Friday 28 March 2014

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Egypt: Three killed as police, protestors clash: Security

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CAIRO (AFP) -- Three people including an Egyptian woman journalist were killed in Cairo Friday as police clashed with Islamists protesting against ex-army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's presidency bid, a security official said.Mayada Ashraf, who worked for the privately owned Al-Dustour newspaper, was shot in the head while covering clashes in the northern neighbourhood of Ein Shams, the official said, adding that two more people were killed in the same violence.Supporters of deposed president Mohamed Morsi took to the streets across Egypt to vent their anger at Sisi, who overthrew the Islamist leader nine months ago.Al-Dustour confirmed the death of its journalist.Before Ashraf's death, the committee to protect journalists had said nine journalists have been killed in Egypt since a popular uprising toppled strongman Hosni Mubarak in early 2011.

Attack on journalist Raza Rumi leaves driver dead, guard injured

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – Journalist and anchorperson Raza Rumi, belonging to a private TV channel, narrowly escaped gunfire directed at his vehicle that left his driver dead, Dunya News reported.According to police, Rumi was going back home from office and the attackers targeted his vehicle with gunfire just when he was passing by Raja Market area.The driver Mustafa reportedly died on the spot while security guard Anwar Hussain got critically injured.Raza Rumi miraculously escaped the attack and was discharged after medical checkup. Police reached the hospital and recorded Rumi’s account of the attack.CCPO Lahore Shafiq Gujjar said while talking to media that it is apparently a targeted attack and that attackers knew about anchorperson’s movements.Gujjar said police has formed teams who would raid the targeted locations trying to arrest the culprits. He further said that developments have happened in previous targeted killing incidents that took place in Lahore.

Altaf Hussain urges people to take matters in own hands

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LONDON (Dunya News) – Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Chief Altaf Hussain said on Friday while expressing concerns over increasing crime rate that people have to take matters in their own hands in order to protect their lives, properties and dignity, Dunya News reported.Addressing London and Karachi Rabta committees over phone, he expressed grave concerns over growing theft, bank robbery, kidnapping and other crimes in the country.He said that the city is being targeted as part of an organized conspiracy adding that it appears the government and administration has left the citizens on the mercy of criminals.People should step forward on self-help basis to protect their lives, properties and dignities, he said.Altaf Hussain appealed residents of the city including Defence, Clifton, KDA scheme to form vigilance committees to petrol and safeguard their streets and neighbourhoods on self-help basis.

IMF sees strong signs of economic growth in Pakistan

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - The International Monetary Fund said Friday it saw strong signs of growth in Pakistan as the long-troubled economy undertakes structural reforms.The IMF, which this week released a fresh $555.6 million as part of its support program for Pakistan, confirmed its recent forecast of 3.1 percent growth this year, which was revised up from an earlier 2.8 percent.The overall economic situation in Pakistan is gradually improving, said Jeffrey Franks, the IMF mission chief for the country.That 3.1 percent may still be a bit on the conservative side, so we see indicators of growth that are relatively strong considering the fiscal adjustment that has taken place, he told reporters on a conference call.For the 2014-15 fiscal year, the IMF expected Pakistans growth to accelerate to around 3.7 percent.An IMF report said that the growth was boosted by a stronger manufacturing industry thanks to an easing of Pakistans chronic electricity shortages, despite weaknesses in agriculture.But the report cautioned that Pakistan still had tight foreign reserves and security challenges, including Taliban violence.The report also said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharifs government, despite its commitment to IMF-backed reforms, faced strong political resistance to certain structural measures.Sharifs government, after taking office in June, reached a $6.7 billion bailout deal with the IMF which insisted on economic reforms, especially in the energy sector and tax system.Yaseen Anwar, the governor of the State Bank of Pakistan who was appointed by a previous government, resigned in January ahead of the latest IMF review.

Norway's former PM Jens Stoltenberg named new NATO chief

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BRUSSELS (AFP) - Former Norwegian premier Jens Stoltenberg was named the next NATO chief on Friday, stepping in to take over from current secretary general Anders Fogh Rasmussen at a key moment in Europe.Mr. Stoltenberg will assume his functions as Secretary General as from 1 October 2014, when Mr. Fogh Rasmussens term expires after 5 years and 2 months at the helm of the Alliance, NATO said in a statement.An economist by training and a radical opponent of the defence alliance in his youth, Stoltenberg takes the helm of the 28-nation transatlantic alliance as Europe worries over a Russian build-up on its eastern fringe after Moscows takeover of Crimea.Ive known Jens Stoltenberg for many years and I know hes the right man to build on NATOs record of strength & success, Rasmussen, who hails from nearby Denmark, said on Twitter.Stoltenberg, who is 55, was the only candidate for the job.In almost a decade leading the government, Stoltenberg, who is the head of Norways Labour Party, became known as a consensus maker, giving him some of the right credentials to maintain good relations with Russia.Though he never had any particular fondness for defence or security matters, his time as premier of various governments left him with a strong international network and honed his skills as a cross-border negotiator.

Turkey labels YouTube leak a pre-election 'plot'

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ANKARA (AFP) - Turkeys embattled government vowed action Friday over the bugging of a security meeting on Syria which was leaked on YouTube, labelling it a conspiratorial plot ahead of key local elections.The leak comes amid a fierce standoff between Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his ally-turned-foe, US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, whose followers Erdogan has blamed for the eaves-dropping.As prosecutors launched a probe into the case, President Abdullah Gul warned we will do whatever necessary to find the culprits behind the act of espionage targeting state security.Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, who is alleged to be one of the voices on the recording, also warned of action against those who want to throw Turkey into chaos with political plotting.The recording purportedly features top government, military and intelligence officials discussing plans to fabricate an attack that would justify a military strike against neighbouring Syria.Ankara did not deny that the meeting on Syria took place but said some content in the audio recording had been manipulated. Foreign ministry rooms were later swept for listening devices.Davutoglu said in a TV interview that the revelations have only benefited the regime in Syria.He added that YouTube was blocked after it refused a government request to take down the recording and said: This is not freedom of thought. This is a security threat. A state is entitled to take measures.- Graft scandal -The leak followed an avalanche of recordings that implicated Erdogan and his political and business allies in a vast corruption scandal, and which have gone viral on social media in recent months.The government, which last week shut down Twitter, ordered a block on YouTube on Thursday in response to the latest release, prompting fresh criticism from foreign capitals and human rights groups.The right to freedom of opinion and expression is a central pillar of modern democratic societies, said UN human rights monitor Frank La Rue. Blocking access to YouTube and Twitter entirely unduly restricts this fundamental right.Sundays local elections are seen as a crucial popularity test for Erdogan, ahead of the countrys first direct presidential election in August and parliamentary polls scheduled for next year.Erdogan has embarked on a marathon campaign to support local candidates of his Islamic-rooted party, leaving his voice hoarse and forcing him to cancel two events on Friday, according to his office.Long hailed at home and abroad for driving strong economic growth, Erdogan has drawn criticism since a police crackdown on protesters last June left eight people dead and thousands injured.- Deep state -At a rally on Thursday, Erdogan angrily condemned the latest YouTube leak as a vile, cowardly, immoral act and warned his political foes that we will go into their caves.He has often charged that Gulen followers inside the police and judicial apparatus form a parallel deep state and are behind the wire-tapping of thousands of prominent figures.On Friday, Turkey said it had cancelled Gulens green passport, issued for public servants, citing irregularities in the way it was obtained, the state-run Anatolia news agency said.Reclusive Gulen, 73, has lived in Pennsylvania since 1999 to escape charges in Turkey of anti-secular activities. He told an Italian newspaper Friday he preferred to stay in the US for health reasons.Despite the YouTube ban ordered by telecommunications regulator TIB, the platform remained accessible to many users in Turkey Friday.YouTube was previously banned for two years until 2010 because of material deemed insulting to the countrys revered founding father Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.An Ankara court overturned the Twitter ban on Wednesday, but the site remains offline while that ruling is appealed.Use of Twitter nonetheless rose after the official ban, which many users circumvented by using text messaging from their smartphones or so-called virtual private networks.The foreign minister said Friday that Twitter is not the guardian of freedom. In the end, it is just a company. And it has to abide by the orders of Turkish courts.

World T20: India beat Bangladesh by eight wickets

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DHAKA (AFP) - India roared into the semi-finals of the World Twenty20 with a eight-wicket demolition of hosts Bangladesh in a Super-10 group two match in Dhaka on Friday.Leg-spinner Amit Mishra claimed 3-26 as India restricted Bangladesh to 138-7 and then surpassed the modest target with nine deliveries to spare at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium.Rohit Sharma made 56 and Virat Kohli remained unbeaten on 57, sharing a 100-run stand for the second wicket after Shikhar Dhawan had been dismissed for one in the third over.Indias third successive win in the Super-10s assured them a place in the semi-finals even before their last league match against Australia on Sunday.Australia, who lost to the West Indies earlier on Friday, are virtually out of the race after two defeats.Barring any major upsets in the last two round of matches, Pakistan and the West Indies will battle for the second semi-final spot from the group.

OGRA recommends decrease in petroleum prices

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) has recommended decrease in petroleum prices.The summary of reduction in petroleum products prices has been forwarded to the government.According to the summary, Rs 1.72 per litre reduction in price of Petrol has been recommended in the summary, Rs 2.90 for high speed diesel and Rs4.64 per litre in the price of HOBC.OGRA has also recommended to reduce prices of kerosene by Rs 5.61 per litre, high speed diesel by Rs 2.90 per litre and light diesel by Rs 5.16 per litre.The new prices are likely to be announced on March 31.

KPK govt reshuffles provincial cabinet

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PESHAWAR (Web Desk) - The Khyber-Pakhtunkhawa government has announced reshuffle in the provincial cabinet.Addressing a press conference here on Friday, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa information minister Shah Farman said that Mushtaq Ghani, Qalandar Khan Lodhi, Ikramullah Khan Gandapur and Ziaullah Afridi have been inducted into the provincial cabinet.The portfolios of the new ministers are:Qalandar Khan Lodhi: FoodMushtaq Ghani: Higher Education Ikramullah Khan Gandapur: IrrigationMian Jamshed-ud-Din: Excise and Taxation Ziaullah Afridi: Mines and Mineral.All new ministers belong to the ruling party Pakistan-Tehreek-e-Insaf.Qalandar Lodhi and Mushataq Ghani were elected members of PTI from Hazara Division, Ikramullah Khan Gandapur belongs to Dera Ismail Khan, Mian Jamshed-ud-Din from Nowshera while Ziaullah Afridi was elected from Peshawar.Meanwhile, three members of KPK Assembly have also been appointed as advisor to the CM. The advisers include Amjad Afridi, Shakeel Khan and Akbar Ayoub.Four members of KPK Assembly including Ishtiaq Armar, Arif Yusuf, Mohibullah and Abdul Muneeb Khan, have been appointed as special adviser to the CMMoreover, the KPK government has also decided to reshuffle the provincial cabinet.Shahram Khan Tarakai has been assigned portfolio of health who, before this was Minster of Information Technology while Shukat Yousafzai has been assigned the Ministry for Industries.The decisions were taken after the approval of party chief Imran Khan during a meeting of the PTI’s core committee two days earlier.

UN approves Pakistan's resolution about drone strikes

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NEW YORK, ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – United Nation’s (UN) Human Rights Council has approved Pakistan’s resolution – to condition drone strikes to UN charter and international laws – by an overwhelming majority, Dunya News reported.Human Rights Council will evaluate legal status of drone strikes during its session in September this year. The resolution put forward by Pakistan demanded to ensure safeguarding of human rights while using drone strike technology and that the strikes be conditioned to UN charter and international laws.The resolution says that experts be consulted for formulating recommendations regarding legality of drone strikes. It also suggests that drones should be used in specific situations appropriately.In a statement issued by Pakistan Foreign Office, it is said that the resolution and its passing was made possible by efforts of Pakistani embassy.It is pertinent to mention here that government had showed reluctance, earlier, in stating the number of casualties in drone strikes during the last five years, adding that the statistics will be shared during an in-camera session.

Hamza Shahbaz should direct suggestions to federal govt, not to Bilawal: Sharjeel Memon

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Sindh Information Minister and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Sharjeel Memon said on Friday, while responding to Hamza Shahbaz’s statements that it would be better if Hamza made the suggestions to federal government and not to Bilawal, Dunya News reported.Reacting to Hamza Shahbaz’s statements, Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Memon said that it is better if Hamza Shahbaz makes suggestions to federal government and convince them not to bow before terrorists.Reiterating that he should keep his suggestions to himself, Memon said instead of making childish statements, Hamza Shahbaz should listen to the families affected by terrorism.He said people of Pakistan have serious reservations over government and Taliban’s reconciliation policy, adding that federal government is insulting Pakistan’s constitution by negotiating with terrorists.Memon said Punjab government should stop sheltering terrorists, claiming that federal government deems no difference among an ordinary Pakistani, Taliban and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ). He said that 2 different standards of laws were made while violating the constitution.Meanwhile, National Assembly’s opposition leader Khurshid Shah said that Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) bore sizeable loss in the past and that party cannot afford more risks. He said that Punjab government should inform about the investigations over threats received by Bilawal. Shah also wrote a letter to Chief Minister (CM) Punjab Shahbaz Sharif reiterating a complete investigation should be carried out over the matter of death threats received by Bilawal.He said that PPP is taking the matter rather very seriously, adding that he hopes Punjab government will complete the investigation soon and inform about the results. Earlier, Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) Member National Assembly (MNA) Hamza Shahbaz Sharif said on Friday that Bilawal should think and make considerations before issuing statements adding that political point scoring over terrorism and Tharparkar drought is counterproductive.Hamza Shahbaz said that he is prayerful for Bilawal’s safety and long life, reiterating that Bilawal should not indulge in politics over the matters of national security.He said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif could also have done political point scoring on the matter of Tharparkar deaths but he chose to go and console with the people of Thar by himself. He said that people of Thar are starving to death and that Bilawal Bhutto should also go to Thar to console and show solidarity to the locals.

Cupcake machine opens in New York to satisfy 24-hour cravings

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NEW YORK (Reuters) - New Yorkers, who live in the city that famously never sleeps, now can satisfy their craving for cupcakes in any of those endless waking hours.A 24-hour vending machine that dispenses gourmet cupcakes opened for business this week on Manhattans Upper East Side, and locals are lining up despite the wintry temperatures for a taste.Its so fun, said Melissa Martelli, a schoolteacher and neighborhood resident as she nibbled on a cinnamon sugar cupcake she bought from the machine. You could just go in the store and wait on line, but its just so cool.Despite the Sprinkles cupcake store connected to the ATM, and the citys abundance of all-night delis and convenience stores, customers said the ATM has novelty appeal.Its the experience of buying a cupcake from an ATM. Its an incredible concept, said Amy Benaderet, a financial services account manager who lives nearby. You can get money at any time. Now you can get cupcakes at any time.Itll be interesting to see if the novelty wears off, she added.At a price of $4.25 apiece, the cupcake choices include chocolate, coconut, red velvet, vanilla and lemon meringue.Its cool, especially if you live around here and its like the middle of the night and you really want a cupcake. I would so do that, said Margarita Mazur, who works at a local tech startup.The nine-year-old company behind the machine, Sprinkles, also has installed cupcake machines in Las Vegas, Dallas, Chicago, Atlanta and Beverly Hills, California, where the company is based, and plans to expand into Houston and Washington, D.C.The New York model holds 760 cupcakes and sells up to four at a time, making it larger than the companys other machines.But not every New Yorker has caught the sugar buzz.I think its stupid, said Anthony Campagne, who was waiting while his tech company co-workers stood in line for their cupcakes. It just doesnt make sense. People dont need cupcakes at three in the morning.

Aid workers leave Mayammar city after deadly unrest

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SITTWE, Myanmar (AFP) - Foreign aid workers left a strife-hit city in western Myanmar after their offices came under attack during riots that left an 11-year-old girl dead.Tearful mourners massed to pay respects to the slain child, whom police said was accidentally killed when security forces tried to quell an angry mob targeting a UN World Food Programme warehouse.She was hit when security forces fired warning shots to disperse people at the WFP warehouse, Lieutenant Colonel Min Aung told AFP by telephone.Local authorities, who have imposed a dusk to dawn curfew, said she was the only known victim of the latest bout of violence in Sittwe, the capital of Rakhine State.Security forces guarded damaged buildings Friday, after mobs hurled stones, smashed property and looted warehouses of foreign humanitarian groups in a region where sectarian strife has displaced tens of thousands.More than a dozen foreigners were seen waiting to board a flight at the citys airport, as many humanitarian organisations temporarily removed their staff from the area to avoid further conflict.Germany-based medical aid group Malteser International said all its staff were leaving Friday.The unrest began late Wednesday when hundreds of Buddhists massed around Maltesers offices in Sittwe, accusing an American aid worker of handling a religious flag in a disrespectful manner.Malteser has denied the accusations and said the outbreak of violence was linked to an upcoming population census which is fanning tensions between Buddhist and Muslim communities in the area.Humanitarian workers in the restive region have come under increasing pressure from Buddhist nationalists who accuse them of bias in favour of local Muslims, mainly the stateless Rohingya minority.More than 70 aid workers, including about 30 foreigners, were given police protection in the wake of the latest violence.The offices of the UN refugee agency were among those attacked, according to state media.- US condemns mob violence -The UNs resident and humanitarian coordinator in Myanmar Toily Kurbanov said he was deeply concerned by the violence, adding that the organisation was determined to continue operating in the region.The US embassy in Yangon issued a statement condemning the mob violence and confirmed that at least three of its citizens were among the aid workers given emergency relocation.Myanmar on Friday said it would set up a committee to investigate the violence -- the latest in a series of probes into the ongoing conflict -- with a high-level group travelling to the area Friday.Long-standing animosity between Buddhists and Muslims in Rakhine erupted into bloodshed in 2012, leaving dozens dead in clashes and around 140,000 people displaced.Buddhist flags have been hung across the city as part of protests against Muslims in the run-up to the census, which many hardline local Buddhists have vowed to boycott over fears it could allow Muslims to claim politics rights.Last month medical aid group Doctors Without Borders (MSF) was ejected from the region following a series of local protests against the organisation, leaving tens of thousands of Rohingya in isolated communities reliant on government healthcare -- a shortfall authorities insist they can meet.At the time experts warned the move may embolden Rakhine hardliners to press for the expulsion of other foreign aid groups.The Rohingya, referred to by the United Nations as one of the worlds most persecuted peoples, are subject to a web of restrictions on travel, work and even marriage.They are viewed by local Buddhists and the government as illegal immigrants from neighbouring Bangladesh.

Young women who eat lots of veggies are healthier later

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - Young women who eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables show significantly lower rates of hardening in the arteries 20 years later, said US research out.However, men did not appear to benefit the way women did, raising questions about why a heart healthy diet may benefit one sex over the other, according to the study presented at the American College of Cardiology conference.The research was based on 2,508 participants in the government-sponsored Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study, which began in the 1980s with the aim of tracking heart health among 18-30 year olds over time.Women who reported eating eight to nine servings a day of fruits and vegetables in their 20s were 40 percent less likely to have calcified plaque in their arteries in their 40s, compared with those who ate the just three to four servings a day.The association remained even after researchers accounted for other lifestyle behaviors that could impact cardiovascular health.These findings confirm the concept that plaque development is a lifelong process, and that process can be slowed down with a healthy diet at a young age, said lead author Michael Miedema, a cardiologist at the Minneapolis Heart Institute.This is often when dietary habits are established, so there is value in knowing how the choices we make in early life have lifelong benefits.Researchers are not sure why the same benefits were not apparent in men, and said one possibility is that not enough men were included in the study to provide a clear picture.Sixty-three percent of the people in the study were female and 37 percent were male.Several other studies have also suggested that a diet high in fruits and vegetables is less protective in men, but we do not have a good biological reason for this lack of association, Miedema said.

Malaysian parents jailed for child abuse in Sweden

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STOCKHOLM (AFP) - A Malaysian couple were jailed Friday by a Stockholm court for assaulting their four children while on a work assignment to Sweden where corporal punishment is illegal.Azizul Awalludin, 38, and his wife Shalwati Norshal, 46, were sentenced to 10 and 14 months respectively for beating their children -- aged seven to 14 -- over a three-year period with a bamboo stick, a clothes hanger and their hands.I have spoken to my client (Awalludin) and he is of course very disappointed -- he denied the charges, defence lawyer Jonas Tamm told AFP.The court rejected the defences claim that the oldest child had made up the abuse.That the children could conspire and agree together to put forward a false picture of domestic violence appears to be highly unlikely, the court said in its ruling, adding that the children had all been reluctant to give evidence.The couple -- in Sweden on an assignment for Tourism Malaysia but without diplomatic immunity -- have been held on remand in Stockholm since December 2013, when staff at the childrens school reported suspicions of abuse to social services.We analysed 30 hours of video interviews the police held with the children. It gave a very credible picture, Solna district court judge Mattias Moeller told news agency TT.The case has shocked child rights experts in Sweden and sparked outrage in the couples home country where smacking children is not a criminal offence.Sweden was the first country in the world to ban smacking children in 1979 and has since been followed by 36 other countries.These cases are so extremely rare in Sweden today, child abuse expert Staffan Janson told AFP.The typical corporal punishment case involves a child telling teachers that their parents have hit them once or twice. But this is much more severe than what were used to.The couples lawyers complained about the long remand period, -- the children were taken into care and later sent home to relatives in Malaysia -- arguing that there was no risk of the parents re-offending during the trial.The case has received intense media attention in Malaysia where a social media campaign to free the couple attracted tens of thousands of followers.One columnist writing in the Malaysian daily The Star called Swedens long remand period a travesty of universal justice.Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak personally welcomed the children on their return to the country on February 1 and offered his support to the parents.
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