No military aid for Pakistan: US
Silicon Valley, pti: The United States has turned down or deferred Pakistan’s request for over USD 81 million in military aid following reports that Islamabad used the amount to pay for heavy equipment suited for a regional conflict with India.

The Pentagon turned down more than USD 81 million requested by Pakistan in February following criticism that Islamabad has squandered the US funding and allowed al Qaeda to rebuild a haven in its tribal regions bordering Afghanistan, The Los Angeles Times reported.

Sri Lanka blast kills 11 ahead of elections
Colombo, reuters: A bomb went off inside a cafe in eastern Sri Lanka killing at least 11 people on Friday, the military said, a day before the first local elections in the region in two decades.

The military has blamed the LTTE for the blast which comes amid intensified fighting between the rebels and soldiers. Military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said, “11 civilians were killed and 29 injured. It is definitely by the LTTE.”

Security had been tightened for Saturday’s polls in the districts of Trincomalee, Ampara and Batticaloa which are being held after the military pushed out the rebels in 2007.