Saturday 24 August 2013

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Ahmad Faraz's 5th death anniversary today

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LAHORE (Dunya News) - The fifth death anniversary of progressive Urdu poet, Ahmed Faraz is being observed today (Sunday).He was considered one of the greatest modern Urdu poets of the last century. Faraz is his pseudonym (takhallus); his real name was Syed Ahmad Shah. Ahmed Faraz died in Islamabad on August 25, 2008.Ahmad Faraz was born in Kohat, Pakistan, to Syed Muhammad Shah Barq. Faraz holds a unique position as one of the best poets of current times, with a fine but simple style of writing. Ethnically a Hindko speaking Pashtoon, Ahmed Faraz studied Persian and Urdu at Peshawar University, where he later became a lecturer.Outspoken about politics, he went into self-imposed exile during Zia-ul-Haq’s era after he was arrested for reciting certain poems at a mushaira criticizing the military rule. He stayed in Britain, Canada and Europe for six years before returning to Pakistan, where he was initially appointed Chairman Academy of Letters and later, Chairperson of the Islamabad based National Book Foundation for several years.He has been awarded with numerous national and international awards. He was awarded Hilal-e-Imtiaz in 2004 in recognition of his literary achievements. He returned the award in 2006 after becoming disenchanted with the government and its policies.Despite his deteriorating health, he was quite active in the Judicial Crisis in 2007. He himself joined the lawyers to protest against the government, and also encouraged his colleagues to do the same.In July 2008, a rumor was spread that Ahmed Faraz had died in a hospital in Chicago. Faraz’s physician, Tahir Rohail, who was a childhood friend of Faraz’s son Shibli Faraz, was quick to deny this erroneous report, but it was confirmed that Faraz was exceedingly ill.Faraz’s health continued to deteriorate and he died from kidney failure in a local Islamabad hospital on August 25, 2008.

Syria warns US not to intervene militarily

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DAMASCUS (AP) - The Syrian government accused rebels of using chemical weapons Saturday and warned the United States not to launch any military action against Damascus over an alleged chemical attack last week, saying such a move would set the Middle East ablaze.The accusations by the regime of President Bashar Assad against opposition forces came as an international aid group said it has tallied 355 deaths from a purported chemical weapons attack on Wednesday in a suburb of the Syrian capital known as Ghouta.Syria is intertwined in alliances with Iran, Lebanese Hezbollah guerrillas and Palestinian militant groups. The country also borders its longtime foe and U.S. ally Israel, making the fallout from military action unpredictable.Violence in Syria has already spilled over the past year to Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Battle-hardened Hezbollah fighters have joined the combat alongside Assads forces.Meanwhile, U.S. naval units are moving closer to Syria as President Barack Obama considers a military response to the alleged use of chemical weapons by Assads government.U.S. defense officials told The Associated Press that the Navy had sent a fourth warship armed with ballistic missiles into the eastern Mediterranean Sea but without immediate orders for any missile launch into Syria. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they werent authorized to discuss ship movements publicly.Obama emphasized that a quick intervention in the Syrian civil war was problematic, given the international considerations that should precede a military strike.After Obama met with his national security team Saturday, the White House said U.S. intelligence officials are still trying to determine whether Assads government unleashed the chemical weapons attack earlier this week.The White House statement said Obama received a detailed review of the range of options he has requested for the U.S. and the international community to respond if it is determined that Assad has engaged in deadly chemical warfare.Syrias Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi dismissed the possibility of an American attack, warning that such a move would risk triggering more violence in the region.The basic repercussion would be a ball of fire that would burn not only Syria but the whole Middle East, al-Zoubi said in an interview with Lebanon-based Al-Mayadeen TV. An attack on Syria would be no easy trip.In Tehran, Irans Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Abbas Arakji, warned that an American military intervention in Syria will complicate matters.Sending warships will not solve the problems but will worsen the situation, Arakji said in comments carried by Irans Arabic-language TV Al-Alam.He added that any such U.S. move does not have international backing and that Iran rejects military solutions.In France, Doctors Without Borders said three hospitals it supports in the eastern Damascus region reported receiving roughly 3,600 patients with neurotoxic symptoms over less than three hours on Wednesday morning, when the attack in the eastern Ghouta area took place.Of those, 355 died, the Paris-based group said.The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Saturday that its estimated death toll from the alleged chemical attack had reached 322, including 54 children, 82 women and dozens of fighters. It said the dead included 16 people who have not been identified.The group said it raised its death toll from an earlier figure of 136, which had been calculated before its activists in the stricken areas met doctors, residents and saw medical reports. It said the dead fell in the massacre committed by the Syrian regime.Death tolls have varied wildly over the alleged attack, with Syrian anti-government activists reporting between 322 and 1,300 killed.Al-Zoubi blamed the rebels for the chemical attacks in Ghouta, saying that the Syrian government had proof of their responsibility but without giving details. The rockets were fired from their positions and fell on civilians. They are responsible, he said.With the pressure increasing, Syrias state media accused rebels in the contested district of Jobar near Damascus of using chemical weapons against government troops Saturday.State TV broadcast images of plastic jugs, gas masks, vials of an unspecified medication, explosives and other items that it said were seized from rebel hideouts Saturday.One barrel had made in Saudi Arabia stamped on it. The TV report also showed medicines said to be produced by a Qatari-German medical supplies company. Qatar and Saudi Arabia are strong supporters of the Syrian rebels. The report could not be immediately verified.An army statement issued late Saturday said the discovery of the weapons is clear evidence that these gangs are using chemical weapons against our people and soldiers with help from foreign sides.

US forces move closer to Syria as options weighed

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WASHINGTON (AP) - U.S. naval forces are moving closer to Syria as President Barack Obama considers military options for responding to the alleged use of chemical weapons by the Syrian regime. The president emphasized that a quick intervention in the Syrian civil war was problematic, given the international considerations that should precede a military strike.After Obama met with his national security team Saturday, the White House said U.S. intelligence officials are still trying to determine whether Syrian President Bashar Assad unleashed a deadly chemical weapons attack against his people earlier this week. Officials save said once the facts are clear, Obama will make a decision about how to proceed.Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel declined to discuss any specific force movements while saying that Obama had asked the Pentagon to prepare military options for Syria. U.S. defense officials told The Associated Press that the Navy had sent a fourth warship armed with ballistic missiles into the eastern Mediterranean Sea but without immediate orders for any missile launch into Syria.U.S. Navy ships are capable of a variety of military action, including launching Tomahawk cruise missiles, as they did against Libya in 2011 as part of an international action that led to the overthrow of the Libyan government.The Defense Department has a responsibility to provide the president with options for contingencies, and that requires positioning our forces, positioning our assets, to be able to carry out different options whatever options the president might choose, Hagel told reporters traveling with him to Asia.Hagel said the U.S. is coordinating with the international community to determine what exactly did happen near Damascus earlier this week.According to reports, a chemical attack in a suburb of the capital killed at least 100 people. It would be the most heinous use of chemical weapons since Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein gassed thousands of Kurds in the town of Halabja in 1988.Assads regime has denied allegations that it was behind that attack, calling them absolutely baseless and suggesting they are an attempt to discredit the government.Obama remained cautious about getting involved in a war that has killed more than 100,000 people and now includes Hezbollah and al-Qaida. He made no mention of the red line of chemical weapons use that he marked out for Assad a year ago and that U.S. intelligence says has been breached at least on a small scale several times since.If the U.S. goes in and attacks another country without a U.N. mandate and without clear evidence that can be presented, then there are questions in terms of whether international law supports it do we have the coalition to make it work? Obama said Friday. Those are considerations that we have to take into account.Obama conceded in an interview on CNNs New Day program that the episode is a big event of grave concern that requires American attention. He said any large-scale chemical weapons usage would affect core national interests of the United States and its allies. But nothing he said signaled a shift toward U.S. action.U.S. defense officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they werent authorized to discuss ship movements publicly. But if the U.S. wants to send a message to Assad, the most likely military action would be a Tomahawk missile strike, launched from a ship in the Mediterranean.For a year now, Obama has threatened to punish Assads regime if it resorted to its chemical weapons arsenal, among the worlds vastest, saying use or even deployment of such weapons of mass destruction constituted a red line for him. A U.S. intelligence assessment concluded in June chemical weapons have been used in Syrias civil war, but Washington has taken no military action against Assads forces.U.S. officials have instead focused on trying to organize a peace conference between the government and opposition. Obama has authorized weapons deliveries to rebel groups, but none are believed to have been sent so far.In his first comments on Syria since the alleged chemical attack, Obama said the U.S. is still trying to find out what happened. Hagel said Friday that a determination on the chemical attack should be made swiftly because there may be another attack coming, although he added that we dont know whether that will happen.After rebels similarly reported chemical attacks in February, U.S. confirmation took more than four months. In this instance, a U.N. chemical weapons team is already on the ground in Syria.Obama also cited the need for the U.S. to be part of a coalition in dealing with Syria. Americas ability by itself to solve the Arab countrys sectarian fighting is overstated, he said.

Egypt shortens curfew as unrest over coup wanes

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CAIRO (AP) - Egypts government on Saturday shortened a widely-imposed evening curfew, signaling that authorities sense turmoil is waning after unrest following the presidents ouster threatened to destabilize the country this month.The Cabinets decision to cut the curfew by two hours came as Egypts interim prime minister vowed that his governments priority is restoring security.Egypt experienced one of the deadliest bouts of violence in recent days since its Arab Spring began in 2011. Nationwide clashes and attacks killed more than 1,000 people after the security forces cleared two Cairo sit-ins belonging to supporters of toppled President Mohammed Morsi, overthrown in a popularly supported July 3 military coup.Since the unrest spiked, much of Egypt has been under a military-imposed nighttime curfew. Responding to citizens demands, the government said in a statement Saturday that the 11 hour-long curfew would be in place daily for just nine hours. However, the full curfew would remain in place for Fridays, the first day of the weekend in Egypt and when last weeks protests were incredibly fierce.The easing of the curfew was announced a day after calls for protests by Morsis Muslim Brotherhood group largely fizzled out.The announcement Saturday came as many were rushing to try to make it home before the curfew hours began. The curfew especially has choked Cairos bustling night life and the revenue of many businesses, hotels and restaurants.In recent days, Cairo, a metropolis of some 18 million people, began to regain a sense of normalcy. The capital, however, remains under a state of emergency that gives security forces broad powers to arrest.Security forces have used those powers to go after the Brotherhoods top and midlevel figures, including the groups supreme leader Mohammed Badie. Most are being accused of inciting violence.Late Saturday, security forces said they arrested Mohie Hamed in a Cairo apartment. It was not immediately clear what charges he faces. He was a presidential adviser to Morsi and a former member of the Brotherhoods political guidance bureau.Authorities have alleged that Morsi supporters are committing acts of terrorism and point to a string of attacks against churches and government buildings.Morsi supporters deny their protests are violent, accusing authorities of smearing their movement and trying to cripple the once-powerful party.Meanwhile, Prime Minister Hazem el-Beblawi told reporters he will not accept people feeling unsafe.We are sorry for the number of injured... and we are all extremely sad for each drop of blood, el-Beblawi said. But if the price is that people dont feel secure... we wont accept that.Despite the heavy toll the violence has taken on key pillars of revenue such as tourism in Egypt, the prime minister said his country could rely on unprecedented support from Arab countries that are ready to help with a lot more than what they are already offering. Several oil-rich Arab Gulf countries, longtime critics of Morsis Brotherhood, pledged $ 12 billion in aid to help the interim government after the Islamist presidents ouster.

Death toll in Bolivia prison clash rises to 31

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SANTA CRUZ (AP) - Police and medical officials say the latest death occurred Saturday. Most victims of the Friday battle among rival gangs were inmates, but a 1 ½-year-old toddler died along with his father. Bolivian law allows children 6 and younger to stay with their parents in prison.Another 60 people were injured in the clash at Palmasola maximum-security prison outside the regional capital of Santa Cruz. Authorities say inmates in one cell block attacked a neighboring cell block with knives, machetes and canisters of gas.Jorge Perez, a government vice minister, says the bodies are being taken Saturday to a hospital morgue to undergo autopsies and be identified.

4 die when helicopter crashes off Scotland

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LONDON (AP) - Four people have died after a helicopter carrying 18 from an offshore oil platform crashed into the North Sea off Scotland, police said Saturday.The Eurocopter Super Puma helicopter ditched into the sea about two miles (3 kilometers) from Sumburgh airport in Shetland on Friday night. It was carrying 16 passengers and two crew members.The aircrafts operator CHC, a company that serves offshore oil and gas platforms, said the aircraft was approaching the airport when it lost contact with air traffic control. The coastguard agency said it sent helicopters and lifeboats to the scene after receiving a distress signal.There appears to have been a catastrophic loss of power which meant the helicopter suddenly dropped into the sea without any opportunity to make a controlled landing, said Jim Nicholson, a rescue coordinator.CHC would not speculate on what caused the crash, saying it would cooperate fully with an investigation by police and the British Air Accidents Investigation Branch.Police in Scotland said three bodies had been recovered, and they were searching for the fourth victim.The 14 survivors were taken to a hospital, but their injuries were not serious. Oil company Total UK said one of them was its employee, while the others worked for separate contractor groups.Fridays crash was the latest in a string of incidents involving Super Puma helicopters in Scotland in recent years. Two such helicopters ditched in the North Sea last year, with all the passengers rescued. One crashed while returning from a BP platform in 2009, killing 16 people.Bob Crow, general secretary of the offshore workers union RMT, said the Super Puma fleet should be grounded until the causes of Fridays crash were established.

Liverpool beats Aston Villa 1-0 in Premier League

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BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) - Daniel Sturridge scored with a superb finish in the first half Saturday to give Liverpool a 1-0 win over Aston Villa and maintain the teams strong start to the Premier League season.Sturridge, who started his youth career with Villa, received the ball at the edge of the area in the 21st minute, rounded goalkeeper Brad Guzan and maintained his balance to poke the ball into the roof of the net with two Villa defenders rushing back to block the shot.It was Sturridges second goal of the season and Liverpools second clean sheet as Brendan Rodgers team has now started with two straight 1-0 wins despite having star striker Luis Suarez suspended.The managers philosophy is that we play well as a team and thats what we did, Sturridge said. Its nice to score, but its more important we win. I am just playing my normal game. I have matured a little bit in terms of confidence and playing regularly. This is how I have been as a kid, but Ive now been given a chance to show what I can do in a first-team environment.Villa, which beat Arsenal 3-1 in its opening game, fell to its second straight defeat after a midweek loss to Chelsea.Liverpool had to wait until the end of September before recording a win last year, but is making its best start to a Premier League season in five years. The Reds are second behind Chelsea in the standings on goal difference.It was a terrific win for us, Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers said. We didnt have a good start at all last year. Since the turn of the year weve been getting better and better. Whats important now is the mentality of the group is to win and win together. We just have to keep it going.Villa looked out of pace in the first half but dominated in the second period, creating several chances only to be denied by Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet.The Belgian goalie, who saved a penalty against Stoke, again proved solid late in the game when he parried Christian Bentekes powerful shot from the right side of the box with a spectacular dive in the 86th minute.In the second half you expect more pressure from them but overall Simon has made a couple of terrific saves and we got three points, Rodgers said.

Injured Messi off Barca's squad for Malaga visit

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BARCELONA (AP) - Lionel Messi will miss Barcelonas Spanish league game at Malaga on Sunday while he recovers from a muscle injury in his left leg.Barcelona said on Saturday that even though Messis progress is satisfactory, coach Gerard Martino left the Argentina forward out of his squad as a precaution.We are optimistic, but its risky to play him again three days later with the league just under way, said Martino. I think Messi is fine and Im not worried about what has happened or whats being said. He prepared well during the summer holidays. What happened the other day was a coincidence.Messi bruised a muscle in his left thigh during the first half of Wednesdays 1-1 draw at Atletico Madrid in the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup. With Messi substituted at halftime, new signing Neymar went on and scored the equalizer for his first goal with his new club. The return leg is set for this Wednesday at Camp Nou.Martino said that Messis absence Sunday doesnt guarantee that Neymar will get his first start for Barcelona. Neymar has been recovering from a case of anemia which the Brazil striker developed after having surgery on his tonsils this summer.Neymar is getting better each day. He has more training sessions under his belt and knows the squad and club better, said Martino. We have to ease him forward little by little so that everything goes well. Just because Messi isnt there doesnt mean that Neymar will take the helm. We have many good players to challenge Neymar for a spot in the starting 11. He can play in any game, but nothing has changed because he scored against Atletico.Martino also chimed in on rival Real Madrids reported bid for Tottenham winger Gareth Bale, which could surpass its record deal for Cristiano Ronaldo of £80 million ($131 million) in 2009. Spanish media reports place Madrids offer for Bale between £77-85 million.He looks like a good player, said Martino, while adding: The price is a lack of respect considering how the world is right now.In June, Barcelona paid Santos €57 million ($74 million) to acquire the 21-year-old Neymar.Martino, who guided Newells Old Boys to the Argentine league title last season, took over Barcelona last month after former coach Tito Vilanova stepped down to fight a recurrent throat tumor.

Melzer wins after Monfils retires in Winston-Salem

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WINSTON-SALEM (AP) - Austrias Jurgen Melzer won the Winston-Salem Open title on Saturday after Frenchman Gael Monfils retired because of an injury.Melzer led 6-3, 2-1 after breaking Monfils serve in the second set. During the changeover, Monfils received treatment on his left abdominal muscle and hip before opting to retire at the Wake Forest Tennis Center.On Friday, Monfils was bothered by a pulled muscle in his left side during his semifinal win against Fernando Verdasco. In the second set Saturday against Melzer, he bent over several times and struggled for velocity on his first serve.Melzer earned his fifth career ATP tournament title and first this season. His ranking will improve five spots to No. 27 on Monday, when the U.S. Open begins in New York.Monfils, once ranked seventh in 2011, will improve from No. 43 to No. 38 after making his second tournament final this season.

Halep beats Kvitova to win New Haven Open

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NEW HAVEN (AP) - Simona Halep upset defending champion Petra Kvitova 6-2, 6-2 Saturday to win the New Haven Open, the final WTA tuneup for next weeks U.S. Open.The 21-year-old Romanian broke the 2011 Wimbledon champion in four consecutive service games. The first break gave her a 3-2 lead in the first set. The fourth put her up 3-0 in the second as she took control of the match.I played very beautiful tennis today, Halep said. I was enjoying every moment.Kvitova had a chance to take charge early in match, up 2-1 and 15-40 on Haleps serve. But Halep won the next three points to save that game. She was down 40-30 in the next game before getting her first service break when Kvitova sent a cross-court forehand just wide.She played just really good shots in that moment, Kvitova said. That was turning the match around, I think.The Czech star never recovered.Halep didnt give her a chance, committing just four unforced errors in the first set and one in the second set. She put in 74 percent of her first serves and won 78 percent of them.She converted four of her five break points. The ninth-ranked Kvitova was 0-for-4 on her break chances. She had 25 unforced errors and won just 32 of the matchs 90 points.Halep closed the match by holding Kvitova without a point in the final game, serving an ace, dropping her racket and throwing her arms into the air.Everything is perfect here, she said.Halep earned her fourth career win, but her first in a premiere tournament. All have come since June. The 23rd-ranked player improved to 29-5 in her last 34 matches (31-5 counting qualifying matches). Two of her previous wins had come on clay and the other on grass, but she said she actually plays better on the hard courts.The victory will move her to No. 19 when the rankings are released on Monday. Her run through New Haven also included victories over Daniela Hantuchova, Carla Suarez Navarro, Ekaterina Makarova and four-time New Haven champion Caroline Wozniacki.Halep has played in the U.S. Open three times, making it to the second round twice. She hopes to do better this time.I think I will play good there also, she said. I just want to be relaxed because its good feeling now, good moment for me. I want just to live this great moment.She took home $117,000 along with the trophy. Kvitova, who earned $62,300, was trying to win the same tournament in consecutive years for the first time in her career.It was first time for me to defend a title and be in the final, she said. Thats a good sign actually for me. I will try to take the positive things from this tournament because it was great matches for me.The tournament, which began as a mens event in 1990, faces an uncertain future. Its five biggest sponsors are in the final year of their three-year deals.Attendance has been steadily declining. Just 45,796 fans attended this week, down from 76,480 in 2010, the last year the ATP players were also here, and 53,004 a year ago.But Anne Worcester, the tournaments director, said ticket revenue actually increased over last year, and she is optimistic sponsorship deals will be finalized to keep the event in New Haven.

Woodland, Kuchar tied for lead at Barclays

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JERSEY CITY (AP) - Matt Kuchar and Gary Woodland exchanged birdies and bad breaks and wound up in a tie for the lead Saturday at The Barclays.Woodland had a one-shot lead when his tee shot plugged into the lip of the bunker on the 17th, effectively costing him one shot. He wound up with a 3-under 68. Kuchar missed a chance to birdie the reachable 16th when his putt from off the green rolled into a sprinkler and stopped. He shot a 70.They were at 12-under 201, one shot ahead of Kevin Chappell, who broke the tournament course record with a bogey-free 62.Still in the mix was Tiger Woods. He had three birdies in the last six holes for a 69 and was only four shots behind.

Motorcyclist crashes into black bear in Canada

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TORONTO (Web Desk) - Dramatic video footage has captured the moment a speeding motorcyclist crashed into a bear on a Canadian highway.The video shows the motorbike accelerating to 87mph (140kph) in less than 20 seconds on Highway 7 near Hope, British Columbia.A young black bear which was apparently spooked by a train running parallel to the road suddenly darts out and collides with the bike.Police said in a statement that the driver was focused on his speedometer as part of a stunt and did not see the bear until moments before impact.The footage was taken by a helmet camera on June 30 and has been released by police as a warning to distracted drivers.He suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries in the accident. The bear walked away unscathed.

PTI to hold protest demos across Punjab on Monday

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LAHORE (Dunya News) –Central leaders of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Imran Khan, Javed Hasmi and Shah Mehmood have strongly condemned the police action against the PTI workers and activists.PTI leadership announced to hold protest demonstrations in all the districts of Punjab on Monday.Punjab police Saturday arrested and then released Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) leaders and activists on the directive of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif.DIG Operations Roy Tahir confirmed that order was received from CM Punjab for release of the PTI workers.Protests like these create transport issues he said.To a question, the police official warned that crackdown will be launched again if the PTI workers continued their protest.Police had raided PTI s protesting camp at Chairing Cross in front of Punjab Assembly and arrested several PTI leaders and other workers including female activists.They were protesting against the alleged rigging during by-elections.DCO Naseem Sadiq said that protest could not be held at the Mall Road due to imposition of Section 144.In the meantime, several roads were blocked and the citizens were facing difficulties.Arrested leaders included opposition leader Mehmood-ur-Rasheed, President of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Punjab Chapter Ejaz Chaudhry and PTI’s Information Secretary Andleeb Abbas.The police crackdown drew strong criticism from the PTI chairman Imran Khan and other senior leaders.Imran Khan said that peaceful protest was right of every citizen and the police torture on PTI workers had exposed the PML-N government.PTI leader Shafqat Mehmood said that his party workers were subjected to torture on the behest of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif.PTI leader Asad Umar said staging protest is our democratic right and the situation will get worse if the arrested workers of were not released.Ejaz Chaudhry said, “We will continue to protest against injustice.”

India again violates LoC ceasefire

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MUZAFFARABAD (Dunya News) - Indian army indulged in unprovoked firing in Nakyal, Datkot, Tarkandi, Reteela and Ponch sectors on Saturday.Assistant Commissioner Nakyal Sector told Dunya News that Indian forces started shelling at 6pm on Saturday that continued for hours.The people living bear the Line of Control were terrified after the shelling and were forced to remain indoors, he said.The official said that shelling was so intense that it was not possible to undertake any kind of relief work.A soldier was reported killed by Indian gunfire backed by heavy shelling in Kahuta Kallar area, while a woman was injured in Poonch sector.However, there was no official confirmation about the casualties.Pakistan forces retaliated instantly after which the Indian guns became silent.Pakistan's National Assembly on Thursday passed a unanimous resolution condemning the Indian Army's continued violation of ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC)'' while calling for constructive engagement with New Delhi.The second such resolution this month came as Islamabad said one of its soldiers was killed in unprovoked Indian fire along the LoC in Rawalakot. Pakistan had a day earlier accused Indian troops of killing an army captain and seriously wounding a soldier in cross-LoC shelling in Skardu.

Obama consults security team over Syria options

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama was to meet with his national security advisers early on Saturday to discuss reports that the Syrian government used chemical weapons this week in an attack on a Damascus suburb, a White House official said in a statement.As we have previously stated, the President has directed the intelligence community to gather facts and evidence so that we can determine what occurred in Syria.Once we ascertain the facts, the President will make an informed decision about how to respond, the official said.We have a range of options available, and we are going to act very deliberately so that were making decisions consistent with our national interest as well as our assessment of what can advance our objectives in Syria, the White House official said.The meeting comes amid reports that Syrias government has again used deadly chemical weapons.Top national security officials met earlier this week at the White House while Obama was on a bus tour through New York and Pennsylvania.The White House says the U.S. is still seeking confirmation that Syria used chemical weapons. Officials say once the facts are clear, Obama will make a decision about how to respond.The US is considering a range of options, though Obama has ruled out putting American forces on the ground in Syria.
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