Monday 14 October 2013

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

World powers, Iran hedge bets on eve of nuclear talks

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GENEVA (AFP) - World powers gathered Monday for fresh talks with Iran on its controversial nuclear programme, seen as a test of a new mood since reputed moderate President Hassan Rouhani took office in August.Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was expected to have dinner with his European Union opposite number Catherine Ashton in Geneva Monday evening, on the eve of the two-day meeting of the P51 group and Tehran's delegation.Both sides downplayed expectations of a major advance, however.I am not pessimistic about the talks but we need to see the good intentions and political will of the other side in action, Iranian media quoted Zarif as saying at Geneva airport.He said the issue cannot be resolved in one session, although there was potential to do so within a year.On Tuesday and Wednesday Ashton was to lead the negotiating team from the P51 -- the five permanent UN Security Council members Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States, plus Germany.In a statement Monday, Ashton said she had come to Geneva with cautious optimism but a real sense of determination, adding that the goal was to go into details of proposals and explore possibilities.Zarif has so far refused to be drawn on what Iran might offer in return for relief from a trade embargo, which has badly hit the country's oil exports and its access to global banking.Our proposal has three steps... the initial one can be done within a month or two, or even less, he said Monday, without elaborating.Earlier Zarif said he hoped that the Geneva meeting would at least sketch out a roadmap for further, higher-level talks.Iran has been pressing for a pledge to ease sanctions that were slapped on it amid fears that what it claims is nuclear power development is really a drive to develop atomic weapons.Tehran has already drawn its red lines, saying it will not accept any demand to suspend uranium enrichment or ship out stockpiles of purified material.Ahead of the meeting with Iran's team -- expected to be led for the bulk of the talks by deputy foreign minister Abbas Araqchi -- a senior US administration official said it would come down to detail.We are quite ready to move. But it depends what they put on the table, the official told reporters.We are hopeful, but that has to be tested with concrete, verifiable actions, the official said.In the past, Iran has taken the negotiated time and just kept moving forward with its nuclear programme. We cannot allow that to be the case.The official underlined that all involved appreciated the change in tone from Iran.A first meeting between Zarif and his counterparts from the six powers took place last month on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, accompanied by a landmark bilateral meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry.After meeting Ashton in London on Sunday, Kerry said the window for diplomacy with Iran was cracking open. Israel has repeatedly called on its US ally not to fall for sweet talk from the new Iranian president, insisting that actions not words are essential to ensure Tehran never acquires an atomic bomb.Tackling such concerns, Kerry underlined Sunday that Washington meant what it said when it insisted it would never allow a nuclear-armed Iran.I believe firmly that no deal is better than a bad deal, he said.Iran currently has 6,774 kilogrammes (15,000 pounds) of low-enriched uranium, and a lesser quantity of enriched uranium.The enriched uranium is the source of the greatest concern for the West and Israel, which fear Tehran could divert some of it for further enrichment towards the level required for a nuclear weapon.

Obama calls meeting on default threat

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WASHINGTON (AP) - Both President Barack Obama and the top Democrat in Congress reported progress Monday toward a deal to avoid a threatened default and end a two-week partial government shutdown, as Obama called congressional leaders to the White House to press for an end to the impasse.Congress' failure to pass a bill temporarily funding the government led to the partial shutdown on Oct. 1, the first in 17 years. And if Congress doesn't approve a separate measure by Thursday increasing the debt ceiling the amount of money the government is allowed to borrow the Obama administration says it risks default. The two normally routine pieces of legislation have become entangled in disputes over Obama's health care overhaul and government spending.Under discussion is an increase in the debt limit so the government can continue paying its bills well into next year and a short-term funding measure that would re-open the government.Visiting a Washington charity, Obama mentioned the possible progress in the Senate and said his mid-afternoon meeting will determine whether it's real.There has been some progress on the Senate side, with Republicans recognizing it's not tenable, it's not smart, it's not good for the American people to let America default, he said while visiting a Washington charity that has retained furloughed government workers as volunteers.Otherwise, he warned, the threat of default was legitimate.If we don't start making some real progress both in the House and the Senate, and if Republicans aren't willing to set aside some of their partisan concerns in order to do what's right for the country, we stand a good chance of defaulting, he said.After meeting twice Monday with his Republican counterpart, Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid opened the Senate session by saying he was 'very optimistic we will reach an agreement this week that's reasonable in nature. Moments later, Republican leader Mitch McConnell seconded Reid's view.They spoke after what McConnell termed a couple of very useful discussions.While Reid said there was not yet an accord, he said he hoped to have a proposal to outline when the leaders of Congress meet with Obama at mid-afternoon.Reid and McConnell veteran senators hardened by several budget disputes and years of negotiations are at an impasse over yet another source of fiscal fighting: the automatic, across-the-board spending cuts known as sequestration and whether to undo or change them as part of a budget deal. Democrats are pressing for a higher amount of spending, while Republicans want to keep the spending at the deficit-cutting level of the 2011 law, the result of that year's high-stakes budget battle.Officials in both parties said House and Senate negotiators would be appointed to seek a deficit-reduction agreement that could ease or eliminate a new round of automatic spending cuts scheduled to take effect in January. While the current round of cuts fell on both domestic programs and defense, the upcoming reductions would hit primarily the Pentagon.The officials said the two leaders were discussing legislation to raise the $16.7 trillion debt limit until spring. It was not clear if that would permit Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew to employ a series of steps that could add additional months to the extension, as administrations in both parties have done in recent years.In addition to raising the debt limit and reopening the government, officials said, the two leaders were discussing a possible tightening in income verification requirements for individuals who qualify for subsidies under the health care law known as Obamacare. Democrats were resisting a Republican-backed proposal to suspend a medical device tax that was enacted as part of the health care law. The tax is widely unpopular among lawmakers in both parties, but the outcome of that disagreement remained unclear.These officials spoke on condition of anonymity, saying they were not authorized to discuss private matters.Separately, a bipartisan group led by Republican Sen. Susan Collins met for two hours Monday morning on a possible solution to the impasse.We're making very good progress, but there's still many details to be worked out, Collins said before joining her Republican colleagues at a meeting with McConnell.Unclear was whether any Senate deal would pass the Republican-controlled House by Thursday, though Senate Democrats were hoping momentum and an imminent default would pressure House lawmakers.There was no certainty that the growing anxiety among financial leaders around the world would provide the necessary jolt to Senate leaders, who represent the last, best chance for a resolution after talks between President Barack Obama and House Republican leaders collapsed.Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin said Monday that investors are growing increasingly skittish about the possibility of default. The bond markets were closed for a holiday, and by afternoon but the stock market rose into positive territory on the upbeat talk from Senate leaders.

Bomb kills 27 in Syria as kidnapped aid workers freed

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DAMASCUS (AFP) - A car bomb killed dozens of people in rebel-held northwestern Syria on Monday as suspected jihadists freed four out of seven aid workers kidnapped in the increasingly volatile region.The bombing and abductions came as the United States stepped up its calls for a peace conference between President Bashar al-Assad's regime and its Western-backed opponents, who are divided over the initiative.The United Nations said, meanwhile, that the race is on to make sure Syria keeps to deadlines to destroy its chemical weapons arsenal under the terms of a UN Security Council resolution.The blast in the town of Darkush killed at least 27 people, including three children and a woman, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, adding the death toll could rise because many of the wounded were in serious condition.Activists said the blast targeted the market area of the town, which is a few kilometres (miles) from the border with Turkey, on the Orontes river.Four of the kidnapped aid workers were meanwhile freed, International Committee of the Red Cross spokesman Ewan Watson said, adding the organisation was awaiting further information about the others.The Observatory said an Al-Qaeda-linked rebel group -- the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) -- kidnaped the six Red Cross staff and a volunteer from the Syrian Red Crescent.The ICRC has not commented on the nationality of those abducted, though it has said most of the group were Syrian. There has been no claim of responsibility.Rebels control large swathes of Idlib, and kidnappings have become increasingly common in rebel-held parts of Syria, targeting both journalists and aid workers.The Red Cross, one of the few organisations able to deliver aid nationwide, said the team had travelled to Idlib on October 10 to assess the situation at health facilities and deliver aid.We don't have any intention of stopping our activities in Syria, but of course this situation makes us reflect and take a close look at our operations, Watson had earlier told Swiss radio.

Egypt urged to probe killing of Morsi protesters

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CAIRO (AP) - Rights group Amnesty International called on Egypt's government on Monday to launch a full and impartial investigation into the use of live ammunition by police to disperse protesters last week.The London-based group said police used excessive and deadly force against supporters of the ousted Islamist president and that, in a number of cases, bystanders or non-violent protesters were caught up in the violence.The Health Ministry said at least 50 people, mostly in Cairo, were killed in the Oct. 6 protests, the latest turmoil to hit Egypt since a popular uprising in 2011. Political violence has seen an uptick since a July 3 military coup overthrew President Mohammed Morsi, with well over 1,000 of his supporters killed and more than 2,000 jailed, including leaders of his Muslim Brotherhood group.Although some pro-Morsi protesters threw rocks, burned tires and used fireworks or other incendiaries against security forces and local residents, the security forces once again resorted to the use of lethal force when it was not strictly necessary, said Amnesty. Excessive use of force seems to have become the 'normal' modus operandi of Egyptian security forces.The military-backed Egyptian government has authorized security forces to use live ammunition to defend themselves and in case of attacks on vital state installations.The Brotherhood has used the killing of pro-Morsi supporters at the hands of police to strengthen a narrative of martyrdom in hopes of winning back popular support it lost during the one-year rule of Morsi, Egypt's first freely elected president. The group insists it will not negotiate a way out of the ongoing political crisis before Morsi is reinstated and the suspension of an Islamist-tilted constitution adopted last year is lifted.The government says it is keen on political inclusion but only if all parties accept to put Morsi's ouster behind them and accept a political road map that envisions a nationwide vote on amendments to the 2012 constitution by the end of this year and parliamentary and presidential elections by early 2014.Morsi has been held at an undisclosed destination since his ouster. His trial on charges of ordering the killing of protesters last December is due to begin Nov. 4.

Notorious Somali pirate nabbed in undercover operation

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BRUSSELS (AFP) - One of Somalia's most notorious pirate leaders, known as Big Mouth, is under arrest facing charges of kidnapping and piracy after being tricked into travelling to Belgium, the prosecution said Monday.Federal prosecutor Johan Delmulle said Mohamed Abdi Hassan, known as Afweyne or Big Mouth, was being held in Bruges after being detained at Brussels airport on Saturday on disembarking from a flight from Nairobi.He was arrested along with his accomplice, Mohamed Aden Tiiceey, former governor of Himan and Heeb state in central Somalia, the prosecutor said, reading a statement to the press in French and Dutch.Both Afweyne and Tiiceey were facing charges of kidnapping and piracy in the case of the 2009 capture of a Belgian ship, the Pompei, which was seized and held by pirates off the Somali coast for more than 70 days.Belgian investigators had been working for years to bring the men behind such crimes to book and lured the notorious pirate to Brussels in a scheme that took months, the prosecutor said.Because Afweyne lived in Somalia and rarely travelled, Belgian police elaborated an infiltration operation aimed at arresting Afweyne outside of Somalia, he said.The plan was to approach Afweyne through the intermediary of his accomplice named Tiiceey, his statement added.Via Tiiceey, Afweyne was asked to collaborate as an advisor and expert on a film project on maritime piracy. The film was supposed to reflect his life as a pirate.But when Afweyne and Tiiceey landed on Saturday morning to sign the movie contract, they were expected and taken into custody, the prosecutor said.Afweyne announced in Mogadishu in January that he was quitting piracy after a highly profitable eight-year career. He said he was working to persuade other pirates to do the same.Described last year by the UN as one of the most notorious and influential leaders in Somalia's pirate hub, he notably was involved in the 2008 capture of the Saudi-owned Sirius Star oil supertanker, released for a ransom of several million dollars.He also reportedly took part in the 2008 capture of the MV Faina, a Ukrainian transport ship carrying 33 refurbished Soviet-era battle tanks, which was released after a 134-day hijack for a reported three million dollars.In a quick reaction, a spokesman for EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton welcomed the arrests as a new breakthrough in the fight to stop piracy off the Somali coast.We welcome the arrest of Mohamed Abdi Hassan, alias Afweyne, one of the main suspected sponsors of Somali piracy, by Belgian authorities, said spokesman Sebastien Brabant.While fully respecting the principle of presumption of innocence, we consider that this arrest marks a significant step in the fight against piracy.It demonstrates that law enforcement authorities can now track not only the pirates themselves, but also the leaders of these criminal networks, who benefit most from pirate attacks.The European Union heads the EUNAVFOR Atalanta sea operation against piracy which has helped stem attacks. There have been no successful captures of ships since May 2012 and Somali authorities too have made progress on land.

Kuznetsova advances at Kremlin Cup

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MOSCOW (AP) - Svetlana Kuznetsova advanced to the second round of the Kremlin Cup by beating Lesia Tsurenko 7-5, 6-2 Monday.The eighth-seeded Kuznetsova, a two-time Grand Slam champion from Russia, won five consecutive games in the second set and served for the match at love.I haven't been playing at the Kremlin Cup for a couple of years, Kuznetsova said. But this year I really want to play my best here and that's why I was so nervous at the beginning of the match. And I feel myself much better than a year ago when I really tired of tennis after being on the circuit for 12 years.Kuznetsova is looking for her 14th career title. She last won in San Diego in 2010. Her best result in Moscow was a semifinal appearance in 2007.Sergiy Stakhovsky of Ukraine and Alize Cornet of France also won their first-round matches in straight sets.Stakhovsky upset seventh-seeded Joao Sousa of Portugal 6-4, 6-3, while Cornet ousted Ukrainian teenager Elina Svitolina 7-5, 6-3.Stakhovsky won seven consecutive games to rally from 4-1 down in the first set and take a 2-0 lead in the second. He broke Sousa again in the ninth game, sealing the win with a drop shot on his second match point.I started a bit nervous and experienced certain problems in the beginning, Stakhovsky said. But later in the first set I managed to bring my concentration back and dominated the play for the rest of the match.Cornet broke in the 12th game of the first set and took a 4-0 lead in the second.I didn't expect to play this level today because I just came back from injury, Cornet said. But surprisingly I played really good today. I think I was really solid especially in the most important moments and that's why I won.Earlier, top-seeded Angelique Kerber, coming off her third career title in Linz, Austria, on The men's tournament saw Ukraine's Sergiy Stakhovsky produced the biggest upset on the first day of the Kremlin Cup, ousting Portuguese seventh seed Joao Sousa in straight sets.The 27-year-old Ukrainian -- who gained his biggest ever scalp at Wimbledon this year when he beat Roger Federer for his first ever win over a player ranked in the top 10 -- beat 24-year-old Sousa 6-4, 6-3 in one hour 17 minutes.Sousa, ranked 50th in the world in comparison to his opponent's 98th, started the tie confidently, taking a 4-1 lead with a break in the fourth game. However Stakhovsky, who won the last of his four ATP titles in 2010, was unfazed and stormed back to break Sousa twice and rattle off five consecutive games to win the first set in 37 minutes.In the second Stakhovsky underlined his supremacy when he broke Sousa, who in September became the first player from Portugal to win an ATP title when he won the Malaysian Open, twice again in the second set to clinch the match.I was a bit nervous to start with and experienced problems at the beginning, Stakhovsky said.But later in the first set I managed to regain ny concentration and dominated the rest of the match.In the next round he will face French journeyman Edouard Roger-Vasselin who beat Czech rival Jiri Vesely 6-3, 6-7 (3/7), 6-3.The 29-year-old Roger-Vasselin looked more focused from the start breaking his rival's serve twice to take the first set in 32 minutes.They traded breaks throughout the second set as it went to a tie-break which 20-year-old Vesely won to tie the match.Roger-Vasselin came up with the decisive break in the eighth game of the third set and won the match in 2 hours 16 minutes.

Safarova, Wickmayer advance in Luxembourg Open

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LUXEMBOURG (AP) - Fifth-seeded Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic defeated Peng Shuai of China 7-5, 6-4 Monday to move into the second round of the Luxembourg Open.Safarova converted her only break point in the first set and added two more breaks in the second to wrap up the win in 1 hour, 32 minutes.In another first-round match, Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium beat Heather Watson of Britain 6-0, 5-7, 6-2, breaking her opponent seven times even though the Briton landed 81 percent of her first serves compared to just 49 percent for Wickmayer.Top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark, No. 2 Sloane Stephens of the United States and third-seeded Sabine Lisicki of Germany all open their campaign on Tuesday.

Football: Messi returns to Barcelona training

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MADRID (AFP) - World Player of the Year Lionel Messi returned to full training with his Barcelona teammates on Monday for the first time since suffering a thigh injury two weeks ago.The Argentine was forced off with the problem in the 2-0 win over Almeria on September 29 after scoring his 11th goal in just nine appearances this season to give his side the lead in that game.Messi stayed in Barcelona to continue his recuperation process rather than travelling to represent his country with Alejandro Sabella's men set to take on Copa America champions Uruguay in Montevideo on Tuesday.And it is expected that the 26-year-old will be fit enough to start Barca's match away to Osasuna on Saturday ahead of a big week for the Spanish champions as they travel to AC Milan in the Champions League before hosting Real Madrid on October 26.There was further good news on the injury front for Barca boss Gerardo Martino as centre-backs Carles Puyol and Javier Mascherano also took part in the training session.Puyol hasn't played since undergoing knee surgery in March, but is expected to be given the green light to return to action later this week.And Mascherano should also feature against Osasuna after recovering from a hamstring problem.

Athletics: Farah 'proud' to run for England

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LONDON (AFP) - Double Olympic and world distance-running champion Mo Farah hit back Monday at Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere's comment that only English people should play football for England.The 5,000 metres and 10,000m champion, who was born in Somalia, told ITV's The Agenda programmeme that he was very proud to run for England and Britain, having arrived in the country as a schoolboy.Farah, 30, moved to Hounslow, west London, when he was eight, as Somalia was struck by civil war ,and is a longstanding fan of north London football club Arsenal.It's where I grew up, it's where I went to school, Farah said. I don't know nothing but England. This is it. And when I run for my country I'm very proud, and as long as you do that and make your country proud that's what really matters.Rising Manchester United star Adnan Januzaj could play for England from 2018 under the five-year residency rule of football world governing body FIFA, although the 18-year-old, who is eligible for Belgium, Serbia, Albania and Turkey, has yet declare where his allegiance lies.Earlier this month Wilshere, the 21-year-old Arsenal and England midfielder said: If you live in England for five years it doesn't make you English.We have to remember what we are. We are English. We tackle hard, are tough on the pitch and are hard to beat.We have great characters. You think of Spain and you think technical but you think of England and you think they are brave and they tackle hard. We have to remember that.The only people who should play for England are English people. If I went to Spain and lived there for five years, I'm not going to play for Spain.Wilshere has since insisted he was not referring specifically to Januzaj.Wilshere's remarks sparked a Twitter exchange between himself and Kevin Pietersen, the South Africa-born batsman who is set to play his 100th Test for England in next month's Ashes opener in Australia.Pietersen pointing to his own case and that of several other South Africa-born England cricketers, as well as Farah, said: Jack Wilshere -- interested to know how you define foreigner...?Would that include me, (Andrew) Strauss (the ex-England cricket captain), (Jonathan) Trott (England batsman), (Matt) Prior (England wicketkeeper), Justin Rose (South Africa-born golfer), (Chris) Froome (Kenya-born Tour de France champion), Mo Farah?Wilshere clarified his remarks by saying: To be clear, never said 'born in England' -- I said English people should play for England.Great respect for people like KP (Pietersen), Mo Farah... -- they make the country proud.

Athletics: WADA takes aim again at Jamaican dope testing

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LAUSANNE (AFP) - The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has again expressed its unhappiness at the way Jamaica's anti-doping programme has responded to the five positive tests among Jamaican athletes.WADA in August had said it was standing by to help Jamaica resolve their problems in the wake of the doping scandal involving former 100m world record-holder Asafa Powell.The global doping agency had then called for urgent action on the concerns raised by former Jamaica anti-doping chief Renee Anne Shirley over flaws in the country's drug testing programme.Two months on WADA claimed on Monday: Since then, WADA has accepted an invitation from the Prime Minister of Jamaica to visit and inspect JADCO (Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission).WADA was unhappy to learn that JADCO cannot accommodate this visit until 2014.In August, WADA had warned Jamaica that if they did not take steps to put their testing programme in order it would report back to the WADA Foundation Board where a signatory can be declared non-compliant with the World Anti-Doping Code.That could trigger Jamaica and consequently sprint legend Usian Bolt's exclusion from the Olympics.JADCO has already defended itself against accusations that it wasn't doing its job properly by pointing out that it was they who had originally unearthed the five positive tests in the run up to the Moscow world championships in August.

Oil rises on hopes for debt deal

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NEWYORK(AP)- The price of oil rose slightly Monday amid alternating hope and uncertainty about the looming deadline for U.S. lawmakers to reach an agreement over the governments borrowing limit and shutdown.Benchmark crude for November delivery rose 39 cents to close at $102.41 a barrel in in New York. Brent crude, the benchmark used to price international crudes used by many U.S. refineries, was down 24 cents to $111.04 per barrel.The price of oil continues to gyrate around speculation and rumor regarding the shutdown of the U.S. government, wrote energy analyst Stephen Schork in a report.The price has swung back and forth for days as lawmakers try to resolve an impasse that left the government partially closed and the markets worried about the U.S. defaulting on its debt for the first time. The United States will reach the limit of its borrowing authority on Thursday, according to estimates from the Treasury Department.The decline in U.S. retail gasoline prices that has lasted for six weeks has all but stopped. The national average fell less than a penny Monday to $3.34 per gallon after spending all of last week at $3.35 per gallon. The average is 20 cents cheaper than it was a month ago, and 45 cents below last year at this time.Gasoline prices have fallen because supplies are ample and demand is tepid. They havent slid further because oil prices remain relatively high, thanks to strong global demand for crude, especially in China.Some traders expect the price of oil to fall soon, however, because supplies appear to be plentiful. In its latest quarterly oil market report, the International Energy Agency predicted strong growth in non-OPEC supplies of crude oil, easily outpacing demand growth next year. The Paris-based IEA also said Friday that the United States would overtake Russia next year as the largest non-OPEC producer of liquid fuels.

Dollar steady on signs of US budget, debt deal

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NEW YORK CITY (AFP) - The dollar held steady against the euro Monday amid signs the White House and Congress are nearing a budget and debt agreement to left a government shutdown and avert default.The euro bought $1.3559 around 2100 GMT, up slightly from $1.3543 at the same time Friday.The dollar crept higher to 98.67 against the Japanese yen from 98.58 yen on Friday, while the euro also gained slightly to 133.79 yen from 133.54 yen.After a weekend of no discernible progress, rival Republican and Democratic Senate leaders Monday said they were optimistic they could forge a deal to stave off a devastating debt default.Signs of hope emerged three days before Thursday's deadline to raise the US government's borrowing limit and with a partial government shutdown on the cusp of entering its third week.If Congress does not raise the $16.7 trillion debt ceiling by Thursday, the US Treasury says it will run out of ways to pay its obligations, raising the prospect of an unprecedented default by the world's largest economy.The White House announced that President Barack Obama would meet with the Senate leaders and then abruptly postponed the meeting to allow them to continue making important progress towards a solution that raises the debt limit and reopens the government.This is a crucial week in the financial markets and based upon the price action in currencies, FX traders have nerves of steel, said Kathy Lien of BK Asset Management.Another day has passed without Congress reaching an agreement to raise the debt ceiling or fund the government for a few weeks and yet losses in the dollar are limited. While the greenback traded lower against most of the major currencies, the losses were small as the dollar recovered from a steeper slide at the start of the North American session.The dollar slipped against the Swiss currency, to 0.9102 franc from 0.9121 franc Friday.The pound rose to $1.5980 from $1.5951.

Hajj pilgrims set for Eid-ul-Azha

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MUZDALIFAH (AFP) - Throngs of Muslim pilgrims converged Monday on Muzdalifah to prepare for Eid al-Adha feast after a day of prayer on Mount Arafat for an end to disputes and bloodshed.The faithful will spend the night in Muzdalifah to collect stones which they will use a symbolic ritual of stoning the devil in nearby Mina on Tuesday, the first day of the feast of sacrifice.Most of the pilgrims taking part in the annual Hajj to Islams holiest sites in Saudi Arabia travelled from Arafat to Muzdalifah on foot, while others took buses and trains, some riding on the roofs.Thousands of security men were deployed to organise the traffic flowing into Muzdalifah, which only comes to life during the five days of the Hajj.Earlier in the day men, women and children from across the Muslim world flooded the roads to Arafat chanting Labaik Allahum Labaik (I am responding to your call, God), as they observed the peak of the Hajj.Helicopters hovered overhead and thousands of Saudi troops stood guard.Many pilgrims camped in small colourful tents or took shelter under trees to escape temperatures of around 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit). Special sprinklers were set up to ward off the heat.In his annual sermon, top Saudi cleric Sheikh Abdulaziz al-Sheikh urged Muslims to avoid divisions, chaos and sectarianism, without explicitly speaking of the turmoil unleashed by the Arab Spring.Your nation is a trust with you. You must safeguard its security, stability and resources, he said.You should know that you are targeted by your enemy... who wants to spread chaos among you... Its time to confront this.The cleric insisted that Islam prohibits killing and aggression and said there is no salvation or happiness for the Muslim nation without adhering to the teachings of the religion.Prince Khaled al-Faisal, the governor of Mecca province who heads the central Hajj committee, said 1.38 million pilgrims had come from outside the kingdom while 117,000 permits were issued for locals.This puts the total number of pilgrims at almost 1.5 million, less than half of last years 3.2 million, after Riyadh slashed Hajj quotas.

Govt announces four holidays for Eid

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ISLAMABAD: The federal government had earlier announced three holidays for Eid-ul-Azha from Tuesday to Thursday but later it announced holiday for Friday also.Now the Eid holidays would be observed from October 15 to 18.With the announcement of Friday as an additional holiday, government offices in the country will now reopen on Monday, October 21 because most of the federal government departments remain closed on Saturday and Sunday.The provincial governments have also announced four holidays for Eid.Meanwhile, Government of Azad Jammu and Kashmir has also declared four holidays for Eidul Azha.

I did not order Lal Masjid Operation, says Musharraf

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - A joint investigation team, led by DIG Khalid Khattak, interrogated former president Pervez Musharraf in murder case of Ghazi Abdul Rashid and his mother.The investigation team asked different questions to Pervez Musharraf about the charges mentioned in the case.The investigation team included SP Sajid Kayani, SHO Aabpara Police Station and the investigation officer.Replying to the queries of the investigation team, Pervez Musharraf said that he never issued written or verbal orders for the Lal Masjid Operation.Denying the charge of murdering Ghazi Abdul Rashid and his mother, the former president said the decision to conduct the operation was taken on governmental level.The investigation team will present its report and the record of the case to Additional Sessions Judge Wajid Ali on October 18.
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