Wednesday 22 January 2014

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

By-election in NA-69 and PK-50 today

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – Strong encounter is expected in by-election in NA-69 (Khushab) between Uzair Muhammad Khan of PML-N and Umar Aslam Awan of PTI.The seat fell vacant after PML-N MNA Sumaira Malik was disqualified. There are 336,551 register voters in the constituency.Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly seat PK-50 fell vacant after the disqualification of PTI minister Yousuf Ayub Khan. A close contest is expected between PTI’s Akbar Ayub and PML-N’s Qazi Asad in today’s election.

Fazl opposes army operation in North Waziristan

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ISLAMABAD (Online): Ameer, Jamiat Ulem-e-Islam (F), Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Wednesday opposed army operation in North Waziristan Agency.The JUI-F chief said his party neither supports army operation nor would oppose it, however, he expressed his grave concern over casualties of innocent persons in army operation.He said targeting common man in the name of operation would not be acceptable at any cost. Maulana Fazl said that the masses have given mandate to the PML-N to decide in this regard.The JUI-F chief said only the people of FATA being targeted, which is regrettable.

Five dead as Ukraine police launch assault on protesters

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KIEV (AFP) - Ukrainian police on Wednesday stormed protesters' barricades in Kiev amid violent clashes that left five activists dead, the first fatalities in two months of anti-government protests.Pitched battles raged in the centre of the Ukrainian capital as protesters hurled stones and Molotov cocktails at police and the security forces responded with tear gas, stun grenades and rubber bullets.The opposition movement's medical service said that five of its activists had been killed and four of them reported found with gunshot wounds. Prosecutors have so far confirmed two deaths.The bloody clashes marked a new peak in tensions after two months of protests over the government's failure to sign a deal for closer integration with the European Union under Russian pressure.The epicentre of the clashes was Grushevsky Street in the city centre which has been the scene of three days of street battles between thousands of protesters and similar numbers of security forces.Using tear gas and stun grenades, police initially pushed demonstrators back well beyond their initial lines by marching forward in military formation. But the protesters then regrouped, creating a semi-circle of new barricades out of burning black tires whose rancid smoke filled the skies above Kiev and flames burned in near-apocalyptic scenes.Police for the first time started moving an armoured personnel carrier towards the protesters after storming the barricades.The security forces then used water cannon in a bid to douse the fires, but this only had the effect of causing even more smoke.Meanwhile tens of thousands thousands Wednesday evening filled Independence Square in Kiev which was the main protest hub for the last two months, hoping their sheer numbers would deter further action.

Iraq says air strikes kill 50 militants in Anbar

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BAGHDAD (AFP) - Air strikes against militant targets in Iraq's restive western province of Anbar killed at least 50 militants, the defence ministry said Wednesday.Security forces received accurate information and carried out painful and effective air strikes against terrorist gatherings in Anbar yesterday, January 21, that killed more than 50 terrorists, a ministry statement said.The militants included foreign fighters of Arab nationality, and large quantities of ammunition were destroyed, the statement said, without giving further information.The strikes were the latest in a series of security operations targeting militant groups in Anbar in recent weeks.Parts of provincial capital Ramadi and all of nearby Fallujah, near Baghdad, have been under the control of anti-government fighters for weeks, after unrest in the cities late last month.Security forces have joined with pro-government tribal militias to try to retake the cities.Anbar was a key stronghold of the Sunni insurgency following the 2003 US-led invasion, and American troops battling to retake Fallujah from insurgents in 2004 saw some of the heaviest fighting since the Vietnam War.

Tennis: Federer downs Murray, now for Nadal in semis

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MELBOURNE (AFP) - Record Grand Slam champion Roger Federer set up an Australian Open semi-final with his great rival Rafael Nadal after beating Andy Murray in the last eight on Wednesday.The Swiss sixth seed downed the Wimbledon champion 6-3, 6-4, 6-7 (6/8), 6-3 in three hours 20 minutes before tennis great Rod Laver on his namesake stadium.Federer largely dominated the match and had two match points in a third-set tiebreaker, only for Murray to fight back and take the quarter-final into a fourth set.Murray fought off six break points in a titanic 19-minute service game in the fourth set, but was broken in the eighth game when Federer volleyed into an empty court.The 17-time Grand Slam champion then served out for the match, winning it on his third overall match point to set up a keenly awaited date with Nadal on Friday.It's really a big pleasure for me being back in the semi-finals. I think I've played semis here all the way since 2004, said Federer, who last won here four years ago.For me it's an amazing result for me again to be in the semis. This one feels different because of the tougher times I've had in (last year's) Slams, Wimbledon, at the US Open.It's nice to be back in the semis and defend my points from last year. It's nice to play in a nice tournament. Plus what I really love is another Swiss (Stanislas Wawrinka) is in the semis as well. It's the first time in history. So that's a big deal.For me it's a dream run as well and I hope I can keep it up against Rafa (Nadal).Following his victory, the Swiss legend is into his 11th consecutive semi-final at Melbourne Park. He has not lost before that stage since 2003.Federer, who is in his first tournament working with Swedish six-time major-winner Stefan Edberg, looked mainly in confident touch and hit 54 winners with 42 unforced errors, along with four service breaks.I definitely think that's what I used to do so well, the transition game from defence to offence. I definitely sensed that today. I am back physically. I'm explosive out there. I can get to balls. I'm not afraid to go for balls, he said.I thought Andy did well, he kept the ball in play and put the pressure on me and unfortunately I couldn't get it done in the third set, with either the serve or the forehand missing. So I am happy to get the win in four, Federer said.

Football: Man United knocked out of League Cup

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MANCHESTER (AFP) Manchester United's desperate season met with fresh degradation on Wednesday as they sensationally lost on penalties to Sunderland in the League Cup semi-finals at Old Trafford.Trailing 2-1 from the first leg, United levelled the tie through Jonny Evans's 37th-minute header, only for Phil Bardsley to net a dramatic equaliser late in extra time with a low shot that squirmed past David de Gea.United promptly went straight up to the other end and equalised through Javier Hernandez, for 3-3 on aggregate and sending the tie to penalties, but it was to prove a false dawn.An appalling shoot-out saw only three of the 10 penalty-takers score, but United full-back Rafael da Silva proved the fall guy, with Vito Mannone saving his spot-kick to give Sunderland a 2-1 win.Second from bottom in the Premier League, Gus Poyet's side can now look forward to a clash with Manchester City in the final on March 2, in what will be their first major final since 1992.For David Moyes, meanwhile, the misery continues, with a first final as United manager snatched from his grasp only days after defeat at Chelsea saw his side fall 14 points off the pace in the league.United's fans arrived at Old Trafford to reports that their side have made a club-record bid for Chelsea midfielder Juan Mata, and the continued absence of Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie due to injury underlined the need for reinforcements.There was an early chance for Hernandez, whose downward header from Adnan Januzaj's free-kick was parried by visiting goalkeeper Mannone, but the hosts initially struggled to make inroads.Nine thousand Sunderland fans travelled from the northeast and the hordes of away supporters almost had a memorable goal to cheer when Fabio Borini chested down a raking pass from Adam Johnson and drilled a half-volley inches over the bar from 25 yards.Moyes reacted by bringing Shinji Kagawa into the centre and moments later the Japan midfielder created the chance that led to the opening goal.His cross was volleyed against the post by Darren Fletcher, with Mannone blocking Hernandez's follow-up, and from the ensuing corner, Januzaj's cross was flicked goalwards by Danny Welbeck and headed in by Evans.As Sunderland grew bolder in the second half, Moyes introduced Antonio Valencia in place of Kagawa and the Ecuadorian quickly created a chance for Januzaj, only for the teenager to slice wide.It was Sunderland who continued to force the issue, though. Only a flying block from Alexander Buttner thwarted Johnson, while Marcos Alonso almost found the net with an audacious volley that zipped just past the post.Chris Smalling, meanwhile, was fortunate to avoid punishment when he dragged Sunderland striker Steven Fletcher down after misjudging a bouncing ball.An injury-time free-kick gave Januzaj a chance to snatch a winner, but his chipped effort was comfortably saved by Mannone, sending the game to extra time.United sustained a blow when Michael Carrick had to go off after twisting his ankle, with Phil Jones coming on, and they wasted a chance to increase their lead when Hernandez shot wide after Januzaj put him clean through.The game appeared up for United when De Gea somehow allowed Bardsley's low daisy-cutter to squirm through his grasp and into the net in the 119th minute.United were stunned. Just seconds later, Januzaj crossed for Hernandez to slam home an even more dramatic goal, but the night would belong to Sunderland.

Football: Tello hat-trick puts Barca on brink of Cup semis

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MADRID (AFP) - Lionel Messi marked his 400th appearance for Barcelona by setting up three goals for Cristian Tello as the Catalans moved towards the Copa del Rey semi-finals with a 4-1 win away to Levante on Wednesday.Nabil El Zhar had fired the hosts into a shock lead midway through the first-half.However, after an unfortunate Juanfran own goal had levelled matters just after half-time, Tello then sped onto Messis through ball to fire home on the hour mark.The two combined once more 10 minutes from time and another lovely Messi pass allowed the 22-year-old to volley home his hat-trick five minutes later to leave the second-leg at the Camp Nou next Wednesday a formality.Barca boss Gerardo Martino had made eight changes to the side that could only manage a 1-1 draw with Levante in La Liga on Sunday with Pedro Rodriguez and Xavi joining Messi as the only three players to retain their place.And Pedro nearly repaid Martinos faith immediately as he struck the base of the post after only five minutes.However, just as at the weekend, it was Levante who took the lead from a set-piece as El Zhar prodded home from close range after Jose Manuel Pinto had parried his first effort.Barca were handed a huge slice of luck to equalise eight minutes after half-time when Loukas Vyntra fired the ball off teammate Juanfran and the ball rebounded past the helpless Javi Jimenez into the net.Thereafter, though, it was a procession as Tello thundered home his first moments later from Messis first assist.The winger then curled home his second of the evening after the defence had again been attracted towards Messi.And Tello sealed a memorable evening five minutes later with a another thumping finish from Messis clipped ball over the top.Barca will most likely face Real Sociedad in the last four after they beat third-tier side Racing Santander 3-1 at home in their quarter-final, first-leg.

Olympics: IOC dismisses latest Sochi terror scare

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LAUSANNE (AFP) - The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Wednesday dismissed the latest perceived terror scare to the Sochi Winter Olympics after several Olympic Associations said that they had received a suspicious e-mail.Federations from the United States, Britain, Italy, Germany, Hungary and Slovenia were among those that indicated they had received emails or letters with similar content, which were passed to the IOC security advisers for inspection.In a swift reply, the IOC said: We have been in close contact with Sochi 2014 on this matter and our line is as follows -- the IOC takes security very seriously and passes on any credible information to the relevant security services.However, in this case it seems like the email sent to a number of NOCs contains no threat and appears to be a random message from a member of the public.IOC president Thomas Bach, in Rio to assess preparations for the 2016 Summer Games, also played down the threat.Security is always a matter of concern not just at the Olympic Games but at any big event.That is unfortunately the world we are living in.But we are very confident -- we know that the Russian authorities with their many partners internationally are dong everything to organize the Games in a safe and secure way, Bach said.US Olympic Committee chief executive Scott Blackmun said his group had received the threat and forwarded it to law-enforcement agencies.The safety and security of Team USA is our top priority, he said in a statement.As is always the case, we are working with the US Department of State, the local organizers and the relevant law enforcement agencies in an effort to ensure that our delegation and other Americans traveling to Sochi are safe.In Britain, the director of communications of the British Olympic Association, Darryl Seibel, confirmed that they had received a suspicious e-mail but had been told by the IOC that there was nothing of substance to it.In addition we have had our own experts take a look at this and they have responded in exactly the same way by stating that this is nothing credible.Organisations like ours receive correspondence of every type and it is not uncommon to come across something like this that lacks credibility.The Sochi resort in Russia is at the foot of the Caucasus mountains. Islamist insurgents based in North Caucasus republics such as Dagestan are seeking their own independent state and have vowed to disrupt the Games in an effort to undermine Russias President Putin.Doku Umarov, the chief of militants in the Caucasus, threatened in July to stage attacks to stop the Games from taking place as planned from February 7-23.

Golf: Coetzee leads in Qatar despite Webster albatross

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DOHA (AFP) - Steve Webster shot a sensational albatross on his very first hole at the Qatar Masters on Wednesday but despite his feat the opening round lead was held by South Africas George Coetzee after a late birdie blitz.Englishman Webster, who started out on the par five 10th tee, saw his five-wood approach from 254 yards disappear into the cup.But despite that feat he eventually had to settle for a share of second place with Dawie Van der Walt after Coetzee finished with three consecutive birdies to take a one-shot lead with an eight-under 64.Van der Walt had earlier carded a fluent 65 to take the provisional clubhouse lead but Webster was set to overtake him after being four under after just three holes.But after a steady display, a bogey on his 15th saw Webster end up in a tie for second with Van der Walt who had carded a bogey-free round.Websters albatross was the second of the season on the European Tour after Dutchman Joost Luiten produced one at the Volvo Golf Champions in Durban earlier this month.However, this was the first time at this level that anyone had shot an albatross on his opening hole.Webster was pleased with what he called a dream start.254 to the pin, wind slightly off the left. I was going to say 5?iron but it was a 5?wood. Hit a great shot obviously straight at it, said Webster.Because I carry a big crowd following me, there was about two people behind the green and one of them started jumping up and pointing down. Thought, dont know whether its gone over the back to the rocks, get up there and he starts clapping. Dream start.I played great after that and was just really consistent, gave myself a lot of putts and gave myself a lot of chances. I was probably a little disappointed with 7?under to be honest. I should have finished probably nine or ten, but its a good start.Coetzee, who was tied second with Sergio Garcia at last years Qatar Masters won by Chris Wood, played a brilliant back nine which he began with an eagle on the 548-yard 10th, where Webster had recorded his feat.However, he dropped a shot on the 13th before three straight birdies from the 16th helped him clinch the lead.Spaniards Rafa Cabrera-Bello and Elviro Nacho shared fourth on 66 along with Frenchman Francois Calmels and Englands Ross Fishe.A group of six players including American John Daly, South African great Ernie Els and Indias Gaganjeet Bhullar, were a further shot down on 67.Defending champion Wood had a forgettable first round as he shot a 73 to be in a tie for 85th position.Van der Walt said he will try to keep his focus in the latter rounds, drawing lessons from last weeks Abu Dhabi GolfChampionship where he carded an impressive 68 in the first round before fading away to finish a poor 71st.I had a terrible week and looked like a blind squirrel, I couldnt do anything right, said the South African.Nacho, too, had a bogey-free round, while Frenchman Calmels dropped two shots that somewhat blotted an otherwise spectacular round in which he had six birdies and an eagle.The 2006 champion and European number one Henrik Stenson hit form with a 68 after missing the cut last week in Abu Dhabi while his playing partner Jason Dufner of the US carded a 70.Irishman Darren Clarke was forced to miss out on his 500th European Tour appearance after pulling out with a muscle injury.

Texting while walking impairs stride, poses risks: study

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - Texting while walking impairs a person's ability to follow a straight line and keep a normal pace, and may pose risks to pedestrians according to a study out Wednesday.Researchers at the University of Queensland in Australia decided to study texting while walking since it appeared no one had actually scientifically analyzed how the modern preoccupation impacts a person's gait.Anecdotally, the evidence was clear, even among the 26 people they selected for the study: one in three admitted to having had some sort of texting accident, including falls, trips and collisions with obstacles or other individuals.Previous research has shown that texting and walking in virtual environments can raise the risk of accidents.The rise in the number of pedestrians injured while using their mobile phones to talk or text since 2006 has also raised concern, and some towns in the United States have gone so far as to ban the activity.For this study, volunteers agreed to walk about nine meters (yards) without any distraction so their gait could be tracked with a three-dimensional movement analysis system.Then, they did the same walk while reading on their mobile phones, and again while texting.They swerved the most while texting. They also slowed down, and their heads and necks adopted a newly rigid posture that was not seen during their phone-free walks.Posture and balance were also compromised.Reading while walking was not quite as bad, but still worse than simply walking.Texting, and to a lesser extent reading, on your mobile phone affects your ability to walk and balance, said lead author Siobhan Schabrun. This may impact the safety of people who text and walk at the same time.

Reducing fevers raises spread of flu: study

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OTTAWA (AFP) - Taking over-the-counter medication to reduce a fever might help a person to feel better, but may also be increasing the spread of the virus, according to a new Canadian study.Higher body temperatures help to kill viral and bacterial infections and prevent bacteria and viruses from replicating.But people are increasingly taking medications that contain ingredients including ibuprofen, acetaminophen and acetylsalicylic acid to suppress fevers and other flu symptoms.And this may increase both the rate and duration of viral shedding, allowing sick people to pass more of the virus to others through coughing or sneezing.According to the study published in Proceedings of the Royal Society, an individual whose fever has been reduced is also likely to feel better and is therefore more likely to interact with others, and spread the pathogen.Even when treatment is not aimed at fever specifically, fever is likely to be reduced, because most common drugs that relieve other typical symptoms of infectious diseases also contain an antipyretic component, said the study.Researchers at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, looked at several studies and crunched the data to conclude that up to five percent more people contract influenza each year because of widespread use of drugs to suppress fevers.The percentage may seem small, they commented, but consider the number of people who contract the flu each year.The researchers, in another example, suggested that widespread use of Aspirin during the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic may have increased the disease severity and consequently death rates.The Spanish flu killed an estimated 50-100 million people.

Oil prices strike highest level so far this year

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NEW YORK (AFP) - Global oil prices struck their highest level so far this year on Wednesday, with the market buoyed by forecasts of stronger crude demand, analysts said.New York's main contract, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for delivery in March, rallied to $96.73 a barrel, up $1.76 from Tuesday. Brent North Sea crude for March gained $1.54 to $108.27 a barrel.The lack of fresh economic data means sentiment is still driven by events from yesterday when crude oil rallied after the International Energy Agency (IEA) sharply increased its forecast for global oil demand, said Forex.com analyst Fawad Razaqzada.On top of this, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) raised its global growth forecast for the first time in almost two years.The IMF lifted its prediction for global economic growth on Tuesday by 0.1 percentage point to 3.7 percent for 2014.The optimistic outlook is fuelled by solid growth in the United States as other countries also move away from austerity budgets.The IEA also hiked its prediction of global oil demand, which is dependent on the strength of the world economy.Stronger economic growth denotes greater demand for crude oil because of expected higher economic activity, added Tan Chee Tat, investment analyst at Philips Futures in Singapore.Tan also said that the opening on Wednesday of the southern leg of the Keystone XL pipeline in the United States helped bolster WTI prices.The pipeline is expected to be able to transport 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day, Tan told AFP.He said the pipeline would help further alleviate the supply glut at the Cushing port in Oklahoma as it eases the transport of crude oil to refineries in the US Gulf Coast to meet demand.The weekly report on US energy inventories, which is usually given on Wednesday, will meanwhile be published on Thursday owing to a public holiday on Monday.

British pound rises on strong labor data

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NEW YORK (AFP) - The British pound Wednesday rose sharply against the dollar after a big drop in unemployment boosted sentiment that the Bank of England could raise interest rates before other central banks.Near 2200 GMT Wednesday, the pound bought $1.6569, up from $1.6476 on Tuesday.The euro fell to 0.8173 British pounds from 0.8229.The dollar meanwhile rose slightly against some other major currencies.The euro traded at $1.3544, down from $1.3559.The dollar advanced to 104.54 Japanese yen from 104.32.And the greenback rose to 0.9115 Swiss franc from 0.9100.Britain's Office for National Statistics (ONS) said unemployment in the three months to the end of November fell to 7.1 percent from 7.4 percent in the quarter to the end of October. The Bank of England has stated that it will consider raising its key interest rate from a record-low 0.50 percent once the unemployment rate falls to seven percent.Minutes from the central bank's January policy meeting said unemployment was now likely to reach the seven percent threshold materially earlier than previously had been expected.But the BoE also cautioned that it saw no immediate need to raise its base rate even if the seven percent unemployment threshold were to be reached in the near future.In spite of the caveat, the British pound rose sharply next to other currencies, said Omer Esiner, chief market analyst at Commonwealth Foreign Exchange.The view that the BoE will be the first major central bank to begin raising lending rates should keep the pound well supported, Esiner said.Following the unemployment data, Citibank said it now expects a rate rise before the end of 2014.

Mastung Tragedy: Bereaved families stage sit-in protest, refuse to bury dead

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Quetta: (Dunya News) – The bereaved families of those martyred in terrorist attack on Tuesday staged a sit-in protest refusing to bury the corpses. Chief Minister Balochistan Dr Abdul Malik reached Shuhuda Chowk to sympathize with the families after which negotiations with Hazara community took place. The sit-in protest was not ended even after the appeal of chief minister.The demands of the families include a targeted operation against terrorists as they believe the government has completely failed to protect the citizens.Sympathizing with the grieving families, chief minister said that Quetta is surrounded by terrorists and provincial government will do whatever it can to protect the citizens. Hazara community was represented by Abdul Khaliq Hazara who informed the chief minister about the community’s reservations and demanded crackdown against terrorists. However, the two could not reach an understanding to end the protest. Representatives of Hazara community said that a decision will only be taken after consultation. Central leader of Majlis Wahdatul Muslimeen and member national assembly Agha Raza Hassan said that the protest will continue until a representative of federal government comes forward to assure protection.On the other hand, Majlis Wahdatul Muslimeen also staged a protest at Numaish Chowrangi Karachi. A large number of women and children participated in the sit-in protest. The protesters demanded the imminent arrest of those responsible for Mastung massacre, adding that the government should also take steps to curb the growing wave of terrorism and target killing in the country; and that the bereaved families be compensated.At least 28 pilgrims were killed in a suicide attack on 2 buses en route from Iran to Quetta on Tuesday. It is pertinent to mention here that this wasn’t a first attack on pilgrims in Balochistan. Terrorists have killed dozens in similar incidents. Earlier this month, on January 1, 2014, a similar attack had left 3 dead and 49 injured. Prior to that, another attack took place on October 26, 2013 also in Mastung, 2 security personnel were hit and subsequently martyred while successfully foiling the attempt to blow the bus with explosives. In another incident on December 30, 2012, 19 pilgrims were martyred while injuring several others. Same year on December 21, another attack on bus claimed 3 lives. On December 19 also in 2012, another attack on pilgrims’ bus had claimed 3 lives and injured many.Same year, on June 8 2013, another bus en route to Iran carrying pilgrims was targeted resulting in martyrdom of 6; while another bus was blown with remote control explosive on June 11.

Egypt: Morsi supporters call for 18 days of protests from Friday

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CAIRO (AFP) - An Islamist alliance backing deposed president Mohamed Morsi called for 18 days of protests from Friday, as Egypt on January 25 marks three years since the revolt that ousted his predecessor.The Anti-Coup Alliance said in a statement on Wednesday that protests will last until February 11 -- the day when Morsis predecessor, long-time ruler Hosni Mubarak, stepped down in early 2011 after an 18-day uprising against his decades-old regime.Saturday, the third anniversary of the 2011 revolt, promises to be a tense day.Interim interior minister Mohamed Ibrahim has also called for demonstrations on that day to counter what he said was an Islamist plot to spark chaos, an unusual appeal from the top police official tasked with enforcing a law that restricts protests.Morsi supporters have staged regular protests demanding his reinstatement despite a brutal government crackdown that has left more than 1,000 people killed since his ouster in July.The alliance said the objective of its protests was to end the military rule which has committed most if not all the awful and shameful crimes since January 25 2011 which peaked during the military coup that ousted Morsi.Morsi, Egypts first democratically elected president, was removed by the army on July 3 after mass protests against his year-long rule.The alliance said its protests will be non-violent... and peaceful, but their rallies have often turned into street clashes with Morsi opponents and security forces.
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