Wednesday 30 April 2014

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Hamid Mir discharged from Hospital

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KARACHI (Dunya News) - Senior journalist and anchorperson Hamid Mir, who was critically injured in an armed attack on April 19 in Karachi, has been discharged from Hospital late Wednesday.Hamid Mir along his brother Amir Mir shifted to a hotel under tight security arrangements.

Australia reclaim top Test ranking

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SYDNEY (AFP) - Australia have reclaimed the number one Test ranking for the first time in five years following their Ashes whitewash of England and a series defeat of South Africa.Australia also remain the top-rated one day international side in the latest official rankings from the International Cricket Council (ICC). It is the first time since December 2008 that Australia have been ranked number one in Tests and ODIs at the same time. They last held the top Test ranking in August 2009, when they were displaced after losing the Ashes 2-1 to England.Darren Lehmann's Australians nudged out South Africa, who had held the top Test spot since August 2012.Australia gained eight ratings points to move up from 115 to 123 points to be equal with South Africa, who dropped from 127, but Australia moved ahead by a fraction of a point.England are currently third, ahead of Pakistan and India.Australia captain Michael Clarke said he was delighted with the turnaround in his team's fortunes.We are incredibly proud to be the number-one ranked team in the world in both Test and ODI cricket, which are two of the team's most important goals, Clarke said.There has been an enormous amount of hard work and effort on and off the field that has led to this result.However, the true test of a great side is sustained success and now our goal is to maintain these rankings and continue to play great cricket as we lead into challenging Test series against Pakistan and India, and the ICC Cricket World Cup at home.Lehmann has turned around the fortunes of the Australian Test and one-day sides following a tumultuous period in which coach Mickey Arthur was sacked.After losing the 2013 Ashes series 3-0 in England, Australia swept their return home series against England 5-0 during the last southern summer.They then scored an impressive 2-1 away series win over South Africa.

Sangakkara backs Farbrace to shine on England return

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DURHAM (AFP) - Kumar Sangakkara insists Sri Lanka's loss will be England's gain after the controversial defection by Paul Farbrace.The 46-year-old former Kent and Middlesex wicket-keeper shocked Sri Lankan cricket, quitting as the country's head coach in April after just three-and-a-half months to link-up with Peter Moores' new-look England set-up.Marvan Atapattu takes interim charge for the up-coming tour of Ireland and England as Farbrace settles into his role after earning a significant pay rise to become Moores' number two, the pair given the daunting task of trying to rebuild after the disastrous Ashes Test series humiliation over the winter.Sangakkara was part of the Sri Lanka side to lift the World Twenty20 trophy earlier this year under Farbrace, who also led the team to Asia Trophy success during a short but highly successful reign that saw him lose just one of his 18 matches in charge.The 36-year-old batsman, who has joined reigning English county champions Durham on a two-and-a-half week contract ahead of joining with his touring Sri Lanka team-mates, is looking forward to coming up against his close friend over the summer.Describing the sudden exit of Farbrace as unfortunate, Sangakkara admits the unexpected departure leaves a sizeable void to fill on the eve of such an important tour. Paul is a big loss for us. We enjoyed working with him a few years ago when he was the assistant coach to Trevor Bayliss, and when he came back I think everyone was very excited, said Sangakkara.He's a lovely guy and he got on really well with the team. He understood how Sri Lankan cricket works, and his impact was really important for us in those three-and-a-half months. To be part of a team that won the T20 World Cup under him was incredible.It's unfortunate the circumstances surrounding how he left, it was probably not nice but England will gain hugely from having Paul in their set-up. He's a top guy, and a wonderful coach. He's very good with people and sometimes that's more important than having all the knowledge in the world.Sri Lanka's assistant coach for the last 13 months, Atapattu, who missed out on the top job when Farbrace took charge in January, will be assisted this summer by fielding coach, former off-spinner Ruwan Kalpage. The pair have also been entrusted with team matters for the home series against South Africa in July.Sangakkara has been linked with a coaching role when he finally retires, but insists he wants to get the most out of what remains of his playing career before weighing-up his options about how he wants to remain involved with the game.I still enjoy playing, and wearing the Sri Lankan shirt, he added. An impressive aggregate of 11,151 runs puts the left-hander ninth on the all-time list of Test run scorers, with an average in excess of 58 in what has been a prolific career.There's still a huge enjoyment factor that comes with playing. As players, we're been very, very lucky. It's a high-paid job that allows you to travel the world and earn a living playing outdoors. I can't really complain.Sangakkara plans to retire from 50-overs international cricket after the next year's World Cup and he added: That might be my last assignment in that form of the game, and looking at Test cricket, there might be another series left in me.It depends on the chat I'll have with the selectors and the authorities back home. I'll be 37 at the end of this year, and I'm fully aware that it's fast-approaching the time when either you go, or you get asked to leave.

Labour Day being observed today

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LAHORE (Dunya News) - Like other parts of the globe, International Labour Day is being observed across the country including the provincial metropolis today (Thursday) to renew pledge for protecting rights of workers.All government and private organisations, educational institutions and markets will remain closed to observe Labour Day.Different political and labour organizations‚ particularly the labour wings of political parties and professional bodies will organize programmes to highlight significance of the day and rights of the workers.Seminars and rallies will be held in different cities to pay tribute to those who laid down their lives in Chicago in 1886 for the rights of the labourers.

Football: Atletico sink Chelsea, set up all-Madrid final

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LONDON (AFP) - Atletico Madrid set up a Champions League final against city rivals Real Madrid after coming from behind to win 3-1 at Chelsea in their semi-final second leg on Wednesday.After a 0-0 draw in the first leg, former Atletico striker Fernando Torres put Chelsea ahead in the 36th minute at Stamford Bridge, but the London club were to lead the tie for only eight minutes.Adrian Lopez scrambled home an equaliser shortly before half-time and second-half goals by Diego Costa, from the penalty spot, and Arda Turan sealed Atletico's place in their first European Cup final since 1974.Diego Simeone's team are also two wins from claiming a first La Liga title in 18 years, meaning that they could be looking to complete an improbable double when they meet their old foes Real in Lisbon on May 24.It will be the first European Cup final between two teams from the same city.Of course I'm very happy, said Simeone. I thought the reaction to their initial goal was crucial. In the second half we started very well.When we achieved the 2-1, that pretty much settled the game and from them on in we controlled the game.Goal-scorer Costa said: We've done everything in our power to get to the final. We deserve it. The team has been amazing.Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, meanwhile, was denied a reunion with his former employers Real, with whom he had also experienced semi-final disappointment in each of the previous three seasons.One minute in the second half decided everything, Mourinho told Sky Sports.A minute where the Atletico goalkeeper makes an impossible save to a John Terry header, then the penalty that kills the game.Congratulations to them because they are a very good side and what they are doing in the Spanish league is fantastic.The pre-match build-up had been dominated by talk about Chelsea's ultra-defensive display in their 2-0 win at Liverpool on Sunday and Mourinho seemed determined to continue in the same vein by selecting three full-backs.Fears of a new-fangled defensive configuration proved unfounded, as Cesar Azpilicueta was deployed as a fairly orthodox right-sided midfielder, but the early stages proved every bit as cagey as last week's first leg.Koke almost gave Atletico a fourth-minute lead with a mishit left-wing cross that deceived Mark Schwarzer and hit the crossbar, but the teams were generally content to hold each other at arm's length.The tie was on a knife-edge, but nine minutes from half-time Chelsea seized the initiative.After Willian ran into a blind alley on the right flank, Azpilicueta followed up with a low cross that Torres steered past Thibaut Courtois via a deflection off Mario Suarez.The former darling of the Vicente Calderon made a point of not celebrating, holding his hands in the air in apology, but Stamford Bridge celebrated with abandon.It was the first goal that Atletico had conceded in seven games, but within the blink of an eye they were in control of the tie.Former Chelsea midfielder Tiago Mendes picked out right-back Juanfran with a floated pass to the back post and his volleyed cross bobbled between a phalanx of defenders to Adrian, who swept home.Despite Chelsea's need for goals, it was Atletico who began the second half on top, with Schwarzer brilliantly tipping over a Turan half-volley and then comfortably fielding a low effort from Tiago.In response, John Terry saw a header sharply blocked by Courtois, who is on loan at Atletico from Chelsea, before Mourinho sent on Samuel Eto'o in place of Ashley Cole.The Cameroon striker's introduction was intended to give the hosts greater punch in attack, but it was his contribution at the other end that was to prove telling.Referee Nicola Rizzoli had already ignored an Atletico penalty claim when Turan was bundled over by Azpilicueta, but when Costa went down after skilfully nicking the ball past Eto'o, the Italian awarded a spot-kick.Despite initially struggling to place the ball on the spot to his satisfaction, for which he was booked, Costa made no mistake with his shot, placing the ball into the top-left corner.David Luiz planted a header against the post from a Willian free-kick as Chelsea pressed for an equaliser, but Turan killed the tie in the 72nd minute by tucking home after his own header came back off the bar.

Tennis: Wimbledon champion Bartoli rules out comeback

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LONDON (AFP) - Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli will play the Liverpool grasscourt exhibition event in June but insists she has no plans to make a full-time comeback to the sport.The 29-year-old Frenchwoman, who was a shock champion at Wimbledon last year, quit the sport just a month after, blaming the toll the tour was taking.Despite agreeing to sign up for the pre-Wimbledon exhibition event to be staged at Liverpool University from June 19-22, Bartoli said it would be a one-off appearance.When asked about a full-time comeback, Bartoli told the British Press Association: It's not going to happen.She added: Tennis is still my passion but I have other passions and they take a lot of work and dedication. I'm going to be 30 years old later this year and my body is extremely tired.I never had a feeling of maybe I didn't make the right decision. I'm moving on with my life. When I think about my tennis career it brings me pure happiness and pride but I don't feel I'm missing out.

Cycling: Cavendish wins again on Tour of Turkey

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ISTANBUL (AFP) - British sprint star Mark Cavendish, of the Omega Pharma team, won the fourth stage of the Tour of Turkey on Wednesday between Fethiye and Marmaris as Estonia's Rein Taaramae retained the overall race lead.It was Cavendish's third stage win of the race after he took the opening two stages. He followed up victories on Sunday and Monday by comfortably beating Argentina's Maximiliano Richeze of Lampre and his Australian team-mate Mark Renshaw in a sprint finish.The 132km race was neutralised for a short while early on after heavy rainfall before a five-man breakaway opened up a lead of 3min 30sec on the peloton with just 11km remaining.They were eventually reeled in as Taaramae, of the Cofidis team, retained the overall leader's jersey with a margin of six seconds over Adam Yates of Great Britain and Romain Hardy of France.Friday's fifth stage will be a 183km ride from Marmaris to Bodrum.

2 new MERS deaths bring Saudi toll to 107

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RIYADH (AFP) - Saudi health authorities announced Wednesday two new deaths from the MERS coronavirus in the kingdom, where 16 more infections were also detected.A 41-year-old man in the northwestern city of Tabuk and an 88-year-old in Riyadh died of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, bringing to 107 the total deaths since the disease appeared in the kingdom in September 2012, the health ministry said.At the same time, the ministry said 16 new infections nationwide have raised the total number of cases diagnosed to 361, representing the bulk of infections registered globally.Public concern over the spread of MERS mounted earlier this month after the resignation of at least four doctors at Jeddahs King Fahd Hospital who refused to treat patients for fear of infection.Acting health minister Adel Fakieh said Tuesday that measures to contain the spread of MERS will be announced in the coming days as Western experts and representatives of the World Health Organisation met in Riyadh this week.MERS is considered a deadlier but less-transmissible cousin of the SARS virus that erupted in Asia in 2003 and infected 8,273 people, nine percent of whom died.There are no vaccines or antiviral treatments for MERS, a severe respiratory disease with a mortality rate of more than 40 percent that experts are still struggling to understand.

Crude prices fall amid poor US data, higher stockpiles

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NEW YORK (AFP) - Data showing the US economy stalled in the first quarter of this year and an increase in US commercial crude stockpiles helped push oil prices down Wednesday.New York's West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for June delivery dropped $1.54 to $99.74 a barrel.In London trade, Brent North Sea crude for June slid 91 cents to $108.07 a barrel.The US government's growth estimate for the January-March quarter came in much lower than expected, at an annual pace of 0.1 percent, suggesting that the extremely frigid winter virtually froze economic activity.Adding to that was a rise in the Department of Energy's weekly estimate of crude oil stocks, which gained 1.7 million barrels to 339.4 million barrels, the highest weekly level since 1982.The Federal Reserve, after a two-day policy meeting, confirmed the recent weakness in the US but said that economic activity has picked up recently, injecting some optimism into the market.Downward pressure on prices also came from the expected resumption of oil exports from a key terminal in Libya, the Zueitina port that has been shut down by protests for months. Libya is also a cause for (lower prices) after the announcement that their second port is ready to take on their first oil tanker, said Tan Chee Tat, investment analyst at Phillip Futures in Singapore.

Dollar keeps lower after weak Q1 US growth

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NEW YORK (AFP) - The dollar held lower against most other major currencies Wednesday after the Federal Reserve's anticipated decision to keep tapering its stimulus and data showing US first-quarter economic growth stalled.The Fed announced it would cut another $10 billion from its asset-purchase stimulus program, bringing spending down to $45 billion a month. The as-expected statement largely mirrored the Fed's last communique and as such, had little meaningful impact on stocks, bonds or the dollar, said Omer Esiner, chief market analyst at Commonwealth Foreign Exchange.The Fed decision came hours after the Commerce Department reported US economic growth slowed to a glacial 0.1 percent growth rate in the first three months of the year, from a 2.6 percent pace in the fourth quarter of 2013.The slowdown was much sharper than expected, but recent economic data have largely signaled an improving economy that should keep the Fed on track to wind down its asset purchase program around the end of this year, Esiner said.Notably, the Fed said that growth has picked up after having slowed sharply during the winter, he said.Across the Atlantic, the euro benefited from a rise in eurozone inflation in April, to an annual rate of 0.7 percent, that tamped down fears of low inflation in the 18-nation currency bloc.The inflation result does not provide a clear-cut case for European Central Bank easing at next week's policy meeting, said Nick Bennenbroek, head of currency strategy at Wells Fargo Securities.Meanwhile, the Bank of Japan left its monetary policy unchanged but lowered the country's growth projections, fueling speculation it will expand its massive stimulus drive.

No one can dare look at Pakistan with bad intentions: Foreign Office

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Pakistan has termed India’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi’s statement about Daud Ibrahim irresponsible. Foreign Office spokesperson on Wednesday said that no one can dare look at Pakistan with bad intentions, Dunya News reported.Talking exclusively to Dunya News, spokeswoman Tasin Aslam said that Narendra Modi has no realization of ground reality and that his statements are extremely irresponsible. She said that such statements can have dangerous consequences.She said that Indian candidates are trying to win the elections by exploiting anti-Pakistan sentiment and that such statements are not new.“Our borders have army deployed with security worth billions of rupees, no one should even dare think about aggression”, she said.Tasnim said that state affairs don’t run with non-seriousness and that statements that can cause huge trouble in the region should be avoided.Earlier, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar termed India’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi’s statement about Daud Ibrahim shameless.He said that the talk about conducting operation on Pakistani territory is crazy person’s wish, adding that Pakistan Army reserves the right to respond to reciprocate the aggression.Responding to Bhartiya Janta Party’s (BJP) prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi’s statement, Nisar said that Modi has acted with grave irresponsibility. He said that those who dream about attacking Pakistan should first determine the whereabouts of Daud Ibrahim first.Interior Minister reiterated that Pakistan Army reserves the right to respond to the enemy with equal aggression.He said that Narendra Modi became notorious for Gujrat riots when he was chief minister.“Who knows what instability the region will have to face if he becomes Prime Minister,” he added.

Man with flames hugs local politician on Indian TV debate

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LUCKNOW (AFP) -- A television debate show in northern India has ended in horror after a spectator set himself ablaze and embraced a local politician, leaving both men fighting for their lives, police and a witness told AFP on Tuesday.The election show on India's state-owned national TV channel Doordarshan was being recorded in a park on Monday in Sultanpur, a town about 160km from the city of Lucknow.A man, named by police as Durgesh Kumar Singh, emerged from a crowd of about 150 onlookers, doused himself in petrol and then grabbed the local leader of the Bahujan Samaj Party, Kamruzzama Fauji, engulfing the pair in flames.Singh sustained burns on 95 percent of his body which are likely to be fatal, while Fauji was in a critical state with 75 percent burns, police said.“This man suddenly came on the stage, poured petrol on himself and set himself on fire before tightly hugging one of the political guests,” local photographer Pankaj Kumar Gupta told AFP.“People were just too shocked to know what was happening,” said Gupta, whose photos show the men engulfed in flames with spectators fleeing the scene.Two other local politicians taking part in the show, Ram Kumar Singh and Chowdhary Hriday Ram Verma, also sustained minor burn injuries while trying to save the pair.“The injured were first admitted to the district hospital here (in Sultanpur) and were then referred to Lucknow,” said a statement from the police.The motive for the incident is unknown.India's numerous television channels are holding nightly debate shows during the ongoing parliamentary elections, often staged in villages and towns with politicians taking questions in front of local voters.The election, the world's biggest, will end on May 16 with results expected to show the Hindu nationalist opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) coming to power after 10 years of rule by the leftist Congress party.Gupta said the show on Monday was called Janmanch 2014 (People's Forum 2014) featuring five local politicians which was coming to an end when the man suddenly appeared.“Within minutes, the Doordarshan team closed its cameras and packed all their equipment,” he said.

Insurgents must accept constitution and become part of mainstream: Army Chief

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RAWALPINDI (Dunya News) – Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif said on Wednesday that Pakistan Army believes in stability of democracy and constitutional supremacy, and that all institutions are working together for the success of democratic system, Dunya News reported.Addressing central ceremony to pay tribute to nation’s martyrs at General Headquarters (GHQ), he said that Pakistan faces internal and external challenges, adding that army supports every effort of government to restore peace.He urged rebels and insurgents to give up arms and join national mainstream by accepting constitution.He said that Pakistan armed forces are fully capable of dealing with insurgents who challenge state’s writ.Army Chief said that Pakistan Army has fulfilled people’s expectations in every test because of people’s support in lifting army’s morale.He urged all institutions to work collaboratively for the success of democratic system. He said that army believes in stability of democracy and supremacy of constitution.He said that no one should doubt Pakistan Army’s abilities, adding that he assures that Pakistan Army will crush enemy’s motives.Army Chief said that Pakistan Army is ready to respond to any aggression at all times. He said that youngsters are a valuable asset of Pakistan.Talking about Kashmir dispute, Army Chief said that Kashmir is Pakistan’s jugular vein and that sacrifices offered by people of Kashmir will not go in vain. He said that Kashmir dispute should be resolved as per expectations of Kashmiri people.Army Chief also paid tribute to the role of media and civil society in national development.The ceremony was graced by prominent personalities including a large number of heirs of martyrs.

No one can derail democracy: Imran Khan

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PESHAWAR (Dunya News) – Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) Chief Imran Khan said on Wednesday that he doesn’t desire midterm elections, and that no one can derail democracy, Dunya News reported.Addressing the opening ceremony of a school and media and Doranpur, Khan said that historical rigging was done in May 11 elections.He said that his party has prepared a white paper based on 2100 pages.He said that his party will give up on 72 constituencies if their concerns on 4 constituencies are proven wrong.Imran Khan said that PTI never talked about midterm elections. Answering a question, he said that taking only Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif to official trips gives the impression that Pakistan is ruled by a monarchy.He termed increase in electricity tariff injustice to people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Chief Minister Pervaiz Khattak and Education Minister Atif Khan were also present on the occasion.Earlier, Imran Khan said on Tuesday that corruption from the country cannot be eliminated until free and fair elections are held. He said that a movement against those who rigged elections will be launched on May 11, warning that he will expose those involved.Addressing media, Imran Khan alleged that those who rigged the general election were given chairmanship of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).Whoever played role including former Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry in whatever capacity should be exposed, he said.PTI Chairman said that no political system other than democracy is successful and that corruption from the country cannot be rooted out unless free and fair elections are held.Imran Khan reiterated he will expose those who rigged elections on May 11, adding that demonstrators will stay on roads until ‘justice’ is done.He invited all parties to join the protest on May 11.

Pakistan, Britain vow to cooperate in fight against terrorism

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LONDON (Web Desk) - Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif discussed bilateral relations and important regional and international issues with his British counterpart David Cameron here on Wednesday.On this occasion, PM Nawaz Sharif said that Britains support is important for stability and prosperity of the region.He said Pakistan would not allow its soil to be used against any country.British Prime Minister David Cameron said that Pakistans progress is in the best interest of the entire world. He said every possible support will be extended for elimination of terrorism from Pakistan.The British PM said his country would enhance cooperation with Pakistan in difference fields including trade and energy.On his arrival at the 10-Downing Street, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was welcomed by British Prime MinisterDavid Cameron.Earlier, British MPs on Wednesday urged that aid to Pakistan should be reduced and diverted to poorer countries unless it is proved that the country is helping to reduce extremism, the Telegraph reported.As per details, a Commons committee said the UK was still giving large sums of money to a state that has failed to adequately mobilise the substantial resources of the country to help its poor.In 2014-15, Britain is set to give £446 million of assistance to Pakistan, making it the largest recipient of UK bilateral aid in the world.It was reported that the budget can only be justified if there is clear evidence that DfID (Department for International Development) support is effective in reducing the extremist threat.If not, we recommend that DfID consider reducing spending in Pakistan and increasing it in low income countries.The UK says Pakistan has pressing economic, educational and health problems, with 60 million families below the food poverty line.It argues Pakistan deserves increased support as it is a strategically vital country in the fight against radicalisation and terrorism across the region and elsewhere.The recommendations to cut aid came as Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif continued his three-day official visit to UK.
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Tuesday 29 April 2014

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Multan: Father turns out to be murderer of 3 daughters

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MULTAN (Dunya News) – The drop scene of the kidnapping and murder of three daughters case saw its drop scene on Tuesday when police announced victims’ own father to be alleged murderer, Dunya News reported.A week earlier, three girls; nine-year-old Meher Bano, seven-year-old Zahra and five-year-old Shahida were kidnapped from a wedding ceremony at Adda Band Bosan area. Their bodies were recovered from Nawab Pur canal.Parents of the deceased named girls’ aunt in murder case that was filed at Alpa police station. However, police now believe victims’ own father named Iqbal is responsible for the heinous crime.The police believe the motive was to frame Iqbal’s ex-sister in law in a murder case because of a grudge.

Discrimination over loadshedding not acceptable: Bilawal

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari alleged on Tuesday that people of Sindh are being targeted because they voted for the party of martyrs, Dunya News reported.In his Twitter post, Bilawal said that people of Sindh are being victimized through loadshedding and power cuts by Federal Ministry for Water and Power.“PPP won’t tolerate victimization of the people of Sindh province for voting the party of martyrs.” the tweet reads.Earlier, opposition leader in the National Assembly Khursheed Shah, Tuesday, urged Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to stop cabinet members from hatemongering. He said Punjab will also be targeted if Minister for Power Abid Sher Ali continues to call Sindhis, Balochs and Pakhtuns thieves.Addressing media, Syed Khursheed Shah said that what will be left if Abid Sher Ali will term Sindhis, Pakhtuns and Balochs thieves, warning that people of Sindh can also come in the way of Punjab.He urged Prime Minister to intervene and manage the ‘crises.’He said that taking Defence Ministry back from Khawaja Asif will be disastrous, and that doing so can also bring forward the demand to replace Prime Minister as well.He said that every institution should work while staying in their boundaries.

Three alleged terrorists arrested from Sargodha

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SARGODHA (Dunya News) – At least three alleged militants were arrested during a raid here on Tuesday.According to the sources, a sensitive agency carried out a raid on a tipoff of and arrested three alleged terrorists who were plotting to attack the military installations.The accused revealed during the interrogation that head of Al-Qada in Pakistan Yaqub Awan, Waziristan’s commander Samiullah and their accomplice were hiding in the suburban areas of Sargodha.Later the sensitive agencies launched a search operation in the suburban areas of the city.

Missing persons heirs stage sit-in against police torture

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - The heirs of missing persons continued to protest on Tuesday They said that police torture cannot stop them from protest.The protesters said that they will continue their sit-in till arrival of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.Meanwhile, Amna Masood Janjua, who is also head of the Defense of Human Rights organization, held a press conference along with relatives of the missing persons.Addressing the press conference, Amina Masood Janjua said that it was for the first time during their nine-year struggle that children, elders and women were tortured by the police.She said that the protesters have given one-month deadline for the recovery of missing persons after which next strategy of the protest would be announced.Amina Masood Janjua said that her life was in danger while other heirs of the missing persons threatened self-immolation if their dear ones were not recovered.It is pertinent to mention here that policemen resorted to baton-charge and tear-gas to disperse the missing persons relatives who wanted marched towards the parliament.Several persons including children, women and elder people were injured in the clash.Police also arrested many participants including Amina Masood Janjua who was taken to women police station after being tortured.Later, all the detainees were released on the order of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Modi's statement height of anti-Pakistan sentiment: Interior Minister

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar termed India’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi’s statement about Daud Ibrahim shameless, Dunya News reported.He said that the talk about conducting operation on Pakistani territory is crazy person’s wish, adding that Pakistan Army reserves the right to respond to reciprocate the aggression.Responding to Bhartiya Janta Party’s (BJP) prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi’s statement, Nisar said that Modi has acted with grave irresponsibility. He said that those who dream about attacking Pakistan should first determine the whereabouts of Daud Ibrahim first.Interior Minister reiterated that Pakistan Army reserves the right to respond to the enemy with equal aggression.He said that Narendra Modi became notorious for Gujrat riots when he was chief minister.“Who knows what instability the region will have to face if he becomes Prime Minister,” he added.

Govt wants to carry forward talks with Taliban: PM Nawaz

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LONDON (Dunya News) - Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has said that the government has started dialogue with Taliban with good intention. He said we want to carry forward talks with Taliban.Talking to media on his arrival in London on a three-day official visit to Britain, the PM said every possible step will be taken for the progress and prosperity of the country.Nawaz Sharif said peace in Karachi is very dear to him and special attention is being paid to achieve this goal. He said positive results have come out of the operation in Karachi.Responding to a question, the prime Minster said that Pakistani media is independent and the government has no intention to ban it.The PM said his visit will further strengthen relations between Pakistan and Britain.Earlier, Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif arrived in London on a three-day official visit to Britain at the invitation of his British counterpart David Cameron.He was received by special representative of the British Foreign Secretary.The officials of Pakistan High Commission were also present on the occasion.Nawaz Sharif will hold discussions with his British counterpart on matters of bilateral interest.He will address an Investment Conference and meet chief executives and investors from the financial and energy sectors and apprise them of the improving business environment in Pakistan.The PM will also meet members of the Pakistani Diaspora.Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Chief Minister Balochistan Dr. Abdul Malik Baloch and Special Assistant Tariq Fatemi are accompanying the Prime Minister.

Saudi Grand Mufti terms violation of traffic signals 'haram'

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RIYADH (Dunya News) -- Saudi Arabia’s grand mufti Abdulaziz al-Shaikh termed violation of traffic signals as ‘haram’ and ‘great sin’, an Arabic news channel reported on Monday.According to reports, Grand Mufti reiterated his fatwa (religious decree), ruling that drivers who cross red signals commit an act that is not only violation of law, but also a major sin according to Islamic jurisprudence.Grand Mufti is the senior most religious authority seat in Saudi Arabia, the spiritual home for Muslims worldwide.Mufti said that such a violation of traffic-law is a “major sin,” , relating it to a Quranic verse which says “if you kill one person unjustly it is as if you killed the whole humanity, and if you saved once person it is as if you saved the whole humanity.”This is not the first time the Saudi cleric has brought the subject into religious ruling. In 2010, Grand Mufti reportedly issued a similar verdict, saying the person who caused the death of another person because of such a traffic violation is guilty of involuntary man-slaughter.Saudi Arabia has one of the highest rates of car accidents in the world with an average of 17 fatalities a day, according to recent reports.Saudi Arabia’s General Directorate for traffic said in its 2010 report that almost a third of traffic accidents in the Saudi capital Riyadh were due to drivers violating traffic signals.

At least 59 killed in Syria, watchdog to probe chlorine claims

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DAMASCUS (AFP) - At least 59 people were killed in attacks in Syrias Damascus and Homs on Tuesday, as an international watchdog said it would probe alleged chlorine attacks in the country.The parliament speaker meanwhile announced four new candidates had registered for presidential polls next month expected to return President Bashar al-Assad to power despite the civil war, which has left vast swathes of the country out of his control.On Tuesday morning, a barrage of mortar shells fired by rebels hit a central neighbourhood in the capital, killing at least 14 people, state media reported.Fourteen citizens were killed and 86 others wounded by terrorists who targeted the Shaghur neighbourhood in Damascus, the SANA news agency said.The attack hit a school of Islamic jurisprudence where some students are as young as 14, though it was unclear if children were among those killed.The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights NGO put the toll in the attack at 17, adding that the figure could rise because several of the injured were in critical condition.Hours later, a car bomb ripped through a crowded area of the countrys third city Homs, followed shortly afterwards by a rocket attack on the same neighbourhood, the provincial governor told AFP.Talal Barazi said 45 people were killed in the double attack on the Zahra neighbourhood.He said 36 died in the car bomb blast and another nine in the rocket fire that followed.The rocket fell about half an hour after the bombing on the same area, where there was a crowd of people trying to help those wounded in the blast, he said.The attack was one of the deadliest to hit the central city, where rebels control just a few remaining districts, most of them under a tight government siege.Earlier this month, regime forces launched an attack on rebel areas in the city, where just a few hundred opposition fighters remain after most civilians were evacuated in a UN-led operation.- Chlorine attacks probe planned -In the Hague, meanwhile, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said it would examine allegations that chlorine had been used in attacks in Syria.The watchdogs chief Ahmet Uzumcu announced the creation of an OPCW mission to establish facts surrounding allegations of use of chlorine in Syria, a statement said.The Syrian regime and rebels have blamed each other for the use of chlorine in at least one attack, in the rebel-held town of Kafr Zita in Hama province, with the opposition alleging the government has carried out several more.The OPCW is already in Syria overseeing a deal under which Damascus is to turn over its chemical weapons arsenal by June 30.On Sunday, the joint UN-OPCW mission in Damascus said 92.5 percent of the countrys chemical weapons material had been removed or destroyed.Syria agreed to dismantle its chemical weapons programme last year, after Washington threatened military action in response to a sarin gas attack outside Damascus that killed up to 1,400 people.The regime denied carrying out the attack.presidential candidates -In Damascus, parliamentary speaker Mohamed al-Lahham said four new candidates had registered to participate in the countrys June 3 presidential election, bringing the total number of candidates, including Assad, to 11.Ali Wanous, Azza al-Hallaq, Talea Salah Nasser and Samih Mikhael Moussa are all relative unknowns.Syrias constitution requires that candidates for the presidency be Muslim, but a source in the constitutional court confirmed that Moussa is Christian.We receive all applications for presidential candidacy and transmit them to the parliament, the source said.In the five days after the candidacy period ends, on May 5, we will examine the candidates to see if they meet all requirements. On May 6, we will announce who has met the conditions, he added.Hallaqs application brings the number of women competing in the vote to two.The constitution contains no explicit prohibition on female candidates, but its phrasing implies only male candidates are permitted.The elections will be Syrias first multi-candidate presidential vote after a constitutional amendment did away with the previous referendum system.But with a brutal civil war raging and large areas of the country held by rebels, it remains unclear how the vote will be organised.Nearly half of Syrias residents have fled their homes, and the countrys electoral commission says those who left the country illegally will not be allowed to vote.Electoral rules also prevent anyone who has lived outside Syria in the past decade from running, effectively excluding most prominent opposition figures, who live in exile.

Khursheed Shah urges PM to stop cabinet members from hatemongering

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) –Opposition leader in the National Assembly Khursheed Shah, Tuesday, urged Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to stop cabinet members from hatemongering. He said Punjab will also be targeted if Minister for Power Abid Sher Ali continues to call Sindhis, Balochs and Pakhtuns thieves, Dunya News reported.Addressing media, Syed Khursheed Shah said that what will be left if Abid Sher Ali will term Sindhis, Pakhtuns and Balochs thieves, warning that people of Sindh can also come in the way of Punjab.He urged Prime Minister to intervene and manage the ‘crises.’He said that taking Defence Ministry back from Khawaja Asif will be disastrous, and that doing so can also bring forward the demand to replace Prime Minister as well.He said that every institution should work while staying in their boundaries.It is pertinent to mention here that Sindh Assembly on Tuesday passed a unanimous resolution against loadshedding in the province and federal government, blaming that the federal ministry of water and power was not showing a responsible attitude.Addressing the session, Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah said that the federal government was discriminating against the people of Sindh on the issue of loadshedding and suspension of power supply.Qaim Ali Shah said that the federal government did not trust the Sindh government but instead trusted a meter reader. He said the federal government has adopted a dictatorial way to suspend the power supply in the province.The CM said that the Sindh government would take the issues of loadshedding and arrears to the Council of Common Interest (CCI).He said that the Sindh government has differences with the federal government over the issue of electricity dues.

South African woman charged with kids killing to be hospitalized in UK

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LONDON (AFP) - A South African woman accused of murdering her three young disabled children in London will be moved to a secure hospital for immediate treatment for mental health problems, a court heard.Tania Clarence, 42, sobbed quietly as she appeared via video link from prison, where she is being held on suspicion of killing her three-year-old twin sons, Ben and Max, and four-year-old daughter Olivia.The children were most likely suffocated, prosecutors told the hearing at a court in London, although further tests are being carried out.All three suffered from type 2 spinal muscular atrophy, a genetic condition which leaves children with little control of their movements and can drastically shorten their life expectancy.Clarence was detained after the three bodies were found at the familys home in New Malden, southwest London, on April 22.She will now be moved to a secure hospital under Britains Mental Health Act after Judge Brian Barker said he had heard evidence suggesting an overriding need for immediate treatment.Clarences investment banker husband, Gary Clarence, 43, watched the hearing from the public gallery.At the time of the childrens deaths he was away in South Africa, the couples home country, with their eldest daughter Taya.Prosecuting lawyer Zoe Johnson said post-mortem examinations on the bodies indicated that the provisional cause of death is probably suffocation.She added: Whether that was associated with some form of intoxication is yet to be determined.

Horror Indian TV debate sees burning man embrace politician

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LUCKNOW (AFP) - A television debate show in northern India has ended in horror after a spectator set himself ablaze and embraced a local politician, leaving both men fighting for their lives, police and a witness told AFP Tuesday.The election show on Indias state-owned national TV channel Doordarshan was being recorded in a park on Monday in Sultanpur, a town about 160 kilometers (100 miles) from the city of Lucknow.A man, named by police as Durgesh Kumar Singh, emerged from a crowd of about 150 onlookers, doused himself in petrol and then grabbed the local leader of the Bahujan Samaj Party, Kamruzzama Fauji, engulfing the pair in flames.Singh sustained burns on 95 percent of his body which are likely to be fatal, while Fauji was in a critical state with 75 percent burns, police said.This man suddenly came on the stage, poured petrol on himself and set himself on fire before tightly hugging one of the political guests, local photographer Pankaj Kumar Gupta told AFP.People were just too shocked to know what was happening, said Gupta, whose photos show the men engulfed in flames with spectators fleeing the scene.Two other local politicians taking part in the show, Ram Kumar Singh and Chowdhary Hriday Ram Verma, also sustained minor burn injuries while trying to save the pair.The injured were first admitted to the district hospital here (in Sultanpur) and were then referred to Lucknow, said a statement from the police.The motive for the incident is unknown.Indias numerous television channels are holding nightly debate shows during the ongoing parliamentary elections, often staged in villages and towns with politicians taking questions in front of local voters.The election, the worlds biggest, will end on May 16 with results expected to show the Hindu nationalist opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) coming to power after 10 years of rule by the leftist Congress party.Gupta said the show on Monday was called Janmanch 2014 (Peoples Forum 2014) featuring five local politicians which was coming to an end when the man suddenly appeared.Within minutes, the Doordarshan team closed its cameras and packed all their equipment, he said.

Wounded mayor of Ukraine city flown to Israel for treatment

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KHARKIV (AFP) - The mayor of the east Ukraine city of Kharkiv, who was wounded critically after being shot in the back by an unknown assailant, has been flown to Israel for treatment, local officials and the Israeli hospital treating him said Tuesday.Yury Sydorenko, director of information at Kharkiv city council, said Israeli doctors decided after examining his wounds that mayor Gennady Kernes could be transported and he was flown out early Tuesday.He is now being treated at Elisha, a private hospital in the northern coastal city of Haifa.The hospital said the emergency surgery performed on him in Ukraine appeared to have worked.He was examined upon arrival, and the results show the operations were successful, medics said in a statement.He is under the supervision of the best doctors, and it seems he wont need further surgical intervention. The course of his treatment will be determined in a few days, the hospital added.- Bullet in the back -The shooting of Kernes in Ukraines second-largest city was the latest violent incident in the east of the country where authorities have launched what they call an anti-terrorism operation against pro-Russian separatists who have seized a string of towns.The European Unions foreign policy supremo Catherine Ashton condemned the shooting, saying she was alarmed by the worsening security situation in eastern Ukraine.Kernes appeared to have been targeted by a sniper although the circumstances and motivations behind his shooting remained unclear.Locals officials say he was cycling but his entourage said he was jogging. The city council said he was hit by a bullet in the back.It was not clear whether the attack was directly related to the simmering tensions in eastern Ukraine.The mayor is a colourful character, who has a criminal record for theft and fraud and is not known for tolerating dissent.He is under investigation on accusations of kidnapping and torture but has clung onto his post in Kharkiv, an industrial hub of 1.4 million people not far from the border with Russia.A one-time supporter of ousted pro-Russia president Viktor Yanukovych, Kernes was known for a particularly robust crackdown on the pro-Western demonstrations that shook Ukraine from November to February, banning any protests to avoid the spread of infectious diseases.Pro-Western activists were regularly assaulted. Some had their cars burnt while others were sprayed with a green liquid that is difficult to remove from the skin and impossible to remove from clothes.He also encouraged the rise of the paramilitary group Oplot, whose leader Yevgeny Zhilin told AFP in an interview in February that pro-Western protesters should have their arms broken or eyes gouged out.After Yanukovych was forced out in late February after months of pro-Western protests, Kernes briefly fled Kharkiv but then returned, moderating his opposition to the new authorities in Kiev and seeking to present himself in favour of a united Ukraine.The interior ministry in Kiev speculated that the attack was linked to separatists in the Donetsk region to destabilise Kharkiv.Political analyst Vladimir Fessenko said the shooting could be due to the fact Kernes had toned down his support for the Kremlin in recent weeks.This attack could be a signal to politicians and businessmen who are staying neutral in their region that they have to clearly choose sides, Fessenko said.Kernes was a strong and authoritarian leader. He pulled the strings and was a key element in the regions stability, added the analyst.Another political observer, Vadim Karassev, said that whatever the reasons behind the attack, the consequence would be a rise in violence and pro-Russian forces in the city.

Australia warns meth pandemic as drug busts hit record

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SYDNEY (AFP) - Australia is facing a crystal meth pandemic, authorities warned Tuesday as they announced arrests and seizures over illicit drugs reached an all-time high last year.The government-run Australian Crime Commission (ACC) said in a report that the situation was gravely serious, with international cartels at the heart of the problem.National illicit drug seizures and arrests were at record or decade highs for nearly all drug types in this reporting period, said ACC acting chief executive Paul Jevtovic.Illicit drug use in Australia, and the profits gained from it, is directly linked to transnational organized crime groups that are implicated in large-scale criminality and corruption overseas.During the financial year to July 2013, a record 101,749 arrests were made and there were 86,918 seizures of illicit drugs -- a 66 percent increase over the past decade.Police have previously said Australias wealth and the strength of the Australian dollar meant traffickers were pouring drugs into the country.Australians, for whatever reason, are prepared to pay a high price for illicit drugs, probably because they can, ACC official Judy Lind told reporters.And in the last four or five year, international drug cartels have cottoned on to that.While cannabis continues to dominate the Australian market, the prevalence of cocaine and performance-enhancing drugs was also at record highs.There was also a massive surge in the availability of ice -- or crystal methyl amphetamine -- which is now second only to cannabis in popularity, with seizures up more than 300 percent in a year.Jevtovic said the issue was a national concern, with the drug linked to violent assaults as users can become highly aggressive, and compared it to the crack crisis that gripped the US in the 1980s and 1990s.With its relative accessibility, affordability and destructive side-effects, crystal methylamphetamine is emerging as a pandemic akin to the issue of crack cocaine in the United States, he said.Justice Minister Michael Keenan agreed that the ice epidemic was becoming a major problem.Ice is a devastating, insidious drug. It affects everyone from users, their families, and their communities, and the authorities who deal with the users, he said, adding that the report provided authorities with a robust picture of the illicit drug market.The information released today is as encouraging as it is challenging. Law enforcement is making significant inroads in the fight against illicit drugs. Were detecting more criminals and disrupting more illicit drugs before they hit the streets, said Keenan.But there is much more work to be done and this report also provides critical evidence so that decision makers and law enforcement officers can develop further strategies to undermine the business models of organized crime and combat the threat of illicit drugs.

Taiwan woman jailed for trafficking Cambodian fishermen

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PHNOM PENH (AFP) - A Taiwanese woman was on Tuesday jailed for 10 years by a Cambodian court for trafficking hundreds of people to work in slave-like conditions on fishing boats off Africa.Lin Yu Shin, owner of the now-defunct Giant Ocean International Co. Ltd, was arrested in the Cambodian tourist hub of Siem Reap last year.Five of her associates, who remain at large, were convicted in their absence and also handed 10-year sentences by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court.Lins firm allegedly began sending Cambodian workers to work on trawlers off the coasts of South Africa, Mauritius and Senegal in 2009 as well as Japan, Fiji, Qatar and Malaysia.Police said last year that about 700 Cambodians were sent to work on the boats, resulting in more than 200 people filing complaints for unpaid wages.The court ordered Lin and her associates to jointly pay more than 150 victims between $1,750 and $15,900 each in damages and compensation.Dozens of victims and their family members were in court for the verdict.The company sent me to work on a Taiwanese fishing boat in Africa with a promise of $200 a month. We worked night and day for almost 24 hours, but we did not get paid, said Keo Tol, 33.Tol told AFP he was sent to Africa in 2011 and was rescued and sent back home a year later.If we did not work, we would be beaten. We did not have enough sleep. We worked on the boat like slaves, Tol said.In a separate case last year, 22 Cambodians trafficked onto Thai fishing boats were rescued near the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius.

Crude prices edge higher in Asia

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SINGAPORE (AFP) - Oil prices rose in Asian trade Tuesday after the West slapped fresh sanctions on Russia over its role in Ukraine, although gains were capped as the measures were seen as less aggressive than expected.New Yorks West Texas Intermediate for June delivery climbed 15 cents to $100.99 in afternoon trade while Brent North Sea crude rose 23 cents to $108.35 for its June contract.The White House imposed sanctions on seven Russian officials and 17 firms close to President Vladimir Putin and the European Union said it was adding 15 names to its own list.But Desmond Chua, an analyst at CMC markets in Singapore, said they were less aggressive than most would have thought.The situation in Ukraine, a major conduit for Russian natural gas exports to Western Europe, is being monitored closely by investors who are concerned that a full-scale armed conflict would disrupt supplies and send energy prices soaring.
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Monday 28 April 2014

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Football: Arsenal eye Champions League after Newcastle stroll

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LONDON (AFP) - Arsenal moved four points clear of Everton in the race for the fourth and final Champions League place on offer to Premier League clubs with a convincing 3-0 win over Newcastle United on Monday.A rare strike by Laurent Koscielny opened the scoring at the Emirates Stadium before Mesut Ozil netted for the 10th time this season and Olivier Giroud sealed victory with his 21st goal of the campaign to boost the Gunners hopes of a 17th successive term in Europes premier club competition.Arsene Wengers side now require just one more victory from their final two league matches against either West Bromwich Albion or Norwich City to book their spot.We had some problems at the start of the game, trying to find our way through the defence. When we found an opening we became stronger, Gunners boss Wenger told Sky Sports.In truth, visitors Newcastle had goalkeeper Tim Krul to thank for keeping the scoreline respectable as Alan Pardew, back on the touchline after a seven-game absence due to suspension, saw his side suffer a sixth successive league defeat -- the north-east clubs worst run in the English top flight since the 1986/87 season.It was tough for us tonight, said Pardew, whose side remain ninth in the table.We dug in, worked hard and tried to offer a threat but they (Arsenal) were too good.We need to focus on finishing in the top 10. Well be really up for it and hopefully well get a win.The Englishman added: Were going to work hard in the summer to make sure we have a team that can make this city proud.Im looking at the job as a long-term opportunity for myself. Thats how you have to focus.While followers of fifth-placed Everton were cheering on Newcastle in the hope they could do them a favour, the blue half of Merseyside would be disappointed as Arsenal, with the FA Cup final against Hull City at Wembley on May 17 confined to the back of their minds, dominated throughout.Arsenal, with Aaron Ramsey and Ozil back in the groove after building up their match-fitness following injuries, looked slicker and sharper and it was little surprise when the north London side took the lead in the 26th minute.Moussa Sissoko needlessly pulled down Giroud 40 yards out from goal and Santi Cazorlas pin-point delivery allowed Koscielny to nip in at the back post and flick home for his second goal of the season.Arsenal almost doubled their advantage two minutes later when Lukas Podolski saw his effort from an acute angle on the left side of the area turned around the post by Kruls legs.Krul came to the rescue once again on the half-hour mark when the Dutch keeper produced an excellent save to keep out Podolskis header from point-blank range.But the second goal Arsenal had been threatening arrived three minutes before the interval.Giroud broke Newcastles offside trap to latch onto Mikel Artetas through ball and the striker was twice denied by Krul only for Ozil to tap home the rebound.Replays did show that Ozil was in an offside position when he converted, but the goal stood.Arsenal maintained the pressure early in the second period, Cazorla hitting a volley over the crossbar and Bacary Sagna heading over.Newcastle, whose supporters began to turn on manager Pardew, could have halved the deficit in the 58th minute when Yoan Gouffran raced clear onto Loic Remys pass, but his shot was straight at Gunners goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny.The misery continued for Pardew as the hosts scored a simple third goal when the unmarked Giroud headed home from six yards from Ozils left-wing cross.That sparked a series of growing chants from the away section of the ground such as Next excuse, Pardew? and Pardew Out as the pressure increased on the Newcastle manager.But, for Wenger and Arsenal, this was a good job, well done as they took another major step towards Champions League qualification.

Boxing: Wladimir Klitschko's Olympic hopes in doubt

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KIEV (AFP) - Ukraines undisputed world heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschkos hopes of competing in the 2016 Olympics have been dealt a blow after he failed to get permission to take part in his countrys qualifying competition.The executive board of the Ukrainian national boxing federation have never given permission to either Klitschko or his older brother Vitali to take part in qualifying for the Games in Rio de Janeiro, meaning he has missed the deadline, according to the R-Sport news agency.The possibility of the participation of the Klitschko brothers in Olympic qualifying as professionals is something that has never been examined, Ukraines boxing federation press service stated.That comes as a blow to the 38-year-old, who had earlier been quoted by the Interfax-Ukraine news agency as saying: I hope that international amateur boxings ruling body will be kind to me, and that I will have enough health and motivation to perform at the Olympics in two years time.The 38-year-old, who won gold at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, said he spoke to his former coach, Emanuel Steward, during the 2012 London Olympic Games and that he had encouraged him to box again in Rio.Steward subsequently died in October of 2012.It was our joint dream with Emanuel (Steward) and I hope I will be able to fulfil it, Klitschko said.I already have an Olympic title and it would be terrific to repeat this experience 20 years later.Klichko, who has lived in Germany since the 1990s, had the chance to take German citizenship and represent the country at the Olympics but he also failed to inform Germanys boxing association about his intentions in time.Unfortunately Klitschko has failed to meet the demands of the AIBA as he missed the opportunity to inform Germanys boxing association about his intention to represent our country at the Games in time, Germanys amateur boxing chief Jurgen Kyas said.His participation in the Games could be very useful for all of amateur boxing but we should observe the rules, he added.On Sunday Klitschko defended his WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO belts in Oberhausen, Germany, in his 25th world title fight, knocking out Australian challenger Alex Leapai after two minutes, five seconds of the fifth round.

Oil prices mixed despite fresh Russia sanctions

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NEW YORK (AFP) - Oil prices fell in London but edged higher in New York Monday as fresh Western sanctions on Moscow were milder than feared and Libya stook more steps to increase exports.New York's West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for delivery in June gained 24 cents at $100.84 a barrel.In London, Brent North Sea crude for June lost $1.46 to close at $108.12 a barrel.The London benchmark felt selling pressure after Libya's state oil company declared the end of a force majeure on its Zueitina oil depot, opening the way for a resumption of exports from the terminal.Analysts meanwhile said the sanctions by Washington and Western Europe, targeting Russian President Vladimir Putin's close business circle for Moscow's failure to stop soaring tensions in Ukraine, came in lighter than expected.The sharp turnaround in Brent oil prices is probably due to the fact the sanctions against Russia were not as tough as had been priced in, said Forex.com analyst Fawad Razaqzada.The Brent contract is likely to remain supported by geopolitical tensions for the foreseeable future, while the excess oil supply in the US will probably weigh down WTI.Crude futures had rebounded in earlier trade, boosted by renewed strains between Russia and Ukraine.Ukraine, a major conduit for Russian natural gas exports to Western Europe, is monitored closely by investors who are concerned that a full-scale armed conflict will disrupt supplies and send energy prices soaring.Washington placed seven Russian officials and 17 companies on its sanctions list, and the European Union added 15 people to its own blacklist, in hopes of persuading Moscow to back off from Ukraine.The measures fall short of the full-scale economic sanctions previously pressed by Washington.As the situation in Ukraine continues to remain tentative, we expect volatile trading conditions in the short term, until there is a clear resolution to the Ukrainian crisis, said analyst Myrto Sokou at the Sucden brokerage in London.

Dollar slips vs euro ahead of Fed meeting

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NEW YORK (AFP) - The dollar slipped against the euro Monday despite bearish comments from Europe and amid expectations that the Federal Reserve will keep policy on course in its two-day meeting opening Tuesday.The euro-dollar rate remained within its recent narrow range, showing little impact from a fresh round of sanctions announced by the US and the European Union against Russia, aiming to press Moscow to stop menacing Ukraine.The trade also seemed unperturbed by warnings from France's central bank that the eurozone faces a disinflation threat, and from the Bundesbank that the German economy will see a noticable slowdown this quarter.Low inflation does not mean deflation, said Bank of France Governor Christian Noyer. But he underscored that very low inflation was a big problem, and part of the cause was the euro's strength.The big challenge for the 18-nation eurozone was the risk of inflation which is too weak for a lasting period, he said.No policy surprises are expected from the Fed in its monetary policy review on Tuesday and Wednesday: another $10 billion cut to bond purchases is presumed, as is an unchanged dovish stance on inflation.The yen meanwhile fell against the euro and the dollar, ahead of a Bank of Japan policy meeting on Wednesday. With Japan's inflation number appearing stronger last week, the BoJ could be reticent to further ease policy.

US couple appeals Qatar jail over daughter's death

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DOHA (AFP) - A US couple initially accused in Qatar of starving their adopted daughter to death in order to sell her organs on Monday appealed their conviction on reduced charges of parental neglect, a judicial source said.Matthew and Grace Huang appeared in court Monday, the judicial source said, adding that they only found out this week the charges that provided the basis for their three-year-jail sentences of March 27.Today was just a formality, the source said, requesting not to be named.The Huangs, who are of Asian descent, were arrested in January 2013 after the death of their eight-year-old daughter Gloria, who was adopted from an orphanage in Ghana. They maintain she died of an eating disorder rooted in a troubled early childhood.Both adoption and multiracial families are rare in Qatar, a conservative Gulf Arab emirate, and the familys supporters maintain Qatari authorities misunderstood the Huangs situation.The couple were released in November pending trial, but the court denied their request to leave the country to join their other two adopted children in the United States.The public prosecutor had pushed for the death penalty for the Huangs.In addition to imprisonment, the court ordered the couple to pay a fine of 15,000 riyals ($4,100) each and to be deported after serving their sentence.But in reading the verdict, the judge did not specify the exact charges for which they were convicted.

US congressman in custody, charged with 20 counts

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NEW YORK (AFP) - US congressman Michael Grimm was taken into custody Monday and charged with fraud and obstruction of justice, accused by federal prosecutors of making $1 million disappear from the books of a business he owned.The former FBI agent and a second-term Republican from Staten Island was arraigned in federal court where he pleaded not guilty to an array of charges linked to his conduct while the owner of a health food restaurant before he became a member of the House of Representatives.A federal indictment charged Grimm with 20 counts, including five counts each of mail fraud and wire fraud, three counts of filing false tax returns, two counts of perjury and one of obstructing official proceedings.Michael Grimm made the choice to go from upholding the law to breaking it. In so doing he turned his back on every oath he had ever taken, US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Loretta Lynch, said in announcing the charges.Lynch pulled no punches, outlining how Grimm hired undocumented workers and paid them cash, off the books, in a scheme to fraudulently under-report earnings at Healthalicious, the Manhattan restaurant he co-owned from 2007 through 2010.The scheme, Lynch said, allowed Grimm to make over $1 million simply disappear.The indictment stated: In an attempt to conceal his schemes, in January 2013, while a member of Congress, Grimm lied under oath during a civil deposition about his role in operating the restaurant, including falsely denying that he had paid Healthaliciouss workers in cash.If convicted, Grimm could get up to 20 years for each of the mail and wire fraud charges, in addition to jail time for the others.The 44-year-old also has been under investigation for two years for alleged campaign finance violations, but the 20 counts did not appear to be directly related to that FBI probe.Grimm got into hot water earlier this year after being caught on camera threatening to throw a reporter off a balcony in the US Capitol building after the journalist asked Grimm about the campaign finance probe.Last week, Grimms lawyer William McGinley said his client asserts his innocence, and that US authorities were conducting a politically-driven vendetta against him.Grimm and the rest of the 435-seat House face re-election in November.The non-profit Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington called for Grimms immediate resignation.

British Library opens showcase for vast news archive

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LONDON (AFP) - The British Library officially opened its newsroom on Monday, where the public can access more than 300 years of newspaper history dating back to the English Civil War for free.In the new centre at the national library in London, visitors can plough through 7.8 million scanned pages of historic newspapers and 4.8 million archived British Internet domain websites, totalling more than a billion individual web pages.It also holds the British Librarys collection of television and radio news broadcasts, which includes more than 40,000 programmes dating back to 2007 and is growing at a rate of 60 hours every day across 22 news outlets.Newspapers are often described as the first draft of history -- in fact, in many cases they are the raw material of history and very often the only record that exists of an event or an individual that otherwise would have been forgotten, said the British Librarys chief executive Roly Keating.The new facility means researchers can access material within the library itself in central London, rather than trekking to the archive.The vast cache of actual newspapers was sited at an outdated facility in suburban London, but has migrated to a new, high-tech storage unit in Yorkshire, northern England.The newspaper collection dates back as far as the English Civil War (1642-1651) and constitutes an unrivalled record of society, people, politics and events, the library says.It contains more than 750 million pages of newspapers and periodicals from nearly every local, regional and national newspaper, and takes up more than 20 kilometres of shelves.Keating said the collection was a vital part of the memory of the nation -- recording every aspect of local, regional and national life, and was continuing to grow at a rate of more than seven metres every week.Were ensuring this vast, precious and incredibly fragile resource is available not just for todays researchers, but also future generations.Culture Secretary Sajid Javid was opening the newsroom.The new reading room, and the shift of the librarys actual newspaper archives to a new facility, has been paid for with 33 million ($56 million, 40 million euro) of public funds.The often fragile collection of 60 million printed newspapers has moved from Colindale in northwest London to a purpose-built new storage facility in the village of Boston Spa, between Leeds and York.It is temperature and humidity-controlled so that the copies, mostly printed on cheap, low-grade paper meant to be read once and then thrown away, may stand a better chance of lasting well into the future.The oxygen in the facility has been reduced from 21 percent to between 14 and 15 percent to reduce the risk of fire.It is also off limits to people to help maintain the atmosphere. The papers are stored in 20-metre-high racks and are fetched by robotic cranes that deliver them, via an air-lock, to a retrieval area.

Ashraf Mahmood Wathra becomes SBP chief

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KARACHI (Web Desk) - Acting Governor State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Ashraf Mahmood Wathra has been appointed full-fledge Governor of the central bank for next three years.The slot was vacated on January 30 2014 when former Governor SBP Yaseen Anwar resigned from the post. Therefore, the government is bound to appoint the new Governor SBP within three months after the post vacant.According to the SBP act 1956, the federal government has to appoint the new governor before April 30 2014.Anwar was appointed SBP governor in July 2011 after former SBP governor Shahid Kardar stepped down from the position amidst rumours that he had developed differences with the ministry of finance.Mr. Wathra brings 35 years of commercial & investment banking experience to his new assignment. Prior to joining SBP, he was serving the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) as its Senior Executive Vice President & Group Chief, Credit Management Group, since October, 2012.Before joining NBP, Mr. Wathra served Habib Bank Limited from April 1999 to September 2012 in various responsible capacities such as Regional General Manager (Bangladesh), Executive Vice President & Regional General Manager (Singapore), Executive Vice President, Group Executive and Risk Manager & Senior Credit Officer, Asset Remedial Management Group.He was attached with Faysal Bank Limited from May 1992 to March 1999 in senior positions such as Executive Vice President & Country Risk Manager, Executive Vice President & Regional Manager and Senior Vice President & Chief Manager. From 1978 to 1992, he had been associated with BRR Capital Modaraba, Emirates Bank International, American Express Bank Ltd. and ANZ Grindlays Bank. He also served as Director at Habib Finance International, Hong Kong and Habib Finance, Australia.Holding Masters Degree in Business Administration, Mr. Wathra has attended a number of seminars, conferences and courses at home and abroad including Wharton/SMU General Management Program, Operational Risk Management and Asian Bonds Summit etc.

PM takes notice of police torture on missing persons heirs

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has taken notice of police torture on heirs of missing persons.According to a statement issued by Spokesman of Prime Ministers House, the PM has expressed annoyance over police torture on the relatives of missing persons.The statement says that peaceful protest is a democratic right of every Pakistani and a citizen cannot be deprived of his basic right.The PM has ordered immediate release of all detainees including Amina Masood Janjua and take action against those responsible.According to Interior Ministry, all detainees have been released and a judicial inquiry into the incident has been ordered ASP City and ASP Secretariat Circle have been suspended.Amina Masood Janjua arrived at D-Chowk immediately after her release. She told that policemen also snatched cell phones from the protesters.She said that their struggle would continue till the recovery of missing persons.Earlier on Monday, police on resorted to baton-charge and tear gassing to disperse the heirs of missing persons.The clash between police and relatives of missing persons started when the protesters started marching towards Parliament House.Police stopped the protesters at D-Chowk. When the protesters tried to move to the other route police again stopped them and the clash started after exchange of harsh words.Police, resorted to baton-charge and tear-gas to disperse the protesters injuring several including children and women.Some journalists and cameramen were also injured during the clash, Dunya News reported.Police also arrested several protesters including human rights activist and campaigner on missing persons issue Amina Masood Janjua while the protest camp at D-Chowk was also removed by the police officials.

Abdelaziz Bouteflika sworn in as Algeria president for 4th term

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ALGIERS (AFP) - Abdelaziz Bouteflika was sworn in as Algeria's president for a fourth term Monday, a year after suffering a mini-stroke that was expected to end his 15-year grip on power.Sitting in a wheelchair and dressed in a navy three-piece suit and crimson tie, Bouteflika placed his right hand on the Koran as he repeated in a frail voice the oath read out by Supreme Court chief Slimane Boudi.The 77-year-old, who was also in a wheelchair when he cast his ballot in the April 17 election, has hardly been seen in public since the mini-stroke that confined him to hospital in Paris for three months last year.Official results showed he won 81.5 percent of the votes in the election marred by low turnout and claims of fraud by his opponents, including main rival Ali Benflis, who received just 12.2 percent.In a brief inauguration speech before senior Algerian officials, diplomats and other delegates, Bouteflika stumbled on his words as he thanked the security forces and observers for ensuring the election was run smoothly.Bouteflika also paid tribute to voters and other candidates in the election, which he hailed as a day of celebration and democracy for Algeria.At the start of the ceremony, Bouteflika had sat with his hands on his knees as he inspected soldiers following a display of their weapons outside the beachfront Palace of Nations resort.After shaking hands with the head of a constitutional panel, Mourad Medelci, and members of his government, Bouteflika was greeted by celebratory ululation.The inauguration ceremony wrapped up after 30 minutes with a standing ovation for Bouteflika, and a rousing rendition of Algeria's national anthem.Bouteflika followed it up by paying tribute to those killed in the war of independence at El Alia cemetery, the final resting place of other former presidents.- Opposition boycott -The opposition boycotted Monday's swearing-in ceremony, including five parties that had called on their supporters to stay away from the election.Among the absentees was Benflis, who has refused to recognise Bouteflika's re-election, saying that doing so would make him complicit in fraud.One of the few remaining veterans of the war of independence against France, Bouteflika first came to power in 1999, and has been dogged by ill health and corruption scandals.Bouteflika remains popular with many Algerians who credit him with helping to end a devastating civil war and contain Arab Spring protests.But many people had been clamouring for change.Algeria has witnessed more self-immolations than Tunisia since 2011 and many people express astonishment that a state with foreign exchange reserves of $182 billion does not do more to improve their lives.Social discontent and deadly riots rattled Algeria in January 2011 when revolts were spreading across the region, but the regime snuffed out the protests with a sprinkling of political reforms and pay rises.Bouteflika's third term in office was overshadowed by speculation about his health, and even rumours he had died, after he underwent surgery in Paris in 2005 for a stomach ulcer.The Algerian president was hospitalised in France again in April last year after a mini-stroke, spending three months recovering and chairing just two cabinet meetings in 2013.But he won re-election in a landslide, despite not even taking part in campaigning.And in his inauguration speech he said he would continue to seek from international partners backing for Algeria's development based on mutual support and the transfer of technology.He also promised the advent of a diversified economy in a country heavily reliant on hydrocarbons, which account for 97 percent of exports.

22 killed in attack on Central Africa MSF hospital

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BANGUI (AFP) - At least 22 people including three staff members of medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres were killed during a weekend attack by gunmen on a Central African hospital, in the latest atrocity to hit the violence-plagued country.The brutal attack in the northwest was blamed on rebels known as the Seleka, a mostly Muslim group whose coup in March last year unleashed a vicious cycle of sectarian violence.Armed men from the ex-Seleka and of Fula ethnicity on Saturday afternoon attacked a hospital supported by MSF in the region of Nanga Boguila, killing at least 22 people, including three Central African employees of MSF and leaving a dozen wounded, an officer from the African-led MISCA peacekeeping force told AFP on Monday.MSF confirmed the death of its three employees, saying they were among 16 civilians killed in the attack.We are extremely shocked and saddened by the brutal violence used against our medical staff and the community, Stefano Argenziano, the head of the charitys mission in the country said.This appalling incident has forced us to withdraw key staff and suspend activities in Boguila.The gunmen stormed into the building while local representatives and MSF employees held a meeting, according to the MISCA officer.He said the assailants first opened fire at a group of people, before going to the hospital and shooting.They took computers and several other assets, breaking down doors probably in search for cash, added the officer.Roman Nadal, a spokesman for the French foreign ministry, said Monday that the French government strongly condemns the deadly attack.The perpetrators of this intolerable attack must be brought to justice, he said, while adding his praise for MSFs work in difficult conditions and under threat to their lives.The Seleka rebels were ordered to disarm by their leader Michel Djotodia several months after they installed him in power in a coup. But some ignored orders and went on a killing, raping and pillaging rampage.Mostly Christian communities then formed anti-balaka vigilante forces to wreak revenge against Muslims, usually targeting innocent people.Djotodia resigned in January after failing to put down the violence that has claimed thousands of lives and displaced a quarter of the countrys 4.6 million population. Today, extremists of the Seleka alliance actively encourage de facto partition.African and French peacekeepers, backed up recently by an EU force, have struggled to curb the fighting ripping the country apart.It is a region that is not completely secured, because our forces (are not large enough) to be deployed in other sites than the main cities like Bossangoa, said the MISCA officer, referring to a city about 100 kilometres from the scene of the MSF attack.According a report by the UN mission in the country, seen by AFP on Monday, there have been a number of other attacks in recent days on villages near Paoua, close to the northern border with Chad. The UN force blames them on the strengthening of the Seleka rebels in the region.The weekend also saw 1,300 Muslims leave the capital Bangui under heavy guard.Tens of thousands have already fled northwards, almost emptying the south of the country of Muslims. They have travelled to predominantly Muslim areas in the north, while thousands of others have fled across borders into Chad and Cameroon.The religious and ethnic faultlines that are driving the conflict are particularly disheartening in a country where these groups lived peacefully alongside each other for generations despite a succession of coups, misrule, army mutinies and strikes.Earlier in April, UN chief Ban Ki-moon made an impassioned plea on the warring parties to prevent a new genocide on the continent, 20 years after Rwanda.A 12,000-strong UN force is scheduled to deploy in September in the former French colony, taking over from 2,000 French and 6,000 African Union soldiers already in place.

Hong Kong shares end 0.41% down

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HONG KONG (AFP) - Hong Kong shares closed 0.41 percent lower on Monday, in line with a broad regional sell-off following losses on Wall Street, while traders keep a wary eye on the Ukraine crisis.The benchmark Hang Seng Index ended down 91.00 points at 22,132.53 on turnover of HK$52.83 billion (US$6.82 billion).The tech-rich Nasdaq led US shares down Friday after a disappointing earnings report from Amazon. The Dow fell 0.85 percent, the S&P 500 lost 0.81 percent and the tech-heavy Nasdaq tumbled 1.75 percent.In Eastern Europe pro-Russian militants presented a captured team of international observers as prisoners of war in Ukraine Sunday, adding fuel to the crisis as US President Barack Obama warned Moscow against provocation.Obama said Russia had not lifted a finger to implement a peace deal struck in Geneva on April 17 to ease the crisis. He added that Moscow faced consequences and those consequences will continue to grow.The US and its Western allies are planning a new round of sanctions against Moscow and on Monday Obama said they would target Russian firms and high-tech defence articles.Cathay Pacific Airways eased 0.54 percent to HK$14.76 and HSBC dipped 0.06 percent to HK$78.70, while Internet firm Tencent fell 3.06 percent to HK$507.5 and casino giant Sands China slipped 3.34 percent to HK$59.4.But China Mobile rose 1.59 percent to 70.15 and Petro China was 1.48 percent up at 8.93.In China the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index fell 1.62 percent, or 33.03 points, to 2,003.49 on turnover of 68.5 billion Yuan ($11.0 billion).The Shenzhen Composite Index, which tracks stocks on Chinas second exchange, lost 2.84 percent, or 29.45 points, to 1,007.27 on turnover of 82.2 billion Yuan.The market extended its recent losses fuelled by fears that an expected resumption of initial public offerings will lead to a share glut and soak up capital.At least 122 companies have announced their draft IPO plans, according to reports, with new listings expected next month.The news that IPO reviews will soon resume put pressure on the market, Zheshang Securities analyst Zhang Yanbing told AFP.He forecast the Shanghai index will break below the key 2,000-point level soon, as the government has signalled it will not loosen monetary policy even as the economy slows.Environmental stocks led the declines. Pollution control equipment maker Fujian Longking tumbled 8.57 percent to 25.60 Yuan while Tianjin Capital Environmental Protection Group dropped 3.64 percent to 7.42 Yuan.Coal miners and metal companies sank on concerns about the economy. Shanxi Coking slumped 8.0 percent to 5.16 Yuan and Shanghai Datun Energy fell 3.9 percent to 7.65 Yuan.On the Shenzhen market, technology firms extended losses following a sell-off in US-listed tech shares.Integrated Electronic Systems Lab sank by its 10 percent daily limit to 8.33 yuan and Beijing Trust & Far Technology lost 8.00 percent to 18.40 yuan.

Cloning: Scientists make insulin-producing cells

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PARIS (AFP) - Scientists said Monday they had used cloning technology to make embryonic stem cells that carry a diabetic womans genes, and turned them into insulin-producing beta cells that may one day cure her disease.The team reported clearing an important hurdle in the quest to make personalised stem cells for use in disease therapy, but a bioethicist said the breakthrough also highlighted the need for better regulation of lab-grown embryos.We are now one step closer to being able to treat diabetic patients with their own insulin-producing cells, said Dieter Egli of the New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF), who led the study published in the journal Nature.Egli and a team had transplanted the nuclei of cells taken from the womans skin into human eggs to create stem cells, which they could then coax into becoming beta cells -- a shortage of which causes insulin deficiency and high blood-sugar in diabetics.In doing so, the team confirmed a potentially important source for future cell-replacement therapy.It was not the first study to create stem cells in this way, but it was the first to use cells sourced from a diseased adult person with the aim of producing therapy-specific cells.Insoo Hyun, a bioethicist from the Case Western Reserve Universitys school of medicine in Cleveland, Ohio, said the research, the latest to produce embryonic stem cells that carry the genomes of living people, raised red flags.This repeated cloning of embryos and generation of stem cells, now using cells collected from adults, increases the likelihood that human embryos will be produced to generate therapy for a specific individual, he wrote in a comment carried by Nature.Regulatory structures must be in place to oversee it.Embryonic stem cells -- neutral, primitive cells that can develop into most of the specialised tissue cells of the body -- are viewed as a potential source for rebuilding organs damaged by disease or accident.But they are controversial, as until fairly recently stem cells could only be obtained from human embryos.They can be grown in the lab by transferring the nucleus of a cell from tissue like the skin, which contains a persons DNA, into a human egg from which the nucleus has been removed.The egg is then given an electrical pulse to start dividing until it forms a blastocyst, a hollow, early-stage embryo made up of about 150 cells with the DNA of the donor of the tissue cell.- Cloning technology -Technically known as somatic-cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), the technique is used for therapeutic research but is also the first step in cloning, and was used to create Dolly the sheep.SCNT is banned in many countries.For the new study, scientists in the United States and Israel said they made technical improvements -- altering the chemicals used in the culture in which the cells are grown.The stem cells could in turn be coaxed into becoming various different types of adult cells -- including beta cells, the team said.Seeing todays results gives me hope that we will one day have a cure for this debilitating disease, said NYSCF chief executive Susan Solomon.The same team had previously made beta cells with a similar method, but using eggs with their nuclei still intact -- resulting in stem cells with three sets of chromosomes that could not be used in therapy.But using the new, improved method, the stem cells emerged with the normal two sets of chromosomes, the team wrote.Hyun said such research could raise fears of a future in which human babies are cloned or embryos callously created and destroyed for research, and called for the strengthening of oversight structures.But Solomon said the research was strictly for therapeutic purposes and adhered to strict ethical oversight.Under no circumstances do we or any other responsible scientific group have any intention to use this technique for the generation of humans, nor would it be possible, she told AFP.The beta cells produced in the study cannot yet be used in replacement therapy, the team said.Diabetics immune systems attack beta cells, and ways have yet to be found to shield them.

European stocks rise on AstraZeneca merger battle

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LONDON (AFP) - European stocks rose on Monday with the pharmaceuticals sector and sterling given a shot in the arm by news of US giant Pfizers $100 billion merger offer for British rival AstraZeneca.Drugmakers were lifted also by impressive earnings from Germanys Bayer, and upbeat news from Frances Sanofi.Londons benchmark FTSE 100 index of leading companies advanced 0.25 percent to stand at 6,702.37 points in midday trade.Frankfurts DAX 30 gained 0.69 percent to 9,466.17 points and in Paris the CAC 40 added 0.44 percent to 4,462.79 compared with Fridays closing levels.Pfizer declared on Monday that it wants a blockbuster merger with AstraZeneca to fuel research in cancer, revealing that an informal approach worth almost $100 billion (72 billion euro’s) had been rejected.Pfizer said a tie-up between two of the worlds biggest pharmaceutical groups would help to fight some of the worlds most feared diseases, such as cancer, adding it also benefit the shareholders of both firms.In reaction, AstraZenecas share price surged 15.42 percent to 4,708.5 pence, topping the FTSE riser’s board.Peers GlaxoSmithKline and Shire Pharmaceuticals climbed 0.60 percent and 1.65 percent, to stand at 1,665 pence and 3,263 pence respectively.It was the pharmaceutical sector that was still the talk of the market with GSK, Shire and AstraZeneca all leading the FTSE, said Farhan Ahmad, trader at brokerage Tradenext.Pfizer is still perusing the takeover of AstraZeneca ... With the prospect of one of the largest ever takeovers in the sector, AstraZeneca shareholders could be tempted.Chemicals and pharmaceuticals giant Bayer, maker of Aspirin, added on Monday it turned in a better first-quarter performance than expected thanks to healthy growth driven by new products.Net profit rallied 23 percent to 1.42 billion euro’s ($1.96 billion) between January and March, compared with a year earlier.In reaction, Bayers share price rallied 4.68 percent to 100.25 euro’s in Frankfurt.In Paris, French peer Sanofi revealed it had successfully completed the first of two Phase III clinical studies of a proposed dengue vaccine. That sent Sanofis share price jumping 2.22 percent to 77.85 euro’s.Mondays Pfizer announcement is the latest in a string of merger and acquisition (M&A) activity in the global pharmaceuticals industry in recent weeks.- Sterling soars versus dollar -The merger proposal also boosted the British pound, which was also lifted by expectations of strong first-quarter economic growth data on Tuesday.Sterling jumped to $1.6854, the highest level since November 2009, compared with $1.6798 on Friday.The news that Pfizer has once again attempted to strike a deal with AstraZeneca is having a positive effect on sterling, said Kathleen Brooks, research director at trading site Forex.com.The reaction in the market could be expectation that Pfizer will have to increase its offer for AstraZeneca, perhaps with a larger cash portion of the deal, which could boost sterling.The euro rose to $1.3875 from $1.3832 late in New York on Friday. The European single currency firmed to 82.33 British pence from 82.32 pence.And on the London Bullion Market, the price of gold edged up to $1,302.08 an ounce from $1,301.25 on Friday.- Asian equities stumble -Asian markets were mostly lower following a negative lead from Wall Street, while tensions in Ukraine added to selling pressure.Traders were awaiting the release later in the week of global manufacturing data as well as earnings reports from Japan; while the US Federal Reserve is also due to hold its latest policy meeting.Hong Kong dipped 0.41 percent, Tokyo slipped 0.98 percent, Seoul lost 0.12 percent and Shanghai dived 1.62 percent in value.Before the weekend, Wall Street had fallen on Friday led by the tech-rich Nasdaq after a disappointing earnings report from Amazon. The ongoing crisis in Ukraine also hurt sentiment.

France hits out over 'too high' euro as cuts revolt looms

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PARIS (AFP) - French Prime Minister Manuel Valls moved Monday to head off a threatened revolt within his own party by demanding a loosening of euro zone monetary policy to offset the impact of planned austerity measures.Valls, who is under pressure from fellow Socialists over plans to cut public spending by 50 billion euros ($69 billion) over the next three years, outlined a number of concessions which will reduce the impact of the cuts.And in a move likely to play equally well with the left of his party, he took a swipe at the European Central Bank over the too high level of the euro, which he said was blocking economic recovery.Backed by President Francois Hollande, Valls has proposed the cuts package to ensure France brings its budget deficit into line with EU rules while freeing up funds for reductions in income and payroll taxes designed to boost the sagging economy and generate jobs.But aspects of the plan, particularly freezes on welfare benefits and public sector wages, have angered many within the ruling Socialist Party and some lawmakers are threatening to challenge Vallss authority by refusing to support the package in a non-binding vote in parliament on Tuesday.A decision by 40 Socialists to abstain would be sufficient to put the government in the embarrassing position of having to rely on its centre-right opponents to get the centerpiece of its economic strategy for the next three years endorsed by parliament.In a letter to Socialist MPs, Valls described Tuesdays vote as a moment of truth for France and insisted: We have to stop living beyond our means.But he also detailed concessions to the rebels, including a pledge that the welfare freeze would not be applied to pensioners living on less than 1,200 euro’s a month.Valls also agreed to resume inflation-linked pay rises for the lowest-paid public sector workers and said he would proceed with a revaluation of the minimum level of state income support for the long-term unemployed from this year, rather than delaying the start until 2015 as he had initially proposed.It was unclear how much these amendments would cost but Valls indicated that he was maintaining the overall target of 50 billion euro’s in cuts between 2015 and 2017, when Hollandes five-year term as president ends.- Euro too high -Valls acknowledged the cuts could have a dampening impact in the short term, which he argued could be offset by a more active monetary policy and a more realistic exchange rate policy at the European level.The level of the euro is too high, he said.After it is presented to parliament on Tuesday, the governments economic program will be sent to Brussels for approval by the European Commission, which placed France under surveillance earlier this year over its failure to meet an agreed timetable for bringing its deficit down to three percent of GDP in line with euro zone rules.France now says it will meet that target next year but the economic assumptions on which the government based that prediction were described as optimistic last week by its own spending watchdog.If the Commission takes a similar line, it could ask Paris to outline further measures to reduce the risk of missing the deficit target again.The government is counting on the economy expanding by one percent this year and an acceleration of growth to 1.7 percent next year and at least 2.25 percent in both 2016 and 2017, by which time it anticipates its measures to bolster growth will have taken effect and generated some 200,000 new jobs.Hollande has admitted that his hopes of even being a candidate for re-election in 2017 hinge on the strategy working.Valls too has much riding on the success or failure of an economic plan the government hopes will help French companies address a growing competitiveness deficit and make the country as a whole more attractive for international investors.The most popular figure in the government, the former interior minister was promoted to his current role after the Socialists suffered stinging losses in local elections last month which were largely attributed to the impact of record unemployment and falling real incomes.
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