In Friday's South Asia papers

THE TIMES OF INDIA

Five dead as suicide bomber targets ISI office in Peshawar
A spokesman said the bomber’s target was the office of ISI, Pakistan’s intelligence agency, and the building had completely collapsed.

Yeddyurappa spends Rs1.7 crore on redoing home
An RTI reply has revealed that Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa has spent a staggering Rs1.7 crore to renovate his bungalow, Rs35 lakh of which went into redoing his bedroom.

Air India gets Rs2,000 crore lifeline
The government agreed to inject Rs2,000 crore in AI this fiscal in a phase-wise manner of Rs400 crore per month.

Infosys to acquire US BPO company for $38m
Infosys Technologies on Thursday announced its second acquisition in the BPO space.

Stocks move higher after flat start
Capital goods & auto stocks posted gains while realty stocks were trading with losses.

Realty companies eye Rs15K-crore mop-up
Cash-strapped real estate companies looking for succour from the capital market are likely to run into headwinds on the pricing front.

PM for enhancing professionalism of members of Bangladesh Army
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday expressed her government’s firm conviction to continue its effort to enhance professionalism of the members of Bangladesh Army and their multifarious development.

Govt spurns World Bank plea for change in PPA
The government would not make any change to the amended Public Procurement Act (PPA) that relaxed the tendering terms for smaller purchases, Finance Minister AMA Muhith said on Thursday, apparently rejecting the World Bank suggestion.

Govt to procure 3 lakh tonnes of Aman paddy at Tk14/kg: Razzak
Food and Disaster Management Minister Dr Abdur Razzak on Thursday said the government would procure three lakh tonnes of Aman paddy this season.

NBR to introduce online tax-paying system by January
The National Board of Revenue will introduce online tax-payment system within four weeks now, as the government moved to rid the taxpayers of the tangles involved in the existing outmoded process.

Mangala blasts govt for inviting ruthless military leader Shwe
SLFP (M) leader Mangala Samaraweera yesterday criticised the government for arranging a visit by Myanmar junta leader Than Shwe and described him as one of the most ruthless anti democratic leaders scorned by the world community.

Wijedasa sues Silumina for Rs500m
Parliamentarian Wijedasa Rajapaksa who also served as a former Managing Director of Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited (ANCL) yesterday filed a defamation case against the State-run Sunday Silumina and its editor claiming Rs500m as damages.

Business

The concept of bancassurance
To analyse the nature of bancassurance, we can examine the following: what is bancassurance and what makes it different from a traditional insurance operation?

Emerging markets guru Mark Mobius in town
In what could be a major boost to Sri Lanka’s profile globally, Dr Mark Mobius, the iconic emerging markets guru, is in town to get a fresh update on prospects for further investments in the country following the end of the 30-year-old conflict.
 
DAWN

Blast in Peshawar cantt; seven dead, 30 injured
Officials say an ISI building may have been the target of the attack in the high-security zone of Peshawar cantonment.

NA unanimously passes organ transplant bill
The bill provides for a regulation for the removal, storage and transplantation of human organs and tissues.

IMF sees recovery for Pakistan, with risks
The fund welcomed the efforts being made by the Pakistani authorities to stabilise the economy and sustain growth.

KSE 100-Index gains eight points
The market saw mixed trends as it opened on a positive note, but slipped on profit taking to close at 8,924.24 points.

Peshawar blast death toll mounts to 10
The death toll has mounted to 10 and more than 100 injured in a powerful explosion that occurred in Peshawar area of Khyber Road, Aaj News reported on Friday morning.

Continuing sugar crisis: Centre holds provinces responsible
The Federal government on Thursday acknowledged that the sugar crisis continued throughout the country, and once again put the onus of distribution, with its associated hurdles, on the provincial governments.

Government pursuing investment friendly policies: minister
NWFP Chief Minister Ameer Haidar Khan Hoti on Thursday said that the provincial government is pursuing investment friendly policy which is evident from the registration of more than hundred companies belonging to various sectors with Security and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) during last 18 months.

Social, economic damages’ compensation: NWFP wants 5% additional share from divisible pool
The NWFP province has decided to seek 5% additional share from the divisible pool to compensate social and economic damages being faced as the front line province in the war against terrorism, sources told Business Recorder on Thursday.