Tuesday 24 September 2013

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Van Dijk wins women's time trial at cycling worlds

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FLORENCE (AP) - Ellen van Dijk of the Netherlands dominated the women's time trial to win her second gold medal at this year's road cycling world championships on Tuesday.The time trial specialist, who was the pre-race favorite, posted a time of 27 minutes, 48.18 seconds, beating Linda Villumsen of New Zealand by 24.10 seconds.I dreamt of this jersey and I felt the pressure a lot in the last few days, so now I'm very happy, Van Dijk said. I started very fast, I slowed down only in the last kilometers. The Dutchwoman had also done her homework before the race.I'd studied the course carefully, training at five in the morning to avoid traffic and watching videos to get to know the turns better, she added.Carmen Small of the United States was third, 28.74 seconds behind Van Dijk. Both were part of the American squad Specialized-Lululemon squad which successfully defended its team time trial title on the opening day on Sunday.The powerful Van Dijk was one of the last down the ramp and the 26-year-old led from start to finish along the 21.8 kilometer (13.5-mile) course.It was her first individual world road cycling medal, while Villumsen made it onto the podium for the fifth consecutive year, following three bronze medals and a silver.Five times on the podium and not a single gold medal: I don't think it was bad luck, I just believe my opponents were stronger, Villumsen said. I'm always missing something, I'll try to figure out what it is and try again next year.Small, who considered retirement last season, edged out compatriot Evelyn Stevens by just four hundredths of a second for her first individual medal.Both medals made me happy: the gold medal because I won it with my team and this bronze because I won it representing my country, Small said. My teammate Ellen Van Dijk is a very special person, she's a hard worker and she's really strong.It's a very bittersweet feeling for me. Evelyn is a good friend, a teammate and a fellow countryman. We've spent a lot of time together this season and it's hard to have been beaten and have it be so close.Defending champion Judith Arndt retired last season.Earlier, Igor Decraene of Belgium won the junior time trial, beating favorite Mathias Krigbaum of Denmark.The 17-year-old Decraene won in 26 minutes, 56.83 seconds over the flat, 21.8-kilometer (13.5-mile) course, 8.66 seconds faster than Krigbaum.Zeke Mostov of the United States was third, 20.97 seconds slower than Decraene.Decraene, who is the Belgium national champion, finished second in the discipline in the European championships in July.

Netanyahu directs Israeli envoy to skip Rouhani's UN speech

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JERUSALEM (AP) - Israels prime minister has instructed Israeli diplomats to leave the U.N. General Assembly when Irans new president, Hasan Rouhani, addresses the gathering later Tuesday.In a statement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that despite a new Iranian smile offensive, the policies of the Islamic republic remain the same. He accused Rouhani of refusing to recognize the Holocaust.Netanyahu says that when Irans leaders stop denying the Holocaust, halt their calls for Israels destruction and recognize Israels right to exist, then Israel will be ready to listen to their U.N. speeches.Israel accuses Iran of pursuing nuclear weapons, a charge Iran denies. Israel fears that Rouhanis signs of moderation will ease international pressure on the suspect Iranian nuclear program.

Nod toward diplomacy with Iran changes UN tone

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DUBAI (AP) - A year after Iran and the West appeared headed for conflict over Tehrans nuclear program, a shift in the mood could be felt at the United Nations on Tuesday, and officials and commentators raised hopes of a diplomatic breakthrough under the Islamic Republics new moderate-leaning president.In a speech at the U.N., President Barack Obama reached out to Irans new president, Hasan Rouhani, as a possible force for positive change in relations with the West.He lauded the more moderate course endorsed by Rouhani, who succeeded the combative Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in June elections. Obama said Rouhani could be a partner in trying to break the impasse over Irans nuclear ambitions.The roadblocks may prove to be too great, but I firmly believe the diplomatic path must be tested, Obama told the General Assembly.Rouhani was scheduled to address the U.N. gathering later in the day. But in Tehran, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham said a new era was at hand for the stalled nuclear negotiations.Irans U.S.-educated Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is expected to meet on Thursday with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and counterparts from the other permanent Security Council members plus Germany to discuss the possibility of reviving the negotiations, which were last held in April after making little headway.Rouhani is seeking to restart the negotiations and appears to have crucial backing from Irans supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, with the aim of coaxing the U.S. and allies to ease painful sanctions. The West has previously resisted making such offers, believing that the pressure on Irans economy was the best way to force concessions.A post on Zarifs Twitter account noted a historic opportunity to resolve the nuclear issue. But it said Washington, along with other world powers, needs to adjust its posture commensurate with the new Iranian approach.A prominent Iranian blogger based in Washington, Negar Mortazavi, posted on Twitter: Even if Rouhani and Obama dont physically shake hands in public, the dialogue has already started behind the scenes.She said of Obamas outreach: Kudos.Iran insists it will not give up its ability to enrich uranium to make nuclear fuel, which the West fears could eventually provide material for a nuclear warhead. Iran says it is only seeking to produce energy and isotopes for medical treatments.Suzanne Maloney, an Iranian affairs specialist at the Brookings Institution in Washington, noted there were no major openings to Iran in Obamas address, but it was interesting to hear positive linkage.For Iranians, an important point in Obamas speech was the mention of the many tens of thousands of Iranians who suffered in chemical attacks during the 1980-88 war with Iraqi forces under Saddam Hussein, who was backed at the time by Washington. It is likely to be perceived as gesture of the respect demanded by leaders in Tehran.But Obamas address was seen live by only a limited audience in Iran. The main Farsi channels on state TV did not carry the speech, which was run by the state-run Arabic-language channel Al Alam and the English-language Press TV.Before the speech, Irans semiofficial Fars news agency reported that a group of students at Tehran University said possible direct talks with Washington should occur only after Obama makes an official apology to Iran for past policies, including Washingtons backing of a 1953 coup that toppled a democratically elected government and reinstalled the Western-friendly shah.The 1979 Islamic Revolution overthrew the shah and destroyed ties between Iran and the United States. Iranian militants stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and held 52 hostages for 444 days.Diplomacy is in the air, said David Cortright, director of policy studies at the University of Notre Dames Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies. Not only has a negotiated agreement replaced military threats in Syria, a diplomatic breakthrough with Iran now also seems plausible.

Workers strike slows car production in S Africa

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PORT ELIZABETH (AFP) - Component shortages during ongoing strikes have severely slowed car production at major manufacturers in South Africa, auto companies said Tuesday.Volkswagen, Ford, Mercedes and Toyota reported stopped or limited production since Monday, while General Motors has not produced since last week as component manufacturer stoppages over wages entered a third week.Billions of rands are being lost in the component and original equipment manufacturer sectors every single day but the bigger damage has already been done -- destroying investor confidence, said National Association of Automotive Component and Allied Manufacturers (Naacam) executive director Robert Houdet.A three-week strike by automobile workers in August cost the industry 50,000 cars in lost production, but just as it ended around 70,000 fuel attendants and component producers decided to down tools.Volkswagen SA would keep its plant in small town Uitenhage in the Eastern Cape province closed until further notice, spokesman Matt Gennrich told AFP.This does not augur well for our hourly paid employees on the production lines as they will not be earning any income, he added.General Motors South Africa has not been producing vehicles since last week, according to spokeswoman Denise van Huyssteen.Ford spokeswoman Alisea Chetty reported no production at the company's Port Elizabeth and Pretoria plants for two days, but was likely to restart on Wednesday.Meanwhile Mercedes Benz had limited production on its commercial vehicles line, said communications manager Lynette Skriker, while a Toyota SA spokesman also reported local manufacturing has stopped although assembly lines were operational.Car manufacturers said they pin their hopes on new wage talks Wednesday.Workers have rejected employers' offer of an eight percent increase the first year and seven percent annually the next two years, according to the National Union of Mineworkers of South Africa (NUMSA).They are demanding double digits, NUMSA general secretary Irvin Jim told AFP.The strikes follow stoppages in mining and construction as competing unions make increasingly radical demands.This may now spread to the automobile industry as militant labour group the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) has launched a massive membership drive in the auto sector.Car manufacturing contributes around six percent to Africa's biggest economy. But producers warned against ongoing stoppages.Potential investors will think twice before doing business with South Africa because of the labour instability, said Naacam's Houdet.

Carlo Janka to skip World Cup opener

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ZERMATT (AP) - Olympic giant slalom champion Carlo Janka will skip the season-opening World Cup race next month at Soelden, Austria.Janka tells The Associated Press it makes no sense at all to go to Soelden on Oct. 27 with such a high start number in GS after struggling last season.Janka had difficulty adapting to new GS ski specification rules and completed only one event, a 24th-place finish at Beaver Creek, Colorado.The 2009 world champion in GS acknowledges that I have some work to do when I compare with Ted (Ligety) or Marcel (Hirscher).Janka says he will begin the Sochi Olympic season focusing on speed events and then I see how it works in the GS.

US to sign global treaty on conventional arms trade

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UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - US Secretary of State John Kerry will this week sign the first global treaty to regulate the $80 billion annual trade in conventional arms, seeking to stem the flow of weapons used in war crimes and genocide.A source familiar with the diplomatic maneuvers confirmed to AFP that Kerry would sign the treaty on Wednesday after it was adopted earlier this year by the United Nations to regulate trade in tanks, armored combat vehicles, combat aircraft, attack helicopters, missiles as well as small arms.The treaty, which has been years in the making, was only adopted after tough negotiations at the United Nations. The talks had deadlocked last year after the United States asked for more time to pour over the draft text.Kerry praised the adoption of the treaty in saying it was strong, effective and implementable and insisted it would not infringe on the US Constitution and the Second Amendment right to bear arms.The pact can strengthen global security while protecting the sovereign right of states to conduct legitimate arms trade, he added in his statement in April.It is the first major arms accord since the 1996 Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and covers all conventional weapons.It has no automatic enforcement. However, it seeks to force the weapons industry within accepted boundaries.Though the United States -- which is the worlds biggest arms producer -- has endorsed the treaty, the US Congress must still ratify it.The powerful arms lobby in the United States has already voiced objections, fearful that it could infringe on individual gun rights within US borders.But Kerry stressed in April that the pact only referred to international trade, and reaffirms the sovereign right of any state to regulate arms within its territory.The pact would create a common international standard for the national regulation of the international trade in conventional arms and require all states to develop and implement the kind of systems that the United States already has in place, Kerry said.It would also help reduce the risk that international transfers of conventional arms will be used to carry out the worlds worst crimes, including terrorism, genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes.The United States is meanwhile embroiled in a heated domestic gun control debate, following a series of high-profile shootings.

No link with Jundullah, claims TTP

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has denied any link with Jundullah.According to TTP spokesman, the Taliban offshoot is Jundul Hafsa, however, it had not claimed responsibility of Peshawar Church attack.He said the group that claimed it is Jundullah, adding this group has no links with the Taliban or any Mujahideen group.It is pertinent to mention here that Jundullah had claimed the responsibility of Peshawar Church attack, in which at least 83 people were killed and dozens were injured.

Train collision claims 4 lives in Republic of Congo

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BRAZZAVILLE (AP) - A transportation official confirmed that four people were killed when two trains collided near Kinkembo, located 150 kilometers (90 miles) south of Brazzaville, the capital of Republic of Congo.Anatole Zobani Kimbouala, the press attache for the Republic of Congos Minister of Transport, said the accident occurred at around 1 a.m. on Tuesday. A delegation from the ministry of transport left the capital in the early hours to try to reach the site of the collision to begin an investigation.State radio said at least 25 people were also gravely wounded. They were transported to a hospital in Brazzaville.

UN chemical weapons inspectors returning to Syria

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GENEVA (AP) - The United Nations says the team of chemical weapons inspectors led by Swedish expert Ake Sellstrom will return to Syria on Wednesday.U.N. officials in Geneva say Sellstroms team will return to complete its investigation into pending credible allegations of chemical weapons use in the civil-war struck Arab state.In the statement Tuesday, the U.N. said the investigation will include gathering evidence from an alleged chemical weapons attack on March 19 on the village of Khan al Assal outside the city of Aleppo, which was captured by the rebels in July.On its previous trip to the country, the team compiled a report that said nerve agent sarin was used in an Aug. 21 attack near Damascus.

Colombian man stabbed to death in football fan fight

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BOGOTA (AFP) - A young Colombian man was stabbed to death in a fight between fans of rival football teams, police said Tuesday.Another death is being probed to determine if it stems from football violence, the police added.The mayor of Bogota warned of declaring the citys El Campin stadium off limits to teams whose fans have been involved in fights.In the latest incident, Carlos Medellin, 20, was killed Monday night outside a bus station in downtown Bogota.Medellin, a fan of Atletico Nacional, was stabbed in the chest by supporters of a team called Millonarios. Five people were arrested.The two teams were to have played Tuesday night in El Campin stadium in the latest chapter of a classic Colombian rivalry. But the mayor suspended the match because of Medellins death.This is not a day for celebrating, it is a day for mourning, said Guillermo Alfonso Jaramillo, a town hall official.On Friday, a man aged 66 died of a stab wound when he intervened to defend his son in a fight between football fans.In yet another case, police said they are investigating whether the death of a youth Monday night in another part of town stemmed from a fight between fans of Millonarios and Atletico Nacional.Bogota mayor Gustavo Petro raised the possibility of restricting use of El Campin stadium as a way to punish and deter violent fans.If there is no peace in our neighborhoods because of football, there can be no football in the stadium, Petro wrote on Twitter. He convened a meeting of leaders of football fan clubs.Police chief Rodolfo Palomino suggested barring fans from visiting teams from wearing shirts with their team colors. He said this would be a protective measure.

PM Nawaz grieved over losses by earthquake

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NEW YORK (Dunya News) - Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, Tuesday, expressed grief and sorrow over the losses of precious human lives and property due to an earth quake, which hit areas in Sindh and Balochistan provinces.The Prime Minister directed Chairman National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to keep him updated regarding the losses, relief and evacuation measures, on regular basis.He also directed the local administration to provide all necessary help and assistance to the affected people on priority basis.The PM said that the Federal Government would provide all possible assistance to the earthquake affectees and asked NDMA and Pakistan Army to assist the local administration in relief activities.The Premier prayed to Almighty Allah to bless the departed souls with eternal peace and grant courage to the bereaved families to bear the irreparable loss with fortitude.A 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit a number of cities in Sindh and Balochistan province including Karachi‚ Hyderabad‚ Quetta and Kalat Tuesday.The epicenter of the quake was 120 kilometers away from Khuzdar. People came out from their houses‚ offices and buildings in panic.The worst hit area of quake was Awaran district of Balochistan‚ where thirty people were killed and several injured as a result of the quake.An emergency has been imposed in districts of Chaghi and Awaran.

Obama urges UN to adopt Syrian chemical weapons resolution

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UNITED NATIONS (AP) - President Barack Obama said Tuesday the U.N. Security Council must agree to a resolution on Syrian chemical weapons that includes consequences for President Bashar Assad if he doesn't meet demands to dismantle his stockpile.Obama challenged the U.N. to include such accountability in any resolution, saying the international body's reputation is at stake.If we cannot agree even on this, he said, then it will show that the United Nations is incapable of enforcing the most basic of international laws.The United States and Russia have brokered an agreement for Syria to give up its chemical weapons. But the countries are at odds on what the possible consequences would be if Syria doesn't comply.We believe that as a starting point the international community must enforce the ban in international weapons, he said in his address to the U.N. General Assembly.The agreement between Washington and Moscow came as Obama was pushing Congress to approve a military strike against Syria for a chemical weapons attack last month on civilians outside Damascus that the Obama administration says was carried out by Assad's regime. The subsequent diplomatic steps agreed to by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov placed the threat of force on hold.Still, The Russians have challenged the administration's claims of Assad culpability and Assad has blamed rebel forces for the attack.Obama aggressively pushed back against those claims in his speech Tuesday. It's an insult to human reason and to the legitimacy of this institution to suggest that anyone other than the regime carried out this attack, the president said.Obama also said that while the international community has recognized the stakes involved in the more than 2-year-old civil war, our response has not matched the scale of the challenge.Obama announced that the United States will provide $339 million in additional humanitarian aid to refugees and countries affected by the Syrian civil war, bringing the total American aid devoted to that crisis to nearly $1.4 billion.The White House said the aid will include $161 million spent inside Syria for medical care, shelter and sanitation projects, with the remainder going to help Syrian refugees in Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Turkey and Egypt.Obama reiterated his demand that Assad cannot continue to lead Syria, but said he would not use U.S. military force to depose him.That is for the Syrian people to decide, he said. Nevertheless, a leader who slaughtered his citizens and gassed children to death cannot regain the legitimacy to lead a badly fractured country. He called on Assad allies to stop supporting his regime.The notion that Syria can somehow return to a pre-war status quo is a fantasy, he said. It's time for Russia and Iran to realize that insisting on Assad's role will lead directly to the outcome that they fear: an increasingly violent space for extremists to operate.

Earthquake creates new island near Gwadar coastline

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GWADAR (Dunya News) - The earthquake has created a new island into the sea some 1.5 kilometers at the Jhanda coastline in Gwadar.According to DIG Gwadar, a similar island had appeared in Hangal in the coastal area of Lasbela sixty years ago.On Tuesday, a major earthquake that hit southwestern Pakistan killed more than 100 people, the countrys disaster response agency said, with fears the death toll could rise.The 7.7-magnitude quake which hit Awaran district of Balochistan province also injured at least 24 people, Brigadier Kamran Zia of the National Disaster Management Authority said.The 7.7-magnitude quake struck at 4:29 pm (1129 GMT) around 100 kilometres (60 miles) southwest of the city of Khuzdar in Baluchistan province, at a depth of 15 kilometres.Officials said the tremors had demolished dozens of houses in Awaran district, 350 kilometres southwest of the provincial capital Quetta.

Pak-Army starts rescue operation in quake-hit areas

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - Pakistan army Tuesday dispatched its rescue teams along with helicopters for rescue operation in Quake-hit areas of Balochistan.According to ISPR, 200 Army personnel and helicopter were dispatched for rescue operation.“Khuzdaar will be base for Rescue operation, night flying helicopters with medics on their way while Combined Military Hospital (CMH) Khuzdaar has been alerted to cope with the situation” DG ISPR told media on Tuesday.According to reports, teams of Frontier Constabulary (FC) arrived at Libash, quake hit area and started rescue activities.A 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit a number of cities in Sindh and Balochistan province including Karachi‚ Hyderabad‚ Quetta and Kalat Tuesday.The epicenter of the quake was 120 kilometers away from Khuzdar. People came out from their houses‚ offices and buildings in panic.The worst hit area of quake was Awaran district of Balochistan‚ where thirty people were killed and several injured as a result of the quake. An emergency has been imposed in districts of Chaghi and Awaran.

Imran Farooq murder case: Iftikhar Hussains bail extended till December

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LONDON (Dunya News) - Iftikhar Hussain, 52, arrested by Metropolitan police on June 4 in connection with murder, appeared before Court of North London on Tuesday.The court re-bailed Iftikhar Hussain till December this year.Legal experts say Iftikhar Hussain would be charged, released or re-bailed on his next appearance before the court in December.Earlier, British Home Secretary Theresa May in Islamabad said London Metropolitan police is moving forward in Imran Farooq murder case and culprits would be brought to justice.Sources said British home secretary sought access to two suspects detained in Pakistan during his meeting with her Pakistani counterpart Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan.British police investigating the 2010 murder of former MQM leader and had arrested Altaf Hussain’s cousin Iftikhar Hussain at Heathrow in connection with the case after he arrived in the city on a flight from Canada on June 04.
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