Thursday 25 July 2013

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Federer slumps to Swiss Open loss against Brands

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GSTAAD (AP) - Roger Federer slumped to a stunning defeat against No. 55 Daniel Brands in the Swiss Open second round on Thursday, his third straight tournament exit against a low-ranked opponent.Federer had trouble handling Brands serve and big forehands on the clay surface in the thin mountain air. The German right-hander won 6-3, 6-4 in just 65 minutes.I wasnt consistent enough in the end, said Federer, who failed on five break-point chances. He was serving well and I couldnt do enough with my return.The 31-year-old Swiss star has now lost to players ranked Nos. 116, 114 and 55 in the past month at Wimbledon; Hamburg, Germany and now in front of his home fans.Federers own ranking of No. 5 is his lowest in a decade since he started his run of 17 Grand Slam singles titles at Wimbledon in 2003.Federer saved a first match point by serving an ace when trailing 5-3, and a second in the next game with a forehand winner.Brands, who took a set off Federer in a second-round loss at Hamburg when they first played on tour, then clinched victory with a service winner.For sure the altitude has helped me, Brands said. I served well and put pressure on him from the very beginning.Defeat spoiled Federers return to Gstaad for the first time since he won the title in 2004 and where he debuted on the ATP Tour in 1998 as a 17-year-old ranked No. 702.Federer only came to Gstaad and Hamburg seeking extra matches after his second-round exit at Wimbledon to Sergiy Stakhovsky of Ukraine.After a three-week break, Federer returned in Hamburg testing a new, bigger racket but was slowed by a back injury and lost in the semifinals to left-hander Federico Delbonis of Argentina.Im happy that I was able to play because Ive had problems for some time now, already in Hamburg, Federer said. But it didnt get worse during todays match.Still, Brands extended the streak of surprise losses, breaking Federers service to lead 4-2 in the opening set when he put away a simple overhead shot at the net.The 26-year-old German fired down 11 aces in the match, including two to close out the first set.Federer immediately lost serve in the second by netting a backhand volley, and had to save three break-point chances to avoid trailing 3-0.Federer rarely loses his opening match at a tournament: Thursdays defeat ranks alongside his round-of-64 exit in straight sets at Indian Wells, California, in March 2007 to Guillermo Canas of Argentina, then ranked No. 60.Federer is scheduled to return next month at the Montreal Masters, and then defend his Cincinnati Masters title before the U.S. Open begins Aug. 26.Third-seeded Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia was also eliminated in straight sets Thursday, piling up the unforced errors, including six double faults, to lose to Robin Haase of the Netherlands 6-2, 6-2.Two former Swiss Open champions advanced to the quarterfinals.Marcel Granollers of Spain, the 2011 winner, beat Federico Delbonis of Argentina 6-2, 7-5, and 2008 champion Victor Hanescu of Romania led Roberto Bautista 7-6 (2), 3-2 when the Spaniard retired with a back injury.

Officials: Cafe bombings, attacks kill 42 in Iraq

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BAGHDAD (AP) - Emboldened militants in Iraq set up their own checkpoint to kill drivers and bombed crowded cafes Thursday in the deadliest of a series of attacks that killed at least 42 people, authorities said.More than 550 people have been killed in violent attacks so far this month, according to an Associated Press count, as violence continues during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The speaker of Iraqi parliament even has acknowledged that insecurity in the nation likely will get worse after a massive al-Qaida-claimed prison break freed hundreds of inmates.The deadliest attack Thursday happened when a bomb exploded inside a crowded cafe north of Baghdad, killing 16 diners and wounded 20 others.Iraqi police said that the blast targeted Noufel cafe near the town of Muqdadiyah, about 90 kilometers (60 miles) north of Baghdad.Ahmed Ibrahim, a government employee, was shopping near the targeted cafe when he heard a thunderous explosion.Everybody rushed to the explosion site and saw charred bodies that were thrown outside the cafe because of the powerful explosion, he said. The scene was horrible.An hour later, a bomb went off inside another cafe near Baghdad, killing two people and wounding six, authorities said. Hospital officials confirmed the casualty figures.During Ramadan, cafes in Iraq become quite crowded as people gather there to break the daily fast. Extremists have targeted crowded cafes this year.Militants have grown bolder in their attacks as well. Earlier Thursday, insurgents outside the village of Sarha launched mortar rounds at a nearby military base and bombed a communication tower to distract security forces. Then they quickly set up a fake checkpoint on a nearby highway to stop passing vehicles, said Col. Hussein Ali Rasheed, the police chief in nearby Tuz Khormato, about 200 kilometers (125 miles) north of Baghdad.The corpses of 14 drivers and passengers in a convoy of trucks caught at the checkpoint, all of them Shiites, were later found, each killed by gunshot wounds to the head, Rasheed said.In the northern city of Beiji, 250 kilometers (155 miles) north of Baghdad, militants shot and killed three off-duty soldiers as they were leaving a restaurant, provincial health official Raed Ibrahim said. The soldiers were on their way to Baghdad from Mosul.And in the city of Kirkuk, a parked car bomb targeted a passing police patrol on Thursday morning, critically wounding six policemen, police Col. Salah Abdul-Qadir said. Kirkuk is 290 kilometers (180 miles) north of Baghdad.Also, police said gunmen using pistols fitted with silencers shot and killed four people, including two street cleaners, in three separate incidents in Baghdad. Thursday night, a bomb exploded during a small wedding party held in a house in Baghdads Amiriyah neighborhood, killing three people and wounding 16 others, including some women and children, police and hospital officials said.All officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to journalists.The attacks happened amid the backdrop of the Sunday night attack on the notorious Abu Ghraib prison and another lock-up in Taji, both on the outskirts of Baghdad. Dozens of people, mainly members of the security forces and inmates, were killed in the attacks.Parliament speaker Osama al-Nujaifi told journalists Thursday that the latest reports indicate that more than 500 prisoners escaped a figure similar to what other Iraqi officials have provided. He said a parliamentary committee is investigating what happened.The situation is grave, said al-Nujaifi, a Sunni who frequently has criticized the Shiite prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki. We dont know who they are and how dangerous they are, but this situation will be reflected negatively on the security situation.Al-Qaidas Iraq branch claimed responsibility for the prison attacks Tuesday. Interpol issued its security alert Wednesday to warn counties in the region about the fugitives, calling the breakouts a major threat to global security.Many of the escaped prisoners were senior members of al-Qaida in Iraq, including some who were facing the death penalty, according to Interpol.Violence in Iraq has reached levels not seen since 2008, fueling worries of a return to the widespread sectarian killing that pushed the country to the brink of civil war after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion. More than 3,000 people have been killed since April.Ramadan this year is shaping up to be the bloodiest since 2007, with more than 350 Iraqis killed since the holy month started on July 10, according to an AP count.

UN Chief calls for release of Egypt's Morsi

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UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - UN leader Ban Ki-moon on Thursday called on the Egyptian military to free overthrown president Mohammed Morsi and Muslim Brotherhood leaders, a spokesman said.Ban demanded that Morsi and his high-level backers be released or have their cases reviewed transparently without delay, said deputy UN spokesman Eduardo del Buey.Morsi and several Muslim Brotherhood leaders have been detained since the military drove him from power on July 3 in response to massive protests calling for his ouster.With tensions again rising in Egypt ahead of rival rallies by followers of Morsi and the army on Friday, the spokesman said Ban is following closely, and with growing concern, developments in Egypt.The secretary general once again urges all sides to act with maximum restraint. He supports the rights of all Egyptians to hold peaceful protests.He calls on the interim authorities to ensure law and order along with guaranteeing the safety and security of all Egyptians.Ban renews his calls for a meaningful national dialogue and an inclusive reconciliation process. The aim must be to chart a peaceful path towards a full return of civilian control, constitutional order, and democratic governance, said del Buey.

Syria death toll tops 100,000: UN

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DAMASCUS (AFP) - More than 100,000 people have now been killed in the Syrian civil war, UN leader Ban Ki-moon said Thursday as he appealed for new efforts to convene a peace conference.On the ground, violence raged in the flashpoint city of Homs and a car bombing in Damascus killed 17 people, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.The UN chief and US Secretary of State John Kerry told reporters at the United Nations there could be no military solution to the 28-month-old conflict.The Britain-based Observatory has previously reported that the death toll had crossed the 100,000 threshold.On Thursday, Ban said: More than 100,000 people have been killed, millions of people have either been displaced or become refugees in neighbouring countries.We have to bring this to an end. The military and violent actions must be stopped by both parties, and it is thus imperative to have a peace conference in Geneva as soon as possible.The United States and Russia vowed in May to press for a follow-up to a peace conference held in Geneva last year that set out a transition plan.However, divisions in the international community and disagreements between the Syrian regime and opposition about the goals of such a conference have blocked efforts.Opposition Syrian National Coalition president Ahmad Jarba was in New York for talks with Kerry ahead of a Friday meeting with UN Security Council envoys.There is no military solution to Syria, there is only a political solution. That will require leadership in order to bring people to the table, Kerry said.He said he spoke on Wednesday with Russias Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.We remain committed to the effort to bring the parties to a Geneva II, to implement Geneva I, and we will try our hardest to make that happen as soon as is possible, he said.Ban has previously said he would like a peace conference in September. But UN diplomats say the conflict is now so bitter that they doubt the two sides can be brought to the negotiating table at all.The chances of a meaningful peace conference are now zero, but the US and UN cant admit that, said Richard Gowan of New York Universitys Center for International Cooperation.US President Barack Obamas plan to provide vetted Syrian rebels with weapons and strategic military aid is gaining traction in Congress, according to US lawmakers.Washington is currently providing humanitarian and non-lethal military aid to rebel groups.The US government promised an expansion of military aid to Syrias rebel forces in June after accusing President Bashar al-Assads forces of using chemical weapons, but such aid has yet to be disbursed.Ban also said that two UN envoys had completed talks in Damascus on seeking access for UN inspectors for an inquiry on the use of chemical weapons in Syria.Ake Sellstrom, head of the inquiry, and Angela Kane, the UN high representative for disarmament, paid a 24-hour visit to Damascus.On the ground, the fighting was intense on Thursday, especially around rebel areas of Homs in central Syria, which the army has besieged for more than a year, said the Observatory.Homs-based activist Yazan said the current army offensive was entering its fourth week, and added that for the second time this week, the historic Khaled Bin Walid mosque was hit by regime shelling.The Syrian Observatory, which takes its information from a network of activists on the ground and medics, said a car bomb attack in Jaramana, a Christian-Druze suburb of Damascus, killed 17 people. State television had earlier reported a toll of seven dead.Thursdays violence comes two weeks into the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. During this fortnight alone, at least 2,014 people, mostly combatants, have been killed in the conflict, according to the Observatory, which said more than 1,323 of the dead were pro- and anti-regime fighters.The toll for combatants killed has spiked because the intensity of the fighting is escalating, Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP.Meanwhile, Polish photojournalist Marcin Suder has been kidnapped in northern Syria, Reporters Without Borders said on Thursday, calling for his immediate release.It said masked gunmen abducted him on Wednesday in a raid on a media centre in Saraqeb in Idlib province.

Presidential Polls: Scrutiny of nomination papers today

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - Scrutiny of nomination papers of the presidential candidates will begin today (Friday). at the Election Commissions Secretariat in Islamabad.Chief Election Commissioner Fakhruddin G. Ebrahim will scrutinize the nomination papers as presiding officer. His decision regarding the acceptance or rejection of papers will be final.Presence of proposer and seconder is mandatory during the scrutiny of papers. However‚ presidential candidates presence in person is not necessary.The candidates will be allowed to withdraw their candidature on Saturday till 12 noon‚ while the commission will display the final lists of candidates on same evening.Polling for the presidential election will take place on 30th of this month in Parliament House Islamabad and four provincial assemblies in respective provinces.

Khyber Agency: 20 militants found dead

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PESHAWAR (AFP) - Pakistani authorities on Thursday found the bodies of 20 militants killed during security forces operation in a restive tribal area earlier this week, an official said.The bodies were found during a search operation at Akakhel village in the Khyber tribal district bordering Afghanistan where Taliban and Lashkar-e-Islam militant groups are active.Security forces have been carrying out a military operation against militants in the area since July 18 which concluded on Thursday.Today during a search operation bodies of 20 militants were found, Khyber administration official Nasir Khan said.Nasir said helicopter gunships and artillery units during the past five days had been pounding militant hide-outs in Akakhel village which had been abandoned by tribesmen due to unrest.Most of the bodies are in very bad shape, he said.Separately, a senior security official said five soldiers were also killed during the gunfights and that the operation forces had captured eight militants.

Oil rises slightly on US economic optimism

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NEW YORK (AP) - The price of oil rose slightly Thursday, as optimism about the U.S. economy helped erase some early losses.U.S. benchmark crude for September delivery rose 10 cents to close at $105.49 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Oil fell as low as $104.08 before recovering.Orders for long-lasting U.S. factory goods rose in June. The increase suggests companies are more confident in the economy and could boost economic growth in the second half of the year.The report helped to conjure up images of increased petroleum demand from the US industrial sector, said Jim Ritterbusch, president of energy consultancy Ritterbusch and Associates, in a note to clients.Brent crude, which is traded on the ICE Futures exchange in London, rose 46 cents to finish at $107.65 a barrel.

Tall women face higher cancer risk: study

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - Taller women may face a higher risk of many cancers than their shorter counterparts, according to a US study released Thursday.Researchers looked at a sample of nearly 145,000 postmenopausal women aged 50 to 79 for the analysis published in the US journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.They found that each additional 10 centimeters (four inches) of height was linked to a 13 percent higher risk of getting cancer.Ultimately, cancer is a result of processes having to do with growth, so it makes sense that hormones or other growth factors that influence height may also influence cancer risk, said lead author Geoffrey Kabat, senior epidemiologist at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University in New York.After 12 years of following women who entered the study without cancer, researchers found links between greater height and higher likelihood of developing cancers of the breast, colon, endometrium, kidney, ovary, rectum, thyroid, as well as multiple myeloma and melanoma.The height association remained even after scientists adjusted for factors that might influence these cancers, such as age, weight, education, smoking habits, alcohol consumption and hormone therapy.We were surprised at the number of cancer sites that were positively associated with height. In this data set, more cancers are associated with height than were associated with body mass index (BMI), added Kabat.Some cancers saw an even higher risk among taller women, such as a 23 to 29 percent increase in the risk of developing cancers of the kidney, rectum, thyroid, and blood for each additional 10 centimeters of height.None of the 19 cancers studied showed a lower risk with greater height.The study did not establish a certain height level at which cancer risk begins to rise, and Kabat said it is important to remember that the increased risk researchers found was small.It needs to be kept in mind that factors such as age, smoking, body mass index, and certain other risk factors have considerably larger effects, he said.The association of height with a number of cancer sites suggests that exposures in early life, including nutrition, play a role in influencing a person's risk of cancer.

The full moon may make it hard to sleep: study

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - Swiss researchers said Thursday that people really do have a hard time getting a good nights sleep when the moon is full, even when they cant see it.The results of a study on 33 volunteers published in the journal Current Biology showed that people took longer to fall asleep at night and slept for a shorter time during a full moon.The volunteers were monitored on two separate nights, and were not aware of the cycle of the moon during their time in the sleep lab.When there was a full moon, people slept an average of 19 minutes less and took five minutes longer to fall asleep than they did when there was a new moon.The lunar cycle seems to influence human sleep, even when one does not see the moon and is not aware of the actual moon phase, said Christian Cajochen of the Psychiatric Hospital of the University of Basel.Study participants also reported feeling less well rested, and showed lower levels of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep and wake cycles, during the full moon.To our knowledge, this is the first report of a lunar influence on objective sleep parameters, the study said.Researchers said more studies may reveal whether the moon has a measurable effect on moods and mental performance as well.

Zimbabwe to show more aggression in second ODI

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HARARE (AFP) - Zimbabwes batsmen intend to take a more positive approach against Indias bowlers in Fridays second one-day international at Harare Sports Club as they look for a way to put one of the worlds best sides under pressure.The hosts struggled to post a competitive total after being put in to bat in difficult conditions in a six-wicket defeat on Wednesday.And captain Brendan Taylor admitted they may need to shed some circumspection if they are to trouble Virat Kohlis talented team.Taylor is also hoping that he can level the playing field by winning the toss, which would allow his seamers to confirm the importance of bowling first on a wicket that generally becomes easier to bat on throughout the day.I think the toss is important, he said. Thats not to take anything away from the way the Indians outplayed us - I think they showed why they are one of the top teams in the world.Unfortunately it could boil down to the toss, but we still need to have that positive approach with our batting because that can only lead to being competitive and winning against better sides, so thats what weve discussed.While India have no reason to tinker with their line-up, Zimbabwe are likely to field a fourth seamer at the expense of leg-spinner Tinotenda Mutombodzi.Zimbabwes bowlers will need to figure out a way of dismissing Kohli cheaply, after the Indian captain notched up his 15th one-day international century to set up a handsome victory.When the wickets flat it seems nearly impossible to get him out, said Taylor.Hes a class player and hes done it against the best teams in the world, but we just need to keep it simple to him and hopefully frustrate him and let him make his own mistakes.Kohli shared a match-winning 159-run partnership in the first match with Ambati Rayudu, who showed the formidable depth in the Indian batting as he constructed an unbeaten 63 on his international debut.Rayudu was effectively replacing Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the Indian batting line-up after Dhoni was rested for the five-match series against Zimbabwe, but showed few nerves in a steady 84-ball knock.More than nervous, I was very emotional, Rayudu said of playing his first game for India after a long wait.Virat made it a lot easier for me. I was just looking at the way he was constructing his innings - its a very good learning experience.

Gloves are off for Wade's Ashes bid

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LONDON (AFP) - Matthew Wade has no problems about giving up his wicketkeeping role if he can earn a place in Australias Ashes side as a specialist batsman.The 25-year-old is on tour as the reserve gloveman behind vice-captain and first-choice wicketkeeper Brad Haddin but such have been Australias run-scoring problems in falling 2-0 behind in the five-match series that Wade could play in next weeks third Test at Old Trafford as a batsman only.Wade will try to press his claim in the three-day tour match against Sussex at Hove starting on Friday.Its a huge opportunity for everyone whos not had a game, Wade told Sky Sports News on Thursday.The Ashes tour has not started like we wanted, but to get an opportunity to play, which Ive not had for a couple of months, is great for me.I am here as a back-up wicketkeeper but I want to get amongst the runs and push for a spot as a batsman. Id take a spot where I can get one, wicketkeeper or batsman.If I get a tap on the shoulder to play a game, especially an Ashes game, Ill take it.

Karachi violence claims 4 more lives

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KARACHI (Dunya News) - The law enforcement agencies have failed to control the violence in the city.Prominent trader Jaffar Bohra was shot dead in Pan Mandi for refusing to pay extortion.According to traders, police did not take any action despite the complaints of threats by the extortionists.In another incident, a butcher was also killed in Ranchore Line for refusing to pay extortion money.Meanwhile, some unidentified motorcyclists threw a hand grenade at a paint shop at UP Mor in New Karachi and injured a man.The attackers managed to flee from the scene.On the other hand, a 200 gram locally-made bomb was recovered from the compound of Jamia Binoria in Site area that was defused by the Bomb Disposal Squad.According to Mufti Muhammad Naeem of Jamia Binoria, the bomb was parceled.Moreover, a man namely Abdul Rauf was killed in Usmanabad while another man namely Awais died during exchange of firing between rival groups in Gulistan-e Johar, Rabia City.

Federal govt sets up task force for recovery of missing persons

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - The federal government has set up a Task Force for the recovery of missing persons. A notification has also been issued in this regard.According to the notification Additional Interior Secretary would be the head of this Task Force, which would consist of home secretaries of provinces, additional IGs of police and representatives of the ISI and MI.Additional Attorney General Tariq Mehmood Khokhar has also been included in the Task Force.

PPP delegation meets Imran Khan

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ISLAMABAD (Online) - Pakistan Peoples Party’s delegation consisting of Raza Rabbani‚ Khurshid Shah‚ Qamar Zaman Kaira and Rehman Malik held a meeting with PTI chief Chairman Imran Khan at his residence.Talikng to media, PPP leader Senator Aitzaz Ahsan said that the meeting with PTI Chairman was positive and constructive.He said people should wait till Friday for final decision regarding fielding a joint candidate for presidential election or boycotting it.

TTP Jundullah claims Sukkur blasts responsibility

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PESHAWAR (Web Desk) - Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Jundullah group on Thursday claimed responsibility for attack on the compound of Pakistans Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) in Sukkur.Spokesperson of the militant group, Ahmed Marwat, told media that the attack was carried out in retaliation to the recent killing of their comrade, Waliur Rehman and drone strikes carried in the region.Jundullah had sent four suicide bombers to target the ISI office because the Pakistani Army and ISI are working in connivance with the US”, he briefed.An apparent suicide bomber first blew himself up in front of a police building on Wednesday and then a second suicide bomber detonated an explosive-filled car outside the ISI office in Sukkur.At least nine people were killed, including five attackers and four citizens in the attack.
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