Sunday, 19 January 2014

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

TTP claims responsibility for attack on military convoy

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MIRANSHAH (AFP) - The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for an attack on a military convoy that killed 20 soldiers in Bannu.We claim responsibility for the attack, which was part of our fight against a secular system, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan spokesman Shahidullah Shahid told AFP by telephone from an undisclosed location.We will carry out more such attacks in future.A bomb struck a military convoy in Pakistan’s restive northwest on Sunday, killing 20 soldiers and wounding more than 30, officials said.The attack occurred in the city of Bannu, close to the troubled North Waziristan tribal region which is a known stronghold of Taliban and Al Qaeda-linked militants.We are trying to ascertain the exact nature of the explosion, whether it was a planted device or a suicide attack, a senior security official told AFP.The explosion took place in one of the vehicles of the convoy killing 20 soldiers and wounding more than 30, he said.The official said the convoy was about to leave for Razmak town in North Waziristan when the tragedy struck, adding the blast occurred in one of the civilian vehicles hired for the movement of troops.A Frontier Corps official also confirmed the attack and casualties.Bannu has been the site of several attacks targeting security forces in the past.Pakistani troops have been fighting for years against homegrown insurgents in the tribal belt, which Washington considers the main hub of Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants plotting attacks on the West and in Afghanistan.

Lahore rape victim dies at Services Hospital

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LAHORE (Dunya News) - The girl identified as Fiza was hospitalized in critical condition after alleged torture by her employer Professor Salman, a resident of Defence area of Lahore.Initial medical examination report had confirmed that the victim was also sexually assaulted, SP Cantt Umar Cheema said.She was under treatment at surgical ICU in Services Hospital where she died on Sunday.

Iran invited to Syria peace conference: Ban

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UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - Iran will attend this weeks Syria peace conference after it pledged to play a positive and constructive role in efforts to end the three-year-old war, UN leader Ban Ki-moon said Sunday.Ban said he made a late invitation to Iran after intensive talks with Irans Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who agreed to attend.Irans involvement means that all the key countries linked to the worsening war will now be at the opening of the peace conference in Montreux, Switzerland on Wednesday.Talks between President Bashar al-Assads government and the opposition are due to start in Geneva on Friday.Foreign Minister Zarif and I agree that the goal of the negotiations is to establish, by mutual consent, a transitional governing body with full executive powers, Ban said.It was on that basis that Foreign Minister Zarif pledged that Iran would play a positive and constructive role in Montreux, the UN secretary-general added.The United States and other Western powers had opposed Irans attendance at the meeting as long as it refused to accept a communique adopted by the major powers in Geneva on June 30, 2012 calling for a transition government in Syria.I believe strongly that Iran needs to be part of the solution to the Syrian crisis, Ban said.Ban said that as convener of the peace conference he has also invited Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Greece, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, South Korea and the Vatican.He said the extra countries would be an important and useful show of solidarity in advance of the hard work that the Syrian government and opposition delegations will begin.

Bloody clashes erupts in Ukraine after defiant protest

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KIEV (AFP) - Dozens of people were wounded in bloody clashes between police and protesters in the Ukrainian capital Kiev on Sunday after 200,000 defied new restrictions on protests to rally against President Viktor Yanukovych.In near apocalyptic scenes close to parliament, several police buses and vehicles were torched by the protesters who hurled stones and Molotov cocktails at the ranks of the security forces. Police responded with tear gas, stun grenades and rubber bullets.The clashes, the worst in Kiev in recent times, further raised the stakes in the almost two-month standoff between the opposition and Yanukovych which has seen protesters seize control of the main city square in Kiev and municipal buildings.The White House urged an end to the violence, with National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden saying that Washington was deeply concerned and urging all sides to immediately de-escalate the situation.Yanukovych, in his first response to the violence, ordered the setting up of a commission that would hold talks with the opposition but it was unclear if this could in any way help ease the crisis.Ukrainian police used tear gas, stun grenades and water cannon in a bid to disperse the hundreds of people who sought to storm police cordons near the Verkhovna Rada parliament and close to the stadium of the legendary Dynamo Kiev football club in central Kiev, witnesses and AFP correspondents said. In the most violent scenes since the start of the protests in November, demonstrators set five buses and two trucks on fire while the air filled with the stench of tear gas and thick with the smoke from the stun grenades. Medical workers said police had also used rubber bullets.Their faces covered by scarves or ski masks, many of the protesters wielded sticks or even chains. They were confronted by helmeted riot police equipped with shields who at times adopted a tortoise formation to protect themselves from falling projectiles.Health officials said 24 people were injured and three were hospitalised, while police said more than 70 officers had been hurt. The interior ministry said four people had already been arrested and charged with mass rioting. Kiev riot police said the protesters had captured a security services officer and brutally beat him up. He was then rescued but found seriously injured and in a state of shock.

Fire rages in Norway heritage village

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OSLO (AFP) - A large blaze on Sunday raged through a historic village in western Norway, destroying many of its famed 18th- and 19th-century wooden houses and forcing the evacuation of local residents, police said.The fire in the riverside village of Laerdalsoyri, some 200 kilometres (miles) northwest of Oslo, began in a house on Saturday evening.Fanned by strong winds, the blaze raged out of control overnight and it took firefighters until Sunday afternoon to extinguish it.Laerdalsoyri is located in the West Norwegian Fjords area, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.Police said 23 buildings including 16 homes were destroyed in the town, and hundreds of residents had to be evacuated.Local media said several buildings listed as historic monuments were affected.In all, 177 people were admitted to hospital for observation or treatment as a result of smoke inhalation. Two remain in hospital.There were a lot of heroes in Laerdal that night, Prime Minister Erna Solberg told Norwegian broadcaster NRK.I want to say a big thank you to all those who fought to bring the situation under control.

Football: Eto'os treble leaves United reeling

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LONDON (AFP) - Samuel Eto'o's hat-trick saw Chelsea to a 3-1 win over Manchester United at Stamford Bridge on Sunday that piled pressure on the Premier League champions.This result left title-holders United 14 points adrift of leaders Arsenal with 16 league games of the season remaining and six off a place in the Champions League.Their seventh league loss this term also turned the spotlight back on David Moyes, the successor chosen by Alex Ferguson, British football's most successful manager, to replace him following his retirement at the end of last season.We did not deserve to be 2-0 down at half time, Moyes told the BBC. We had a little bit of bad luck with the first one (goal) but we can't blame anyone else but ourselves for the other two. We did not defend well enough and did not get a chance like Chelsea got to score, so we can only blame ourselves for that, the Scot added.However, the former Everton manager insisted: We will keep going. We showed a lot of good things today.Victory left Jose Mourinho's Chelsea within two points of Arsenal.I think it is a big win and deserved, yes, Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho told the BBC. They (United) started better than us, they had a good initiative.The second half was different. For 25-30 minutes we had very good control until we dropped back and they reacted with pride, explained the Portuguese boss after his 100th Premier League win as a manager.The second goal was the killer in the box I know from many years ago and it looks like Samuel Eto'o is coming back, added Mourinho, who managed the forward when they were both at Inter Milan.Eto'o gave Chelsea a 17th minute lead when his shot from just outside the box deflected off Michael Carrick.The 32-year-old veteran Cameroon striker made it 2-0 on the stroke of half time when, following Gary Cahill's centre, he smashed the ball home from six yards out.United, without injured strikers Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie, were 3-0 behind four minutes after the interval when more lax defending from a set-piece allowed Cahill a free header.His effort was blocked by United goalkeeper David de Gea but, barely a yard away, Eto'o reacted first and made no mistake as he become the first Chelsea player to score a hat-trick against United since Seamus O'Connell in 1954.Javier Hernandez, on as a substitute for Ashley Young, pulled a goal back 12 minutes from time.But that was as good as it got for United whose misery was compounded when captain Nemanja Vidic was sent off in stoppage time for a rash challenge on Eden Hazard, with Rafael de Silva then fortunate to escape a red card for an equally wild lunge on Cahill.I have not seen Rafa's but I have seen Vidic's. Vidic's for me is not a red card, it was a yellow card, said Moyes. If Rafa's was a bad one I would hopefully come out honestly and say what I think.Earlier, Emmanuel Adebayor scored twice as Tottenham Hotspur moved level on points with Liverpool after a 3-1 win away to struggling Swansea.Adebayor's goals, separated by a Chico Flores own-goal, ensured Tottenham remained unbeaten in the league under manager Tim Sherwood, whose record now stands at five wins and a draw since the Englishman replaced sacked predecessor Andre Villas-Boas.After Swansea's Wilfried Bony had hit the crossbar, Adebayor gave Spurs the lead, against the run of play, in the 35th minute when he headed in an excellent cross from Christian Eriksen.And the north London side made it 2-0 in the 53rd minute when Flores put Kyle Walker's cross into his own net.Adebayor put the result beyond doubt 19 minutes from time before Bony scored a consolation goal.Sherwood welcomed Adebayor's rediscovered hunger and form after the player became disillusioned and marginalised under Villas-Boas.It's obviously great for the football club and great for Ade himself, who's flying at the moment and enjoying his football.

Badminton: Lee takes 10th Malaysian Open title

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KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) - Lee Chong Wei took a record 10th Malaysian Open title on Sunday to strengthen his dominance of the badminton world rankings, but said he was unsure whether he would make it to the Olympics.The Malaysian ace won his match against determined fourth seed Tommy Sugiarto 21-19, 21-9, after beating him in their eight previous meetings.Underdog Sugiarto put up a fight, leading all the way before Lee edged ahead at 20-19 and sealed the first game. Lee then cruised to the title with a 21-9 scoreline in the second game, earning him $37,500.The Malaysian superstar is unbeaten at the tournament since 2008, the same year he began an almost uninterrupted reign at the top of the world rankings.Lee, 31, said that sealing the title took a weight off his shoulders, but cast doubt on any hopes for the Olympics in 2016.I am not sure if I will try to play until the Rio Olympics, he said, adding that he may even quit at the end of the year if his fitness faltered.Lee said he would focus on the Asian and Commonwealth Games this year before thinking about making the trip to Brazil.He was joined in the winners circle by countrymen Goh V Shem and Lim Khim Wah, who captured their first ever Superseries Premier title by beating Chinese mens pair Chai Biao-Hong Wei 21-19, 21-18.Chinas Olympic champion Li Xuerui continued her love affair with Malaysia by winning her second consecutive tournament in Kuala Lumpur.A month after taking the season-ending BWF World Superseries Finals, Li outfoxed a sluggish looking Wang Shixian to score a 21-16, 21-17 victory in the womens singles final.Bao Yixin and Tang Jinhua continued their perfect record as a partnership when they won their seventh womens doubles title with a hard fought 21-19, 14-21, 21-13 victory over Japans Misaki Matsutomo and Ayaka Takahashi.Xu Chen and Ma Jin took the mixed doubles title, beating defending champions Joachim Fischer Nielsen and Christinna Pedersen 21-11, 17-21, 21-13.

Snooker: O'Sullivan pulls away in Masters final

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LONDON (AFP) - Ronnie OSullivan raced into a 7-1 lead against defending champion Mark Selby in the final of the Masters snooker tournament on Sunday.World champion OSullivan now just needs three more frames to win his fifth Masters title when the match resumes later Sunday at Londons Alexandra Palace.The 38-year-old raced into a 5-0 lead against fellow Englishman Selby, himself a three-time Masters champion.OSullivan rattled off the first three frames with breaks of 97, 70 and 96 before taking a scrappy fourth, the last before the mid-session interval.The break did little to interrupt OSullivans flow as he took the fifth frame before Selby spared himself the embarrassment of a whitewash by winning the sixth.However, OSullivan took the seventh on a re-spotted black, having been 35 points behind with 35 left on the table before pouncing on a poor safety by Selby.OSullivan, in a record tenth Masters final, then duly won the final frame of the session.One consolation for Selby is that a six-frame deficit in a Masters final has been overturned before, with the late Paul Hunter coming back from 7-1 down to beat OSullivan 10-9 in 2004.

Astronomers 'see' strands of cosmic web

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PARIS (AFP) - Astronomers said Sunday they had for the first time seen the gas strands theorised to hold the universe together in a cosmic web.They had used the intense radiation generated by a quasar -- a byproduct of a supermassive black hole -- acting as a type of cosmic flashlight to illuminate part of the vast filament network.Cosmologists believe that matter between galaxies is distributed in a network of strands known as the cosmic web.The vast majority of atoms in the universe are thought to reside in this web as hydrogen left over from the Big Bang, and galaxies are believed to form at network nodes.This is the first time anyone has been able to capture an image of the cosmic web, demonstrating its filamentary structure, said astronomy doctoral student Fabrizio Arrigoni Battaia, who took part in the observations at the Keck Observatory in Hawaii.The team had focused on massive nebula, or deep-space cloud, where the strands intersect.They could study the nebula thanks to illumination provided by a quasar -- radiation generated by cosmic matter falling into a galaxys central supermassive black hole -- with the aid of computer light filters.Quasars are the most luminous objects in the universe.In this case, we were lucky that the flashlight is pointing right at the cosmic web, making some of its gas glow, said researcher Sebastiano Cantalupo of the University of California in Santa Cruz.The findings were published in the journal Nature.

Jayawardene joins 11,000 Test club

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SHARJAH (AFP) - Experienced Sri Lankan batsman Mahela Jayawardene joined the 11,000 Test runs club during the fourth day of the third and final Test against Pakistan in Sharjah on Sunday.The 36-year-old, when on eight, swept off-spinner Saeed Ajmal for a six to complete 11,000 runs in his 141st Test, becoming the eighth batsman but first Sri Lankan to achieve the milestone.India's recently retired Sachin Tendulkar topped the list of most runs with 15,921 in a record 200 Tests.The list includes two players each from India, the West Indies and Australia and one from Sri Lanka and South Africa.Jayawardene scored 46 in Sri Lanka's 133-5 at close of play on the fourth day.List of players with 11,000 or more runs in Test cricket: (name, country, matches, runs)Sachin Tendulkar India 200 15,921Ricky Ponting Australia 168 13,378Jacques Kallis South Africa 166 13,289Rahul Dravid India 164 13,288Brian Lara West Indies 131 11,953Shivnarine Chanderpaul West Indies 152 11,229Allan Border Australia 156 11,174Mahela Jayawardene Sri lanka 141 11,033

Under-fire Cook to reconsider England captaincy

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SYDNEY (AFP) - England captain Alastair Cook has admitted for the first time that he will reconsider his leadership role after eight successive defeats to Australia.The hosts emphatically beat England on Sunday night by seven wickets with 10 overs to spare to seal the one-day series 3-0 and leave two dead matches still to play.Coming on top of a 5-0 Ashes whitewash, Cook said he would review his position as skipper once the tour is over.I think I am going to have to make a decision on that stuff after we take stock after the next two games, Cook told reporters.We are going to have to sit down and talk about a lot of things.I think there will be some changes, I think English cricket needs a little bit of a change as well.Obviously in the last few months we haven't played the cricket we are capable of and we have to look at the reasons why but this is not really the time and place to discuss that.After the final Test in Sydney two weeks ago, the England and Wales Cricket Board backed Cook to remain as skipper and he strongly declared his own wish to remain in the job.However, the toll of more and more defeats seems to be wearing him down and a question about his own future brought a different response this time.I don't really want to get dragged into it. It's been two weeks since someone has asked me that question and a lot has happened in two weeks, he admitted.We have kept losing games of cricket and I haven't been able to turn it around.Immediately after the loss at the Sydney Cricket Ground, Cook set a target of a win from one the last two ODIs, in Perth on Friday and Adelaide on Sunday.But reports later emerged in the English media that Cook may stand down as one-day captain after his scheduled return to England next Monday.We deserve the stick we get because we haven't won anything, he said.I have a job to do to try and turn this around and try and win one of these games, I am going to leave everything out on this pitch.England came very close on Friday in Brisbane losing by one wicket after a competitive first ODI in Melbourne, but they were comprehensively outplayed in all departments in Sydney.

Australia name squad for final ODIs against England

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SYDNEY (AFP) - Cricket Australia, with the one-day series already won, announced Monday their squad for the remaining matches against England in Perth on Friday and Adelaide on Sunday:Australia squad: George Bailey, Michael Clarke (Adelaide only), Mitchell Johnson, Dan Christian, Xavier Doherty, Nathan Coulter-Nile, James Faulkner, Aaron Finch, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Clint McKay, James Pattinson, Steve Smith, Matthew Wade, Shane Watson (Adelaide only).

New Zealand beat India by 24 runs in first ODI

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NAPIER (AFP) - A thundering innings by Corey Anderson and a magic spell of bowling by Mitch McClenaghan brought New Zealand a 24-run win over India in their opening one-day international on Sunday.Chasing New Zealand's 292 for seven, India were all out for 268 in the 49th over despite Virat Kohli (123) posting his 18th ODI century.It was the first time India have lost an ODI in which Kohli has reached three figures. They appeared to have victory in their grasp when they needed just 70 from the last eight overs, and Kohli and Mahendra Singh Dhoni looked comfortable in a 95-run partnership for the fifth wicket. But in the space of six deliveries, McClenaghan removed Dhoni (40), Ravi Jadeja (duck) and Kohli to have India reeling on 237 for seven, and they never recovered.That brief spell was where the game was lost, Dhoni said.Those three wickets that was tough on the team. You don't expect your tailenders to win the game and it was very important that one of us should've carried on. It was disappointing to lose the game.New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum said it was a captain's nightmare when Kohli and Dhoni were in full flight but he had faith in McClenaghan. He's in the team to attack and take wickets and the message was pretty simple, 'try and find a way to take a wicket. Be aggressive as you can and be as hostile as you can and if it falls your way, great'. I thought he was outstanding.Anderson had earlier returned to his brutal best with the bat after going off the boil following his record-breaking century in 36 balls against the West Indies three weeks ago. In his first start against India, the world's top-ranked ODI side, Anderson blasted an unbeaten 68 off 40 deliveries. He hit four sixes, two of them out of the ground, then returned with the ball to display his all-rounder credentials by removing two of India's top-order batsmen Shikhar Dhawan (32) and Ajinkya Rahane (seven). India, who stand to forfeit their world number one ranking if they lose the five-match series to the eighth-ranked New Zealand, chose to bowl first on a wicket with a history of favouring the side batting last.New Zealand lost Jesse Ryder and Martin Guptill early, leaving Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor with the task of building the innings. Their no-risk approach saw the run rate slump to 3.57 and at one stage New Zealand went 85 deliveries without a boundary. Their 121-run partnership, which laid the platform for a big finish, ended with Williamson out for 71. Taylor followed soon after for 55 and Brendon McCullum belted a rapid 30. Anderson then let fly. He and Luke Ronchi (30) put on 66 in 37 deliveries for the sixth wicket, including 19 off one over by Mohammed Shami to distort the figures of India's leading bowler who took four for 55. India made a cautious start to their reply and went into their batting power play in the 35th over on 149-4, requiring a run rate of nine an over to win the game. They came out of it five overs and 51 runs later with the run rate down to a manageable 5.12 and with Kohli and Dhoni looking very comfortable. But then McClenaghan came back for his closing spell and seized control for the home side.The second match in the series is in Hamilton on Wednesday.

Karachi: Prominent personalities, families awarded free electricity for life

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KARACHI: (Dunya News) - KESC, on its 100th anniversary celebration, has announced the company will provide free electricity to Karachi’s 25 prominent personalities and their families as requested by Governor Sindh Ishratul Ibad. The company has also been renamed to ‘K Electric’.The recipients of the award include families of slain SSP CID Chaudhry Aslam, Moeen Akhtar, Jehangir Khan, Mohammad Yousaf, Abdul Sattar Eidhi, Akhtar Hameed Khan, Dr Adeeb Rizvi, Dr Sher Shah Syed, Hakim Mohammad Saeed, John Eliah, Mahdi Hassan, Zia Mohayuddin and Hanif Mohammed.As part of rebranding process, the company has been renamed to K-Electric.

Army to investigate Bannu attack: Ch Nisar

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ISLAMABAD: (Dunya News) – Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar stated that the government has decided to have the army investigate the terrorist attack in Bannu that took place Sunday martyring 20 soldiers while injuring 30.According to reports, the interior minister asked the reporters to shut down the cameras, following which, he spoke to the media informally saying that a large quantity of ammunition was used in the attack. He added that the capacity of the security institutions needs to be raised. Confirming Dunya News’ report about the national security policy, Ch Nisar said that the policy will be presented to the national cabinet on Monday.The minister said that the Rapid Response Force will act on the intelligence they receive and that the air wing of interior ministry is also being handed over to the Rapid Response Force. Federal minister went on to say that the political forces should not do ‘point scoring’ on the matter of negotiating with Taliban. Instead of point-scoring, prevent the nation from the state of chaos, he pleaded.Earlier today, the attack on security forces convoy claimed the lives of 20 soldiers and injured 30. The preliminary report of the attack suggested that the explosives were planted in the cylinder of a private vehicle that was hired for transporting the supplies.Reportedly, Frontier Corps personnel were present at the cantonment ready to go with the convoy to deliver supplies to Miran Shah as a matter of routine and suddenly one of the vehicles exploded. The intensity of the blast shook the whole city. According to sources, the vehicle was blown using a remote control that resulted in destruction of several vehicles and injuries of dozens of personnel present at the time. At least 40 vehicles were present at the time of explosion.Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, President Mamnoon Hussain, former president Asif Ali Zardari, MQM chief Altaf Hussain, Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif, Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pervez Khattak, Jamaat Islami chief Syed Munnawar Hassan and Sunni Ittehad Council chief Hamid Raza have strongly condemned the attack.Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) spokesman Shahidullah Shahid, while claiming the responsibility, said that the attacks on security forces will increase in the coming days.Bannu has been the site of several attacks targeting security forces in the past.Pakistani troops have been fighting for years against homegrown insurgents in the tribal belt, which the US considers the main hub of Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants plotting attacks on the West and in Afghanistan.
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