Saturday 19 April 2014

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Tennis: Federer, Wawrinka into all-Swiss Monte Carlo final

Posted:

MONTE CARLO (AFP) - Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka eased into the Monte Carlo Masters final on Saturday, setting up the first all-Swiss title showdown in 14 years.Federer, who has never won the trophy in the principality, beat Novak Djokovic 7-5, 6-2 as the defending champion and world number two struggled with a right wrist injury which limited his serving to the 150kph range.Wawrinka, the Australian Open champion, saw off David Ferrer 6-1, 7-6 (7/3), a day after the Spaniard stunned eight-time champion compatriot Rafael Nadal in the quarter-finals.Federer featured in the last all-Swiss final when he lost to Marc Rosset in the 2000 Marseille decider, back in the days when the 17-time Grand Slam title winner was still a raw teenager.Federer, a loser in three Monte Carlo finals to Nadal, will be making his first title bid in the tournament since 2008.It comes as a bit of a surprise to be in the finals, especially the first one on clay, said Federer. But, of course, I'll take it.I've put in the performance to be there, gave myself the opportunity this week. So I'm very happy with my play.Djokovic's loss ended a 13-match win streak and a run of 23 in a row at the Masters level.It's just a match to forget for me, said the Serb who is unsure when he will play again.It's unfortunate that when you're playing at this level against Roger, in a big tournament, that you are not able to play your game because something else is taking away all your energy and effort.This injury that has been present for last 10 days, and I tried not to think or talk about it, I did everything I could really, I was on the medications every day, I was doing different therapies, injections.But at the end of the day, the end of the tournament, the semi-finals are a good result. But I'm disappointed that I could not play as well as I could have.The Easter Sunday title match-up will be huge for both Swiss men, but Federer goes into the match with a psychological edge standing 13-1 over his Davis Cup doubles partner and good friend.It's incredible that we are in the final together, the same week we've been playing well for some time now, said Federer.Wawrinka won his only match in the series against Federer in the 2009 Monte Carlo third round.It's great, for sure, to play a Swiss player, especially Roger, said Wawrinka.Today I'm very satisfied with the way I played. I was very pleased with my game in the first set. I was also pleased with my game in the second set, although I was a bit more hesitant.He changed his tactics and became more aggressive with his forehand, he said of Ferrer, who on Friday had condemned Nadal to his earliest exit from the tournament since 2003.Wawrinka improved to 19-3 on the season and appears to have overcome his post-Australian Open slump where he lost early in both Indian Wells and Miami.The Swiss had not faced a break point until his meeting with Ferrer, improving his record in the series with the Spaniard to six wins against seven losses.Stan was very good, he was playing unbelievable, said Ferrer, who trailed 5-0 in the first set. I didn't have options to resist him.I didn't return very well, but in the second Stan had a few mistakes and I was able to play with more power with my forehand. But he was better, and he moved the ball better than me.The win marked the 100th victory for Wawrinka in Masters events and left him with a 15-6 Monte Carlo record from seven appearances.

Tennis: I don't know when I'll be back, says injury-hit Djokovic

Posted:

MONTE CARLO (AFP) - Novak Djokovic admitted he has no idea when he will play again after a right wrist injury contributed to his 7-5, 6-2 Monte Carlo Masters semi-final loss to Roger Federer on Saturday.World number two and defending champion Djokovic, who played with a brace on his wrist, revealed that he suffered pain in his wrist all week.But with the French Open just five weeks away, and his next scheduled event the Madrid Masters in a fortnight, timing is everything for the Serb who won the 2013 Monte Carlo title against Rafael Nadal.I'll just rest now. I cannot play tennis for some time -- how long, I don't know. It's really not in my hands anymore. I'm going to rest and see when it can heal 100%, then I will be back on the court, said Djokovic.The good thing is I don't need to have a surgery, I don't have any rupture or something like that. I'm going to go see the doctors tonight and then tomorrow again and have another MRI, see if anything changed in the seven days since I had the last one.Monte Carlo-based Djokovic, whose loss ended a 13-match win streak and a run of 23 in a row at the Masters level, admitted he had to play through the pain barrier all week in his aborted title defence.The pain was there every single day from 10 days ago, at some stages it was very painful. Between my first and second match I had a day off so I didn't practise at all and I healed a little bit. Then again I started playing.Yesterday's conditions (a quarter-final win over Guillermo Garcia-Lopez in heavy night conditions) did not help the state of my arm -- long match, long rallies, heavy balls.I really don't know the diagnosis, to be honest. I heard so many things in last 10 days. Trust me, it's complicated.While it's too early for panic stations regarding the French Open -- the only Grand Slam title missing from his collection -- Djokovic is still puzzling as to exactly how he suffered his problem.I had two weeks between Miami and Monte Carlo (in March). It's not like I was tired or I had some long trips or something like that. It just happened during the practise week, sometimes it just happens. Sometimes it's not predictable.Federer admitted he knew Djokovic was not at his best.I did see that Novak was struggling at one point, said the Swiss, who will meet compatriot and close friend Stanislas Wawrinka in Sunday's final.For me it was more just making sure that from my side I was playing a good, solid, tough match with some good defensive play sometimes, but mostly trying to stay on the offensive as much as I could.

Football: Paris Saint-Germain win French League Cup

Posted:

PARIS (AFP) - Paris Saint-Germain won France's League Cup on Saturday, beating Lyon 2-1 in the final at the Stade de France to secure the first leg of a likely domestic double.Edinson Cavani was the match-winner for Laurent Blanc's side, scoring a first-half brace, one of which came from a controversial penalty, and while Alexandre Lacazette pulled a goal back in the second half, PSG proved just too strong for a Lyon outfit who had beaten them in Ligue 1 just six days earlier.It is the second trophy won by the club from the French capital since their takeover by Qatar Sports Investments in 2011 and subsequent transformation into one of the wealthiest clubs in Europe, following their title triumph last season.And their League Cup victory -- their fourth in the 20-year history of the competition -- could be followed by another Ligue 1 crown as early as next Wednesday, although they must hope nearest rivals Monaco lose on Sunday for that to happen.It is a privilege and an honour to play in a final but you have to win it, and we won it, said Blanc. It was difficult because Lyon were very good, especially in the second half. We're having a good season but for people to remember it we had to win titles and that's the first one.PSG had been in the doldrums following their Champions League quarter-final exit to Chelsea at the start of the month and their 1-0 loss in Lyon last weekend had heaped pressure on Blanc, even if it did little real damage to their championship aspirations.Two consecutive games without scoring since the loss of 40-goal leading scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic to injury had also increased the pressure on misfiring record signing Cavani, but the Uruguayan produced a superb first-half display in which he scored twice and could have had two more goals.The opener arrived with exactly three minutes played, Maxwell playing a one-two with Ezequiel Lavezzi and dinking the ball over advancing Lyon goalkeeper Anthony Lopes for Cavani to poke home.Lyon, back at the Stade de France for the first time since winning the French Cup two years ago, might have equalised moments later, but Bafetimbi Gomis hit the side-netting after good work from his strike partner Lacazette.Gomis then headed an Arnold Mvuemba corner straight at Nicolas Douchez, who was preferred in goal to regular PSG first-choice 'keeper Salvatore Sirigu, just as he had been in the earlier rounds of the competition.However, Paris were on top and Cavani was unlucky not to score with a superb first-time volley from 25 yards that was spectacularly saved by Lopes.Brazilian defender Alex then had the ball in the net following a Lavezzi free-kick only for the offside flag to cut short the PSG celebrations, but they increased their lead from a controversial penalty incident just after the half-hour mark.Lucas got to a long ball forward from Thiago Silva in front of Lopes only to go down under minimal contact from the Portuguese goalkeeper.The incident appeared to take place just outside the box but the referee awarded a penalty, and while Lopes escaped a red card he could do nothing to keep out Cavani's emphatically struck kick from 12 yards, leaving OL with an uphill struggle to get back into the game.I'm very disappointed, said Lyon coach Remi Garde. It's sad to lose a final due to a glaring error like that. What do you want me to say?For Cavani, it was his 24th goal of the season, although he then squandered a good opportunity to complete his hat-trick when he blazed over after a piercing run by Lucas.Lyon were down and out at half-time but Garde made a tactical switch eight minutes after the restart, replacing right-back Mouhamadou Dabo with another forward in Jimmy Briand.Lacazette was moved across to the left and three minutes later he collected possession on the flank and cut inside before beating Douchez with a low shot from 20 yards.However, an effort from substitute Nabil Fekir that hit the side-netting was as close as OL came to equalising.

Football: Advantage Liverpool as Sunderland stun Chelsea

Posted:

LONDON (AFP) - Sunderland condemned Chelsea to their first home Premier League defeat under Jose Mourinho with a stunning 2-1 victory on Saturday that took Liverpool a step closer to the title.Chelsea were bidding to take over from Liverpool at the summit, but their loss to the leagues bottom club means that Brendan Rodgerss side can now open up a five-point lead if they win at Norwich City on Sunday.Samuel Etoo put Chelsea ahead after only 12 minutes, but Sunderland equalised quickly through Connor Wickham and claimed victory thanks to an 82nd-minute penalty from on-loan Liverpool striker Fabio Borini.Having held third-placed Manchester City to a 2-2 draw in midweek, Sunderland have emerged as this seasons kingmakers, and victory at Stamford Bridge gave their chances of avoiding relegation a sizeable boost.Gus Poyets side, who had previously gone nine games without a win, finished the day three points from safety and also have a game in hand to play.Chelsea took the lead in the 12th minute, Etoo volleying in from Willians left-wing corner, but it took Sunderland only six minutes to draw level.Mark Schwarzer, deputising in goal for the unwell Petr Cech, spilled a long-range shot from Marcos Alonso and Wickham pounced to clip home the rebound.Chelseas response was not slow in coming and visiting goalkeeper Vito Mannone had to produce smart saves to thwart Branislav Ivanovic, Nemanja Matic, Mohamed Salah and Willian before half-time.Chelseas frustrations told when Ramires lashed out at Sebastian Larsson with his arm, catching the Sunderland midfielder in the face, but referee Mike Dean appeared not to see the incident.The Chelsea onslaught continued in the second half, with Etoo curling just wide and substitute Demba Ba miscuing from Willians cut-back, but the goal would not come and there was worse to follow.In the 81st minute, Cesar Azpilicueta was penalised for sliding in on Jozy Altidore and Borini, a former Chelsea striker, calmly beat Schwarzer from the spot.It may prove to be the goal that delivers the title to Anfield and Chelseas anger was clear, with assistant coach Rui Faria needing to be restrained as he berated Dean.Earlier, Fulham squandered an opportunity to escape the Premier League relegation zone after going down 3-1 at London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.Felix Magaths improving side had won their two previous games and they reacted impressively after falling behind to a close-range Paulinho strike in the 35th minute, with Steve Sidwell equalising almost immediately.However, second-half goals from Harry Kane and Younes Kaboul secured victory for Tim Sherwoods Spurs, with Sidwell seeing a late penalty saved by Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.If we had got any points here, it would have been an extra point for us, said Fulham manager Magath, whose side ended the day two points from safety.We have to win our home games and I think we can manage it.Fulham slipped one place to 19th after Cardiff City moved above them on goal difference by drawing 1-1 at home to Stoke City.Marko Arnautovic gave Stoke the lead from the penalty spot in first-half injury time, but Peter Whittingham earned Cardiff a draw with a penalty of his own after Steven Nzonzi tripped Fraizer Campbell.Cardiff manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was unhappy about Stokes penalty, which was awarded for a foul on Peter Odemwingie by Kim Bo-kyung.Stokes was not a penalty, said the Norwegian. All the players were incensed, but it was important we kept cool and tried to do the right things.Elsewhere, an ice-cool stoppage-time penalty by Wilfried Bony gave Swansea City a 2-1 victory at Newcastle United that took the Welsh club six points clear of the relegation zone.Aston Villa spurned a chance to put clear daylight between themselves and the bottom three in a 0-0 draw at home to Southampton, while a 59th-minute Mile Jedinak penalty saw Crystal Palace win 1-0 at West Ham United.

Hamilton takes pole at Chinese Grand Prix

Posted:

SHANGHAI (AP) - Lewis Hamilton maintained Mercedes perfect record in qualifying this season, holding off the two Red Bulls to capture his third pole position of the campaign on Saturday at the rainy Chinese Grand Prix.Hamilton broke the record for most poles by a British driver in Formula One and put himself in position for a third consecutive race victory on Sunday. Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo was about 0.6 seconds off the pace in second place, with teammate Sebastian Vettel qualifying third.The steady light rain and slippery track raised the prospect of rival teams challenging Mercedes, but Hamilton was well clear of the Red Bulls, although his main competitor teammate Nico Rosberg made mistakes on his final two flying laps and qualified fourth.Its so slippery out there, trying to find the grip, obviously not making mistakes on your lap, and really putting it together, especially when you have these guys pushing you, Hamilton said. It was a tough session.Conditions are expected to be better for Sundays race, with no rain and cool temperatures in the forecast.It was the 34th pole of Hamiltons career, moving him into fourth place on the all-time pole list, one ahead of former world champion Jim Clark and Alain Prost. Hamilton had been tied with Clark for the most poles of any British driver in F1 history.To be up there amongst the great names, all the greats, Im very, very proud of that, for sure, he said.The solid qualifying effort also marked a turnaround following his problems in Fridays practice with the cars suspension, which limited him to only nine laps in the morning and required work on his car Friday night.Yesterday was not a good day for me, he said. Its kind of strange because we made all those changes overnight and then todays been wet so I have no idea if its (heading) in the right direction.After his thrilling tire-to-tire duel with Rosberg at the Bahrain GP two weeks ago, Hamilton believed his teammate would offer the strongest challenge in qualifying in Shanghai.But the German, who claimed pole position in Bahrain and won the season-opening race in Australia, pushed too hard around the final corner on his last flying lap, spinning his car and ruining his last chance to top Hamilton.Rosberg said he still has hopes of maintaining his slender lead in the drivers championship he has 61 points to Hamiltons 50.I was the quicker one in Bahrain, didnt make it work, but I have the momentum of the pace for race speed and I expect to have that again tomorrow, Rosberg said.Hell have to get by the Red Bull cars, who will be aiming for their first podium finish in Shanghai since 2011 when Vettel finished second to Hamilton and then-teammate Mark Webber was third.Ricciardo again got the better of the more accomplished Vettel in qualifying, beating him for the third time in four sessions this season.Now hes hoping to make up for his disqualification at the season-opening race in Australia, where he earned his first-ever podium by finishing second to Rosberg but was later stripped of the result for breaching F1s new rules on fuel usage.If its dry, I think we can race up the front, he said. Ill be ducking my head down the straight, like in a go-kart, but well hopefully hang on and fight for at least a podium.Defending Chinese GP champion Fernando Alonso, the fastest in practice on Friday morning, qualified fifth for Ferrari, while teammate Kimi Raikkonen was down in a humble 11th.Williams qualified two drivers in the top 10 Felipe Massa in sixth and Valtteri Bottas in seventh a vast improvement for the team after it struggled in wet conditions in qualifying in Australia and Malaysia.Force Indias Nico Hulkenberg qualified in eighth, followed by Toro Rossos Jean-Eric Vergne and Lotus Romain Grosjean.Both McLaren cars were knocked out in the second qualifying session for the first time this year. Jenson Button will start from the 12th spot, while Kevin Magnussen will be back in 15th.Lotus driver Pastor Maldonado did not start qualifying due to an engine problem that cut short his final practice round.

Golf: Furyk, Martin match Choi for PGA Heritage lead

Posted:

HILTON HEAD ISLAND (AFP) - Americans Jim Furyk and Ben Martin matched South Korea's K.J. Choi for the lead on Saturday after the conclusion of the storm-halted second round of the $5.8 million US PGA Heritage tournament.Furyk, the 2003 US Open champion, and Martin, whose career-best PGA finish of third came earlier this year at Puerto Rico, were among 65 players forced to finish their second rounds on Saturday after heavy rain halted play Friday afternoon.They joined Choi, who was able to finish his round on Friday, on five-under par 137 after 36 holes with the third round set to begin later Saturday afternoon at Harbour Town.Choi has won five times when at least sharing the lead at the midway mark and is seeking his ninth PGA title, his most recent coming at the 2011 Players Championship.Furyk, the 2010 Heritage champion, completed a five-under 66 round Saturday while Martin, who has never led so late in a PGA event, shot 68.A pack of 11 players, including England's Luke Donald and Matt Kuchar, who finished fifth equal last weekend at the Masters, shares fourth on 139.Kuchar is the highest-ranked player in the field at sixth in the world.Donald missed the cut last week in the first major tournament of the year at Augusta National.Others only two strokes adrift include Americans Scott Langley, Billy Hurley, Scott Brown, John Huh, Ted Potter, Chesson Hadley, Matt Every, Richard Lee and Bo Van Pelt.Among those on 140 were major winners Geoff Ogilvy of Australia, Charl Schwartzel of South Africa, Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland and Martin Kaymer of Germany.

Panu Aqil: 15 killed in coach, trailer collision

Posted:

MANU AQIL (Dunya News) – At least 15 people, including five women and two children, were killed and 20 others sustained injuries when a passenger coach collided with a trailer coming from opposite side near Panu Aqil on the National Highway.According to details, the ill-fated coach was going to Karachi from Dera Ghazi Khan.Police and rescue teams reached the spot and shifted the dead and injured to hospital.

Christians celebrating Easter today

Posted:

ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Christian community is celebrating Easter today (Sunday) across the country with religious zeal and fervour.Like all over the world, special services for Easter have been arranged in churches of Pakistan, which have been decorated for the occasion. Christians will exchange greetings and gifts to celebrate the day, which they believe marks the resurrection of Jesus Christ three days after his crucifixion. Special ceremonies were also held on the eve of Easter in various churches of Karachi and Lahore where church choir sang Easter songs and the attendants prayed for country’s solidarity and prosperity.

Trescothick ready to help Trott

Posted:

LONDON (AFP) - Former England opener Marcus Trescothick has said he is willing to help Jonathan Trott in his struggle with a stress-related illness after a similar condition ended his international career.Trott, who made a brief comeback after returning home following Englands opening loss in a 5-0 Ashes reverse in Australia, announced he was bowing out of both Warwickshire and international duty with immediate effect after suffering a relapse in his condition.South Africa-born Trott came under fire from the likes of former England captain Michael Vaughan when, during a television interview last month, he said hed been suffering from burn out.That led Vaughan to suggest Trott, twice dismissed cheaply by Australia paceman Mitchell Johnson in the first Test in Brisbane, had technical difficulties playing fast bowling rather than more severe mental health problems.But Somerset batsman Trescothick was more sympathetic, having pulled out of Englands 2006/07 Ashes tour when he too suffered with a stress-related illness.Ive spoken to him on a few occasions just to try and help, as someone who has been through exactly the same situation, coming back from Australia, Trescothick said Saturday.I can understand it. I know how it all works. Whether we cross paths and talk a few more times over the course of the year and during games, or wherever it may be, then great.Trott came under fire from some quarters after saying he feared being regarded as a nutcase and crazy for his decision to quit the Ashes tour after just one Test.But Trescothick was adamant Trott had meant no offence towards the mentally ill.I didnt have a problem with what he said. People picked up on words and it was taken at the wrong time and the wrong moment, said Trescothick.We have to allow him the fact that hes the one going through it, hes going through tough times and he has to work it out himself.

Divers remove first body from South Korean ferry

Posted:

JINDO (AFP) - Divers have removed the first bodies from the South Korean ferry that capsized nearly four days ago with 476 people on board, the coastguard said Sunday.Divers broke through the window of a passenger cabin just before midnight and pulled out three bodies, a coastguard official told AFP.All three were wearing lifejackets, the official said, adding that two were male but the gender of the third was not immediately confirmed.The official said they were the same three bodies that had been spotted, but not retrieved, during an earlier dive.Rescue teams planned to continue dive missions through the night to the ferry which capsized on Wednesday morning, he said.The confirmed death toll from the disaster now stands at 36 with 266 people still unaccounted for.

Everest avalanche death toll rises to 13

Posted:

KATHMANDU (AFP) - Rescuers on Mount Everest found the body of a 13th Nepalese guide on Saturday as authorities ruled out hope of finding any more survivors from the deadliest accident ever on the worlds highest peak.Three sherpas remained missing from Fridays avalanche which struck after a large party of guides left Everest base camp carrying tents, food and ropes to prepare for international clients ahead of the main climbing season.Towards the evening, rescuers suspended the search until Sunday.We have suspended the rescue operation for today. It is risky to continue searching the mountain as evening sets in, tourism ministry official Madhusudan Burlakoti told AFP.The avalanche smashed into the sherpas early Friday at an altitude of about 5,800 metres (19,000 feet) in an area nicknamed the popcorn field due to ice boulders on the route leading into the treacherous Khumbu Icefall.Dozens of guides were on the move when a huge block of ice broke off from a hanging glacier, before splitting into smaller chunks and barrelling down into the icefall, one of the most dangerous areas on the route to ascend Everest.The ice tumbled for several thousand feet, resulting in debris that came further out into the icefall, according to an account by the International Mountain Guides climbing company, which has a team stationed on the peak.Veteran climber Alan Arnette, who reached the summit of Everest in 2011, said mountaineers usually tried to go through the icefall as quickly as possible.The hanging glaciers are by definition unstable, sooner or later they are going to break and fall, making the icefall very dangerous, Arnette told AFP from his home in Colorado.You first hear the sharp crack of ice and then you can try to shield behind another block of ice, but in this case, they really had nowhere to hide.- Everyone is heartbroken -More than 300 people, most of them local guides, have died on Everest since the first summit y Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953.The death toll underscores the huge risks borne by local guides who ascend the icy slopes, often in pitch-dark and usually weighed down by tenting equipment, ropes and food supplies for their clients.The nature of their work means that sherpas will usually make many more trips up the mountain and expose themselves to far greater risk than foreign climbers who pay tens of thousands of dollars to scale the 8,848-metre peak.While helicopters buzzed overhead, plucking snow-blanketed bodies out of the mountain using cables suspended from the aircraft, climbers said they would pause all expeditions until rescue operations conclude, according to police official Kumar Timilsina.People have lost friends theyve worked hand in hand with. Everyone is heartbroken, Timilsina told AFP from Everest base camp.As news of the accident sent shockwaves among mountaineers, most of the sherpas on the mountain gathered their belongings and left, with some saying they would not return at all this season.My sherpa said he wont be returning -- he has a wife and a two-year-old son and the love of his family outweighed any financial reward, Australian climber Gavin Turner told AFP.The 38-year-old, who had set out for his first Everest summit just days ago, said the accident had left many climbers asking themselves if they should go ahead.- Pray for me -In Kathmandu, anxious families waited for the bodies of their loved ones to arrive ahead of funeral rites at the citys Buddhist monasteries.Teenager Phinjum Sherpa said her 36-year-old father, Ang Kaji Sherpa, had been on five Everest expeditions.He used to say that... after the 10th expedition, he will stop, she told AFP, while waiting for his body to arrive at a monastery in the capital.I spoke to him on Thursday evening. He said he was going up the next morning, but the weather was not very good... He said, pray for me.We are six siblings and our grandparents are old. I am worried about how we will take care of each other, said the teenager.Ang Tshering Sherpa, president of the Nepal Mountaineering Association, a national body representing tourism promoters, said guides families would receive life insurance payments amounting to $10,000.Its very difficult for families when the main breadwinner dies, but the association will look after their childrens education, he said.The previous worst accident on Everest occurred in 1996 when eight people were killed during a storm while attempting to summit the mountain.In the past, some accidents have been blamed on overcrowding or on ill-prepared foreign climbers taking unnecessary risks to reach the summit before returning home.Every summer, hundreds of climbers from around the world attempt to scale peaks in the Himalayas when weather conditions are ideal.The government has issued permits to 734 people, including 400 guides, to climb Everest this summer.The impoverished Himalayan country, home to eight of the worlds 14 peaks over 8,000 metres, counts tourism as a key revenue-earner.

Over 100 killed in South Sudan cattle raid

Posted:

JUBA (AFP) - Over 100 people have been killed in a cattle raid in South Sudans Warrap state, a local information minister told UN radio, the latest atrocity in the war-torn nation.We lost about 28 civilians in a remote cattle herders camp in the remote northern state, Warrap state Information Minister Bol Dhel told the UN-backed Miraya FM radio, adding that police and soldiers then chased the attackers, killing 85.Some of them (the attackers) were recaptured on the swamp areas going to Unity State, Dhel added.South Sudan is awash with guns, and raids between rival communities and ethnic groups are common.However, the country has also been riven by a brutal civil war since mid-December in which thousands have been killed and forced around a million people to flee their homes.The fighting is between soldiers loyal to President Salva Kiir against mutinous troops who sided with Riek Machar, sacked as vice-president in 2013.The conflict has also taken on an ethnic dimension, pitting Kiirs Dinka tribe against militia forces from Machars Nuer people.However, it was not immediately clear if the cattle raid was connected to the ongoing conflict.

National Agriculture Policy to be formulated soon: Dar

Posted:

ISLAMABAD (web Desk) - Finance Minister Ishaq Dar has emphasised that National Agriculture Policy must be formulated at the earliest for optimum use of natural resources to make country self-sufficient in food.He was chairing a meeting in Islamabad on Saturday to review process of agricultural products in the country and the strategy to ensure agriculture sector growth.The minister said agricultural policy should aim at eliminating poverty in rural areas. He pointed out that agriculture accounts for over 21% of GDP, while employing 45% of the country’s labour force.He said in order to meet the challenges of food insecurity and malnutrition, it is imperative to employ the latest technological advancements and innovative techniques to improve the productivity of land.He said role of middleman should be managed in coordination with provinces in order to control prices of agricultural products.Speaking on the occasion, Minister for National Food Security and Research Sikandar Hayat Khan Bosan said Pakistan has a great potential in agriculture. He said the Ministry is working on a number of projects to make modern agricultural technology accessible for farmers and growers.The meeting was told that there is almost 1.1 million tons of surplus potato in the country.Finance Minister agreed on devising a mechanism to control the prices in coordination with provinces and next meeting in this regard will be held next week.

Musharraf arrives in Karachi for medical check-up

Posted:

KARACHI (Dunya News) - Former president General (r) Pervez Musharraf reached Karachi on Saturday for medical treatment.According to sources, Musharraf will visit Karachi’s PNS Shifa hospital on Sunday (tomorrow) for a medical check-up.During his stay in Karachi, 70-year-old Musharraf is also expected to meet family, friends and his party All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) office-bearers.Musharraf is currently staying at his farmhouse on the outskirts of Islamabad which is heavily guarded. Recently, a bomb-proof wall was also erected around its perimeter.His farmhouse has been declared as a satellite facility of the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology where he was admitted for three months.The former president was admitted to the AFIC on January 2 when he complained of heart problems on his way to a special court set up for his high treason trial for abrogating the constitution and detaining judges in 2007.Musharraf last year returned to Pakistan from exile before the May general elections but since then he has been based in either Rawalpindi or Islamabad.His name is currently on Interior Ministry’s Exit Control List and he cannot leave Pakistan but is allowed to travel within the country.

Attack on Hamid Mir: ISPR spokesman terms allegations against ISI Chief misleading

Posted:

RAWALPINDI (Dunya News) – Pakistan armed forces’ spokesman Major General Asim Bajwa condemned the attack on senior anchorperson Hamid Mir on Saturday, adding that allegations against Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) are misleading, Dunya News reported.The spokesman prayed for his well being and quick recovery. He said that an independent inquiry must immediately be carried out to ascertain facts. However raising allegations against ISI or head of ISI without any basis is highly regrettable and misleading, he added.Earlier, prominent journalist, anchorperson Hamid Mir was reportedly injured after being shot at thrice on his way to office from airport.Hamid Mir was rushed to a private hospital where he is being given treatment. Reportedly, Hamid Mir is in critical condition and is being operated for injuries.Karachi police chief Shahid Hayat confirmed that the journalist has been shot at thrice. He claimed that Mir is out of danger, however, the media has conflicting reports about his current condition.Reportedly, Hamid Mir’s driver heroically sped the vehicle out of the shooting scene.Mir was shot at thrice by unknown gunmen on his way to office from the airport. Police reached the site and started the search operation after cordoning off the area.President of Pakistan Mamnoon Hussain, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, former president Asif Ali Zardari, MQM Chief Altaf Hussain and PTI Chairman Imran Khan strongly condemned the attack.Hamid Mir is a senior journalist who hosts a popular talk show on a private news network.
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)