Monday 21 April 2014

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Suicide bombings, attacks in Iraq kill 33 people

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BAGHDAD (AP) - Suicide bombings and other attacks across Iraq killed at least 33 people and wounded nearly 80 more on Monday, officials said, the latest in an uptick in violence as the country counts down to crucial parliament elections later this month.Over the past year, violence has surged in Iraq to levels unseen since 2008. The increase in deadly shootings and bombings has become the Shiite-led government's most serious challenge as the nation prepares to head to the polls on April 30 the first vote in Iraq since the U.S. army withdrawal in 2011.Monday's deadliest attack took place south of Baghdad in the town of Suwayrah, where a suicide bomber rammed his explosives-laden car into a police checkpoint, killing 12 people five policemen and seven civilians. A police officer said 19 people were wounded in the attack.In the nearby town of Madain, about 20 kilometers (14 miles) southeast of Baghdad, another suicide car bomber struck an army checkpoint, killing three soldiers and two civilians, a second police officer said. Twelve other people were wounded, he said.An Iraqi soldier was killed and three were wounded when a roadside bomb struck their patrol in the northern town of Mishahda, 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of Baghdad, a police officer said. And in the town of Latifiyah, about 30 kilometers (20 miles) south of Baghdad, gunmen in speeding car went on a shooting spree, killing one civilian and wounding two, a police officer said.Monday evening, four more bombs struck various parts of Baghdad, killing at least 14 people and wounding 40, police said.Medical officials confirmed the causality figures. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.Monday's carnage came a day after at least 18 people and wounded nearly 50 across the country.Those attacks included a coordinated assault on a private Shiite college in Baghdad in which a suicide bomber with an explosives belt attacked the main gate while three militants attacked the back gate of the college. Four policemen and one teacher were killed and 18 other people were wounded.Hours after the attack, an al-Qaida spin-off group known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant claimed responsibility for the attack, accusing the college's professors of teaching students to curse the Prophet Muhammad and training them to fight the Sunnis in Iraq and Syria.The authenticity of the statement could not be independently verified, but its style was consistent with previous statements.The U.N. Special Representative in Iraq, Nickolay Mladenov, described the college assault as a vicious and cowardly attack on innocent civilians.This is yet another example of sectarian-based violence that the people of this country need to fight in order to bring this country to tranquility, Mladenov said in a statement. The target has been selected to incite sectarian hatred, with utter disregard for human life and religious values, he added.According to the United Nations, 8,868 people were killed in Iraq last year the country's highest death toll since a peak of sectarian bloodletting in 2007.

Court orders US to open up on drone attacks

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - The US government must make public secret papers justifying drone attacks against suspected terrorists, including American citizens, a New York federal appeals court ordered Monday.The case was brought by The New York Times and two of its journalists in a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) case supported by the American Civil Liberties Union.Their request came following the drone attacks in Yemen that killed Anwar al-Awlaki and Samir Khan in September 2011 and al-Awlaki's teenage son, Abdul Rahman, in October 2011. All three victims were United States citizens either by birth or naturalization.Judges based their decision on the fact that the information had already been the subject of numerous public statements and speeches, particularly by President Barack Obama, Attorney General Eric Holder and CIA chief John Brennan. Whatever protection the legal analysis might once have had has been lost by virtue of public statements of public officials at the highest levels and official disclosure of the DOJ White paper, wrote Judge Jon Newman, referring to the Justice Department.The decision reverses a judgment of January 2013, which had sided with the US government.Human rights groups say the drone strike program remains shrouded in secrecy and lacks clear legal limits.US officials defend the program as carefully regulated and say the strikes have weakened Al-Qaeda's core leadership while reducing the threat of an attack on US soil.

Saudi sentences 8 to death for 2003 Riyadh attack

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RIYADH (AP) - A Saudi court sentenced eight people to death and 77 others to prison on charges related to attacks against expatriate residential compounds in the country's capital more than a decade ago, the official press agency said.In the May 2003 attacks, militants shot and bombed their way into the three compounds in Riyadh. The assault left 35 people dead, including eight Americans and nine attackers.The Riyadh bombings prompted the kingdom to launch a sweeping crackdown on al-Qaida militants, who officials say were behind the synchronized attack. The verdicts reflect a renewed push by Saudi authorities, who have issued several similar verdicts in recent months against militants accused of carrying out attacks in the kingdom or taking part in conflicts abroad.The official Saudi Press Agency reported Monday that Riyadh's Specialized Criminal Court sentenced three people to death. The court, which was created to handle terrorism cases, also ordered 40 defendants to serve prison terms ranging from two to 35 years.A day earlier, the same court handed down five death sentences, while 37 others were given prison terms ranging from three to 35 years.All were charged for either taking part or abetting in the attacks. The defendants have 30 days to appeal. Their nationalities were not immediately disclosed. The case involves 85 defendants in total.

Biden lands in Kiev as Russia accuses Ukraine of breaching deal

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KIEV (AFP) - US Vice President Joe Biden arrived in Kiev Monday in a show of support for the pro-Western government, as Russia accused Ukraine of reneging on an international accord meant to defuse tensions over its separatist east.Biden's two-day visit comes with the clock ticking on a White House warning of further sanctions against Moscow if it fails to implement the agreement hammered out last Thursday in Geneva with Ukraine, the United States and the European Union.Russia has lashed out at claims that it is dragging its feet on implementing the deal, laying the blame squarely on Kiev for violating the agreement.The Geneva accord is not only not being fulfilled, but steps are being taken, primarily by those who seized power in Kiev, that are grossly breaching the agreements reached, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at a Moscow press conference.The pact has been badly undermined by a deadly weekend shootout in Ukraine's restive east on Sunday, and an obstinate refusal to stand down by pro-Kremlin militants who have seized control of nearly a dozen towns in the region.The accord calls for all illegal armed groups in Ukraine to surrender their weapons and halt the occupation of public buildings and other sites.Washington has warned Moscow -- which it believes is pulling the strings in Ukraine's insurgency -- that time is running out for the accord to be put into practice.The White House said Biden -- who has emerged as the Obama administration's top pointman on the crisis -- would consult on the latest developments in east Ukraine during his trip, which comes amid the worst East-West crisis since the Cold War. On Monday he was due to speak with US embassy officials in the Ukrainian capital. On Tuesday he was to meet with the country's interim president, Oleksandr Turchynov, Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk and lawmakers.The United States and its NATO allies have bolstered military deployments in eastern Europe. Washington and Brussels have also pledged billions to shore up Ukraine's battered economy.Moscow though has cautioned that it will not tolerate further US sanctions if the deal falls apart, while stressing that it has tens of thousands of troops massed on Ukraine's doorstep.It says Ukraine's leaders -- whom it sees as illegitimate -- are using force against the separatist protesters. It also wants to see anti-Russian demonstrators in Kiev cease their occupation of the capital's main square in line with the Geneva agreement.A bullish Lavrov said that efforts to cut Moscow off from the international community through sanctions would prove fruitless.Attempts to isolate Russia have absolutely no future because isolating Russia from the rest of the world is impossible, he said.In Ukraine's east, the situation appeared calm Monday, with insurgents still firmly entrenched in public buildings they have occupied for over a week. There was no shooting overnight, Yevgen Gorbik, a rebel wearing camouflage and a military cap and standing at a barricade in the flashpoint town of Slavyansk, told AFP.We will only shoot if attacked, he added. Gorbik summed up the bellicose posturing and political jockeying by saying: Currently, we have a virtual president in Ukraine, a virtual army, and a virtual war.On Sunday, though, the bullets were real in a shootout at a roadblock near the rebel-held town of Slavyansk that killed at least two of the separatist militants.Pro-Moscow insurgents in Slavyansk and the Kremlin blamed the attack on Pravy Sektor (Right Sector), an ultra-nationalist group at the vanguard of Kiev street protests that forced the February ouster of pro-Moscow former president Viktor Yanukovych.But Ukrainian officials and Pravy Sektor dismissed the allegation as Russian propaganda. They ridiculed the purported discovery of a business card belonging to the leader of Pravy Sektor in one of the attackers' cars, which Russian media had claimed was proof of the group's involvement.The self-styled leader of Slavyansk, Vyacheslav Ponomaryov, said a total of three rebels and two attackers had died in the attack, though AFP saw the bodies of only two militants.Ponomaryov announced a midnight-to-dawn curfew in the town and appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin to deploy troops to the region as peacekeepers -- or at least send weapons to help fight the fascists.Russia's foreign ministry issued a statement after the gunfight expressing its outrage at the violence.A spokesman in Kiev for the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which is monitoring implementation of the Geneva agreement, told AFP there was no confirmation of the separatists leaving occupied buildings.Spokesman Michael Bociurkiw said the OSCE planned this week to triple the number of monitors in the country. Currently there are 100, with more than half of them in the east, where they were facing difficulties in travelling through rebel roadblocks.Putin last week belatedly admitted the Russian military played a role in Crimea, but continues to deny that his army is operating in east Ukraine.Nevertheless, he asserts he has a right to send in forces to his eastern neighbour, which shares historical and linguistic ties with Russia.

Gunmen kill five policemen, one civilian in Peshawar

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PESHAWAR (Dunya News) – According to details, a police van came under miscreants attack in Mattni Rangali area near Peshawar as a result several policemen received injuries.Police returned the fire due to which the attackers escaped from the scene. An ambulance was called in to shift the wounded policemen to Peshawar but when it reached near Badaber, it again came under miscreants attack due to which five cops and the driver of the ambulance were killed on the spot while two civilians were also wounded.A heavy contingent of police reached the spot after the incident and shifted the dead and injured to Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar.

Tennis: Nadal makes no excuse for Monte Carlo loss

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BARCELONA (AFP) - World number one Rafael Nadal on Monday refused to blame his shock defeat in the Australian Open final in January to Stanislas Wawrinka as an excuse for his loss in Monaco last week.The 27-year-old Spaniard, the top seed for this week's Barcelona Open, lost in the quarter-finals of the Monte Carlo Masters to compatriot David Ferrer.It was his earliest loss in the Principality since 2003 and came 12 months after his eight-year winning streak at the event was ended in the final by Novak Djokovic.I cannot continue using the Australia Open final as an excuse, that is past, said Nadal, whose campaign in Barcelona begins in the second round against either Russian Nikolay Davydenko or Spaniard Albert Ramos on Wednesday.In Monte Carlo I should have achieved more. No one can win all the time, I'm no exception. I've lost before and I'll lose again. But I'm not bitter or mad at myself.Nadal, winner of 13 Grand Slam titles, said there was no disgrace in losing to veteran Ferrer, who is ranked sixth in the world.Despite his defeat he still remains favourite to go on and win a ninth French Open title in June.He's one of the best players in the world, said Nadal. I didn't play a good match, he deserved to win.Nadal was joined in the second round by three compatriots, who being unseeded did not benefit from an automatic bye.Daniel Gimeno-Traver beat Roberto Carballes Baena 6-3, 7-5 while Roberto Bautista Agut crushed Pole Lukasz Kubot 6-1, 6-0. Wild card Inigo Cervantes beat Kazakh Aleksandr Nedovyesov 3-6, 6-2, 6-4.Russian Teimuraz Gabashvili beat Michal Przysiezny of Poland 6-3, 6-4 and will face second seed Ferrer, who failed to build on his win over Nadal in Monte Carlo and lost in the semi-finals to eventual champion Wawrinka.Austrian hope Dominic Thiem beat 35-year-old Czech veteran Radek Stepanek 6-4, 6-4 while Edouard Roger-Vasselin of France advanced over German Andreas Beck 6-2, 6-2.

Man City beat West Brom 3-1, boosts title hopes

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MANCHESTER (AP) - Manchester City stayed alive in the English Premier League title race by beating West Bromwich Albion 3-1 thanks to first-half goals by three Argentines on Monday.Pablo Zabaleta and Sergio Aguero struck in the opening 10 minutes at Etihad Stadium to set third-place City on its way to a victory that trimmed the gap to league leader Liverpool to six points, with a game still in hand.Graham Dorrans' spectacular 16th-minute volley halved West Brom's deficit but Martin Demichelis bundled in a close-range finish in the 33rd to help secure a routine win for City that was marred by a second-half injury to its playmaker David Silva.The Spain international was carried off on a stretcher after receiving a knock to his right ankle, which has been causing him pain for the last few weeks.City, which moved a point behind Chelsea, likely has to win its final four matches if the team has any chance of reeling in Liverpool.We always talk with the players that if Liverpool win their (last) three matches and win 14 in a row, they will be champions, City manager Manuel Pellegrini said. Our duty is to try to win the games and in that way Liverpool can feel pressure.Pellegrini's side rediscovered the creativity and bite to its forward play that was lacking in last week's 2-2 draw with Sunderland that severely dented its hopes of catching Liverpool. Much of that can be put down to the return of Silva, who prompted many of City's attacks in the opening blitz that proved too much for West Brom, before being taken off in the 69th with his right leg in a brace following an innocuous challenge by Morgan Amalfitano.His injury started with a kick some weeks ago and every week he plays in the last game with pain, Pellegrini said of Silva.With City facing upcoming trips to Crystal Palace and Everton, a long injury absence for Silva would be a huge blow to the team's title aspirations.By the time he departed, the damage had been done by City's three Argentines.Zabaleta stooped to head home a rebound inside three minutes after Aguero's shot was palmed out by West Brom goalkeeper Ben Foster, and Aguero buried a low shot into the corner from 25 meters in the 10th for his first goal since Jan. 29. Like against Sunderland, the striker lasted only around an hour as he looks to return to full fitness after a hamstring injury.Dorrans finished off a fast counterattack, which had its origins in a botched free kick by City close to West Brom's area, by twisting and turning Gael Clichy and letting fly with a fierce volley that crashed into the net off the post.However, Demichelis restored the two-goal lead after receiving the end of Vincent Kompany's flick-on from Samir Nasri's corner and West Brom rarely threatened in the second half.The first half I think we played very well, we scored three goals and we had clear chances, Pellegrini said. It was the team we see the whole season at the Etihad.City climbed four points clear of fourth-place Arsenal but will be looking up in the standings, not below, as it goes in search of a second title in three years.West Brom stayed 16th, three points above the relegation zone with four games remaining.

Athletics: Keflezighi, Jeptoo take historic Boston wins

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BOSTON (AFP) - Meb Keflezighi ended a 31-year Boston Marathon win drought for American men and Rita Jeptoo defended her title Monday in a race that began with remembrances of last year's bombing tragedy.Keflezighi became the first American man to win the famed race since Greg Meyer in 1983 while Kenya's Jeptoo added to her 2006 and 2013 victory haul in a record time for the 26.2-mile classic.A moment of silence was observed before the start by a field of 35,755 from 95 nations for the victims of two bombs hidden inside backpacks that exploded near the finish line last year, killing three people and injuring more than 250 others.Keflezighi, who was born in Eritrea and became an American citizen in 1998, held off Kenya's Wilson Chebet to win in two hours, eight minutes and 37 seconds.Chebet was 11 seconds adrift with Kenyan Franklin Chepkwony third in 2:08:50.Keflezighi, 38, realized his goal of a historic victory for the people of Boston to help ease the recovery from last year's finish-line horror, much the way the Boston Red Sox dedicated their triumph in last year's Major League Baseball World Series to the city.It was my dream to win Boston and to make it just like the Red Sox did and do the same thing for the people, Keflezighi said.Keflezighi, whose other wins include the 2009 New York Marathon and 2012 US Olympic trials, set a personal best with the second-fastest US men's time ever at Boston. His best prior Boston finish was third in 2006.It marked the first time since 1991 that the men's winner was not from Kenya or Ethiopia.Jeptoo set a women's course record of 2:18:57 to defeat Ethiopia's Bizunesh Deba by 62 seconds with Ethiopian Mare Dibaba third in 2:20:35.Jeptoo, 33, shattered the prior Boston women's mark of 2:20:43 set by Kenya's Margaret Okayo in 2002.The only woman to have won more often at Boston than Jeptoo, who won at Chicago last year as well, is Kenyan Catherine Ndereba with four titles. Six other women have taken three as well.Deba was last year's New York Marathon runner-up while Dibaba won the Xiamen Marathon earlier this year in China for her first title at the distance.Jeptoo's training partner, compatriot Jemima Sumgong, was second at Chicago last year and second in Boston in 2012 by only two seconds, but settled for fourth this year in 2:20:41.South Africa's Ernst Van Dyk won his 10th Boston Marathon men's wheelchair crown in 1:20:36 while American Tatiana McFadden took her second consecutive women's wheelchair title.Keflezighi took charge at mile eight and although joined for a while by countryman Josphat Boit, he was out on his own by the 18-mile mark.Chebet, a three-time Amsterdam winner and former Rotterdam champion who was fifth in 2012 in his only prior Boston start, closed late to keep the American looking over his shoulder late but could not overtake him.Looking back is not a bad thing, said Keflezighi. It can save you a win.Ethiopia's Markos Geneti, the Dubai Marathon runner-up in January, was fifth in 2:09:50, 13 seconds behind fourth-place finisher Vitaliy Shafar of Ukraine.US runner Shalane Flanagan took the lead at the women's start with a first mile in 5:11 and she completed 5km in 16:10 as the leading group was trimmed to 12.Flanagan and Ethiopia's Buzunesh Deba set the early pace but at 20 miles, Deba grabbed the lead alone as the pack was reduced to five, Flanagan falling back and Kenyan Caroline Kilel dropping out.I ran everything I had in me, said Flanagan. I'll be back to run here until I win it.At mile 22, Jeptoo made her move and seized the lead, quickly pulling away and seemingly stretching her margin with nearly every stride on her way to the course record.

Snooker: Perry to face world champion O'Sullivan

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LONDON (AFP) - Joe Perry will face champion Ronnie O'Sullivan in the second round of the World Snooker Championships after coming from 6-3 down overnight to defeat Jamie Burnett 10-7 on Monday.Scotland's Burnett beat Cao Yupeng and Ben Woollaston to qualify for the final stages of the World Championship, staged at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, northern England.And he looked on course for a first round victory after an opening session where he made breaks of 84 and 94.But Perry fought back to win seven frames on Monday, starting with breaks of 87 in the day's first frame and 55 and 70 in the second.Perry also won the two frames before the mid-session interval and the two afterwards to move within one frame of victory.Burnett kept the match alive with a break of 111 -- the only frame he won Monday -- before Perry made a match-clinching 81 in the next to set up an all-English clash with five-times world champion O'Sullivan.I'm pleased with myself today (Monday), said Perry. I dug in and stuck with it. I don't think I played overly bad yesterday, it was just that Jamie punished me for my mistakes. I knew if I got chances I'd have to make more of them.Turning his thoughts to his next match, Perry added: It doesn't get any tougher than Ronnie O'Sullivan, but, saying that, I would have been absolutely gutted to be sat at home watching Jamie play him.We all have to believe that we can win. If we play our absolute best and cut out the errors, and he isn't at his best, then he's beatable.

Yen falls after big increase in Japanese trade deficit

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NEW YORK (AFP) - The yen Monday dipped against the euro and the dollar following a big increase in the Japanese trade deficit, while the dollar advanced on the euro.In Tokyo, the government said Japan's trade deficit hit $14 billion (1.45 trillion yen) in March, compared with just 356.9 billion yen a year ago.The huge deficit came as a weaker yen increased the cost of imports, especially of fossil fuels, and was compounded by the fact consumers rushed to buy ahead of the April 1 sales tax hike.The weak trade figures suggested that sooner or later, Tokyo may have to resort to bolder monetary policies to keep the economy on the right track, said Joe Manimbo, senior market analyst at Western Union Business Solutions.However, Manimbo said the ongoing crisis over Ukraine could keep the yen from falling too far.Geopolitical instability in Ukraine tends to be a boon for safer plays such as the yen, he said.Many currency pairs did not experience significant moves Monday, in part because trading desks in many European cities were closed for Easter holidays.

Rhino horns worth millions stolen from safe in S. Africa

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JOHANNESBURG (AFP) - Around 40 rhino horns worth millions of dollars have been stolen from the safe of a state tourism organisation in South Africa, a press report said Monday.The horns -- which are highly prized in some forms traditional medicine -- were taken from the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA) at the weekend, the Lowvelder newspaper reported.The culprit, or culprits, cut open two steel safes fitted with double locks, a source from the agency said. Dex Kotze, conservationist and CEO of South African jeweller Jenna Clifford, which backs a campaign against rhino poaching, said the haul could be worth as much as $16 million (12 million euros).Neither the MTPA nor the police could be reached on Monday, a public holiday in South Africa.Poaching of South African rhinos is on the rise, with more than 270 killed already this year, nearly half in the Kruger Park, despite the deployment of troops to protect them.The horns are much sought after in parts of Asia, particularly in Vietnam, for use in traditional medicine, even though they are made of keratin, the same as human fingernails.Poachers often kill the rhinos with semi-automatic rifles, hacking off the horns and leaving the animals wounded or dead.South Africa is home to nearly 20,000 rhinos, which make up 70 to 80 percent of the world's total rhino population.Illegal hunting of the animal in South African parks continues despite air and foot patrols, as well as increased numbers of rangers assisted by soldiers.

Oil prices edge higher as Ukraine boils

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NEW YORK (AFP) - Oil prices pushed higher in quiet trade Monday, gaining support from the Ukraine crisis following a deadly gunfight over the weekend. New York's main contract, West Texas Intermediate for May delivery, added 7 cents to $104.37.In London, where trade was limited to electronic deals due to the Easter holiday, Brent North Sea crude for June rose 42 cents to $109.65 a barrel.Desmond Chua, market analyst at CMC Markets in Singapore, said trading volumes were thin owing to the long Easter weekend. However, investors were increasingly concerned about events in Ukraine, Chua said.A deadly gunfight in a town in the east of the country on Sunday killed at least two pro-Kremlin rebels, shattering an Easter truce and raising fears that Russia would send in troops to the ex-Soviet state.The attack undermined an accord worked out in Geneva last week between Russia, Ukraine and Western powers for pro-Moscow rebel groups to surrender their weapons. With Ukraine a major conduit for Russian gas to western Europe, there are concerns that any full-scale armed conflict in the region will disrupt supplies and send oil and gas prices rocketing.But Timothy Evans of Citi Futures said the market could be near the top after Brent rose $2.20 a barrel last week.While crude oil may still have potential to trade higher in the near term with the help of some seasonal strength in gasoline and tensions between Ukraine and Russia, the petroleum markets look increasingly overbought in a market with a projected supply/demand surplus, he said in a client note.

Yemen says 55 Qaeda suspects killed in Sunday air raids

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SANAA (AFP) - A wave of air strikes on Al-Qaeda bases in south Yemen killed 55 militants, including three local chiefs, the interior ministry said Monday.The raids on Al-Qaeda bases in the rugged mountains of Abyan province on Sunday were among the most severe against the jihadist network in Yemen, the ministry said on its website.On Sunday, tribal sources had put the death toll from the raids near the town of Al-Mahfad at more than 30, while a defence ministry website only said several militants had been killed.The interior ministry said the raids lasted for several hours, adding that terrorists of Arab and foreign nationalities are among the dead and are in the process of being identified.It named the three local Al-Qaeda chiefs killed in the strikes as Mohammed Salem al-Masheebi, Fawaz Hussein al-Mihrak and Saleh Saeed al-Mehrak.The raids were part of a campaign of air strikes carried out jointly with the United States over the weekend against Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), the networks local affiliate.Apart from the attacks near Al-Mahfad, 13 other Al-Qaeda suspects were reportedly killed in two separate raids.They came after AQAP chief Nasser al-Wuhayshi pledged in a rare video appearance to fight Western crusaders everywhere.

Saudi Arabia sacks health minister as MERS toll rises

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RIYADH (AFP) - Saudi Arabia dismissed its health minister on Monday just days after he visited a hospital at the centre of growing concerns about the kingdoms handling of the MERS virus.Abdullah al-Rabiah was named adviser to King Abdullah and replaced by Labour Minister Adel Fakieh, said a royal decree carried by the official Saudi Press Agency.Saudi Arabia has registered by far the largest number of infections with Middle East Respiratory Syndrome since the diseases discovery in September 2012.Of 243 confirmed cases across the planet, 231 have been in Saudi Arabia, according to the World Health Organisation.Of those, 76 people have died, most recently two foreigners in the commercial capital Jeddah where there have been mounting fears of a potential surge in infections.Panic over the spread of the virus among medical staff in Jeddah triggered the temporary closure of a hospital emergency room in the city earlier this month.The now fired minister visited the facility last week in a bid to reassure the public but on Wednesday at least four doctors at the King Fahd Hospital reportedly resigned after refusing to treat MERS patients.MERS was initially concentrated in eastern Saudi Arabia but it now affects other areas.The virus 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.Experts are still struggling to understand MERS, for which there is no known vaccine.A recent study said the virus has been extraordinarily common in camels for at least 20 years, and may have been passed directly from the animals to humans.

KSE starts week with bearish trend

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KARACHI (Dunya News) - Karachi Stock Exchange showed downward trend on first day of the week as the benchmark 100-share index fell by 191 points to close at 28,878 points.Follow-through impact of the global sell-off was felt at the local bourse, resulting in the benchmark index declining.Asian markets were mostly lower in thin Easter holiday trade Monday, with Japan's Nikkei giving up early gains despite a weaker yen as data showed the country's trade deficit quadrupled in March.Chinese shares slipped on fears over the economy as well as liquidity after authorities unveiled a list of 28 firms that have filed for initial public offerings (IPOs). Tokyo finished flat, giving up 3.89 points to 14,512.38, Seoul was down 0.25 percent, or 5.06 points, at 1,999.22, while Taipei ended 0.17 percent, or 15.47 points, lower at 8,951.19. Shanghai tumbled 1.52 percent, or 31.92 points, to 2,065.83.Hong Kong, Sydney and Wellington were closed for the Easter holidays.With markets in most of Europe and the United States closed on Friday and Monday, business was thin as investors look ahead to the release this week of preliminary manufacturing data from around the world as well as US retail and house price figures.In afternoon trade the dollar was at 102.55 yen compared with 102.41 yen on Friday, while the euro bought $1.3825 and 141.76 yen, against $1.3817 and 141.48 yen.In Tokyo, the government said Japan's trade deficit hit $14 billion (1.45 trillion yen) in March, compared with a shortfall of 356.9 billion yen a year ago.The huge deficit came as a weaker yen increased the cost of imports, especially of fossil fuels, and was compounded by the fact consumers rushed to buy ahead of the April 1 sales tax hike.This week will see the start of corporate reporting for the first three months of 2014, with investors paying close attention to Japanese firms' outlook following the sales tax rise, which critics fear could derail the economy's young recovery.It's difficult to project an impact from the consumption tax increase. Companies are likely to report conservative guidance, Shigeo Sugawara, senior investment officer at Sompo Japan Nipponkoa Asset Management, told Dow Jones Newswires.In China the stock regulator at the weekend said several firms were planning IPOs, state media reported, sparking worries that floodgates were opening after a two-month pause in new listings.On oil markets New York's main contract, West Texas Intermediate for May delivery, dipped 13 cents to $104.17 in afternoon trade and Brent North Sea crude for June eased 42 cents to $109.11 a barrel.Gold fetched $1,287.37 an ounce at 1042 GMT, compared with $1,289.90 on Friday.In other markets:Manila closed 1.44 percent higher, adding 96.33 points to 6,767.51.SM Investments gained 1.51 percent to 738 pesos while Philippine Long Distance Telephone rose 3.57 percent to 2,900 pesos.-- Jakarta ended down 0.10 percent, or 4.76 points, at 4,892.29.Lender Bank Permata gained 1.09 percent to 1,385 rupiah, while palm oil firm Sinar Mas Agro Resources and Technology slipped 1.49 percent to 6,600 rupiah.Kuala Lumpur gained 0.55 percent, or 10.24 points, to 1,862.93.Public Bank rose 0.8 percent to 20.20 ringgit, while Berjaya Corp lost 1.0 percent to 0.50 ringgit.Bangkok gained 0.28 percent, or 3.89 points, to 1,413.07.Supermarket operator Big C Supercenter added 2.41 percent to 191.00 baht, while Bangkok Life Assurance rose 3.87 percent to 73.75 baht.Singapore ended flat, edging up 2.03 points to 3,255.83.DBS bank was down 0.24 percent to Sg$16.86 while Singapore Telecommunications climbed 0.27 percent to Sg$3.72.Mumbai rose 0.60 percent, or 135.99 points, to 22,764.83.Biocon jumped 9.13 percent to 496.10 rupees, while Suzlon Energy climbed 6.74 percent to 14.26 rupees.
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