Saturday 7 September 2013

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Djokovic, Nadal to clash in US Open final

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NEW YORK (AP) - The game took 21 minutes. It lasted 30 points. Novak Djokovic squandered five break points and lost that instant classic of a game but made Stanislas Wawrinka pay an awfully heavy price.After dropping the epic third game of the final set Saturday, Djokovic broke the next time Wawrinka served, then didn't falter once he had the lead. The top-seeded Serb withstood a 4-hour, 9-minute onslaught of Wawrinka's massive groundstrokes to pull out a 2-6, 7-6 (4), 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory and advance to his fourth straight final at the U.S. Open.Well, I was thinking I guess everybody was thinking 'Whoever wins this game is going to win the match,' Djokovic said. After he won the game, I thought to myself, 'OK, I guess I have to fight against those odds.'He did, to improve to 20-7 in five-set matches, and now the 2011 champion will go for his second U.S. Open title Monday against No. 2 Rafael Nadal, who had a much easier time in a 6-4, 7-6 (1), 6-2 victory over eighth-seeded Richard Gasquet.It will be the third Nadal-Djokovic final at Flushing Meadows in the last four years, the only break coming last year when Nadal was out with a knee injury. They split the first two meetings.Novak is an amazing competitor, Nadal said. His results say that he is probably one of the best players that I have ever seen.Nadal won easily despite dropping his first service game of the tournament. He had extended his streak to 73 when Gasquet broke him in the fourth game of the second set. Both men held until a second-set tiebreaker, which Nadal won 7-1 to end what little drama existed in the afternoon's second match.Fans certainly got their money's worth in the first one.I managed to find my way through, to adjust, and to win, Djokovic said. That's what counts.His victory will be remembered mostly for a game he lost the third game of the final set, a back-and-forth roller coaster ride in which Djokovic had five opportunities to break for a 2-1 lead and lost them all.Ninth-seeded Wawrinka had eight game points. Before the last, he gestured to the crowd to pump up the volume. Sensing the opportunity, Djokovic hammed it up, as well. Wawrinka followed that well-deserved break in the action with a 123-mph service winner up the middle.It was a really long game with some good points and some big mistakes, said Wawrinka, of Switzerland, who made it farther than his country's most famous player, Roger Federer, for the first time in any of his 35 Grand Slam appearances.He was quite nervous. I was really tired, Wawrinka added. I was struggling physically, and it was not easy to keep the level quite high. But, for me, it was just important to fight and not to let him go and not to lose 6-1 or 6-2, but just to try to get every game I can.Walking gingerly to his chair after that game, Wawrinka sat down and smiled throughout the break.A set earlier, he needed a medical timeout to get his right thigh taped. How much longer could he possibly last? Especially against Djokovic, whose road to No. 1 has been highlighted by an improved diet and a focus on fitness that has made him, by almost every account, the most physically prepared player in the game.At the end of the first set, I started feeling my right leg, Wawrinka said. At that moment, I knew I was going to be out of fuel if I had to play a long match. I knew I would struggle physically against him especially against him because he's such a good defender.Indeed, Wawrinka's 57 winners 26 from the forehand side weren't enough to overcome Djokovic's fast-footed defense.Playing in his first Grand Slam semifinal, Wawrinka opened with about as flawless a first set as possible. He broke Djokovic twice over the first 18 minutes, and when he completed the second break with a sizzling crosscourt forehand winner one of seven in that set Djokovic simply glanced across with a look that landed somewhere between bemused and amazed.Yes, Wawrinka was going to be there all day, and by the time the fifth set rolled around, the scene near his changeover chair showed it. It looked like his living room, strewn with towels, shirts, a warmup jacket and an assortment of rackets, including the mangled remains of one stick he smashed in the fourth set, which drew him a point penalty.It was that kind of day; the players each won 165 points. And Game 3 was that sort of game.It started innocently enough, with an ace and a forced error by Djokovic that gave Wawrinka a quick 30-love lead.But when Djokovic scrambled to get to a deftly struck drop shot, then Wawrinka sprayed the reply wide, things started setting up for something special. Djokovic followed that hustle play with an acutely angled backhand for a winner to make it 30-30. Wawrinka hit a forehand winner to make it 40-30, and for the next 15 minutes, each man tried in vain to close out the game.The final 23 points included six winners, two double-faults and at least one small rest break for Wawrinka after a cruelly efficient dink-lob-overhead combination of Djokovic's chased Wawrinka off the court and onto the ledge near the front row.That game, I was already quite tired, quite dead physically, Wawrinka said. Just trying to stay with him, to fight, to give everything I had in my body. But it was tough.The third game came only four points short of one of the all-time classics the 18-16 tiebreaker John McEnroe won over Bjorn Borg in the fourth set of the 1980 Wimbledon final. Sometimes lost in that retelling is that Borg overcame that heartbreak to win the fifth set, much the way Djokovic overcame Game 3 to pull out this fifth set.Even though I lost that game, I felt like, 'OK, he's getting a little bit more tired and maybe this is my chance to step in,' Djokovic said.The question now is whether Djokovic can recover for his final in time. He'll have at least one thing in his favor: This year, the U.S. Open broke with its tradition of playing the men's semifinal and final on back-to-back days, which gives Djokovic an extra day of rest.But this was a grind, much like his five-set win over Juan Martin del Potro in the semifinals on the grass at Wimbledon in July. He returned two days after that one against Andy Murray and, clearly tired, tried to close out points at the net in what turned out to be a three-set loss.Hard court is my most successful surface, Djokovic said. This is where I can say I feel most comfortable and confident. Hopefully, I can perform better than I did in the Wimbledon final and maybe get a chance to win a trophy.

Serena to face Azarenka in US Open final today

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NEW YORK (AP) - If theres a player out there who could possibly test No. 1-seeded Serena Williams in the U.S. Open final, its her opponent on Sunday, No. 2 Victoria Azarenka.Williams, its worth noting, has lost only four of 70 matches this season, and two of those defeats came against Azarenka, including just last month at a hard-court tuneup.Theres one significant switch in circumstances: Those were at smaller tournaments. This time, theres a major championship on the line, and Williams is at her best when the stakes are the biggest.Different energy, different opportunities. This is for a Grand Slam, Williams said. I mean, shes trying to win yet another one; Im trying to win one myself. Its just different.Williams will be playing in her third consecutive U.S. Open final, seventh overall, and the 21st major title match of her career. Her win-loss record is 16-4, two Grand Slam titles away from two of the greats of the game: Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert, who each won 18. The only women with more are Margaret Court with 24, Steffi Graf with 22, and Helen Wills Moody with 19.Yeah, I thought about that, Williams said, but I cant think about that. Its still so close, but its still so far.If there were any questions about what Williams considers the truest measure of success in tennis, she made clear how she feels when she was asked to pick between Roger Federer, who owns 17 major trophies, or Rafael Nadal, who has 12.I go by numbers, Williams responded. I dont think Im the greatest, because Steffi has way more Grand Slams than me. I just go by whats written down.Most of the numbers, from their careers and these two weeks, favor Williams over Azarenka.Theyve played each other 15 times in all, and Williams has won 12.When they met in last years U.S. Open final this will be the first rematch at Flushing Meadows since the Williams sisters played each other in 2001 and 2002 Azarenka pushed it to a third set and was two points away from victory. But Williams took the last four games.Not that I dont care what happened in the past, but I think there is no need for paying so much attention to what happened. (Youre) always going to take a few things, positive or negative, and try to kind of apply it in your new match, new performance, Azarenka said. But its always a new story. I dont even think that its going to be close to the same as it was last year.Well, then, lets examine the 2013 U.S. Open.Through six matches, Williams has won every set, losing a total of only 16 games. Only once in the last 25 years has a woman dropped fewer games through six full matches en route to a Grand Slam final (Mary Pierce dropped only 10 at the 1994 French Open, then lost the final.)Azarenka has lost two sets and 40 games, including 13 in her fourth-round match alone. Her serving has been particularly shaky: 31 double-faults, 10 aces, 20 breaks. Williams, in contrast, has been broken only twice so far.So how can anyone solve Williams game right now?Youve got to fight, Azarenka said. You know, youve got to run, youve got to grind, and youve got to bite with your teeth for whatever opportunity you have.Its clear these two have separated themselves from the rest of the pack, and not just because theyre the top two in the rankings.Theyre the only women to reach two Grand Slam finals this season Azarenka won her second Australian Open in January, and Williams won her second French Open in June.Williams leads the WTA with a career-high-tying eight titles in 2013; Azarenka has three. Azarenka is a tour-leading 31-1 on hard courts.Azarenka is the closest player to Serena in terms of level, said Williams coach, Patrick Mouratoglou. Azarenka is a champion, and when it comes to the big matches, shes always lifting her level. Always. So you have to be ready.

Japan ecstatic at Olympic win

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TOKYO (AFP) - Thousands of Japanese erupted in joy early Sunday as they learned Tokyo would host the 2020 Olympic Games.Some had risen very early, while others had stayed up all night to hear the decision from Buenos Aires, which came at 5:20 am local time.Several channels had live coverage of the event, with public broadcaster NHK having begun its programming at 10.30 pm on Saturday.As Olympic chief Jacques Rogge read the IOC decision, cheers and shouts rang out. Groups of ecstatic Japanese hugged each other and punched the air.TV hosts and their guests were temporarily speechless and several were in tears, with some making reference to people living in the area affected by the earthquake-tsunami and the nuclear emergency it caused in March 2011.At the Tokyo Chamber of Commerce and Industry, where around 1,200 people had gathered to watch live-streaming of the announcement in Buenos Aires, people held V signs aloft and cheerleaders hugged each other. Some shouted Banzai (hurrah).At the MC's prompting, the crowd in unison said arigato (thank you) to Buenos Aires.At Komozawa Olympic Park in the south of Tokyo, which served as a venue for several sports at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, golden tinsel rained down at the moment of decision.A boisterous crowd held signs and chanted Tokyo, Tokyo, Tokyo, Tokyo, as an interviewer fought to be heard above the din.When he finally got his question out -- What do you think of the news? -- one man shouted: It's the best before being drowned out by chanting and cheering.Three-time Olympic women's 55kg wrestling champion Saori Yoshida, whose sport may be scrapped from the 2020 Games said she had been brought to tears by the news of Tokyo's victory.I am really pleased that Japan pulled together, she told reporters.Tadashi Okamura, chairman of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, who was in the crowd said he had not stopped crying with joy.We wanted the Games so much, he said. In Bueno Aires, bid chief Tsunekazu Takeda said: I have been waiting a long time for this feeling. The members of the IOC have seen that Tokyo is a safe pair of hands.But in Madrid, which was eliminated at the first stage of the vote, news of the city's elimination was greeted with shock.Red balloons that supporters had been clutching were let go and people began making their way home.I am very disappointed, said Jorge Linhares, 41, a minister who had come to witness the decision. Everyone was very hopeful and I am surprised, he added. I thought we would go to the second round and win.Alex Marinez, a 16-year-old school student, said Madrid should keep trying for another Games, even after three successive losses.I am very disappointed. Failing in the first round is the worst. But we have to carry on, he said. Tokyo's victory was a huge disappointment to the hundreds of Turks who had gathered in front of the Hagia Sophia. Within minutes of the announcement, the podium and the forum were almost deserted.But the city's governor, Huseyin Avni Mutlu, was magnanimous.Today we showed that we were a serious candidate, so I do not believe that we have lost, he said. We are a people who love competition, we will continue to try.Istanbul bid volunteer Basak Demirci said Turkey would not be bowed by the loss.Turkey is the best Muslim country in the world and if we had won the Games, we could have set an example to the Muslim world, she told AFP. One day we will win.In the winning city, a slightly damp morning was breaking and some bars were still open, on a day that promised to be full of celebration.

Tokyo will host 2020 Olympics

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BUENOS AIRES (AP) - Tokyo was awarded the 2020 Olympics on Saturday, capitalizing on its reputation as a safe pair of hands and defying concerns about the Fukushima nuclear crisis.Tokyo defeated Istanbul 60-36 in the final round of secret voting by the International Olympic Committee. Madrid was eliminated earlier after an initial tie with Istanbul.Tokyo, which hosted the 1964 Olympics, billed itself as the reliable choice at a time of global political and economic uncertainty a message that resonated with the IOC.Tokyo can be trusted to be the safe pair of hands and much more, bid leader and IOC member Tsunekazu Takeda said in the final presentation. Our case today is simple. Vote for Tokyo and you vote for guaranteed delivery. ... Tokyo is the right partner at the right time.Tokyo had been on the defensive in the final days of the campaign because of mounting concerns over the leak of radioactive water from the tsunami-crippled Fukushima nuclear plant.In the final presentation, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe gave the IOC assurances that the Fukushima leak was not a threat to Tokyo and took personal responsibility for keeping the games safe.Let me assure you the situation is under control, Abe said. It has never done and will never do any damage to Tokyo.Abe gave further assurances when pressed on the issue by Norwegian IOC member Gerhard Heiberg.It poses no problem whatsoever, Abe said in Japanese, adding that the contamination was limited to a small area and had been completely blocked.There are no health related problems until now, nor will there be in the future, he said. I make the statement to you in the most emphatic and unequivocal way.Tokyo Electric Power Co., Fukushima's operator, has acknowledged that tons of radioactive water has been seeping into the Pacific from the plant for more than two years after the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami led to meltdowns at three of its reactors. Recent leaks from tanks storing radioactive water used to cool the reactors have added to fears that the amount of contaminated water is getting out of hand.With Madrid's bid dogged by questions over Spain's economic crisis and Istanbul handicapped by political unrest and the civil war in neighboring Syria, Tokyo proved to be the least risky choice for the IOC.I think it was a choice between going to new shores and staying with a more traditional candidate, IOC vice president Thomas Bach said. And this time they decided with the more traditional candidate.IOC members have also been concerned about construction delays and other challenges plaguing preparations for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Opting for certainty in 2020 was a key priority.I think very much that could have been a factor, Bach said.Tokyo delegates in the hall screamed with joy, jumped in the air, hugged and waved small flags after Rogge opened a sealed envelope and read the words: The International Olympic Committee has the honor of announcing that the games of the 32nd Olympiad in 2020 are awarded to the city of Tokyo.Even though it was 5 a.m. Sunday in Japan, about 1,200 dignitaries and Olympic athletes who crowded into a convention hall in downtown Tokyo celebrated the news. Cheers of Banzai filled the hall when the announcement was made.It's a great, great honor, Takeda said. I promise we will deliver everything we've promised for 2020.In Istanbul's old city, a groan went through a crowd of hundreds of people.In the first round, Istanbul and Madrid tied with 26 votes each. Tokyo had 42 votes, six short of a winning a majority. Istanbul then beat Madrid 49-45 in a tiebreak to advance to the final, which Tokyo won easily.In their final presentations, Madrid made its case as the least-expensive option and Istanbul spoke of the historic opportunity to bring the Olympics to a predominantly Muslim country for the first time.Madrid, bidding for a third straight time, had seemed to have gained the most momentum in recent weeks despite Spain's economic crisis and 27 percent unemployment rate. The Madrid team claimed the games would pose no financial risk because most of the venues were already built.The Turkish delegation pressed its case of taking the games to a city linking the continents of Europe and Asia.With the civil war in Syria posing a major issue, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said taking the games to Turkey will send a very meaningful and strong message, not only to the world, but to our broader region.At this critical moment, we would like to send a strong message of peace to the whole world from Istanbul, Erdogan said.IOC member Prince Albert of Monaco asked what hosting the games in Turkey would mean to the wider region.We believe that hosting the Olympics in Istanbul will give this signal, this spirit of friendship and sharing and peace, Erdogan said. And our country is a place where there is a lot of unity and diversity, and that is the idea that we can share on a broader scale with the Olympics Games being hosted in Turkey.Madrid said 80 percent of its venues were ready and only $1.9 billion was needed for construction, a fraction of the other two bids.Madrid has perhaps the most reasonable and responsible financial foundation in recent Olympic history, Spanish Prime Minster Mariano Rajoy said. We can host the Olympics in 2020 with no risk to the Olympic movement.

Ratto wins rainy 14th Vuelta stage, Nibali leads

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COLLADA DE LA GALLINA (AP) - Daniele Ratto of Italy fought off cold temperatures and rain in the mountains to win a grueling 14th stage of the Spanish Vuelta on Saturday, while Vincenzo Nibali withstood his rivals' attacks to protect his overall lead.Ratto, a Cannondale rider, broke away from the group and had time to savor his hard-earned victory as he made his final push to the summit finish of the 156-kilometer (97-mile) route starting in Baga and finishing in the principality of Andorra.It's strange me being a sprinter winning a stage in the high mountains, said Ratto, who added he was accustomed to the bad weather because he lives in the mountains.The downhill stretch with rain helped me. I went for it and it worked out well, he said.Behind Ratto, Nibali stayed pegged to the wheel of Christopher Horner on the last category-one climb and increased his lead over rivals Alejandro Valverde and Joaquim Rodriguez.Cold temperatures made worse by the rain in the Pyrenees forced veteran Ivan Basso and Spaniard Luis Leon to abandon the race with signs of hypothermia.This is a big step forward, Nibali said. It was been a very tough day. The temperature dropped a lot, above all it was very cold going down from the Envalira summit. I have to thank my entire (Astana) team because each rider from the first to the last helped me.Ratto finished the stage which featured a special-category climb to the Envalira peak midway through in almost 4 1/2 hours.Nibali crossed second 3 minutes, 53 seconds later with Horner two seconds behind.Nibali is aiming to win the Vuelta for a second time. The Italian has a 50-second lead over Horner, who moved up into second place.Valverde is in third place at 1:42 back, with Rodriguez 2:57 off Nibali's pace in fourth.It was a really hard day for me, horrible, cruel for me, it was the hardest day ever on a bike, said Valverde. I was feeling so cold into the descents, trembling, unable to pedal. I almost crashed. At the last climb I recovered well, warmed up, got on a nice pace and started overtaking riders. That's why I'm happy with the result.The grand tour stays in the mountains for the next two days, including a 225-kilometer (140-mile) route from Andorra to Peyragudes in France on Sunday.The race ends in Madrid on Sept. 15.

Fawad unmoved by logo row, says Aussie vice-captain

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LONDON (AFP) - Australia's Fawad Ahmed is unconcerned by the furore his move in not wearing a beer sponsor's logo on his shirt has sparked, according to one-day international vice-captain George Bailey.Pakistan-born leg-spinner Ahmed, who became an Australian citizen in July after his application was fast-tracked, did not have the VB beer logo on his shirt during his international debut in last week's T20 matches against England.It emerged on Tuesday he had expressed discomfort with the conflict this created for him as a Muslim, with the religion's sacred text, the Koran, banning adherents from drinking alcohol.Cricket Australia (CA) agreed he could wear an unbranded shirt, but this led to criticism, notably from two of Australia's best-known sportsmen in former Test batsman Doug Walters and ex-Wallaby rugby union wing David Campese.Walters was quoted as saying: I think if he doesn't want to wear the team gear, he should not be part of the team. Maybe if he doesn't want to be paid, that's OK.Campese tweeted in response: Doug Walters tells Pakistan-born Fawad Ahmed: if you don't like the VB uniform, don't play for Australia. Well said Doug. Tell him to go home.Their comments were condemned as bigoted by CA chief executive James Sutherland.Bailey said former asylum-seeker Ahmed, who added an ODI cap against Scotland in Edinburgh on Wednesday, had dealt with worrying issues in his life.I don't think it'd particularly worry Fawad, Bailey said Saturday after Friday's washout in the first ODI in Leeds denied Ahmed a maiden international appearance against England, Australia's arch-rivals.I think he's probably had to deal with a lot more important things than what's on the front of his shirt.Fawad (has) a great sense of humour, added Bailey before explaining how Ahmed had forged a strong bond with Australia coach Darren Lehmann.He and the coach have a pretty funny relationship. They like to get stuck into each other, which always provides a lot of lighthearted stuff around the group.I know now he's had a taste of playing for Australia he wants to do it a lot - but he wants to do it in all three formats, said Bailey ahead of the second match of five at Manchester's Old Trafford on Sunday.Prior to Bailey's remarks, Sutherland defended Ahmed by saying: Fawad is an Australian cricketer, he is as entitled as anyone to represent his country.He was made a citizen in July, he has a passport, he has chosen Australia as his home for very good reasons. The Australian cricket community has welcomed him and we're very proud to have him.Sutherland added the criticisms of Ahmed's shirt stance, which is akin to that of South Africa's Hashim Amla, who does not wear the logo of Castle Lager, the Proteas' main sponsor, were opportunism on some people's parts to reflect bigoted views.This is not the first time Campese has found himself at the centre of a Twitter storm after questioning whether women should be writing about rugby in November when Georgina Robinson was assigned by the Sydney Morning Herald to cover the Wallabies' tour of Europe.

Two robbers killed in police encounter

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KARACHI (Web Desk) - Two robbers were killed and another was held in two alleged police encounters in Karachi on Saturday morning.The incidents took place in GUlistan-e-Jauhar and Mubeena Town areas.As per details, four armed robbers tried to break into a house in Gulistan-e-Jauhar area. Upon receiving the information, police arrived at the scene and killed a robber during exchange of fire. One of the residents also got injured during the clash.However, the other three robbers managed to escape from the scene after the encounter, abandoning their vehicle.Police have launched investigation into the incident.In another encounter in Mubeena Town, a robber was killed and another was arrested while they were escaping after robbing millions of rupees and jewelry from a house in Gulshan-e-Iqbal Block III.The stolen goods and money were seized by the police while they have launched investigation into the incident.

Sartaj sees headway in Aafia's release

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ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) - Advisor to Prime Minister on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz has said that important headway has been made in connection with release of Dr Aafia and she will soon be brought back to Pakistan.He said this while talking to media men on the eve of a paintings exhibition in a local art gallery here Saturday. He went on to say ever since the government has come to power we have expressed our reservations to UN with regard to drone strikes.UN secretary general has held out assurance for playing role to stop drone attacks. “We hope headway will be made in next year in stopping drone attacks, he underlined.He told the journalists that extradition treaty is going to be signed between Pakistan and US and as per this accord Pakistani prisoners jailed in US will serve their imprisonment term in Pakistan and US prisoners held in Pakistan will serve their jail term in US.To another question he said Pakistan wants peace in Afghanistan. However we want dialogue with Taliban. He stated that Pakistan has already made its position clear on the situation of Syria. We are however awaiting UN Security Council report on use of chemical weapons in Syria. We don’t support any external interference in Syria.All the parties have been invited in All Parties Conference (APC) to deal with all the challenges facing the country and extricate Pakistan from them, he said.

Female Afghan lawmaker freed for 4 detainees

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KABUL (AP) - A female Afghan parliamentarian was freed by the Taliban on Saturday in exchange for several militants, a provincial lawmaker said. The Taliban said the freed prisoners were four innocent women and two children.Taliban militants often use kidnap victims as bargaining chips to gain the freedom of their fellow insurgents, and the Afghan government is generally unwilling to discuss details of what such negotiations involve. Fariba Ahmadi Kakar's abduction a month ago was also one of a string of attacks on prominent women in Afghanistan, where women's rights remain under attack more than a decade after the U.S. ousted the Taliban government.Kakar was kidnapped in Ghazni province while driving from Kabul to her constituency in the southern province of Kandahar. She is one of 69 female deputies in the 249-seat lower house of parliament.Zholina Faizi, secretary of the Ghazni provincial council, told The Associated Press that Kakar was released Saturday at 5 p.m. and is doing fine. Faizi said Afghan intelligence officials told her that seven male insurgents and one woman were freed in exchange for Kakar.The Taliban, however, said in a statement that four women and two children imprisoned by the government were freed. The statement said the women and children were being held merely because they were related to members of the Islamist militia, whose fighters felt compelled to take action to help the persecuted and oppressed female relatives of its mujahedeen.Faizi could not confirm the Taliban's claims. And other Afghan officials, including Ghazni province Gov. Mousa Khan Akbarzadeh, declined to comment on whether anyone was freed for Kakar's sake.Yes, she's been released by the effort and mediation of tribal elders and clerics in Ghazni, Akbarzadeh said. Her health is fine, and she is now with her family. I hope this kind of bad news never repeats itself in the history of Afghanistan.Abdul Rahim Ayoubi, a member of parliament from Kandahar, said Kakar was in the southern province with her family but expected to go to Kabul in a couple of days. It's good news for all of us, he said.As U.S.-led forces withdraw from Afghanistan, with a full exit planned by the end of 2014, concerns have risen about the future of women in this conservative Muslim nation. Although women have made great strides since the fall of the Taliban government in 2001, they still face many restrictions in their daily lives, and the ongoing security problems haven't helped.Earlier in the week, militants shot dead an Indian woman who lived in Afghanistan's east and who had written a memoir about life under the former Taliban government that was turned into a Bollywood movie.The Taliban, meanwhile, seem to have increased their sway, even in areas where they once had a limited presence, such as the north.1st Lt. AnnMarie Annicelli, a NATO spokeswoman, confirmed that a NATO airstrike had killed four militants on Friday afternoon in Wardoj district of northern Badakhshan province. She could not identify the dead but added: We take all of our operations seriously.Also Saturday, Afghan security forces shot dead one demonstrator outside the Iranian consulate in the western city of Herat, said Abdul Hamid Hamidi, a senior police official.He said a crowd of several hundred was rallying over frustrations with the consulate's visa process. Security forces opened fire, killing one person and wounding three. It was unclear what prompted the firing.According to footage from the scene, some outside windows of the compound were broken and the ground was littered with rocks apparently thrown by protesters.

ECC approves 2.9b bailout package for PSM

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ISLAMABAD (Online): The Economic Coordination Committee of the cabinet while expressing satisfaction over the stock position of Sugar in the country which is at present 2.229 million tons, the ECC directed the TCP to purchase 100,000 MT to maintain strategic reserves.The meeting of the Economic Coordination Committee of the Cabinet chaired by Finance Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar which held its meeting at Prime Minister’s Office here on Saturday and was informed by the Governor State Bank of Pakistan that SBP had received the first installment of US $ 550 million from the International Monitoring Fund thus increasing the Foreign Exchange Reserve to US $ 10.4 billion.This was disclosed when the ECC was discussing the Foreign Exchange Reserves position of the country.The ECC was told that presently the wheat stock was 7.043 Tons compared to 6.750 tons in the corresponding period last year.The ECC expressed satisfaction that there were 85 days of oil reserves in the country, compared to 29 days in the corresponding period last year.This improvement the ECC noted had come about as a result of clearance of circular debt by the Government. The meeting was informed that export in the month of July, 2013 increased by 9% to US$ 2.62 billion.The ECC also discussed the need for a comprehensive strategy to bring in quantum growth in the exports of the country as the exports during the last few years have been hovering around $ 25 billion annually.The Finance Minister said that value addition, focus on non-conventional items and identifying of new markets was necessary for increase in export.The ECC decided to constitute a Committee with Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, Federal Minister (Ahsan Iqbal) as its Chair.The terms of the reference of the Committee are to suggest concrete recommendations for quantum increase in exports of the country. The Chairman, BOI Secretaries Commerce, Planning, Finance and Chairman, FBR would be its members.The Committee would submit its recommendations to ECC within a month.The ECC expressed satisfaction over the increase in collection of revenues by FBR which had increased by over twenty percent in July-August 2013 as compared to the corresponding period last year.The ECC expressed the hope that FBR will redouble its efforts to achieve the target of Rs.2475 billion.The ECC was informed that large scale manufacturing had shown an increase of 4.2 percent.The ECC however expressed dissatisfaction over the negative growth in sectors like engineering products, automobiles, wood products, electronic and fertilizers, ECC directed the Ministry of Industries to examine the decrease of growth in those sectors and come up with concrete recommendations to improve these sectors.While discussing a proposal for an interim relief for the Pakistan Steel Mills, the ECC decided that the Chairman Board of Investment and Ministry of Industries should come up with a proposal for long term solution of the problem in the next meeting.The ECC also decided that the Pakistan Steel Mills will remain a public sector enterprise as we seek a strategic partner with a minority stake who can run the management of the Steel Mills.The ECC decided to approve a three months bailout package of Rs.2.9 billion out of which Rs.1.5 billion would be released in September.Rs700 million in October,2013 and Rs.700 million in November. This will include worker salary of two months.The ECC reviewed the present stock position of sugar in the country and was told that in view of surplus position in the country and an expected bumper crop sugar mills may be allowed to export a total of 500,000 MT tons of sugar, 250,000 tons by October, 2013 and the remaining in t November, 2013 and decided that sugar stocks position in the country would be reviewed on monthly basis.ECC decided that export should be made against irrevocable letter of credit or a contract with 25% advance while Shipment should be made within 45 days of the registration of contract with the SBP.The ECC took this decision subject to the condition that the sugar industry will clear the outstanding dues towards growers at the earliest and will start crushing of sugarcane in Sind by November 1, 2013and Punjab by November 15, 2013.The ECC decided that inland subsidy be reduced from Rs.1.75 to Rs.1.00 per kg. The decision is likely to earn a foreign exchange of $ 480 million.The ECC also directed the Ministry of Water and Power to present a summary to streamline the process of purchase of electricity from sugar industry.The ECC on the recommendation of the Engineering Board and a Committee comprising Board of Investment, Industry and Commerce approved M/s Yamaha Motorcycle Industries to have qualified under the new entrant policy for Motorcycle Industry as an industry with new technology.The decision will clear the way for a Foreign Direct Investment of US $ 150 million.

Libya's oil exports plunge as problems escalate

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TRIPOLI (AP) - Libyan officials say oil exports have plunged to less than 10 percent of their pre-war levels, falling to just 150,000 barrels per day.The drop has been blamed on protests by oil facility guards who word for the Defense Ministry. Libya was exporting 1.6 million barrels before the 2011 war that toppled dictator Moammar Gadhafi.An official at Libya's National Oil Corporation said exports were at 150,000 barrels per day on Saturday. He spoke anonymously in line with regulations.The corporation's website said this week that losses from recent strikes and protests had reached more than $5 billion.Prime Minister Ali Zidan is facing calls for his ouster by the country's Islamists and residents fed-up with the government's inability to provide stability. The capital is facing water and electricity shortages.

Arizona woman released after decades on death row

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PHOENIX (AP) - An Arizona woman is getting her first taste of freedom in more than two decades after an appeals court overturned her murder conviction, setting the stage for a retrial as prosecutors seek to put her back on death row.Debra Milke walked out of the Maricopa County Sheriffs jail Friday after supporters posted her $250,000 bond.The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned her conviction in March, ruling that prosecutors should have disclosed information that cast doubt on the credibility of a now-retired detective who said Milke confessed to being involved in the killing of her 4-year-old son, Christopher.The 49-year-old Milke has not been exonerated, but a judge allowed her to go free while she prepares for a new trial in a case that made her one of Arizonas most reviled inmates.Milke was convicted in the death of her son who authorities believe was killed for a $5,000 insurance payout. Police said Milke dressed the boy in his favorite outfit in December 1989, telling him he was going to see Santa Claus at a mall before handing him over to two men who took the child into the desert and shot him. She had been imprisoned since 1990.A defense lawyer told the judge last week that Milke would live in a Phoenix-area home purchased by supporters.Prosecutors declined to comment on Milkes possible release and have not appealed the bond order.Milke, whose mother was a German who married a U.S. Air Force military policeman in Berlin in the early 1960s, has drawn strong support from citizens of that nation and Switzerland, neither of which has the death penalty.Max Krucker, former president of the Swiss community where Milkes mother now lives, said Renate Janka was ecstatic Friday about the possibility that her daughter would be released. She was planning to fly to Arizona as early as Saturday, Krucker said.She said, Now I can finally hold my daughter in my arms again, he told The Associated Press in a telephone interview from his home.For as long as Milke has been incarcerated, she and her mother have only met in situations where they were separated by glass.They were never able to touch, Krucker said.A dozen years ago, Krucker was among the organizers of an effort in the Swiss town of Emmetten to support Milke, including by establishing a bank account that collected donations to aid in her defense. The account eventually netted about 200,000 Swiss francs, or about $213,000 today. Its now nearly drained, he said.Doubts about Milkes guilt and deep suspicion about the reliability of the detectives testimony helped motivate Swiss supporters to donate, as did opposition to the death penalty. Many also had concerns that Milke didnt have access to the best defense because she had too little money, he said.Janka, who is suffering from cancer, was already forced to sell her home to help cover her daughters legal bills, he said.Supporters also run a website that requests donations through both German and Swiss accounts.Milkes ex-husband, whose name is Arizona Milke, believes his former wife is guilty and that supporters have been fooled by the postings on the website.Its fed by propagandized lies, he said Friday. They write whatever they want and put it up there like its true.Her chance at freedom comes six months after a federal appeals court overturned Milkes conviction, ruling that the prosecution should have disclosed information about the truthfulness of the now-retired detective who testified that Milke confessed.Milke was a 25-year-old insurance company clerk when her son was killed. She has maintained her innocence, saying she had nothing to do with the slaying.The two men convicted in the case both remain on death row. Neither Roger Scott nor former Milke roommate James Styers testified at Milkes trial. Scott confessed during a police interrogation and led detectives to the boys body.Maricopa County prosecutors are still seeking the death penalty against Milke at her retrial, tentatively set for Sept. 30, and her alleged confession is at the heart of the case against her.Police detective Armando Saldate Jr. testified that she confessed to him in a closed interrogation room. But the confession was not recorded.At trial, Milke denied that she had confessed, but the jury believed the detective.Doubts about Saldates honesty arose during Milkes appeals. The 9th Circuit concluded in March that prosecutors failure to turn over evidence related to Saldates credibility deprived Milkes attorneys of the chance to question his truthfulness before jurors.No civilized system of justice should have to depend on such flimsy evidence, quite possibly tainted by dishonesty or overzealousness, to decide whether to take someones life or liberty, Chief Judge Alex Kozinski wrote for the court.The court noted four cases in which judges threw out confessions or indictments because Saldate lied under oath and four instances in which cases were tossed out or confessions excluded because Saldate violated the suspects constitutional rights.He was also suspended for accepting sexual favors from a female motorist he stopped and then lying about the encounter, the court said.Deputy County Attorney Vince Imbordino argued last week during a bond hearing that the purported confession is still admissible, but Judge Rosa Mroz of Maricopa County Superior Court said the undisclosed material concerning Saldate casts serious doubt on its validity.Mroz, who also set Milkes bond, scheduled a Sept. 23 hearing on the defenses request to prohibit the prosecution from using the confession during the retrial.

Harsh realities impede Indo-Pak ties: Manmohan Sing

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NEW DELHI (Web Desk) - Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh has categorically said that he would be in a position to meet his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif only after Islamabad addresses New Delhi's concerns on ‘unacceptable’ incidents that have taken place in the recent past.Singh was talking to reporters on board a special Air India plane on his return home after attending the G20 summit in the Russian city of St Petersburg. I have always maintained that we can choose our friends, but we have no choice with regard to our neighbours. And, therefore, under normal conditions, I would be happy to meet with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, whom I respect, who has said the right things about how relations between our two countries should evolve. But, there are certain harsh realities on the ground, said Dr. Singh when asked that the possibility of a meeting between him and his Pakistani counterpart on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York has been a matter of intense speculation.If the terror acts do not stop; if those who voice terrorist thoughts move about freely; if there is no significant progress in bringing the culprits of the Mumbai massacre to book; - that I have to factor in before arriving at a final decision, he added.

PTI to challenge Punjab LG Act

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Saturday held here a meeting to discuss the Punjab Local Government Act and forthcoming Local Bodies elections.The meeting was chaired by Chairman PTI Imran Khan.It was decided in the meeting that the said act would be challenged in the court.PTI leaders said they would approach the masses and give them awareness about the importance of LB polls.They said protest rallies would be held in this connection.Punjab government has decided to hold the Local Bodies elections on non-party basis.The decision has been rejected by Pakistan People’s Party and Pakistan Tejreek-e-Insaf.

Talks with militants a dangerous option: MQM

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KARACHI (Dunya News) Talking to Dunya News Saturday MQM leader Farooq Sattar said his party welcomes PM Nawaz Sharif’s initiative for the formation of a national policy to counter terrorism.“We are not against talks with anyone but government will have to very careful in talks with the terrorists,” he said.The option of dialogue with terrorists could be dangerous, he said.The state must hold talks with militants from a consolidated position, Sattar said.Prime Minister Nawaz Sahrif in his address to nation had said that Pakistan government would prefer a peaceful settlement with the militants but state would use its power if required.Interior Minister Ch Nisar Ali has also said that first preference of government would be to secure peace through talks.Government of Pakistan has convened an All Parties Conference in order to formulate a national counter terrorism policy.
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