protesters gather under a huge Russian flag made from balloons as they cheer a convoy believed to be transporting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Damascus, Syria, Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012. Thousands of Syrians waving Russian flags cheered Russia's foreign minister as he arrived in Damascus Tuesday for talks with embattled President Bashar Assad on the country's escalating violence, as activists reported a fourth day of shelling in Homs and worsening humanitarian conditions. (AP Photo/Muzaffar Salman)

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The official said Wednesday the new measures may include bans on the import of Syrian phosphates, on commercial flights between Syria and Europe, and on financial transactions with the country's central bank.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in keeping with EU rules, said some measures would be adopted at the EU foreign ministers meeting on Feb. 27, but it's not yet clear which.
The EU has already banned oil imports from Syria, and imposed visa bans and asset freezes against government officials and military and police officers.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian President Bashar Assad wants his vice president to hold talks with the opposition groups, Russia's foreign minister said, as activists reported that dozens died Wednesday in government bombings of cities and villages across Syria.
A day after holding talks with Assad in an emergency meeting in Damascus, Sergey Lavrov told reporters in Moscow that the Syrian leader has "delegated the responsibility of holding such a dialogue to Vice President (Farouk) al-Sharaa."
Lavrov blamed both Assad's regime and opposition forces for instigating the violence that has killed thousands of people since March. "On both sides there are people that aim at an armed confrontation, not a dialogue," he said.
His comments came as Syrian troops bombed residential neighborhoods in the central city of Homs, the northern province of Idlib, southern region of Daraa and the mountain town of Zabadani, in what activists say is the regime's final push to retake areas controlled by the rebels.
Activists said at least 50 people died in Wednesday's shelling of Homs, which has been under a relentless regime offensive for the past five days. Hundreds are believed to have been killed there since Saturday.
Syria's state-run TV reported that gunmen fired mortar rounds at the oil refinery in Homs, one of two in Syria, setting two fuel tankers on fire.
Assad's regime is becoming increasingly isolated over its bloody crackdown on dissent. Five European countries and six Arab Gulf nations have pulled their ambassadors out of Damascus, and the U.S. has closed its embassy in Syria. Germany, whose envoy left Syria this month, also said he would not be replaced.
Though increasingly ostracized internationally, the Syrian president was bolstered by Tuesday's visit from Lavrov and Russia's intelligence chief, Mikhail Fradkov. During the talks, the Russians pushed for a solution to the Syrian crisis that would include reforms by the regime and a dialogue with the opposition — but not for Assad to step down.
Assad said Syria was determined to hold a national dialogue with the opposition and independent figures, and that his government was "ready to cooperate with any effort that boosts stability in Syria," according to state news agency SANA.
The Syrian opposition rejects any talks with the regime and says they accept nothing less than Assad's departure.
On Saturday, Russia and China blocked a Western- and Arab-backed U.N. Security Council resolution supporting calls for Assad to hand over some powers to his vice president as a way to defuse the 11-month-old crisis.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 50 people were killed in Wednesday's shelling of the Homs neighborhoods of Bayadah, Baba Amr, Khaldiyeh and Karm el-Zeytoun. The group also said that 23 homes were heavily damaged in Baba Amr alone.
Omar Shaker, an activist in Baba Amr, said his neighborhood was under "very intense shelling" by tanks, mortars, artilleries and heavy machine guns. Shaker added that he counted five bodies Wednesday in his district.
"The situation is dire. We are short of food, water and medical aid. Doctors have collapsed after treating the wounded without rest for five days," Shaker said. "We want Lavrov to come and spend a night in Homs to see what we have been passing through."
The activist urged the international community to set up a safe passage so that women and children can leave volatile areas of Homs.
The head of the Observatory, Rami Abdul-Rahman, said the regime was trying "exhaust rebels in preparation for storming neighborhoods."
The Observatory and another activist group, the Local Coordination Committees, also reported intense clashes between troops loyal to Assad and defectors on Wednesday in the province of Idlib, bordering Turkey. The Observatory said at least five soldiers were killed in the clashes.
The LCC said troops backed by tanks were also shelling and pushing forward in the southern village of Tseel in the Daraa province that borders Jordan. The group also said that rebel-controlled Zabadani, west of Damascus, was subjected to intense shelling since the early hours of Wednesday.
The U.N. estimates the government crackdown has killed more than 5,400 people since March, making Syria's conflict one of the deadliest of the Arab Spring.
Hundreds more are believed to have died since the U.N. released that figure in January, but the chaos in the country has made it impossible for the world body to update its figures.

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Nawaz Sharif says No consensus on 20th amendment without independent EC

Chief of his own faction Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Muhammad Nawaz Sharif has categorically said that the government could not evolved consensus on 20th amendment unless it meets his party’s demand of independent election commission. He was talking to media in Bahawalpur on Wednesday. While replying to a query, former prime minister said that he supported formation of Bahawalpur province as it had nothing to do with ethnicity. When asked to comment on Prime Minister Gilani's remarks that Bahawalpur province was not viable, Nawaz said Gilani could not stick to his remarks. He said that general election should be held as earlier as it could be because it was in the interest of the government.

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Pakistan talks with Nato, Afghan forces

This is the first meeting between the three forces after the deadly US airstrikes on a Salala checkpost that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers on Nov 26 last year.—File Photo

RAWALPINDI: Representatives of the Pakistan Army held a meeting with the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and the Afghan National Army at a border coordination centre in Torkham on Wednesday, DawnNews reported.
The Pakistan Army was represented by Director General Military Operations Major General Ishfaq Nadeem Ahmed.
According to a statement by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the meeting was held in an effort to improve coordination between the three forces.
“The meeting is part of a tripartite engagement to discuss and improve various coordination measures on Pak-Afghan border,” said the statement.
This is the first meeting between the three forces after the deadly US airstrikes on a Salala checkpost that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers on Nov 26 last year.

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7,000 kg whale shark docks in Karachi Fish Harbour

In what is believed to be one of the biggest catch in the high seas, Pakistani fishermen have caught a giant whale shark - about 36 foot long and weighing over 7,000 kg.
The fishermen bought the giant fish to the Karachi Fish Harbour and claimed to have found it dead in the open sea. Though some experts believed that the shark might have been killed after it got entangled in a net, The Dawn daily reported.


Pic/AFP
The whale shark was taken out of the channel with the help of two cranes amid rapturous applause by hundreds of onlookers.
"I have bought the fish, which usually has no significant commercial value, with the help of my friends just to appreciate the efforts of the fishermen who deserve some reward after spending an entire day in the open sea," Haji Qasim, who said he bought the fish for Rs 2 lakh, was quoted as saying by the daily.
The authorities, he said, had allowed him to keep the fish at the harbour for at least three days for public viewing. "Then I will sell the meat to the people running poultry meal business," he said.
The shark was spotted floating unconscious in the sea ten days ago, around 90 miles away from shore, another daily reported.
The Daily Mail of London reported that the largest confirmed whale shark was 41ft long but it is thought they can grow to considerably greater lengths. The shark is found in tropical waters and lives for around 70 years. They feed mainly on plankton, microscopic plants and sometimes small fish.
The whale shark, a gentle giant of the seas, does not pose a significant danger to humans - and in the past some have even allowed swimmers to hitch a ride on their fins, it reported.

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Andy Murray praises instant impact of new coach Ivan Lendl

 

Andy Murray believes new coach Ivan Lendl has improved his game already.

The British number one appointed Lendl, the winner of eight Grand Slam titles, in December.
Murray reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open before losing a five-set thriller to Novak Djokovic, but says Lendl has made a difference.
"I spent five days with him before the Australian Open and I feel like I improved just in those days," Murray told the BBC.
"I'll go and spend a lot more time with him and work harder, and that's really all that you can do."
World number four Murray has 22 ATP titles to his name but has yet to win a Grand Slam after losing three finals.

Ivan Lendl factfile

• Born March, 1960 in Ostrava, Czech Republic
• Won first professional title in 1980 in Houston
• Reached 19 Grand Slam finals, winning eight
• Won US Open three years in a row from 1985 to 1987
• Won £13.7m in prize money, ranking eighth in all-time men's earners

The Scot could benefit from the experience of Lendl, 51, who lost his first four Grand Slam finals.

But Murray, 24, admitted that he is inspired by Djokovic, who dominated 2011, losing just six matches all year.
"The turnaround was incredible and he was struggling at the end of the year before," Murray said.
"That's the thing. It is small margins of one break or one match and it doesn't have to be in a Slam - it could be any time.
"Sometimes things can just click and you can make big improvements, and I feel like I made a big improvement in Australia."
Murray has played in an era dominated by what many regard as three of the greatest players of all time in Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Djokovic.
He added: "Everything that's happened in the past, you would say Federer and Nadal are the greatest players ever and Djokovic, the last year, had probably the greatest year ever.
"This year's a new year; it's irrelevant what's happened in the past.
"I'm not saying I'm going to win 16 Grand Slams, but if I can get a few then you can be remembered in the same breath as those guys - you had those great matches; you won Slams in the same time as them."

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Graeme Swann rubbishes Andy Flower's claim England lost to Pakistan due to taking too long a winter break

Graeme Swann refuses to accept England coach Andy Flower's claim that the whitewash defeat to Pakistan was in large part due to the fact the side arrived in the UAE underprepared after taking an extended two month winter break.

In a spin: Graeme Swann says England's failure against spin rather than complacency or being underprepared cost England against Pakistan  Photo: ACTION IMAGES

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Two Indian ministers resign after being caught watching porn in assembly

Bangalore: Two Karnataka ministers, an Indian state, had to resign after being caught watching porn videos during assembly session, India media reported on Wednesday.

According to reports, television cameras caught two BJP ministers — Lakshman Savadi and CC Patil —watching pornography on their cellphones.

Reports said Savadi holds the cooperation portfolio while Patil is women and child development minister.

The ministers were caught in the act even as the House was in the middle of a heated debate, sparking country-wide furore..

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