Saturday 15 March 2014

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Baghdad car bombs kill nine: officials

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BAGHDAD (AFP) - A series of evening car bombs targeting commercial neighbourhoods of Iraq's capital killed at least nine people on Saturday, security and medical officials said.The five blasts also wounded dozens, the latest in a months-long surge in bloodshed that has hit the country with less than two months left before national parliamentary elections.The attacks, all car bombs at markets or commercial shopping areas of the Sadr City, Amil, Amin, Shuala and Qahira neighbourhoods, killed nine people in all, said police and medical sources who spoke on condition of anonymity.More than 30 people were wounded, they said.No group immediately claimed responsibility for the bloodshed, but Sunni militants, including those linked to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant jihadist group, are often blamed for carrying out coordinated mass-casualty bombings.Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has singled out Saudi Arabia and Qatar for effectively waging war on Iraq, accusing the two Gulf states of backing militant groups.He told France 24 in an interview this month that Riyadh and Doha provide political, financial and media support to militant groups, and also accused the Saudis of supporting global terrorism.Elsewhere in Iraq on Saturday, a gun attack on the outskirts of the confessionally mixed city of Baquba killed a mother and her son, while a car bomb in the predominantly Sunni city of Tikrit near the home of a police colonel wounded 15 people.More than 230 people have been killed already this month, according to an AFP tally.Iraq is grappling with its worst prolonged period of violence since it emerged from a bloody sectarian war that left tens of thousands dead in 2006-07.Analysts and diplomats have urged the Shiite-led government to reach out to the Sunni community, who allege they are mistreated by the government and security forces.But with elections looming on April 30, political leaders have been loath to be seen to compromise.

10 dead in Syria-linked clashes in Lebanon's Tripoli

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TRIPOLI (AFP) - Ten people have been killed in 48 hours of clashes in Lebanon's northern town of Tripoli linked to the conflict in neighbouring Syria, a security source told AFP on Saturday.The violence between two districts of the city caused local schools to close and cut traffic flow in the city to a trickle, an AFP correspondent said.The clashes, which have also injured 50 people, pit the Alawite district of Jabal Mohsen against the neighbouring Sunni quarter of Bab al-Tebbaneh.The latest fighting broke out on Thursday after a Sunni man was killed by unknown gunmen on a motorbike in central Tripoli.But tensions between the districts have run high for decades, only increasing with the outbreak of the conflict in Syria, where Alawite President Bashar al-Assad faces a Sunni-dominated uprising.On Saturday, two people were killed by snipers and another three succumbed to injuries sustained earlier in the clashes, the source said, raising the toll since Thursday to 10.The Lebanese army has deployed in the city, arresting several people overnight and responding to sources of fire.Three soldiers are also reported to have been wounded on Saturday.The war in Syria has deepened existing sectarian and political tensions in Lebanon, particularly between supporters of the Shiite movement Hezbollah, an Assad ally, and Sunni backers of former prime minister Saad Hariri who support the uprising.

Seven dead as job-seekers stampede at Nigerian stadium

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ABUJA (AFP) - At least seven people were killed and dozens more injured in Nigeria's capital Abuja on Saturday after thousands of panicked job-seekers stampeded during a government recruitment drive at the national stadium.Survivors told AFP that thousands had gathered to apply for jobs with the immigration department in the Abuja stadium.One witness said the stampede broke out as applicants surged towards a central stage. They said only one entrance to the 60,000-capacity stadium was open. It was unclear how many people were inside at the time of the crush.No official toll was given, but an AFP journalist at the scene counted seven dead and dozens injured.The public hospital was forced to turn victims away due to a lack of capacity, according to spokesman Tayo Haastrup.I cannot even imagine the number of people that stamped on me, said survivor Rosemary Ogida. I just remember being picked up by three men.The young woman, who had regained consciousness at the hospital but could barely move her left leg, told AFP she was desperate after having lost the original of her university diploma in the stampede. Those with stable injuries will be sent to other hospitals so that we can deal with the numerous injured that continue to arrive, Haastrup said.Unfortunately, the hospital management was not given any early warning about the scale of the situation at the stadium, he added. The recruitment drive was being held at several stadiums around the country on Saturday. The sheer size of the crowds was a testament to the vast numbers of unemployed in Nigeria, most of whose 170 million citizens live on less than two dollars a day, while the country lags behind in key development indicators such as health.Unemployment is a particular challenge, with an estimated 37.5 percent of under-25s out of work, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.President Goodluck Jonathan's Peoples Democratic Party said it was shocked and deeply saddened by the deaths of young citizens who were at the exercise not only to secure jobs but to be allowed the opportunity to contribute towards the development of the nation.Already Africa's top oil producer, Nigeria is predicted to soon replace South Africa as the continent's biggest economy, but recognition is growing that the landmark will be largely symbolic and do little to address major problems.On paper, the future looks bright for Nigeria: the International Monetary Fund has forecast 7.4 percent growth in gross domestic product (GDP) in 2014, up from an estimated 6.2 percent last year.But the healthy growth figures reflect the country's unhealthy dependence on the oil sector, which provides minimal employment in Africa's most populous nation. We are growing but not creating enough jobs. That is a very big challenge, Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala told business leaders in December.The rate of growth that we have is good but could be better. We need to grow faster. It is clear that the top five to 10 percent is capturing most of whatever growth there is and people at the bottom are being left behind.

Tennis: Federer, Djokovic set Indian Wells title tilt

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INDIAN WELLS (AFP) - World number two Novak Djokovic held on for a three-set win over American John Isner on Saturday to set up an Indian Wells ATP Masters title showdown with Roger Federer.Federer, a four-time champion in the California desert who is seeded seventh this year, was in dominant form in a 6-3, 6-1 semi-final victory over Alexandr Dolgopolov.Second-seeded Djokovic found the going much tougher against 12th-seeded Isner.The towering 2.08m-tall American had beaten him in the semi-finals here in 2012, and gave the Serbian another scare before Djokovic pulled away in the third set for a 7-5, 6-7 (2/7), 6-1 triumph.Djokovic twice served for the match in the second set, at 5-4 and 6-5. But Isner held him off and won the tiebreaker, sealing it with an ace on his second set point.But Isner, who received treatment on his left leg during the match, was broken twice in the final frame, double-faulting to give Djokovic a 3-1 lead.After another break for 5-1, Djokovic stormed home, winning every point of the final game with a service winner.I should have closed it out in the second set, Djokovic said. I served for it twice, and he played an incredible tiebreaker.Obviously, he was struggling a little in the third.On Sunday, Djokovic will face Federer for the 33rd time.Federers slim 17-15 lead in their head-to-head includes a semi-final victory over Djokovic in Dubai last month.The womens final in the $12 million (8.6 euros) combined ATP Masters and WTA tournament -- between world number three Agnieszka Radwanska and Flavia Pennetta -- will also be contested on Sunday.Italian veteran Pennetta, ranked 21st in the world, stunned Chinese world number two Li Na, the top seed, to reach the biggest final of her career.Federer, winner of a record 17 Grand Slam titles, will be going for a 22nd ATP Masters crown.He thwarted world number 31 Dolgopolovs bid to become just the sixth player to beat both Rafael Nadal and Federer in the same tournament.Federer put 72 percent of his first serves in play and didnt face break point in an efficient display before an adoring crowd at the Indian Wells Tennis Gardens stadium court.It was one of my best serving days ever, he said. When you are serving like that, everything seems easier. I was just going for it out there.Federer seemed untroubled by the breezy conditions, and once hed gained the first service break of the match, for a 5-3 lead in the first set, he was hardly troubled by Dolgopolov.Federer broke Dolgopolov in the opening game of the second set, and held at love with one of his seven aces on game point for a 2-0 lead.The Ukrainian fought to keep Federer at bay in the fifth game, saving four break points and giving himself four chances to win it before Federer finally broke again when Dolgopolovs lunging forehand sailed long.I felt perfect on the court, actually, said Dolgopolov, who dispatched top seed and defending champion Nadal in the third round.I was ready physically, mentally. I wasnt nervous much, but I wasnt sharp enough.By reaching the semi-finals, Federer is assured of returning to the top five in the world rankings for the first time since last September.If he wins a fifth title to go with those he captured in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2012 hes projected to rise to number four in the world.

Football: Advantage City as nine-man Chelsea crash

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LONDON (AFP) - Chelsea lost two players, their manager, and the initiative in the Premier League title race after crashing to a damaging 1-0 defeat at Aston Villa on Saturday.The London club were looking to reassert their nine-point advantage at the top of the table after Manchester City had cut their lead to six points, but instead they fell to a cunning 82nd-minute back-heel by Fabian Delph.The visitors finished the game with nine men after Brazilian midfielders Willian and Ramires were both sent off, while their misery was compounded in stoppage time when manager Jose Mourinho was sent to the stands.Defensively we were really strong. We had no problems to cope with the danger that Aston Villa has, Mourinho told Sky Sports.After that, I prefer not to comment, because I don't want to bring the game into disrepute.Chelsea's fourth defeat of the campaign hands City the advantage in the title race, as Manuel Pellegrini's side now have three games in hand.It will also give hope to Liverpool and Arsenal, both of whom trail Chelsea by seven points and have two games in hand on Mourinho's side.Liverpool visit seventh-place Manchester United on Sunday, while Arsenal face a trip to north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.Asked how Chelsea's defeat had affected the title race, Mourinho would only say: I prefer not to speak. I prefer to say nothing.Chelsea's Nemanja Matic had a goal disallowed for handball during a slow-burning first half at Villa Park, before the game sprang to life in the final half hour.Mourinho had just sent on Andre Schurrle and Demba Ba for Oscar and Fernando Torres when Willian was shown a second yellow card for bundling Delph over in the 68th minute.With eight minutes remaining, Delph played a pass wide to Marc Albrighton on the left and then drove into the box to meet his team-mate's cross with a clever flick that trundled into Petr Cech's bottom-left corner.Delph also hit the crossbar in injury time, before Chelsea's frustration got the better of them, with Ramires sent off for an ugly stamp on Karim El Ahmadi and Mourinho dismissed for protesting.Ramires was a shocker. That was a leg-breaker. If anyone says different, I disagree, said Villa manager Paul Lambert.I have been here nearly two seasons, but that is the best one victory we have had. It was a fantastic team performance.City finished the day six points behind Chelsea in second place, having survived the 10th-minute dismissal of captain Vincent Kompany to win 2-0 at Hull City.Kompany saw red for a last-man foul on Nikica Jelavic, but David Silva put City ahead with a glorious curling effort just four minutes later and Edin Dzeko made sure of victory at the death.We needed to win today and playing with one player less for 80 minutes is very difficult, but I think we did a very good performance, said City manager Pellegrini, who saw his side eliminated from both the FA Cup and the Champions League earlier this week.We defended well with and without the ball, but we also attacked a lot. It was a very professional response from the players.Kompany expressed his pride -- and perhaps relief -- via Twitter, writing: Proud of the guys Phenomenal shift they have put in againMeanwhile, bottom club Fulham gave their chances of avoiding relegation a boost with a 1-0 win at home to Newcastle United that kept them four points from safety.Ashkan Dejagah's swerving 68th-minute shot crept beneath visiting goalkeeper Tim Krul to consign Newcastle to defeat on the day manager Alan Pardew began a seven-game ban for headbutting Hull midfielder Meyler.It will give us the confidence that we can avoid relegation and stay in the league, said Fulham manager Felix Magath. I'm convinced that we can manage it and stay in the league.West Bromwich Albion manager Pepe Mel tasted victory for the first time as an 85th-minute Youssouf Mulumbu goal saw his side complete a 2-1 comeback win at Swansea City that sent them three points clear of the drop zone.Sunderland remain in the bottom three after a 0-0 draw at home to Crystal Palace, but they moved above Cardiff City, who lost to an injury-time Seamus Coleman strike in a cruel 2-1 defeat at Everton.Goals from Morgan Schneiderlin, Rickie Lambert, Jay Rodriguez and Sam Gallagher saw Southampton beat Norwich City 4-2, while Peter Odemwingie scored twice as Stoke City sank West Ham United 3-1 at the Britannia Stadium.

Football: Ronaldo winner keeps Madrid on track in Malaga

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MADRID (AFP) - Real Madrid maintained their lead at the top of La Liga as Cristiano Ronaldo's 39th goal of the season handed them a hard-fought 1-0 win away to Malaga.It was a similar story for second-placed Atletico Madrid as they remained three points behind the leaders with a 1-0 victory over Espanyol at the Vicente Calderon thanks to Diego Costa's second-half winner.Ronaldo made the breakthrough with a resounding finish from the edge of the area midway through the first-half and was only denied from adding to his tally by a series of saves from Willy Caballero.Malaga pushed hard for an equaliser in the final quarter, but couldn't find a way through as they remain just three points above the relegation zone.Real now lead third-placed Barcelona by seven points, but the Catalans can cut that gap when they host Osasuna on Sunday.And with Real and Barca set to meet in El Clasico next weekend at the Santiago Bernabeu, midfielder Xabi Alonso underlined the importance of consolidating their advantage.It is a very important three points. There is one less game to play and now we will focus on Tuesday and then Sunday, he told Canal Plus.We will have to see what happens tomorrow to see if they cut the gap. We have 10 games to go and we need to play them all like it is the last one.I don't think the Clasico will be decisive, but it is very important.Real boss Carlo Ancelotti, meanwhile, hailed his side's attitude despite not having their best day in front of goal.It was a difficult game because Malaga pressed a lot for the whole game, he said.We had chances to score the second goal but unfortunately we weren't able to get it and then when the score is 1-0 you always suffer.It wasn't a great game in terms of how we played, but we showed good attitude and were very solid defensively. We didn't concede any opportunities, so it is a good and very important result.The only goal of the game arrived on 22 minutes when Ronaldo collected Gareth Bale's crossfield pass and cut inside two Malaga defenders before thumping a right-footed shot into the bottom corner.The Portuguese captain could then have added to his tally twice in quick succession as he forced Caballero into a fine low save before volleying a lovely cross from Bale wide at the far post.In trying to reach the ball for the second chance, though, Ronaldo clashed with teammate Karim Benzema and the Frenchman had to replaced by Angel di Maria after failing to recover from a knock to the thigh.Di Maria created the first clear opening of the second period as well with a fantastic run inside his own half before teeing up Isco, but he wastefully fired over with just Caballero to beat.Malaga's best chance to equalise came 15 minutes from time, but unfortunately for Bernd Schuster's men it fell to centre-back Sergio Sanchez and he blasted well wide of the target when well-placed inside the area.At the Calderon, Atletico showed some signs of a European hangover after beating AC Milan to qualify for the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the first time in 17 years on Tuesday, but still had enough to overcome a dogged Espanyol side.David Villa was first to threaten as his header from Jose Sosa's free-kick was brilliantly turned behind by Kiko Casilla 15 minutes in.Five minutes later it was Thibaut Courtois who was forced into a fine stop as the Belgian got down low to his right to parry Sergio Garcia's deflected effort to safety.Villa came close with another headed effort that flew just past the far post as Atletico ended the half on the front foot.However, they had to wait until 10 minutes into the second period to make the breakthrough as Costa raced onto Villa's through ball to coolly slot home his 30th goal of the season.Costa had another decent opening 10 minutes later but he ran wide as he rounded Casilla and blazed over from a narrow angle.Courtois sustained a nasty looking injury when he was accidentally struck on the head by Jhon Cordoba's knee 16 minutes from time, but the Belgian continued and had to make one more crucial save to turn David Lopez's shot three minutes later.

Golf: Canizares pulls clear in Morocco

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AGADIR (AFP) - Alejandro Canizares pulled six shots clear of the chasing pack after the third round of the Trophee Hasan II on Saturday to close in on his first European title since 2006.The Spaniard, who held a one-stroke lead from England's Seve Benson overnight at the Golf du Palais Royal, shot a three under par 69 for a 17 under par total of 199.Benson carded a 74 to lie second, one shot clear of Robert-Jan Derksen of the Netherlands with Sweden's Magnus Carlsson in a five-way tie for third, two shots further away.Canizares, whose last win came in the Russian Open, told Sky Sports: It was tough today, especially on the front nine the pins were difficult to get close to and some even difficult to two-putt.My idea was to get to 20 under, that was my focus. I was trying to look forward all the time not behind me. It was a pity I started missing some shots right at the end and I could not take advantage of the par fives on the back nine.He was careful not to be tricked into believing victory was a foregone conclusion, adding: In this game anything can happen. Everybody saw that you can go low on this golf course, I have to keep going forward and do the best I can on every shot.Benson, seeking his debut European Tour title, said he had struggled to get the ball pin-high today.Of his plan to overhaul Canizares in Sunday's final round he said: The key will be to try to get a couple of shots back on Alejandro on the front nine, because that is the most difficult part of the course.

Cycling: Contador wins Tirreno-Adriatico fourth stage

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ROME (AFP) - Spaniard Alberto Contador of the Tinkoff team closed the gap on race leader Michal Kwiatkowski by winning the fourth stage of the the Tirreno-Adriatico race on Saturday.The two-time Tour de France winner finished just ahead of Colombian Nairo Quintana (Movistar) and Spaniard Daniel Moreno (Katusha) after the 244km run from Indicatore to Cittareale Selvarotonda.Poland's Kwiatkowski, riding for Omega Pharma QuickStep, finished seventh in the stage to see his lead cut to just 16sec on second-placed Contador.Contador, 31, is bidding to get his career back on track after serving a two-year ban for testing positive for clenbuterol on the 2010 Tour de France.He didn't enjoy the best 2013 season on the road as he finished a disappointing fourth in his quest for a third Tour de France victory and decided against defending his Vuelta a Espana title.Sunday's fifth stage will cover 192km between Amatrice and Guardiagrele.

Fit-again Afridi raring to go at World T20

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KARACHI (AFP) - Flamboyant Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi Saturday started training after recovering from a groin injury, hoping to play his part in the World Twenty20 starting in Bangladesh.The fifth edition of the World Twenty20 with 16 teams in competition will be held from March 16 to April 6.The 34-year-old Afridi, who suffered fitness problems, in the Asia Cup last week, said he was feeling much better.I trained for the first time since the injury and (I am) feeling very good. I am almost 90 percent fit and hope to play at my full fitness once I join the squad, Afridi told reporters.Bangladesh, ranked 10th in the world, have been drawn with Afghanistan, Nepal and Hong Kong in group A of the first round.The other group comprises Zimbabwe, Ireland, the United Arab Emirates and the Netherlands. The top team from each group advances to the main tournament. They will join the eight seeded teams in the second, which opens with the India-Pakistan match on March 21.Batsman Afridi hit two last over sixes to help Pakistan beat arch rival India in a thrilling one-wicket finish in the Asia Cup held in Bangladesh earlier this month.He then starred in Pakistan's tough 327-run chase with a 25-ball 59 against Bangladesh.Bahria Town, a private real estate developer, awarded him a plot of land to build a house in their new residential project in southern port city of Karachi on Saturday.Afridi said he will do his best to help Pakistan win the title.I will do my best to help Pakistan win the title again, said Afridi, who will join the squad in Dhaka on Monday.Afridi said Twenty20 is a format where predictions are tough to make.I think this shortest format is such that you cannot predict who will win the title, but I assure you that Pakistan team will do its best to win the title once more, said Afridi.Afridi, who also bowls leg-spin, was player of the match in the semi-final and final when Pakistan won its only World Twenty20 title in England in 2009.

Australia a threat at World T20, says Du Plessis

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CENTURION (AFP) - South African captain Faf du Plessis believes Australias strong batting line-up will have a significant impact in the World Twenty20 which starts in Bangladesh next week.Theyve got a powerhouse batting attack, said Du Plessis after Australia cruised to a six-wicket win over his team at SuperSport Park on Friday on the eve of the departure of both teams for the world event.Every one of their top seven or eight can take the game away from you, said Du Plessis. That makes them very dangerous.Theyve also good quality fast bowling. They didnt give us anything to hit in the first six overs. They have a very good chance of getting to the semi-finals.Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc, man of the match on Friday, said their Twenty20 squad had made the most of their two weeks in South Africa, despite rain washing out one match and reducing another to seven overs a side.Australia won the three-match series 2-0 to follow a 3-0 clean sweep against England earlier this year.Weve got a lot out of the three games against England and the two weeks here, said Starc, although he admitted going to Bangladesh was a step into the unknown.Ive never been there and a fair few of us havent been to Bangladesh, he said. But weve got a warm-up game against New Zealand which will give us a good idea of what to expect. It will be a case of doing everything as well as we can before that first game.Australias first match of the tournament is against Pakistan in Mirpur on Sunday, March 23.While Australia head to Bangladesh in confident mood, South Africa need to improve on two lacklustre performances.Du Plessis admitted his side had performed poorly in all three disciplines.We lost early wickets and there were mistakes by the batting unit, he said. Were not giving our big hitters the base to attack from. We bowled the wrong lines and lengths and we made mistakes in the field.But Du Plessis said confidence remained high. Weve had good success in the sub-continent and weve got two warm-up games before the tournament. But we need to play our best cricket if we are to do well.Du Plessis said the return of fast bowlers Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel, nursing hamstring and shoulder injuries respectively, would add quality and experience to South Africas bowling attack. Both are expected to be fit to play in scheduled warm-up games against Bangladesh A and Pakistan in Fatullah.

Plane never came here: Pakistan rejects US media reports

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Special aviation assistant to Prime Minister Shujaat Azeem dismissed reports appearing on US media questioning whether the lost Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 was in Pakistan.The aircraft disappeared far away from Pakistan air space and was not visible on its radars, he said questioning how it could be hidden somewhere in Pakistan.He shunned the reports at once saying plane never came towards Pakistan.Reportedly, it was drawn into his attention that a US news media named Pakistan questioning if the plane could have flown to Pakistan as the new flight radius expands following Pentagon’s reports that the plane could have flown for as many as seven hours after losing contact with the ground. The new radius where the plan could have flown includes parts of Pakistan and India. United States based these reports on the pings that the aircraft continued sending to the satellite.Almost nine days into disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, the whereabouts of the missing aircraft are still unknown, Dunya News reported.Earlier, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak pointed on Saturday morning towards the aircraft flying for several hours after its communication system was deliberately shut down at the point where it last made contact with air traffic controller.The investigating authorities along with search and rescue personnel are apparently puzzled about the possible location of the lost flight as the search crew of as many as 11 countries hasn’t spotted a single sign even after eighth day into disappearance of the ill-fated flight.“This has been a situation without precedence” said Malaysian Prime Minister while almost confirming the ‘deliberate’ diversion of the lost flight.With hijacking angle now at the focus, the authorities believe the plane could now be anywhere of the dauntingly large search area that includes land, water and islands. The aviation expert Ross Aimer, interviewed by Times believes it’s possible the plane could have landed at one of the abandoned military strips. Adding into the confusion is the aircraft pinging satellite for seven hours indicating the plane could have continued flying for seven hours after last radar contact with speculations that its communication system was deliberately shut down. If these two scenarios are to be considered, it is almost certain that only an experienced person can pull that off.According to reports, the friends and families of those on board the ill-fated flight are clinging on to the hope even after the seventh day of disappearance.Earlier, the search and rescue efforts faced more mystery as reports of phones of passengers ringing surfaced but were later quashed by the investigating authorities saying none of the reported numbers were being connected.The investigation became more puzzled when an Australian paper released what is being termed as questionable conduct of first officer of the missing flight. According to British and Australian media, the first officer Fariq Abdul Hamid has previously entertained one of the female passengers in a previous flight. The 27-year-old first officer had allowed the female passengers into the cockpit and took photographs with them. The female passenger earlier told the press that the first officer even smoked in the cockpit.

MQM targeted despite cooperation with govt: Khalid Maqbool

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – Deputy Convener of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Doctor Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui claimed that targeted operation and ‘revengeful’ activities against MQM still continue despite their support for targeted operation against militants in Karachi, Dunya News reported.He alleged that another worker of MQM named Abdul Jabbar has been killed after abduction and brutalization.Addressing press conference at Khursheed Begum Secretariat in Karachi along with other Raabta Committee members, he said that MQM’s worker Abdul Jabbar was abducted from Jinnah Hospital and that his brutalized body was found on February 19 which was buried by Eidhi center by declaring it unclaimed.Dr Khalid said that MQM has brought the issue of missing party workers to every forum including judiciary adding that the issue still continues.It merits mentioning here that several people including party workers have been arrested and brought to questioning with regards to the ongoing targeted operation in Karachi to eliminate militancy.MQM had held vocal protests and condemnations against the arrests and alleged abductions of party workers. MQM Chief Altaf Hussain had alleged that the rangers and police have been ordered to crush his party workers instead of militants.It merits mentioning here that federal government had commissioned a targeted operation against militants in Karachi. The operation is headed by Sindh government and all parties having stakes in Karachi and Sindh had announced unconditional support.

US skier Shiffrin wins Lenzerheide slalom

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LENZERHEIDE (AFP) - American starlet Mikaela Shiffrin won the final slalom race of the World Cup season at Lenzerheide, Switzerland on Saturday, her fifth victory in the discipline this season.Two days after her 19th birthday, the Olympic and world champion, who had already won the slalom crystal globe for the second time, finished 1.44 seconds ahead of Swedens Frida Hansdotter.Austrias Marlies Schild, the former slalom queen, came third on the day.Shiffrin was already out in front after the first leg, timing 1.57 seconds quicker than Hansdotter.That meant she only really needed to safely negotiate the second leg to claim the ninth World Cup win of her young career in an overall time of 2min 4.54sec.The teenager from Colorado led the slalom standings from beginning to end after winning the first race of the season in Levi, Finland in November.Austrias Anna Fenninger had already claimed the crystal globe for overall World Cup winner after coming second in Thursdays super-G at the same venue.

Seven killed, dozens injured as job-seekers stamped in Nigeria

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ABUJA (AFP) - At least seven people were killed and dozens injured in Nigerias capital after thousands of panicked job-seekers stampeded during a government recruitment drive in the national stadium on Saturday.Survivors told AFP that thousands had gathered to apply for jobs with the immigration department in the Abuja stadium.One witness said the stampede broke out as applicants surged towards a central stage. They said only one entrance to the 60,000-capacity stadium was open. It wasnt clear how many people were inside at the time of the crush.The immigration service was having a recruitment exercise at the stadium ... there was a stampede and they brought the victims to the national hospital, said hospital spokesman Tayo Haastrup.No official casualty list was given, but an AFP journalist on the scene counted seven dead and dozens injured.Many injured people could not be admitted to hospital due to lack of capacity.Those with stable injuries will be sent to other hospitals so that we can deal with the numerous injured that continue to arrive, said Haastrup.

Egypt's Fattah to face trial on March 23

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CAIRO (AFP) - Prominent activist Alaa Abdel Fattah is to stand trial on March 23 for allegedly participating in a violent protest, state media reported Saturday, amid concerns Egypts military-installed regime is increasingly stifling dissent.The announcement came as a court handed two-year prison sentences to 68 supporters of ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi and opposition activists on the same charge, a judicial source said.Abdel Fattah was a well-known activist and blogger during the 2011 uprising that overthrew strongman Hosni Mubarak, and he supported the militarys ousting of Morsi two years later.But he and other activists have since clashed with the new government, which has waged an extensive crackdown on both Islamists and secular activists like him.He had been hailed as an icon of the revolution by the military-installed presidency after Morsis overthrow, before he began protesting against the new regime.Abdel Fattah will face trial with 24 other defendants for a November protest against a clause in the constitution allowing the military to court martial civilians, the official MENA news agency reported.He is charged with assaulting a police officer during the protest, held in violation of a law that bans all but police-sanctioned demonstrations.Three other prominent secular activists have been sentenced to three years in prison for violating the law.In an appeal hearing last week, the activists alleged they were beaten by policemen for almost 15 minutes before they were ushered into the caged dock at the court room, prompting their lawyers to walk out in protest at their treatment.At least 1,400 people, mostly Islamists, have been killed in street clashes since Morsis overthrow, according to Amnesty International.Thousands have been arrested and hundreds placed on trial, with courts often handing out mass sentencings.Many liberal and leftist activists who opposed both Mubarak and Morsi now say they fear rights are being eroded by an emboldened interior ministry that has arrested dissidents and journalists.Egypt is due to hold presidential elections this spring that will likely be contested and won by army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
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