Monday 19 August 2013

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

UN wants 'full access' for weapon experts in Syria

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UNITED NATIONS (AP) - Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called Monday for U.N. experts to have full access to the sites of alleged chemical weapons in Syria.He said that access must include interviews and examination of witnesses, victims and medical personnel and the conduct of post-mortem examinations.After months of negotiations, a 20-member U.N. team led by Swedish chemical weapons expert Ake Sellstrom arrived in Damascus on Sunday to investigate three sites where chemical weapons attacks allegedly occurred: the village of Khan al-Assal just west of the embattled northern city of Aleppo and two other locations being kept secret for security reasons.Diplomats and chemical weapons experts have raised doubts about whether the experts will find anything since the alleged incidents took place months ago.The mandate for the investigation is also limited: The team will report on whether chemical weapons were used, and if so which ones, but it will not determine the responsibility for an attack. This has led some commentators to question the value of the investigation.Ban said if the U.N. team reports that chemical weapons were used, it is up to the international community to determine what course of action should be taken to prove this, first of all, (determine) accountability, and what needs to be done.The secretary-general reiterated that if confirmed, the use of chemical weapons by any side under any circumstances must be held accountable and would constitute an international crime.He told reporters the serious security situation in Syria will undoubtedly affect the missions activities in Syria and stressed that the government and others must ensure their safety. He expressed appreciation for the assurances he has received on their safety and security.At the same time, Ban reiterated that in order to credibly establish the facts, the mission must have full access to the sites of the alleged incidents ... to undertake the necessary analyses and to collect samples.Syria is said to have one of the worlds largest stockpiles of chemical weapons, including mustard gas and the nerve agent sarin, though it has never admitted possessing such weapons.Ban stressed the ground-breaking and historic nature of the investigation.This is the first probe of allegations of the use of weapons of mass destruction in the 21st century, Ban said. I firmly believe that an effective mechanism to investigate allegations of the possible use of chemical weapons will help deter their future use.The Syrian government initially asked the U.N. to investigate an alleged chemical weapons attack on March 19 in Khan al Assal, which was captured by the rebels last month. The government and rebels blame each other for the purported attack which killed at least 30 people.Britain, France and the U.S. followed with allegations of chemical weapons use in Homs, Damascus and elsewhere. U.N. Mideast envoy Robert Serry told the Security Council last month that the U.N. has received 13 reports of alleged chemical weapons use in Syria.

Afghan officials say 32 dead in clashes in west

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KABUL (AP) - Battles between the Taliban and an Afghan security company left 32 people dead over the weekend, officials said Monday, as the country marked its 94th independence day from Britain with a small military parade and folk festivals in the capital.Abdul Rahman Zhawandai, a spokesman for the provincial governor of western Farah province, said 11 members of the Afghan Public Protection Force and 21 insurgents were killed Sunday in a two separate gun battles. Officials often announce high insurgent death tolls in clashes that cannot be independently confirmed.He said the Taliban attacked a convoy being guarded by the APPF, a state-run company that provides security for private companies and international organizations, in Farahs Gulistan district. At the same time the Taliban attacked an APPF base in a neighboring district.Zhawanda added that 17 APPF officers were wounded in the attacks. He had no further details.In other violence, four officers were killed by a roadside bomb on Monday in eastern Kapisa province, an official said.Kapisa spokesman Qadri said the four were killed as they returned to their base after defusing another bomb under a bridge near the capital. All four were in a single vehicle and were part of the police bomb squad, he added.Meanwhile, President Hamid Karzai and Cabinet members attended a parade commemorating the day Afghanistan signed a treaty with Britain in 1919, making it independent.U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said in a message that the date signifies Afghan sovereignty. Afghanistan is now striving to fully take control of its future as foreign military forces prepare to withdraw at the of 2014.Afghan troops took control of security from foreign military forces two months ago, nearly 12 years after the American invasion to oust the Taliban.

Flooding forces 20,000 Russians from their homes

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MOSCOW (AP) - The worst flooding in 120 years in Russias Far East has already forced about 20,000 people from their homes and also made it necessary to airlift two captive brown bears to safety, the Emergency Situations Ministry said Monday.Ministry spokeswoman Irina Rossius said the evacuations were underway in three regions along the Chinese border in the Far East, 5,000 kilometers (3,000 miles) east of Moscow, and some of those evacuated have moved into 166 emergency shelters.The flooding, set off by torrential rains, has already affected 140 towns and villages across the broad area, the ministry said.The Amur region has been the worst affected, but the ministry said the flooding there has passed its peak. As the rains move east, however, the situation was expected to worsen in the neighboring Kabarovsk and Jewish autonomous regions, Russian news agencies reported, citing AlexanderFrolov, chief of the Russian Meteorological Service.The Amur River, which has reached a record high, is still rising and could flood Komsomolsk-on Amur, a major city in the Khabarovsk region, Frolov said.Rescuers decided to move the brown bears to higher ground from their home in a tourist camp near the city of Blagoveshchensk as the flood waters approached, the ministry said. Video posted on the ministrys site shows a helicopter transporting the bears, with them dangling below the aircraft in a cage.The ministry said it has delivered about 53 tons of food, water and clothing to people affected by the floods, while humanitarian aid and monetary donations also were being sent from around the country.The floods have called into question mayoral elections in the Amur region on Sept. 8, when local elections will be held across Russia.People will not be expected to cross the flooded areas on boats just to tick a box on a ballot, Nikolai Nevdomsky, the head of the Amur election commission, said in a statement. He said a decision would be made Aug. 27.More than 30,000 people were involved in the rescue operations, the ministry said.

Sizzling Man City thrashes Newcastle 4-0

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MANCHESTER (AP) - Manchester City quickly hit its stride in the Premier League on Monday, mixing power with panache to thrash 10-man Newcastle 4-0 in Manuel Pellegrinis first game in charge and send a strong message to its title rivals.Yaya Toure scored the pick of Citys goals in an irresistible display at Etihad Stadium with a sublime 50th-minute free kick, adding to first-half goals by David Silva and Sergio Aguero and a late strike by substitute Samir Nasri.It was a complete performance and a powerful response to impressive wins by Manchester United and Chelsea on the opening weekend of the season. It could be some battle for the title this season between Englands leading three clubs.And on this evidence, it could be another season of struggle for Newcastle, which played the second half with 10 men after Steven Taylors straight red card for taking a swing at Aguero in first-half injury time.Manager Alan Pardew was already without key midfielder Yohan Cabaye, who wasnt included in the squad in the wake of a reported bid of 10 million pounds ($15.65 million) from Arsenal. A chastening day for the visitors was compounded by Argentina midfielder Jonas Gutierrez limping off with a left hamstring injury.City also had an injury setback with captain Vincent Kompany hobbling off in the 70th but it was an otherwise perfect evening for Pellegrini, whose team played with a swagger and fluency rarely seen in the latter days of predecessor Roberto Mancinis tenure.The mild-mannered Chilean has kept a relatively low profile since joining from Malaga in June, wrapping up his offseason spending totaling about 90 million pounds ($140 million) early to give his squad plenty of time to gel.And it really showed here.Two of his four big-money recruits Spain winger Jesus Navas and Brazil midfielder Fernandinho made their first league starts and slotted seamlessly into the starting team. Navas, in particular, stood out as part of an attacking unit that ripped through Newcastles over-run defense time and again. The score could have been double figures.Pellegrini often stood motionless in his technical area, hands in his pockets or arms folded. He must have been purring at his teams dominant display.By the time Silva headed in from 10 yards in the sixth minute after a cross from Edin Dzeko had been deflected into the playmakers path, City could easily have been two up, only for great saves by Tim Krul to deny Dzeko and Aguero.Dzeko clearly a man revitalized under Pellegrini after being on the periphery under Mancini played a key role in Agueros goal. He flicked Kompanys pass out of defense toward his strike partner, who got half a yard on Taylor and buried a low, angled shot in off the far post in the 22nd.Taylor was having one of those nights, nearly giving a penalty away for handball off Agueros goal-bound shot, and a hapless performance was further blotted when he swung an arm at Aguero as they challenged a high ball. Referee Andre Marriner had little option but to brandish a red card.Now it was just a matter of how many for City.Toure curled a sublime free kick from 25 yards into the top corner to make it 3-0, and Nasri, part of a star-studded substitutes bench, ran onto a stray pass from Pablo Zabaleta to beat fellow France international Mathieu Debuchy to the ball and slot home left-footed from just inside the area in the 75th.That put City top of the fledgling standings, above United.Alvaro Negredo, another offseason signing, was brought on for the final 10 minutes. And the Spain striker thought he had grabbed a debut goal, only for his close-range strike to be wrongly ruled out off for offside.

Federer slides to No. 7 in rankings; Nadal to 2

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NEW YORK (AP) - Roger Federer is sliding in the ATP rankings, now down to No. 7.Federer, who spent more weeks at No. 1 than anyone, already had reached his lowest spot in a decade by dropping to No. 5 after Wimbledon and he fell two more places Monday.Barring a withdrawal, Federer will be seeded seventh at the U.S. Open, where he won five of his 17 Grand Slam titles.In other changes, French Open champion Rafael Nadal who won hard-court titles at Montreal and Cincinnati the last two weeks rose to No. 2 from No. 3, swapping places with Wimbledon champion Andy Murray. Novak Djokovic remained No. 1.

Stephens wins in first round of New Haven Open

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NEW HAVEN (AP) - Sloane Stephens beat Anna Schmiedlova of Slovakia 6-4, 6-4 Monday in the first round of the New Haven Open.The sixth-seeded American broke Schmiedlova in the third game of the match, while reeling off 13 straight points. The two traded breaks in the second set until Stephens held serve to go up 4-2.Fifth-seeded Roberta Vinci of Italy was the tournaments first upset victim, falling 7-5, 6-3 to Carla Suarez Navarro. The Spaniard will next play Romanian Simona Halep, who beat Daniela Hantuchova of Slovokia 6-2, 6-1.The 21-year-old Halep has already won three tournaments this year and is coming off an appearance in the quarterfinals in Cincinnati, where she lost to Serena Williams.Other winners early Monday included Russians Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Elena Vesnina.

FIFA upbeat as 2014 WCup tickets set to go on sale

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SAO PAULO (AP) - Tickets for the 2014 World Cup will go on sale Tuesday and FIFA is expecting similar demand to that from the 2006 tournament in Germany.Fans from around the world will be allowed to apply for their tickets on FIFAs website beginning at 6 a.m. EDT.There were about seven applicants for every ticket of the 64-match tournament in 2006, which was attended by more than 3.3 million fans, according to FIFA. Almost 2 million tickets were sold to the general public in South Africa in 2010, although the number of applications during the first ticketing phase was significantly lower.Its always difficult to predict, FIFA marketing director Thierry Weil said Monday. But I truly believe that it will be more toward to what happened in Germany than in South Africa. We believe there will be a huge demand for this World Cup. But again, we will see after the opening.FIFA expects about 3.3 million tickets to be available for the monthlong tournament in Brazil.Tickets will cost as low as $90 for first-round matches and will start at $440 for the final at Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. The most expensive ticket for the final will cost $990. Brazilian citizens over 60, local students and members of some social programs can get tickets at $15. In 2010, some South Africans could pay as little as $20.Fans dont have to rush to try to guarantee a ticket because all applications made through Oct. 10 will enter a random selection draw if there arent enough tickets available to fulfill all requests.The sales of the leftover tickets will begin Nov. 5 on a first-come, first-serve basis. Another phase will begin Dec. 8 after the World Cup draw determines where and when each nation will play. The tournament begins June 12, with Brazil playing the opener in Sao Paulo.Weil said FIFA is confident the ticketing system put in place for next years World Cup will handle the expected high demand for tickets.We can do a lot of simulations but the biggest test will come tomorrow when it all starts, Weil said. But we are confident that things will work.FIFA is facing a higher level of complexity in the ticket sales this year because the Brazilian government demanded discount tickets be offered to some citizens, forcing a fourth ticket category. Weil said that added difficulties to the sales operation, especially because of the need to verify the buyers eligibility to the cheaper price categories.Nearly 800,000 fans attended the Confederations Cup in Brazil this year, with ticket sales easily surpassing those for the warmup tournament in South Africa in 2009 and in Germany in 2005.Many fans across Brazil faced difficulties picking up their tickets for the 16-match competition won by Brazil, with lines of up to three hours in some distribution centers. That prompted FIFA to allow fans attending World Cup matches the option of having tickets delivered to their home, although at their own cost.We all agree that the Confederations Cup is more than just a test event, Weil said. But for the operations side its the best thing that we can have. We learned a lot from what happened there.Fans buying the discounted tickets will not have the option to receive their tickets at home because they will have to show proof of their eligibility to the cheaper prices at the distribution centers.

Kazakhstan's Almaty bids to host 2022 Winter Games

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MOSCOW (AP) - The former Soviet republic of Kazakhstan has lodged a bid to host the 2022 Winter Olympics in the city of Almaty.The Vesti.kz news web-site on Monday quotes the vice president of Kazakhstans national Olympic committee, Pavel Novikov, as saying an official letter was sent to the International Olympic Committee in Switzerland on Friday.Novikov describes it as only the first step, adding that Kazakhstan will have to carry out thorough and detailed work in the second stage.Almaty previously bid for the 2014 Winter Games but did not make the list of finalists.The IOC will select the 2022 host city in 2015.Other potential contenders include Oslo; Munich; Barcelona, Spain; a city in Ukraine; and a joint bid from Poland and Slovakia.

After 7 decades, POW's prized gold ring comes home

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RALEIGH (AP) - After a year and a half behind barbed wire as a prisoner in World War II, 2nd Lt. David C. Cox had just about reached his breaking point.Deliveries of Red Cross parcels to Stalag VII-A had all but ceased, and the U.S. Army bomber co-pilot and his fellow POWs were subsisting on scanty rations of bug-infested soup and bread. Outside the wire, Adolf Hitlers forces showed no signs of giving up.Cold and hungry, the North Carolinian made a difficult decision. He slipped the gold aviators ring a gift from his parents off his finger and passed it through a fence to an Italian POW, who handed back a couple of chocolate bars.He would never again see the ring. But it did not disappear.Last week, about a dozen family members and friends gathered in the living room of David C. Cox Jr.s Raleigh home and watched as he slit open a small yellow parcel from Germany. The 67-year-old son dug through the crinkly packing material and carefully removed a little plastic box.And here it is, he said with a long sigh as he pulled out the ring. Oh, my goodness. ... I never thought it would ever happen. I thought it was gone. We all thought it was gone.He thought it was gone, he said of his late father.The story of how the ring made it back to the Cox family is a testament to a former enemys generosity, the reach of the Internet and the healing power of time.Following the December 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the elder Cox left college and enlisted. The Army Air Corps accepted him on his second application.He graduated from flight school on July 26, 1942. That same day, he married his high school sweetheart, Hilda Walker.To celebrate his commission, Irvin and Connie Bell Cox presented their middle son with a gold signet ring, the oval emblazoned with a raised propeller and wings. Engraved inside were the words, Mother & Father to David C. Cox Greensboro, NC, and the numbers 10-4-18-42 his birthday and the current year.Cox was assigned to the 305th Bomb Group, 364th Squadron part of the Mighty Eighth Air Force. By October, he was in England.As a co-pilot in the B-17 Flying Fortress, Cox flew more than a dozen bombing missions over occupied France and the German heartland. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for helping to get his burning plane back to England from a May 1943 raid that cost the lives of half his 10-man crew.On July 28, 1943, Coxs plane was shot down over Kassel, Germany. He parachuted into a rose garden, was taken prisoner, interrogated and then shipped to Stalag Luft III, the POW camp made famous in the Steve McQueen film, The Great Escape.He remained there until January 1945, when he and the other Allied officers were force-marched three days through the snow, then packed into train cars for another three days before ending up at Stalag VII-A near Moosburg, northeast of Munich.As Hitlers Third Reich collapsed upon itself, POWs from all over found their way to Moosburg. By the time Cox arrived, conditions there went from bad to what one historian described as barely correct by the standards of the Geneva Convention.It was at Moosburg that he traded the ring for the candy bars.Finally, on April 28, 1945, Gen. George Pattons 14th Armored Division liberated the camp, and Cox, who was promoted to 1st lieutenant, made his way back to North Carolina. He started a tire retreading equipment company with his brother, and he and Hilda raised three children.Cox didnt talk much about the war, except to remind his children of his privations when they refused to clean their plates. And he spoke wistfully about his lost ring.Upon his return from the war, one of the first things Cox did was to have an exact duplicate made of his prized ring right down to the inscription. When he died in 1994, the replica passed to his son, David Jr., who wore it until it finally broke in the middle.Now fast-forward to today and the tiny Bavarian village of Hohenberg, a picturesque collection of stucco and half-timbered houses.Mark and Mindy Turner moved there about a year ago so he could take a job as an air traffic controller at the nearby U.S. Army installation in Ansbach.Earlier this month, the couple accepted a dinner invitation from their neighbors, Martin and Regina Kiss.A 64-year-old master church painter by trade, Martin Kiss is also a skilled artist, and after dinner he showed his visitors around his studio. Then he mentioned he had something else hed like them to see.Kiss disappeared into the living room and returned with a gold ring then told a story.The Kiss family was Hungarian the name is pronounced KISH and comes from an area in the northern part of present-day Serbia. They ran a small pub near the Danube River.A Russian soldier on his way home after the war traded the ring to the family presumably in exchange for room and board, Kiss grandmother told him. His Oma gave it to him when he moved to Germany in 1971 for luck, or in case he needed some quick cash.Kiss wore it proudly on his pinkie. He realized it must have come from an American soldier, but didnt know how to trace its owner especially in a new country that wasnt all that eager to talk about the war.Worried it might get damaged as he worked, Kiss placed the ring in a corked glass bottle with an old coin and a gold chain.Still, he never stopped thinking about the original owner and now, with two computer-savvy Americans in his home, he decided it was time to try and find him.Mark Turner went online when he got back home. Within 20 minutes, hed hit pay dirt.He found a 2005 masters thesis from North Carolina State University. One focus of Norwood McDowells 219-page paper was the war diary of his wifes grandfather, David C. Cox Sr. the name on the rings inscription.And there, on page 179, was the anecdote about the chocolate bars. After all those years, this epic ring cycle had ended within a two-hour drive of where it began.It just seemed like it couldnt be true, says Turner.Turner emailed McDowell a photograph of the ring and its inscription.Thats it for sure, an ecstatic David Cox replied when McDowell forwarded the picture.Well, praise the Lord Mindy Turner wrote back. We are so excited for your familyAfter a few more emails and phone calls, the ring was on its way to the United States.Cradling it in his hand after opening the package Friday, the pilots son was struck by the originals condition, compared to its replacement. His sister, Joy Wagner, walked over and took the ring in her hands.Gosh, its beautiful, she said as tears welled in her eyes. Oh, thats so special.David Cox said holding the ring gave him goose bumps.I feel his presence, he said of his father. I wish he was here.Kiss whose own grandfather spent several years in a Soviet camp during and after the war said in a phone interview with The Associated Press that his only regret is that David Cox Sr. and his grandmother werent alive to share the happy ending.Refusing to accept even reimbursement for the shipping, he added, You know the old saying: Its better to give than to receive.

Oil falls near $107 a barrel

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NEW YORK (AP) - The price of oil fell for the first time in more than a week Monday, slipping near $107 a barrel.West Texas Intermediate, the benchmark for U.S. crude, for September delivery fell 36 cents to close at $107.10 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose $4.06, or 4 percent, over the prior six trading sessions.Brent North Sea crude, the benchmark for international crudes, fell 50 cents to $109.90 a barrel for October delivery on the ICE Futures exchange in London.The situation in Egypt has supported higher oil prices. The country has been wracked by ongoing clashes between supporters of ousted President Mohammed Morsi and the military-backed government. Nearly 900 people have died in the violence so far.Egypt is not a major oil exporter, but there is concern that an escalation in fighting could spread to neighboring countries or disrupt the Suez Canal, a major trade route.Traders are also waiting for clear signals from the U.S. Federal Reserve on monetary policy. It is widely held that the Fed will begin to reduce its $85 billion a month in asset purchases as early as September.The Feds stimulus policy has lowered interest rates and made oil and other commodities a more attractive investment by offering potentially higher returns.

Asif agrees to reveal details of spot-fixing

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KARACHI (Reuters) - Banned Pakistan pace bowler Mohammad Asif has agreed to reveal details of spot-fixing to the Anti-Corruption and Security Unit of the International Cricket Council (ICC).Asif, 30, who finally admitted last week to his involvement in spot-fixing during the 2010 Lords test against England, submitted an apology and agreed to cooperate with the authorities after meeting with Pakistan Cricket Board officials on Monday.He was banned by the ICC for seven years, two of which were suspended, along with former captain Salman Butt and fast bowler Mohammad Amir in early 2011.The trio later served jail sentences in Britain after being found guilty of cheating and corruption by a crown court.I told the PCB officials I am ready to cooperate in every way with them and the ICC, Asif told Reuters.I dont know whether I will get a chance to play for Pakistan again but whatever happens I want everyone to know I want to make amends for my actions.

Tremlett eyes spot in 5th Ashes Test

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LONDON (Reuters) - England paceman Chris Tremlett is aiming for a recall for this weeks fifth and final Ashes test against Australia after coming through some dark and tough times.The 31-year-old Surrey bowler has been with the squad since the third test in Manchester and, in the absence of Tim Bresnan and Graham Onions through injury, is in the running to play in his first test since January last year.Steven Finn and the uncapped Chris Woakes are the other quick bowling options available to partner James Anderson and Stuart Broad at The Oval on Wednesday.Im very hopeful, Tremlett told a news conference on Monday. Its been a long time coming.Its been great to have been back involved in the last two test squads. Having injuries over the last two years Im dying to get another opportunity.Tremlett has only played in 11 tests having suffered frequent injuries throughout his career, the latest being a bulging disk in his back.He has proved a reliable bowler at test level when fit, taking 17 wickets in Australia during the 2010-11 Ashes series.The motivation is the goal of playing for England, said Tremlett. It was frustrating to go out of the team when you are injured rather than lack of form.Ive had some pretty dark and tough times coming back. Now Im in a pretty good place again.Australia vice-captain Brad Haddin said he expects all-rounder Shane Watson to be fit for The Oval after he suffered a groin injury during the 74-run defeat in the fourth test in Durham.Haddin, who with 25 catches is three short of Rod Marshs record series tally, said his side were desperate to notch a victory before returning home.I dont think itll make much difference to what happens in the home series against England later this year, the 35-year-old said.England have played better over this series but I dont think momentum will make much of a difference. Wed just like to get a win, weve played good enough cricket on this tour to deserve a win in a test.England lead the five-match series 3-0.

Carberry named in England Twenty20 squad

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LONDON (AP) - Uncapped 32-year-old batsman Michael Carberry has been named in Englands 13-man Twenty20 squad to play Australia in a two-match series.Captain Stuart Broad and fellow bowler Steven Finn are the only players also involved in the current Ashes squad.The series begins Aug. 29 in Southampton and concludes two days later in Durham.England squad: Stuart Broad (captain), Ravi Bopara, Danny Briggs, Jos Buttler, Michael Carberry, Jade Dernbach, Steven Finn, Alex Hales, Michael Lumb, Eoin Morgan, Boyd Rankin, James Tredwell, Luke Wright.

FBR revokes recent tax hike on CNG

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ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) - The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has revoked the recent hike of taxes on the Compressed Natural Gas on the persuasion of the owners of the CNG stations.Federal Board of Revenue had recently increased ratio of taxes on CNG from 26 per cent to 32 per cent while the gas companies have included the increased tax in the gas bills.However, the All Pakistan CNG Association (APCNGA) persuaded the tax authorities to reverse the decision in the national interest.After negotiations between FBR and CNG association the FBR authorities were convinced who reversed the decision and issued a notification in this regard.The FBR has directed the gas distribution companies not to include the additional amount in the gas consumption bills for CNG stations which has been termed a success of masses by Ghiyas Abdullah Paracha, Chairman Supreme Council APCNGA.He said that the decision has raised concerns among all the eighty million stakeholders who would have been suffered a lot if the decision was implemented in this era of double digit inflation.Paracha lauded the FBR authorities for taking a right decision in the interest of masses.He said that FBR has provided interim relief and final decision in this regard may be taken in September.He informed that CNG prices will remain the same after the decision. It may be mentioned that the 31 per cent sales tax on CNG outlets includes 17 per cent standard sales tax, 9 per cent value addition tax and 5 per cent extra sales tax imposed only for supplying electricity/gas.

Egyptian journalist was held, tortured in Dubai: group

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DUBAI (AP) - United Arab Emirates authorities held an Egyptian journalist without charge and subjected him to mistreatment in a secret prison on accusation of membership in an Islamist group, a human rights group said Monday.The Emirates Centre for Human Rights said Anas Fouda, employed with the Dubai-based MBC media group, was arrested by state security officials on July 3 and held until he was deported back to Egypt on Aug 4.Fouda claims he was kept in solitary confinement by authorities, who deprived him of sleep until he was unable to stand.The allegations come as the UAE widens a crackdown on groups with suspected links to the Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamist organization to which ousted Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi belongs.The UAE, one of the Arab worlds most outspoken critics of the Brotherhood, has been quick to quash any Arab Spring-inspired dissent and has noted its satisfaction at the turn of events in Egypt.In July of this year, 69 people accused of membership in a banned Islamist group backed by the Brotherhood were convicted of plotting against the countrys ruling system.Another 30 suspects, including Egyptians, await trial for alleged links to Brotherhood networks.Emirati authorities could not be reached for comment on Foudas case.The journalist says he is a member of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt but claims to be not politically active in the Emirates.Authorities accused him however of being part of a Brotherhood cell in the UAE, he told The Associated Press over the phone from Turkey.He says he was kept in solitary confinement in a windowless cell that was kept constantly lit to keep him awake, and was unable to stand on his own by the time of his release.I was not able to sleep (except for) every 48 hours, when I would collapse from exhaustion. With every day my health worsened, he said.Centre director Rori Donaghy expressed concerns for the well-being of other prisoners, including two other Egyptian journalists being held without charge in the United Arab Emirates.We are concerned there are others being illegally held and subjected to the same harsh treatment as Anas, Donaghy said.
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