Monday 16 September 2013

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

International powers conspiring against MQM: Altaf

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – Addressing a large numbers of workers gathered at Nine-Zero to celebrate his 60th birthday, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain said that international powers, including US and Britain, are hatching conspiries against MQM, but to their disappointment the MQM is getting stronger day by day.Altaf Hussain said that American and British media also published reports against him and his party. The MQM chief asked his workers to prepare themselves physically and mentally to face hardships.The MQM chief also demanded of the government demanded to produce those MQM workers before court who were detained during the ongoing targeted operation in Karachi. He further said that the MQM should be informed about the fate of its detained workers.

White house locked down in firecracker alert

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - The White House was locked down in a sudden security alert Monday after a man threw firecrackers over the outer fence, sparking alarm hours after a gun massacre in Washington.A Secret Service source confirmed to AFP that the man set off firecrackers, discounting some earlier reports that shots were fired, in a incident that scrambled heavily armed security teams at the White House.Witnesses said uniformed Secret Service officers tackled a man outside the gate soon after the incident, as reporters and staff were quickly hustled back into the White House complex.Agents then cordoned off Lafayette Park opposite the White House, which is normally thronged by tourists in the early evening in late summer.The US capital was already on edge after a former US naval reservist went on a shooting spree at Washington Navy yard, killing 12 people and exchanging fire with police before losing his own life.

Death toll from Colorado floods rises to seven

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LOS ANGELES (AFP) - The confirmed death toll from massive floods in the US state of Colorado has risen to seven, while more than 600 people remain unaccounted for, officials said Monday.Helicopters resumed search and rescue missions, helped by clearer weather after days of torrential rain that has left over 1,500 homes destroyed and more than 17,000 damaged.Five teams from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are bolstering hundreds of state and local officers trying to reach hundreds of residents stranded by the floods, centered on Boulder County north of Denver.We have a strong opportunity here, with FEMAs help, to come out of this whole sitaution with a strogner infrastructure, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper told a press briefing.On Sunday, heavy rain prevented helicopters from taking off for most of the day as officials put the number of people unaccounted for at more than 1,200 across the western state.But on Monday there was even blue sky in places, allowing some 21 helicopters to take to the air.We are hoping to take advantage of the weather today and get those rescue operations complete, spokeswoman Micki Trost of the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management was quoted as saying by the Denver Post.In all seven people have died, including three in Boulder County, two in El Paso County and two missing presumed dead in Larimer County, said the Colorado Office of Emergency management (COEM) in its latest update.The number of people unaccounted for stood at 658 Monday it said, while stressing that the number was approximate and changing as rescue crews gained access to more places, and as stranded people got in touch with authorities to confirm they were alright.In all 11,700 people have been evacuated, the COEM said. A total of 17,994 residential structures have been damaged, and 1,502 destroyed.Many of the missing may simply be unable to report their whereabouts, but Hickenlooper warned that the death toll may increase. There are many, many homes that have been destroyed, he said.Rain began pelting the western state early last week, with Boulder especially hard hit, seeing 7.2 inches (18.3 centimeters) of precipitation in about 15 hours starting Wednesday night.Flash floods have afflicted 15 counties down a 200-mile north-south section of the Front Range, where the Rocky Mountains meet the Great Plains, the Colorado Office of Emergency Management said.Weve got a heck of a lot of communities dealing with a heck of a lot of water, Jennifer Finch, a spokeswoman for Weld County northeast of Boulder, told Denver Channel 7 News on Sunday.On Sunday, traffic on Interstate 25, Colorados main north-south thoroughfare just east of the mountain range, was brought to a halt by water covering two of the three southbound lanes, according to an AFP correspondent on the road.

Kerry, Chinese counterpart to talk Syria, North Korea

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - US Secretary of State John Kerry will welcome his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi Thursday, when the two are expected to talk about Syria and North Korea over a working lunch.According to State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf, the long-scheduled meeting will touch on swiftly evolving current events.A Saturday accord signed by Russia and the US to dismantle Syrias chemical weapon arsenal was welcomed by Beijing, which is united with Russia in its resolve to veto any UN Security Council resolution against Syria.Although allied with Pyongyang, Beijing cooperates with Washington in its attempts to forge a diplomatic solution on North Koreas nuclear weapons program.Other topics likely for discussion include Chinas assertion of maritime rights in the South and East China Seas, the so-called American pivot towards Asia, and computer espionage, a constant source of friction between China and the US.

Two boats with 270 asylum seekers land in Italy

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ROME (AFP) - Two boats carrying around 270 mainly Syrian asylum seekers landed on Italian shores on Monday, the latest of thousands of refugees fleeing the war-torn country to arrive in Italy, officials said.The first boat carrying 150 people -- all of them believed to be Syrian -- arrived on the tiny island of Vendicari, just off Sicily, early on Monday.The second vessel had 120 people on board, including 28 women and 50 minors. They came from Egypt, the Palestinian Territories and Syria.A third boat with 270 migrants issued a distress call via satellite phone, saying the vessel was adrift and a pregnant woman on board was in labour.More than 22,000 migrants have landed on the coast of southern Italy so far this year -- nearly three times the total number for all of 2012 -- including many Eritreans, Somalis and Syrians.

Wide-open Afghan presidential race kicks off

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KABUL (AP) - Afghanistans presidential race kicked off Monday as election authorities began accepting the nominations of would-be candidates, the start of a wide-open race whose winner will oversee the final phases of the withdrawal of U.S.-led troops amid a relentless Taliban insurgency.The first day of registration drew ... no one.No major candidates are expected to submit their nominations until closer to the Oct. 6 deadline, part of a waiting game to see how the field shapes up.The election, set for April 5, will determine who succeeds incumbent President Hamid Karzai, who has in some form or shape led Afghanistan since the Taliban government was ousted in the American-led invasion in 2001. Karzai, who will have served two five-year terms, is barred from running for a third.Candidates have until Oct. 6 to submit their names and meet election requirements, including depositing a fee of 1 million Afghanis ($18,000) and proving they have the backing of 100,000 people.At least 20 people have picked up information packages about running for president in recent days, but there were no submissions on Monday, said Sareer Ahmad Barmak, an election commissioner.There are no clear favorites in the race, but speculation in recent days has focused on Foreign Minister Zalmai Rassoul. Rassoul is a former national security adviser with a medical degree who has tended to stay out of the limelight and could end up being a consensus candidate among some of the many political factions in this nation of 31 million.Other potential candidates include: Abdullah Abdullah, an opposition leader who lost to Karzai in 2009; Ashraf Ghani, a well-known academic and former finance minister with a reputation as a technocrat who also lost the last election; Hanif Atmar, a former interior minister who has grown critical of Karzai; and Farooq Wardak, the education minister who is involved in efforts to pursue peace talks with Taliban insurgents.Some speculation also has focused on Abdul Rab Rasoul Sayyaf, an influential lawmaker with a long history as a jihadist and allegations of past links to Arab militants including Osama bin Laden. He would likely be the most controversial candidate, at least among Afghanistans foreign allies.Afghanistan is a desperately poor, ethnically fractious country whose economy relies heavily on foreign assistance. Its politics are marked by patronage and alliances among the elite - a demographic that includes warlords and tribal elders who can marshal votes.But those alliances are very fluid, and so-called political coalitions that have been set up in recent months have quickly experienced fissures. Even within ethnic groups - the population is roughly 42 percent Pashtun, 27 percent Tajik, 9 percent Hazara, and 9 percent Uzbek along with other, smaller factions - there are divisions that make it difficult to predict who will line up with whom.Karzai, who has been accused of being unwilling to crack down on the pervasive corruption in his government, has said he would not endorse a candidate, but his presence is expected to loom large during the campaign.Also looming are the Taliban, the militant Islamists who ruled the country from 1996-2001 before being overthrown by America after refusing to hand over bin Laden, whose al-Qaida terrorist network staged the Sept. 11 attacks. The Taliban insurgency has strengthened in recent years and seems primed to wreak more havoc as U.S.-led foreign troops finish withdrawing in late 2014, leaving Afghan troops fully in charge.Whether the election can be held safely is a major concern, as is whether it can be held without fraud. The 2009 elections were marred by allegations of vote-rigging against Karzais camp.Thomas Ruttig, an expert with the Afghanistan Analysts Network, said there are already warning signs about how the vote will go April 5, including reports of many more voter cards in circulation than voters in Afghanistan and failures to make progress in peace talks with the Taliban.At this stage, one has to be doubtful about how reliable these elections will be, he said.

Tennis: Cilic handed nine-month doping ban

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LONDON (AFP) - Croatias Marin Cilic has been handed a nine-month doping ban, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) announced on Monday.The 24-year-old, currently ranked 24th in the world, has had the ban back-dated to May 1 this year, meaning he will be able to return to action on February 1, 2014.Cilics doping violation came when he tested positive for the stimulant nikethamide at the Munich Open in May.The International Tennis Federation announced today that Marin Cilic has been found to have committed an Anti-Doping Rule Violation under Article 2.1 of the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme (presence of a Prohibited Substance in a Players Sample), a statement confirmed.Cilic, a former number nine and 2010 Australian Open semi-finalist, provided a urine sample during the Munich event and a WADA-accredited laboratory in Montreal found it to contain nikethamide, which is banned under section S6 (Stimulants) of the 2013 WADA List of Prohibited Substances and Prohibited Methods.The Croatian claimed the nikethamide, for which he did not hold a valid Therapeutic Use Exemptions, had entered his system through his ingestion of Coramine glucose tablets that had been purchased on his behalf from a pharmacy.An Independent Tribunal agreed that Cilic ingested the nikethamide inadvertently as a result of taking the tablets and did not intend to enhance his performance in doing so.Therefore he met the preconditions of Article 10.4 of the programme, which entitles him to a reduction of the period of ineligibility based on an assessment of his fault.As well as the ban it was also determined that Mr Cilics results at the 2013 BMW Open event should be disqualified, with resulting forfeiture of the ranking points and prize money that he won at those events.Mr Cilics results subsequent to the BMW Open (in Munich), up to the time that he accepted a voluntary provisional suspension are also disqualified, and the ranking points and prize money forfeited. A fully-reasoned decision will follow in due course.Following the Munich Open, Cilic was knocked out of the French Open in the third round by Viktor Troicki, who coincidentally was banned in July for 18 months for failing to provide a blood sample at the Monte Carlo Masters in April.He then reached the final at Queens where he lost to Andy Murray before withdrawing from Wimbledon, where he was seeded 10th, prior to his second-round match against Kenny de Schepper with a knee injury.Cilic will miss the Australian Open while serving out the latter stages of his ban.

Liverpool held to 2-2 draw at Swansea in EPL

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SWANSEA (AP) - Liverpool returned to the top of the Premier League standings on Monday night despite its perfect start to the season ending with a 2-2 draw at Swansea.Brendan Rodgers team had won its first three games and a fourth consecutive victory would have marked the clubs best start ever in the Premier League.But Michus second-half equalizer ruined Liverpools plans after goals from Daniel Sturridge and Victor Moses had given the visitors a 2-1 lead following Jonjo Shelveys opener.Liverpool now has 10 points and is one clear of both Arsenal and Tottenham.Rodgers, a former Swansea manager, received a warm welcome on his return to the Liberty Stadium as he greeted some home supporters.But there was no time for nostalgia as Shelvey opened the scoring with a left-foot shot from the right side of the box in the 2nd minute after Liverpool defenders failed to clear the ball properly. Shelvey first missed a volley but recovered to get past Mamadou Sakho and beat goalkeeper Simon Mignolet at his second attempt.But Shelvey, who left Liverpool for Swansea in the summer, went from hero to villain within two minutes by allowing an equalizer when his slack backpass ended up in Sturridges path, with the England striker firing a low shot past Michel Vorm for his 12th goal in 10 games.Swansea had a good spell of pressure but Liverpool was the most dangerous team as Steven Gerrard celebrated his 400th game as captain with some superb passes. Sturridge missed a chance when his header from close range was blocked by Vorm.Shelvey made another big mistake when he misdirected a simple pass to Victor Moses, with the player on loan from Chelsea bursting forward from the middle of the pitch before unleashing a shot from the edge of the box to score on his Liverpool debut in the 36th minute.Vorm was forced into a good save early in the second half to block Andre Wisdoms volley from close range before tempers frayed Shelvey and Lucas Leiva were both booked.Shelvey made some amends in the 64th minute as he picked out Michu with a fine headed pass for the Spaniard to level the score.Swansea had the best of the second half and created several good chances near the end but lacked the finishing touches. Michu could have given the hosts the three points but his last-minute effort in stoppage time was denied by a diving save from Mignolet.

Golf: Johnson overtakes Furyk to win PGA BMW title

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CHICAGO (AFP) - Zach Johnson, the 2007 Masters champion, fired a six-under par 65 Monday to win the US PGAs $8 million (6 million euros) BMW Championship after Jim Furyk squandered his sixth consecutive 54-hole lead.Johnson, a 37-year-old American, fired a final-round 65 to finish 72 holes on 16-under par 268, two strokes ahead of countryman Nick Watney, who closed with a 64, with Furyk another shot adrift after a final-round 71.Johnson captured the $1.44 million top prize and his 10th career title, his first since last years John Deere Classic, as well as giving himself a chance to win the $10 million tour playoff crown in the season-ending Tour Championship that starts Thursday in Atlanta.Its extremely difficult, Johnson said of the importance of his 10th win in 10 PGA seasons. The parity on the tour and in the world is second to none.Im just thankful it has been 10 years and hopefully many more.World number one Tiger Woods, Swedens Henrik Stenson, Australian Adam Scott and American Matt Kuchar can also claim the playoff title with a victory in the 30-man showdown at East Lake.Furyk botched a chance for his 16th career title and his first since winning the 2010 Tour Championship with another final-round failure, following on from last months PGA Championship when Jason Dufner passed him to win the years final major title.Englands Luke Donald, a member at host course Conway Farms, shared fourth with Aussie Jason Day and Americans Hunter Mahan and Steve Stricker on 273.That allowed Donald to jump from 54th to 29th in the PGA season points race and qualify for the Tour Championship.I knew I had to go pretty low, Donald said. Fortunately I got it going a little bit on the back nine when I needed to.Watney jumped from 34th to 12th with his runner-up effort to also make the field in Atlanta, with Englands Lee Westwood and American Harris English bumped out.I knew I needed to have a good week, Watney said. The guys ahead of me were ahead of me for a reason. Theyve been playing well all year. Luckily for me I kind of pulled everything together.Aussie Matt Jones fell short, sharing seventh on 274 to finish 32nd in points.Furyk, who fired only the sixth 59 in US PGA Tour history on Friday to match the record-low for 18 holes, led Stricker by a stroke when they began the final round on Monday, a day late due to storms that halted play Sunday before the last 22 players in the field of 70 could tee off.Stricker opened with a bogey to fall back, as did Woods, who began five back but was never able to make a charge for the lead.Furyk birdied the par-4 fourth hole to stretch his lead and began the back nine with a birdie to reach 15-under, two shots in front of Johnson, who birdied the par-3 second and had back-to-back birdies at the seventh and par-5 eighth.But when Johnson birdied the par-4 12th and Furyk took a bogey at the par-3 11th, the US duo were deadlocked atop the leaderboard at 14-under, with Watney only one stroke back.Watney birdied the par-3 17th and closed with a par to reach the clubhouse at 14-under with a share of the lead while Furyk stumbled with a bogey at the 13th before making a birdie at the 14th to remain in the lead trio.But Johnson birdied the par-4 16th to reach 15-under and made a 13-foot birdie putt at the 17th to grab a two-stroke lead.Furyk found a bunker off the 16th tee, then the right rough and missed a 13-foot par putt, dropping him to 13-under and three back of Johnson. He could only muster pars on the 17th and par-5 18th and Johnson took the title.

Snooker: Lee found guilty of match fixing

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LONDON, Sept 16, 2013 (AFP) - Former world number five Stephen Lee was found guilty of fixing seven snooker matches on Monday.Englands Lee could face a lifetime ban after the verdict was confirmed by Nigel Mawer, the chairman of the disciplinary committee of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPSBA).The 38-year-olds sanction will be announced at a separate hearing on September 24.Lee, the winner of five ranking titles during his career, was charged following an investigation into eight matches -- four at the Malta Cup in 2008, two at the UK Championship 2008, and one each at the China Open in 2009 and the World Championship the same year.He was suspended last October and an independent hearing was arranged by Sport Resolutions UK.It is the biggest case of match-fixing to hit snooker since Australian Quinten Hann was suspended for eight years in 2006 for breaking rules governing match-fixing after he was caught in a sting by undercover reporters where he agreed to lose a game at the China Open in return for money.Last year, Joe Jogia was banned for two years after the WPBSA found him guilty of breaching betting rules.

Kaka suspends salary until recovers from injury

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MILAN (AP) - In a video message on Monday, Kaka says I dont want anything from Milan except for love and support until I am better. ... for this reason, I have decided to suspend my current pay for this period of time.Kaka returned to Milan in the offseason, four years after leaving for Real Madrid in what was a world record transfer at the time.The Brazilian is expected to be out for about a month with a left adductor injury.Adriano Galliani says Kaka was crying on the phone when he called the Milan vice president to inform him of the injury and his decision.

Oil falls below $107 on US-Russia deal for Syria

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NEW YORK (AP) - The price of oil fell below $107 a barrel Monday on waning fears of a wider Middle East conflict thanks to an international deal intended to halt the use of chemical weapons in Syria.The benchmark oil contract for October delivery fell $1.62 to $106.59 a barrel in New York. The contract for November delivery for Brent crude, the benchmark for international crudes used by many U.S. refineries, fell $1.63 to $110.07 a barrel in London.The average retail price of gasoline fell less than a penny to $3.52 per gallon. The national average has either fallen or remained flat every day this month, and is now lower than it has been since July 10.The price of gasoline is slowly falling despite relatively high oil prices because of seasonal factors. Gasoline consumption declines in the fall and looser wintertime clean air rules allow refiners to switch to lower-cost blends of gasoline. Also, a quiet hurricane season so far has meant there have been no weather-related refinery interruptions.Oil prices are moderating because the deal between American and Russian chemical weapons negotiators reduces the chance of U.S. military action in Syria and the possible spread of Middle East violence.Syria is not a major oil producer, but oil traders say the possibility of a wider conflict could interrupt production and shipping routes in the Middle East and cause prices to rise. In recent days, oil prices have risen and receded in accordance with the perceived likelihood of a U.S. military attack.Prices have not fallen further, traders say, because civil unrest and labor conflicts in Libya, which is a major oil producer, has reduced the country's exports.The more fundamental issue of constrained Libyan exports continued unabated, said a report from JBC Energy in Vienna.

Watson leads Australia to series win over England

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SOUTHAMPTON (AFP) - Shane Watsons century saw Australia to a 49-run win over England in the fifth one-day international at Southampton on Monday as their lengthy tour ended with a 2-1 series victory.Watson, involved throughout in a trip that saw Australia arrive in Britain in May before their early Champions Trophy exit was followed by a 3-0 Ashes series loss, made 143 in a total of 298 all out.Together with Australia captain Michael Clarke (75), he shared a fourth-wicket partnership of 163 on a ground where theyd both played for Hampshire after their side had slumped to 48 for three in this day/night clash.However, no other batsman made more than opener Aaron Finchs 26 as Australia fell short of a total in excess of 300 that seemed well within their grasp.Durham all-rounder Ben Stokes led Englands attack with five wickets for 61 runs -- the 22-year-old pacemans maiden five-wicket haul in 10 ODI matches.England debutant Chris Jordan, in for injured fast bowler Steven Finn, took three for 47 after his first ball in international cricket was hit for four by Finch, whose last visit to this ground saw him score a Twenty20 world record 156 against England on August 29.But Australia had more than enough runs as they enjoyed a win over England ahead of the return Ashes Down Under starting in November.Englands reply got off to a disastrous start when Kevin Pietersen was run out for nought after being slow to respond to Michael Carberrys call.Carberry, on his Hampshire home ground, pressed on to 30 before he was lbw to left-arm seamer James Faulkner, who took three for 38.And it wasnt long before 50 for two became 68 for four.Joe Root (13) played on to Mitchell Johnson before Luke Wright, in for the injured Jonathan Trott, was run out for a duck following George Baileys direct hit from cover.Stand-in captain Eoin Morgan, leading a side missing five rested Ashes-winners including regular skipper Alastair Cook, fell for 30 when he was stumped by wicketkeeper Matthew Wade off left-arm spinner Adam Voges.Englands hopes now rested with Ravi Bopara and Jos Buttler, whose 65 not out turned the tide in a series-levelling three-wicket win in Cardiff on Saturday.Buttler scored at better than a run-a-ball but Faulkner, cleverly changing to around the wicket, bowled him for 42 to end a stand of 92 with Bopara.And when Bopara, who made 66, followed when well caught at extra-cover by Voges off Johnson to give the left-arm fast bowler his 200th ODI wicket, England were effectively beaten at 197 for seven.Pakistan-born leg-spinner Fawad Ahmed wrapped up the match when he bowled last man Boyd Rankin with two overs left.After Clarke won the toss, Jordan had Phil Hughes (two), opening in place of the injured Shaun Marsh, top-edging a pull to Carberry at midwicket.Australia, on a ground where New Zealands Martin Guptill struck 189 not out against England in an ODI in June, saw 48 for one become 48 for three when Stokes took two wickets in two balls after a 30-minute rain break.Finch was caught by Morgan at point and next ball Matthew Wade gloved an intended hook to Buttler, the first of five dismissals for the wicketkeeper.Clarke, passed fit after fears hed suffered a recurrence of his long-standing back injury, survived the hat-trick and produced another fine innings to follow his hundred in Australias 88-run victory in the second ODI in Manchester.He was eventually out when he sliced a pull off Jordan to Pietersen at mid-off to end a 76-ball knock including 10 fours and a six.Watsons dominant 107-ball innings, featuring 12 fours and six sixes, finished when he was caught behind off Stokes.

Zawahri asks Jihadi not to attack any Muslim sect

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LONDON (Web Desk) - Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri has issued his first specific guidelines for jihad, urging restraint in attacking other Muslim sects and non-Muslims and in starting conflicts in countries where jihadis might find a safe base to promote their ideas.The document, published by the SITE monitoring service, provides a rare look at al Qaedas strategy 12 years after the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States and the nature of its global ambitions from North Africa to the Caucasus to Kashmir.While al Qaedas military aim remained to weaken the United States and Israel, Zawahri stressed the importance of dawa, or missionary work, to spread its ideas.As far as targeting the proxies of America is concerned, it differs from place to place. The basic principle is to avoid entering into any conflict with them, except in the countries where confronting them becomes inevitable, he said.Those comments are particularly relevant for North Africa, where many analysts believe al Qaeda is using the less restrictive environment which followed the 2011 Arab uprisings to seek new followers, often through local alliances, while avoiding drawing attention to itself by eschewing attacks.our struggle is a long one, and jihad is in need of safe bases, Zawahri said in his general guidelines for jihad posted on jihadi forums.Zawahri spelled out where conflict was inevitable, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Somalia.In Pakistan, where intelligence sources believe Zawahri is hiding, he said fighting aims at creating a safe haven for the mujahideen in Pakistan, which can then be used as a launching pad for the struggle of establishing an Islamic system.Al Qaeda has a strong support network inside Pakistan - its founder Osama bin Laden lived there until his death in May 2011. It also has close ties to the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, with which the Pakistan government has said it will hold peace talks.Zawahri cited the need to weaken Algeria - which crushed Islamist militants in a civil war in the 1990s - and spread jihadi influence throughout the Maghreb and West Africa. And in an apparent nod to those who say al Qaedas focus on the United States weakens their battle against governments at home, he endorsed the right of militants to fight Russians in the Caucasus, Indians in Kashmir and Chinese in Xinjiang.Avoid attacks on other sectsFounded in 1988 during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, al Qaeda has adapted to the Western onslaught against it which followed the Sept. 11 attacks by building a network of alliances and affiliates in Muslim countries around the world.Adept at exploiting conflicts like Afghanistan and Iraq, the Arab uprisings have given al Qaeda a new lease of life - in Syria, for example, fighters loyal to al Qaeda play a powerful role in the opposition to President Bashar al-Assad.But its indiscriminate violence, including suicide bombings and targeting of Shiite Muslims, has made it unpopular among many Muslims.Zawahri called on his mainly Salafist followers to avoid attacking other Muslim sects, and said if they were attacked, they should limit their response to those involved in fighting. They should also leave alone Christians, Hindus and Sikhs living in Muslim lands, respect the lives of women and children and refrain from targeting enemies in mosques, markets and gatherings where they mix with Muslims they were not fighting.But while affiliates subscribe to al Qaedas ideology, they are largely autonomous in day-to-day operations, making it hard for Zawahri to control the behaviour of their fighters.The biggest theme in Zawahris document is restraint, Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, a expert at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said on Twitter. This seems to acknowledge the excesses that have tarnished AQs brand.The document was posted on Sept 13, according to SITE, although it was unclear when the guidelines were written by Zawahri, whose messages - based on their content - appear to take weeks to be smuggled out from where he is in hiding.

72 dengue cases reported in Sindh, toll rises to 1242

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KARACHI (Web Desk) - At least 72 dengue cases have been reported across Sindh during last 24 hours.As per media reports, total number of affected persons have risen to 1242.The doctors have advised the people to get anti mosquito spray and cover all food items and water pots to avoid the disease.Officials have warned that the number of patients suffering from dengue fever is going up with the passage of time as weather is changing from summer to winter.They assured that hospital management is trying to arrange every kind of precautionary measures in order to cope with this challenging issue but at the same time, it is duty of the masses to play their pivotal role in this regard.Dengue affects between 50 and 100 million people in the tropics and subtropics each year, resulting in fever, muscle and joint ache.But it can also be fatal, developing into haemorrhagic fever and shock syndrome, which is characterised by bleeding and a loss of blood pressure.Caused by four strains of virus spread by the mosquito Aedes aegypti, there is no vaccine -- which is why prevention methods focus on mosquito control.
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