Sunday 15 September 2013

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Ban to present key Syria chemical report

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UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - UN leaders have agonized over a report that Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will present today (Monday) on chemical weapons in Syria that could renew pressure on President Bashar al-Assad, officials said.Ban will present the report to the UN Security Council at 11:15am (1515 GMT). He has already revealed that he expects the report by a UN investigation team to give overwhelming confirmation that arms were used in an attack near Damascus on August 21 in which hundreds died.But the UN team is not allowed to say who carried out the attack, which the West blames on Assad. While diplomats say the detail will give a clear pointer to who is responsible, opponents and supporters of Assad -- who pleads innocence -- will be looking for evidence to back their case.A Russia-US accord on the dismantling of Syrias chemical stockpile will also weigh heavily on Security Council consultations expected to be called Monday.Russias Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Saturday slammed what he called attempts to retouch the UN report. Syrias UN envoy, Bashar Jaafari, has also said his government will not accept a politicized report.Russia, the Americans, all sides, have been putting on pressure over this report, a UN official told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity. Bans office has agonized over every word. The message has to be how serious this attack was but also support the Russia-US initiative.The head of the UN team, Swedish expert Ake Sellstrom, arrived in New York on Sunday and met Ban, officials said.The UN experts went to Damascus on August 18 to investigate claims that chemical weapons were used near Aleppo on March 19 and at two other sites, which have been kept secret.They were in Damascus when the attack on opposition-held Ghouta in the suburbs was staged on August 21. The United States says 1,400 people were killed, and, backed by Britain and France, has blamed the Assad government.The team was immediately put onto the Ghouta attack and will return later to investigate the other sites.Threats to stage a military strike on Assad targets have been thwarted by the British parliaments rejection of action, US President Barack Obamas decision to seek congressional approval, and the Russia-US accord announced Saturday seeking to dismantle Syrias chemical arms by 2014.The UN report will influence any attempt by the UN Security Council to agree a resolution backing the Russia-US accord. Lavrov has made clear Russia will not allow any UN resolution that approves the use of force if Assad does not carry out the accord. Western nations insist there must be consequences.The UN report promises to be very technical, with details of the missile used and possibly the trajectory of the missile, according to diplomats. It was not certain however whether Sellstroms report would give full details of the chemical used.They have collected a considerable amount of evidence -- evidence through samples, evidence through witness interviews -- and they can construct through that a fact-based narrative that can get at the key facts of what happened on August 21, a UN spokesman said on August 29 before the team left through Damascus.The samples of blood, hair, urine, soil and other elements have been analyzed at laboratories in Germany, Switzerland, Sweden and Finland, according to officials.Alongside the report, Ban will make his own presentation, which could also influence the next stages of the diplomatic debate.The commission had access to a very large amount of evidence, said a UN Security Council diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Any reader of the report will be able to guess who carried it out.That is not so important now, added a second diplomat. What is important is the negotiations for a council resolution on the Geneva accord.

UN chemical weapons inspectors submit Syria report

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UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The U.N. says its chief chemical weapons inspector has turned over his teams report on last months alleged poison gas attack in Syria to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky said the report was transmitted Sunday and the secretary-general will brief a closed session of the U.N. Security Council on its contents Monday morning. He will also brief the 193-member General Assembly later that day.The inspection team led by Swedish expert Ake Sellstrom was mandated to report on whether chemical weapons were used in the Aug. 21 attack in the Damascus suburbs and, if so, which chemical agents were used not on who was responsible.The secretary-general said Friday that he believes there will be an overwhelming report that chemical weapons were used in the attack.

Bombings kill 58 in south and central Iraq

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BAGHDAD (AP) - A wave of car bombings and other attacks in Iraq killed at least 58 people in mostly Shiite-majority cities on Sunday, another bloody reminder of the governments failure to stem the surge of violence that is feeding sectarian tensions.Iraq is experiencing its deadliest bout of violence since 2008, raising fears the country is returning to a period of widespread killing such as that which pushed it to the brink of civil war following the 2003 U.S.-led invasion. More than 4,000 people have been killed in attacks since the start of April, including 804 just in August, according to United Nations figures.Sundays deadliest attack was in the city of Hillah, 95 kilometers (60 miles) south of Baghdad, where a car bomb near an outdoor market killed nine civilians and wounded 15 others, a police officer said. A few minutes later, another car bomb went off nearby, killing six civilians and wounding 14, he added.In the nearby town of Iskandariyah, 50 kilometers (30 miles) south of the capital, another car bomb hit a parking lot, killing four civilians and wounding nine, police said.Another car bomb went off in an industrial area of the Shiite city of Karbala, killing five and wounding 25, a police officer said. Karbala is 80 kilometers (50 miles) south of Baghdad. In the aftermath, security officials inspected burnt-out cars in front of what appeared to be a smashed row of workshops.In Kut, another Shiite-dominated city 160 kilometers (100 miles) southeast of Baghdad, a car bomb targeted construction workers and food stalls, killing two and wounding 14, another provincial police officer said.Seven more civilians were killed and 31 others were wounded when four separate car bombs ripped through the towns of Suwayrah and Hafriyah outside Kut, police said.In Baghdads northern Sunni-dominated Azamiyah neighborhood, a car bomb that exploded near the convoy of the head of Baghdads provincial council killed three and wounded eight, police say. The council head escaped unharmed.Two other car bombs hit the southern cities of Basra and Nasiriyah, killing eight civilians and wounding 26, two police officers said. And two more civilians were killed when a bomb hit a police patrol in Baghdads Sunni western suburb of Abu Ghraib. Nine other people were wounded.To the northeast of Baghdad, gunmen broke into a farm in the village of Abu Sayda and killed three Sunni farmers, police saidNo one has claimed responsibility for the blasts, which targeted commercial areas and parking lots in seven cities. But systematically organized waves of bombings are often used by al-Qaidas local branch, known as the Islamic State of Iraq, to undermine confidence in the Shiite-led government.Sometimes insurgents launch multiple attacks for two or more days in a row. On Saturday, 27 people were killed in suicide attacks, bombings and shootings.In the afternoon, police found the bodies of four Sunni men killed with gunshots to the head. The men, all relatives, were kidnapped early Sunday by gunmen who stormed their house in Baghdads southern Youssifiyah suburb.Police and hospital officials also said that a car bomb exploded at night in a commercial street in Baghdads eastern neighborhood of Mashtal, killing five people and wounding 15 others.Medical officials confirmed the casualty figures for all the attacks. All spoke anonymously as they werent authorized to release information.

Hurricane, tropical storm combine to kill 20 in Mexico

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ACAPULCO (AFP) - Hurricane Ingrid and Tropical Storm Manuel triggered rain, landslides and floods on Mexicos east and west coasts Sunday, killing at least 20 people and forcing thousands to evacuate before landfall.Manuel made landfall on the Pacific side while Ingrid, a category one hurricane, was expected to reach the coast on the Gulf of Mexico on Monday, but they had already swollen rivers, flooded streets and damaged bridges.State-run energy firm Pemex evacuated three oil platforms off the Gulf coast of the northeastern state of Tamaulipas and shut down 24 wells, the company said on its Twitter account.On the Pacific coast, Manuel was weakening after making landfall near the Colima state town of Manzanillo, packing top winds of almost 50 miles (85 kilometers) per hour as it moved northwest, the US hurricane center said in a 2100 GMT advisory.The storms were blamed for at least 14 deaths in the southwestern state of Guerrero and six in the central states of Puebla and Hidalgo, officials said.In Guerrero, more than 2,000 people left their homes while 21,000 households were without power, state civil protection official Constantino Gonzales Vargas told AFP.Of the 14 fatalities, six people were killed on Saturday when their vans driver lost control due to a lack of visibility and a slippery road on their way to the resort city of Acapulco, he said.Six others died in landslides and the collapse of walls in three Guerrero towns. Two more people drowned when they were swept away by a swollen river in the state capital Chilpancingo.Water rose as high as three feet (one meter) in parts of Acapulco, dragging cars away, while the road leading to the international airports terminal was closed.The citys port was shut to navigation and a warning was issued against recreational use of beaches. Two men who sailed away were reported missing.Manuel was 15 miles (20 kilometers) north of Manzanillo and was expected to dissipate on Monday, but it was expected to produce life-threatening surf and coastal flooding, the Miami-based hurricane center said.As Hurricane Ingrid crept toward the east coast, three people, including a 16-year-old boy, were killed in a landslide in Tlatlauquitepec, a mountain town in the central state of Puebla.In the central state of Hidalgo, a nurse and her driver drowned when their car was swept away by a overflowing river as they headed to a mountain area heavily affected by days of rain, civil protection officials said.Another woman died when a landslide struck her home.The hurricane had already forced the evacuation of 6,000 people in the east coast state of Veracruz after two rivers overflowed their banks.The US National Hurricane Center said at 2100 GMT that Ingrids outer rain bands were nearing the Gulf coast and that it could slightly strengthen early Monday before reaching the coast.The storms center was 110 miles (175 kilometers) east of Tampico, with maximum sustained winds of 75 miles (120 kilometers) per hour.The forecasters also said Ingrid was expected to trigger a storm surge of as much as five feet (1.5 meters), with large and destructive waves.

Syrian official: Chemical weapons deal a 'victory'

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BEIRUT (AP) - A high-ranking Syrian official called the U.S.-Russian agreement on securing Syria's chemical weapons a victory for President Bashar Assad's regime, but the U.S. warned Sunday the threat of force is real if Damascus fails to carry out the plan.The comments by Syrian Minister of National Reconciliation Ali Haidar to a Russian state news agency were the first by a senior Syrian government official on the deal struck a day earlier in Geneva. Under the agreement, Syria will provide an inventory of its chemical arsenal within one week and hand over all of the components of its program by mid-2014.We welcome these agreements, Haidar was quoted as saying by the RIA Novosti agency. On the one hand, they will help Syrians get out of the crisis, and on the other hand, they averted a war against Syria by removing the pretext for those who wanted to unleash one.He added: These agreements are a credit to Russian diplomacy and the Russian leadership. This is a victory for Syria, achieved thanks to our Russian friends.There has been no official statement from the Syrian government, and it was not clear whether Haidar's comments reflected Assad's thinking.The deal, hashed out in marathon negotiations between U.S. and Russian diplomats, averts American missile strikes against the Assad regime, although the Obama administration has warned that the military option remains on the table if Damascus does not comply. President Barack Obama said last week the U.S. Navy will maintain its increased presence in the eastern Mediterranean Sea to keep pressure on Syria and to be in position to respond if diplomacy fails.The threat of force is real, and the Assad regime and all those taking part need to understand that President Obama and the United States are committed to achieve this goal, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Sunday in Jerusalem, where he briefed Israeli leaders on the agreement.He also said the agreement, if successful, will have set a marker for the standard of behavior with respect to Iran and with respect North Korea and any rogue state, (or) group that tries to reach for these kind of weapons.French President Francois Hollande said in a televised address to his country that he has not ruled out the military option, either. Otherwise, he said, there will be no pressure.The U.S. accuses the Assad government of using poison gas against rebel-held suburbs of Damascus on Aug. 21, killing more than 1,400 people. Other death toll estimates are far lower. Syria denies the allegations and blames the rebels.

Serbia to face Czech Republic in Davis Cup final

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BELGRADE (AFP) - Serbia will face defending champions the Czech Republic in the Davis Cup final after defeating Canada 3-2 in the semi-finals on Sunday.Janko Tipsarevic led Serbia into their second final in four years after defeating Vasek Pospisil 7-6 (7/3), 6-2, 7-6 (8/6).Earlier, world number one Novak Djokovic had beaten Milos Raonic 7-6 (7/1), 6-2, 6-2 to level the tie at 2-2.Serbia, the 2010 champions, will host the November 15-17 final against the Czechs who defeated Argentina 3-2 in their semi-final in Prague.Czech Republic is extremely difficult, they have Tomas Berdych who has been in the top 10 for years, they have Radek Stepanek who always plays good in Davis Cup, but we have Novak (Djokovic), Nenad (Zimonjic) and I hope we will have Victor back into our team, Tipsarevic said.Serbia are without Viktor Troicki, who is serving an 18-month doping ban handed down by the International Tennis Federation (ITF).After taking the first set, the 23rd-ranked Tipsarevic capitalised on the 41st-ranked Pospisils claycourt inexperience to breeze through the second.With the 10,000-strong crowd willing him on, Tipsarevic stretched out to 5-2 in the third set before Pospisil battled back for another tie-breaker.The Canadian saved four match points before Tipsarevic finally sealed victory.I had a feeling it could have been much easier, but somehow I could not capitalise on my opportunities, but nevertheless I won and Serbia are in the final, Tipsarevic said after the match.Earlier, Djokovic got Serbia back into the match by defeating Raonic.Raonic put up a strong fight against Djokovic in the first set, but his hopes took a major blow when he lost the tiebreak 7-1.In the second set Djokovic took total command and convincingly made two service breaks.The third set was similar as Djokovic grabbed another two breaks to lead 4-0 before Raonic, who defeated Tipsarevic in an exhausting four-hour match on Friday, managed briefly to get back into the match with a break of his own.But Djokovic stepped up the pace again and broke on Raonics next serve.I played at my own tempo from the very beginning and I knew the returns would be crucial, so I paid special attention to them, Djokovic said.Serbias coach Bogdan Obradovic couldnt hide satisfaction as his team reached a second final in four years.I could not expect anything better than this, turning Canadas 2-1 lead into victory with two 3-0 wins, this is really a spectacular result, Obradovic said.

Tennis: Safarova wins WTA Quebec City title

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QUEBEC CITY (AFP) - Czech third seed Lucie Safarova defeated New Zealands sixth-seeded Marina Erakovic 6-4, 6-3 on Sunday in the final of the $235,000 WTA Bell Challenge.Safarova saved five of six break points she faced while winning five of six chances to crack Erakovic. Safarova connected on 66 percent of her first serves and broke in the last game to take the crown after 89 minutes.Safarova, ranked 48th, captured her first title of the year and the fifth of her career. It was the 12th career final for the 26-year-old left-hander, who had lost in 2009 in her prior Quebec City championship match appearance.Croatian-born Erakovic, ranked 68th, won her first WTA title earlier this year at Memphis and reached her first tour final at Quebec City two years ago. She missed the event last year with a right hip injury.The final was a rematch of their only prior meeting, a second-round encounter at the 2009 Australian Open in which Safarova edged Erakovic 9-7 in the third set.

Lorenzo win San Marino Moto GP

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MISANO (AFP) - Spaniard Jorge Lorenzo reignited his bid to defend the Moto GP world crown with victory in San Marino, the 13th leg of the 18-race championship, on Sunday.Lorenzo, winning at the Misano circuit for the third successive season, finished ahead of championship leader Marc Marquez with Honda teammate and Spanish compatriot Dani Pedrosa in third.Italys seven-time world champion Valentino Rossi finished fourth on a Yamaha.Lorenzos 49th career win, and 28th in the sports premier category, allowed him to pull level in the championship race with second-placed Pedrosa.Both now have a deficit of 34 points to Marquez with five races remaining.A fortnight after claiming victory at Silverstone, he said it is crucial to be fighting in every event.It is important to win, because we dont lose points but we have only recovered five points, so it is the same as Silverstone, said the Spaniard.It doesnt make a big difference to the championship. But Im very happy for this victory, because we struggled a lot during the weekend especially on braking.Lorenzo came to the Italian circuit hoping to make it three in a row and declaring he was fighting fit following a crash in June and subsequent surgery on a broken collarbone.And he let Marquez know of his intentions from the outset, powering his Yamaha from second place on the grid behind his fellow Spaniard into first place on the opening lap.From then on, Lorenzo led the race and steadily opened up a gap on Marquez and Pedrosa, who went on to engage in a thrilling battle for second place in the closing laps.Marquez admitted he made mistakes in the first part of the race, but after collecting 20 valuable points the Moto GP novice said the title fight is far from over.There are still five races ahead with a lot of points still to be won so I will keep the same mentality and you will still see the same Marc on track, said Marquez.Pedrosa said he struggled with edge grip on his tyres especially while cornering, and admitted: I lost a lot on the first couple of laps, but tried to focus and do the perfect race every lap.He added: In the end I had to battle for a couple of laps with Marc (Marquez), but made one mistake in the last corner and lost touch with about three laps to go.The 14th race of the season is the Aragon GP in Spain on September 29, with the season finale in Valencia on November 10 following races in Malaysia, Australia and Japan.

Athletics: Bekele outshines Farah in Great North Run

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NEWCASTLE (AFP) - Kenenisa Bekele and Mo Farah are looking forward to extending their rivalry to the full marathon after their thrilling battle in the Great North Run half marathon on Sunday.On his debut at the 13.1 mile half marathon distance, Bekele - the 31-year-old Ethiopian who completed 5,000m-10,000m doubles at the 2007 World Championships, 2008 Olympics and 2009 World Championships - emerged from three years of injury troubles to get the better of Farah, the 30-year-old Briton who has dominated global distance running on the track in the past two years.In a gripping finale, Bekele took advantage of a steep downhill drop on to the mile-long stretch towards the finish line on South Shields seafront to open a 20m gap on Farah, who won the 5,000m and 10,000m at the World Championships in Moscow last month, and also to leave the veteran Ethiopian Haile Gebrselassie running for third place.Farah dug deep in the final half a mile and came close to retrieving the deficit but Bekele hung on to win by a second in 60min 09sec.Asked whether he had reminded the running world that he was still a major force, Bekele replied: Yes, because I have had injuries for a long time - three years. Now I am recovered and my running is getting better. I am doing well again.Farah, who last year succeeded Bekele as Olympic 5,000m and 10,000m champion, was consoled with an improvement of his British half marathon best time to 60:10 at the end of a demanding summer track season.I am disappointed to have finished second, he said. But the main thing for me this year was the World Championships.Ive only had two or three weeks to prepare for this.Farah makes his debut at the full marathon distance in London next April and Bekele is also planning to step up to the 26.2 mile distance.Asked whether he wanted to line up alongside Farah in London next spring, Bekele replied: Yes. If Im invited Id like to run.Bekeles manager, Jos Hermens, subsequently said that London Marathon officials had been in touch with his office in the Netherlands within seconds of the race finish.Im definitely doing the London Marathon and it would be great if Kenenisa was too, Farah said.This is what athletics should be about, competition like this. It shouldnt be about just one person dominating.Gebrselassie, who dominated the 10,000m before moving on to the marathon and breaking the world record, was happy enough with his performance - as well he might. The 40-year-old clocked a world Masters half marathon best, 60min 41sec.Asked about the potential of Bekele and Farah at the full marathon, Gebrselassie said: They can go on and break world records at the marathon. Why not?The Great North Run course qualifies for best rather than record half marathon status because it drops 30.5m from start to finish.Paula Radcliffes womens best of 65:40 was set in the race in 2003.The Kenyan marathon specialist Priscah Kiptoo missed the mark by five seconds, finishing in 65:45, after breaking clear with five miles to go.World 5,000m champion Meseret Defar was second in 66:09 and her Ethiopian compatriot, world 10,000m champion Tirunesh Dibaba third in 66:56.

Horner wins Vuelta as oldest grand tour champion

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MADRID (AP) - At an age when most cyclists have already retired, Christopher Horner is getting the best results of his life.The 41-year-old American veteran completed the biggest victory of his career on Sunday, winning the Spanish Vuelta to become the oldest champion of one of cyclings three-week grand tours.Ive been a professional for almost 20 years so this represents a lifetime of hard work, Horner said. A grand tour is always a goal for a cyclist to show how good of a rider you are. The memories will last forever.Having effectively decided the race in the northern mountains over the last three days, Horner navigated the final flat stage without mishap to arrive in Madrid together with his RadioShack-Leopard teammates and with a safe grip on the leaders red jersey.Vincenzo Nibali of Italy and Spaniard Alejandro Valverde both former winners completed the podium.The previous oldest winner for one of the three grand tours the Vuelta, Tour de France and Giro dItalia was Fermin Lambot, who won the 1922 Tour at the age of 36.Besides being the oldest, Horner is also the first American to win the Vuelta.Many riders winning in their 20s and early 30s have small children, but mine are at the age where they can appreciate what dad is doing, Horner said. When I get back, it will be quite the topic at home.Horner, who will turn 42 next month, beat nearest challenger Nibali by finishing ahead of the Italian in each of the final three mountainous stages before Sundays 110-kilometer (68-mile) ride from Leganes to Madrid.Michael Matthews of Australia won the 21st and final stage in a sprint through Madrids city center.We only had four other teammates to help with the sprint today, but everyone did their job 100 percent to help me get the win, Matthews said after his second stage win at this Vuelta for Orica Greenedge.This edition of the Vuelta, the 68th, had been crafted to favor strong climbers with 13 of its 21 stages set in the mountains.And Horner made the most of it, consistently pulling away with his high riding stance and a wry smile on his face while his younger rivals agonized behind him on the summit finishes.I loved this course. When I first saw the design I knew it was perfect for me and my style of racing, Horner said.The veteran rider was not among the favorites entering the race, but he quickly joined them upon winning the third stage. That made him the oldest rider to ever win a stage at a grand tour, breaking the former record held by Pino Cerami, who won a Tour stage at 41 years, 2 months.Saturdays decisive stage saw Horner resist Nibalis repeated attacks before leaving him behind in the fog as he surged up the Alto de LAngliru peak, increasing his lead from three to 37 seconds.Yesterday you saw how much effort Nibali put in to try to win this race, Horner said. It was no walk in the park for me. It was probably the hardest victory Ive ever had in my career, and possibly the hardest race Ive had in my career.Horner completed the grand tour in 84 hours, 36 minutes, 4 seconds. Nibali remained 37 seconds behind, followed by Valverde 1:36 back.Horner turned professional in 1995. His previous wins included the Tour of Georgia in 2003, the Tour of the Basque Country, a northern region on Spain, in 2010, and the Tour of California in 2011.Euskaltel-Euskadi, the financially troubled Basque team that Formula 1 driver Fernando Alonso is considering sponsoring, finished as the best team at the race and the only won not have a member retire. The rest of the peloton let Euskaltel-Euskadi ride in front as it entered the city.

Aussie captain Clarke a doubt for series finale

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LONDON (AFP) - Australia captain Michael Clarke could miss the fifth one-day international against England on Monday after suffering a recurrence of his chronic back problem.The Australians had already planned to recall opener Phil Hughes in place of Shaun Marsh, who is ruled out after hurting his hamstring in the fourth one-dayer, and they may now need to replace Clarke as well.England levelled the series at 1-1 in Cardiff on Saturday, setting up the prospect of an exciting finale, and Clarke is still hoping to play.But coach Darren Lehmann insisted Clarke would only be allowed to play if he is fully fit for the match in Southampton.Its a big game. But if hes not right, we wont risk him, Lehmann said on Sunday.Its an important series, but weve got another one-day series against India and an Ashes series coming up.Lehmann confirmed Hughes, who last played for Australia in the second Test at Lords earlier in the season, is almost certain to come into the line-up given his sides injury problems.Well look at the pitch but I think thats probably the way wed go, Lehmann added.It gives him an opportunity. Hes playing really well and working on his game, and thats all we can ask.Hes ready to go. We hope he gets his chance and away he goes.Should Clarke be unavailable, Australia may call all-rounder Glenn Maxwell into their squad for the first time in the series, with leg-spinner Fawad Ahmed another option.Australia have endured a disappointing tour, an early exit in the Champions Trophy followed by a 3-0 Ashes defeat and then a 1-1 draw in two Twenty20s.But Lehmann hopes they can finish the tour on a high note by winning the 50-over series and he said: It gets down to a grand final set-up now - which is great.Thats what we want the players put under most of the time, although you would have loved to close out the series (in Cardiff).Were certainly playing the right brand of cricket. We just made a couple of elementary mistakes.Apart from that, weve pretty much played how we want to play.Now the case is we want to finish on a high and get moving on.

Killing of top army officers: Taliban claim responsibility

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PESHAWR (Agencies) The Pakistani Taliban have said they were responsible for the deaths of army officers in Dir.One of the men who died was a major general - a rare high-ranking casualty in Pakistans war against militants.The blast happened as the Taliban outlined a number of pre-conditions it wants met before it will take part in peace talks with the government.The three men were returning from inspecting the armys border posts in Khyber Paktunkhwa province when the blast happened.Pakistani political parties have endorsed peace talks with the Pakistani Taliban to end a decade of fighting.But the Taliban are demanding the release of prisoners and the withdrawal of troops from the countrys tribal areas - where they mainly operate.The Pakistani Taliban on Sunday announced preconditions for talks on ending an insurgency that has killed thousands, as seven more soldiers or police including a general died in insurgent attacks.Shahidullah Shahid, spokesman for the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), had earlier welcomed the new governments move to begin peace talks, but said Sunday it must show its sincerity.First of all, troops in the entire tribal area should go back to barracks and then our prisoners should be released, Shahid told AFP.The Pakistan government must take steps which can develop an atmosphere of trust and can remove the doubts and suspicion. We cannot move forward unless the governments accepts these two demands.He was speaking after the Talibans shura or decision-making council held three days of talks about the government offer of dialogue.Shura members from across the country took part in the meeting and stressed the need for confidence-building measures, the spokesman said.Shahid did not give a figure for the number of jailed insurgents and did not totally rule out peace talks if the preconditions are not met.But he added: The government began a war against us and the government has to announce the ceasefire if it is really sincere in peace talks.Politicians last week gave their backing to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharifs calls to begin talks with the Taliban.

PM telephones COAS, expresses grief over Dir incident

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif on Sunday evening telephoned Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani and expressed deep grief and sorrow over the Dir incident.The prime minister said that such incidents could not demoralize the armed forces.He said that Pakistan Army had rendered matchless sacrifices in the fight against terror.The PM expressed the confidence that the armed forces would continue to perform the duty to defend the country with courage and bravery.Two most senior officers and a soldier of the Pakistan Army were killed in a roadside planted blast near Pak-Afghan border, said the Inter-Services Public Relations on Sunday.Major General Sanaullah and Lt. Colonel Tausif were killed in Upper Dir, district of Khyber Pakhtonkhaw near Afghan border when a roadside landmine bomb went off.Lance Naik Irfan Sattar also martyred in Sunday incident, ISPR said in a statement.Sunday incident occurred at time when government was struggling to bring Taliban militants on negotiate table to restore peace in the country.All Parties Conference (APC) has given mandate to government for negotiation with militant groups.Meanwhile, Taliban claimed responsibility of Sunday attack.

Rallies held to slam 5-year-old girl's rape

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LAHORE (AFP) - Rights campaigners staged protest rallies across Pakistan on Sunday against the rape of a five-years old girl in the eastern city of Lahore whose condition is now relatively stable.Police still have no clue who carried out the attack despite detaining several suspects and releasing most of them after questioning, a law enforcement official said.The five-year old girl was kidnapped on Thursday and brutally raped in the eastern city of Lahore.Police said the girl was found outside a hospital at around 8pm (1500 GMT) on Friday, a day after she went missing from a low-income neighbourhood in the city.Her condition is relatively stable but still she is in the Intensive Care Unit, doctor Farzand Ali, medical superintendant in the Services hospital told AFP.Senior police officer Zulfiqar Hameed said investigators had questioned several suspects but have yet to formally arrested anyone.We are investigating and we hope steady progress [is being made] but no one has yet been identified nor anyone formally arrested, Hameed told AFP.Doctors earlier said the child was raped several times.Rights campaigners and workers from NGOs on Saturday and Sunday staged protest rallies across Pakistan and demanded the arrest of the culprits, witnesses said.Widespread outrage dominated social media while Pakistan private TV channels prominently broadcast reports on the girl and her ordeal.Rape is notoriously difficult to prosecute in Pakistan, where women are often treated as second-class citizens.In April 2011, the Supreme Court upheld the acquittal of five men sentenced to death in Pakistans most famous rape case, that of Mukhtar Mai.Mai was gang raped in 2002 on the orders of a village council as punishment, after her brother, who was aged just 12 at the time, was accused of having illicit relations with a woman from a rival clan.A local court had sentenced six men to death, but a higher court acquitted five of them in March 2005, and commuted the sentence for the main accused, Abdul Khaliq, to life imprisonment.In neighbouring India, a judge on Friday sentenced to death four men convicted of the fatal gang rape and murder of a student on a New Delhi bus last December, fulfilling the last wish of the 23-year-old victim who later died of her injuries.The December attack, in which the student was repeatedly raped and assaulted with a metal rod, sparked widespread anger at the treatment of women in India.

Democracy only path for people of Pakistan: Bilawal

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KARACHI (Online) - Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Patron-in-Chief of Pakistan People’s Party has said democracy is the only path for the people of Pakistan to accomplish the cherished goals of the founding fathers and heroes of both independent and democratic movements.On the occasion of “International Day of Democracy,” being observed across the world on September 15 under the aegis of United Nations, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said ‘Strengthening the voices for Democracy” may be among top priorities for establishing a true democratic order for the future generations of the country.International Parliamentary Union (IPU) is promoting International Day of Democracy 2013 through its Member Parliaments of 162 countries around the world. IPU has set “Strengthening Voices for Democracy” as 2013 theme for the event.He said Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto and thousands of democratic leaders and workers sacrificed their lives to bring equal rights to all and sundry.“Democracy is the basic rights of all the societies who believe in human equality and justice,” he said adding Pakistan Peoples Party will continue to its struggle for democracy for generations without any intervals.PPP Patron-In-Chief pointed that his party has offered sacrifices for democracy much more than many independence movements in the contemporary history because it believes that collective wisdom of the masses can pluck the societies ridden with political, social and economic problems towards peace, prosperity and justice.Bilawal Bhutto Zardari exhorted the Party workers to keep torch of the democratic struggle high and continue to play their lead rule in strengthening the democracy and democratic rule in the country.
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