Monday 7 April 2014

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Street child footballers get heroes welcome on return

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – Pakistan footballers returned home on Tuesday morning from Brazil after securing third position in the Street Child Football World Cup.A large number of football fans, families of the players and some political figures greeted the team at the airport.Pakistan secured third place after defeating United States in Street Child Football World Cup match on Sunday.Pakistani children made the country proud after making it big in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil this year.Pakistan team fought hard and made their way till the semifinals but had lost it to Burundi in the semis.

Golf: Record 24 newcomers spice Masters title chase

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AUGUSTA (AFP) - A record 24 Masters newcomers will tee off Thursday at Augusta National, several of them confident a first-timer can capture a green jacket for the first time since 1979.It doesn't matter if you have played here once or you have played it 50 times, American Patrick Reed said. Whoever is playing the best golf is going to win.Reed, who has won three PGA tournaments in the past eight months, is among the debutants who will break the old mark of 23 Masters newcomers set in 1935.Except for Fuzzy Zoeller's 1979 win, that's also the last time a first-timer won the event. But a confident group of players are looking to change that.I don't see why not. I don't think it's out of the question, said American Jimmy Walker, who has three PGA wins this season.I'm here to play well. And I'm here to have a chance -- I want to win and I think everybody here wants to do that. So why couldn't a rookie win again?Tiger Woods is absent after surgery for a pinched nerve, Jason Day and Phil Mickelson are coming off injuries and Adam Scott and Rory McIlroy failed to close out wins last month, so the door seems ajar for the newcomers.But experience is rarely more prized than at Augusta National, solving the undulating and lightning-quick greens and knowing what areas to avoid and where to hit to best set up approaches.If a guy has more experience it's going to give him an advantage. Experience always helps, Reed said. But with all the young guys coming out and playing well, whoever is playing best will come out with the victory.Day is among three players who could dethrone Woods as world number one this week although he would need to win to do so.Defending champion Scott needs at least a share of third. Sweden's Henrik Stenson must at least share second.My goal is obviously to be able to get to number one, one day, and to have a green jacket, and I can do that in one week. That's exciting stuff for me, Day said.There has been a lot of hard work and dedication that I've put into the game for many, many years, and it could all pay off in one week.If it happens it happens. I'm going to give it a good shot. But stuff like that you have got to put out of your mind.Thunderstorms on Monday allowed only two hours of practice, soaking the course.With better weather forecast for the rest of the week, the course should change as the week goes on, adding another element to the challenge for the new faces.Everybody talks that you need a lot of local knowledge, Walker said. All these guys out here, they know what they are doing. They know how to prepare.Then it's about getting it out of your head that this is what it is. It's the Masters, it's a major. You go out and you play golf and execute and hit your shots.Day, an Australian who has finished runner-up twice in the US Open and finished in the top-three in the Masters on two occasions, says young players in the 21st century have a support team that was lacking before.Times have changed where before you wouldn't have a team around you, so you really couldn't bounce things off people to really kind of see how you're improving, Day said.These days, kids have a mental coach, strength coach, swing coach, maybe a short game coach. I mean, they have so many people around them that are there in place to make sure that they are improving and competing and playing well. Sometimes you're going to get nervous and it's good to talk about things and really kind of let it out.Kids are coming out more confident. They are coming out stronger, faster. Their game is a lot tighter and every year that goes by, they are just coming out tougher to play against.

Actually, kids are getting heavier in the US: study

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - Contrary to recent reports, America's children are still struggling with obesity and there has been no decline in the epidemic among young people, US researchers said Monday.In fact, the problem is getting worse in a small subset of the heaviest children, among whom the trend has about doubled, said the findings in JAMA Pediatrics, a journal of the American Medical Association.Childhood obesity is of particular concern because it can lead to lifelong health problems, including high cholesterol, heart disease and type 2 diabetes, experts say.The total number of kids that are overweight or obese hasn't changed, said co-author Joseph Skelton, a pediatrician at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.It does seem overall, though, that some kids are getting heavier, he told AFP.The latest study was based on the same data set as that released in late February, in which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention hailed a 43 percent drop in obesity among the country's preschoolers in the past decade.However, the new study spanned a longer period of time, a wider age range and used 1999 as its starting point, rather than 2003 when an unusual spike in obesity was observed for reasons that are unclear, Skelton said.The new study examined records from at 26,690 children, aged between two and 19, who took part in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 1999 to 2012.Just over 17 percent were obese in 2011-2012, meaning their body mass index (BMI) was greater than or equal to the 95th percentile for their age and sex.That was slightly higher than the figure in 1999-2000, when 14.5 were obese, but the margin of error could make the difference as small as one percent.When researchers looked more closely at severe obesity, they found this trend was becoming more common, and had about doubled from 1999 to 2012.Severe obesity was defined as having a BMI that was 20 to 40 percent higher than the 95th percentile of their peers.In other words, a 10-year old boy weighing 95 pounds (43 kilgrams) at a height of 4.5 feet (1.37 meters) would be considered obese. If he added 10 pounds (4.5 kg) to his already obese frame, he would reach Class 2 obesity. If he added 25 pounds (11 kg), he would be considered Class 3.Nearly six percent of youths now meet the definition for Class 2 obesity, and about two percent are Class 3, said the study.The United States, where one in three people is obese, spends about $160 billion per year just treating the medical complications of carrying around too much weight, previous research has shown.Most doctors and nurses working with children did not see February's report of sudden progress in toddlers reflected in their work, said Stephen Pont, chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics provisional section on obesity.We are seeing increases in rates of people who are challenged by severe obesity, who are more likely to already have a number of medical complications that are worsened and caused by their weight, said Pont, who was not involved in either study.Research that trumpets a sudden improvement should always be taken with a grain of salt, he added. I would hate for people to think that all of a sudden we have stopped the adult and childhood obesity epidemic, because we most certainly haven't, he told AFP.Experts say the problem is complex, and that it will require an all-out effort to improve eating and exercise habits across society.Lowering costs and making healthy foods more available are also key challenges, particularly in impoverished neighborhoods.I think we need to take this really seriously, said Marlene Schwartz, director of the Yale University Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity.It is easier and more convenient and less expensive to get unhealthy foods. All the factors that influence your behavior are pushing you in the wrong direction.

Oil drops on news Libyan export terminals will reopen

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NEW YORK (AFP) - Global oil prices fell on Monday after rebels agreed to reopen two of the four blockaded oil-export terminals in eastern Libya, suggesting the country's blockaded supplies might come back on the market.New York's West Texas Intermediate for delivery in May finished at $100.44 a barrel, a decline of 70 cents from Friday's close.Brent North Sea crude for May dropped 90 cents to settle at $105.82 a barrel in London.News from Libya (is) weighing on the prices, said Commerzbank analyst Carsten Fritsch.At the weekend, the government there agreed with rebels that the four oil terminals in the east of the country which have been occupied by rebels for eight months now will be opened step by step.Two smaller terminals with a combined export capacity of 200,000 barrels per day will open immediately. The two larger ports, with a capacity of 500,000 barrels per day, are to follow suit in four weeks at the latest after further talks.The announcement of a deal Sunday to reopen the Zueitina and Al-Hariga terminals was made in Zueitina in the presence of government members and rebel chief Ibrahim Jodhran.The two sides have set a target of two to four weeks for a reopening of the other two terminals under blockade at Ras Lanuf and Al-Sidra. Details of the agreement were kept under wraps.Tripoli says the blockade of the export terminals since July has cost Libya more than $14 billion in lost oil revenues, slashing exports from 1.5 million to 250,000 barrels per day.Tan Chee Tat, investment analyst at Phillip Futures in Singapore, said Brent prices are facing downward pressure as the lifting of the blockades in Libya puts more supplies into the market.There are more indications that the negotiations are likely to achieve a breakthrough, resulting in further trimming of prices, Tan told AFP.WTI prices were lower Monday as investors booked profits from gains last week in response to Friday's positive jobs report in the United States, the world's biggest oil-consuming nation.WTI gained quite a lot over the weekend, quickly rebounding back to above $100, although at the level of $101, it has led to some booking of profits resulting in the current losses, Tan said.

Dollar slips on long prospects of US easy-money policy

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NEW YORK (AFP) - The dollar Monday fell modestly against most major currencies as analysts saw little immediate prospect for tighter US monetary policy. Near 2100 GMT, the euro rose to $1.3740 from $1.3701 Friday.The dollar slipped to 103.09 yen from 103.25 of the Japanese currency.The euro advanced to 141.65 yen from 141.49.The dollar also retreated against the British pound and the Swiss franc.Analysts said Friday's US Department of Labor jobs report for March left the greenback vulnerable to Monday's drift lower, especially on a quiet day for US economic news. The March labor report showed the US added 192,000 jobs, which was close to expectations but not good enough to suggest the US Federal Reserve will accelerate the time-table for raising benchmark interest rates.Friday's report was solid but not spectacular, said Joe Manimbo, senior market analyst at Western Union Business Solutions. Until new catalysts arrive, look for more general range-trading for the dollar and major currencies, Manimbo said.Kathy Lien, managing director at BK Asset Management, said Wednesday's release of US Fed minutes from the March meeting is the week's only major news event for the dollar and is unlikely to alter the outlook significantly.While no major US data is scheduled for release this week, the slide in Treasury yields and decline in US equities discouraged investors from buying dollars, Lien said.Among other currencies, the pound rose to $1.6603 from $1.6567 Friday.The dollar dipped to 0.8878 Swiss franc from 0.8919.

Newell ready for England interview

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LONDON (AFP) - Nottinghamshire director of cricket Mick Newell is readying himself for an interview for the vacant position of England coach.The opening round of the 2014 County Championship season has pitted Newell's side against a Lancashire team coached by ex-England boss Peter Moores, also a candidate to replace Andy Flower after the former Zimbabwe batsman stepped down following the team's 5-0 Ashes rout in Australia.And while late form has often swung selections as far as getting a player into a Test side is concerned, Newell said he did not expect the outcome of the ongoing clash at Trent Bridge to have a bearing on the identity of the next England coach.I'd like to hope not, Newell said Monday of a race where former England spinner and Warwickshire coach Ashley Giles is also a contender despite overseeing England's recent Twenty20 humiliation by the Netherlands.I would have liked to have thought it was a little more scientific than that.Asked if he had been told when he would be interviewed, Newell added: No I haven't.Nothing is happening this week.I've applied and I understand I'm on a shortlist but I don't know as and when there are any interviews.On the field, Nottinghamshire got themselves back into the match on a rain-marred second day at Trent Bridge, reducing Lancashire to 77 for six in reply to the hosts' first innings 272.Debutant Jake Ball took he first wickets of his Championship career - with former South Africa batsman Ashwell Prince his first scalp.With the new ball we were quite tight and didn't give too much away, Newell said.That builds the pressure and that's where we think the wickets will come from. I was quite pleased with that.This time of year, you don't expect high-scoring matches and especially not here, he added of Nottingham's Trent Bridge ground renowned for assisting swing bowlers.Newell saluted the performance of Ball, born in nearby Mansfield, by saying: (It was) great for Jake.He's done very well for us in one-day cricket for a number of years now.For him to get the opportunity to play in a four-day game is very good for him.

'World's oldest message in a bottle' reaches granddaughter

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BERLIN (AFP) - A message in a bottle tossed in the sea in Germany 101 years ago, believed to be the world's oldest, has been presented to the sender's granddaughter, a museum said Monday.A fisherman pulled the beer bottle with the scribbled message out of the Baltic off the northern city of Kiel last month, Holger von Neuhoff of the International Maritime Museum in the northern port city of Hamburg told AFP. This is certainly the first time such an old message in a bottle was found, particularly with the bottle intact, he said.Researchers then set to work identifying the author and managed to track down his 62-year-old granddaughter Angela Erdmann, who lives in Berlin.It was almost unbelievable, Erdmann told German news agency DPA.She was first able to hold the brown bottle last week at the Hamburg museum.Inside was a message on a postcard requesting the finder to return it to his home address in Berlin. That was a pretty moving moment, Erdmann said. Tears rolled down my cheeks. Von Neuhoff said researchers were able to determine based on the address that it was 20-year-old baker's son Richard Platz who threw the bottle in the Baltic while on a hike with a nature appreciation group in 1913.A Berlin-based genealogical researcher then located Erdmann, who never knew Platz, her mother's father who died in 1946 at the age of 54.Von Neuhoff said a handwriting comparison with letters penned by Platz later in life confirmed that he was without a doubt the author. Erdmann told local newspapers that the surprise discovery had inspired her to look through family scrapbooks to learn more about her grandfather, a Social Democrat who liked to read.Much of the ink on the postcard has been rendered illegible with time and dampness, von Neuhoff said.The discovery will be on display at the museum until May 1, after which experts will set to work trying to decipher the rest of the message.The Guinness World Records had previously identified the oldest message in a bottle as dating from 1914. It spent nearly 98 years at sea before being fished from the water.

Pakistanis target drones with giant posters of child victims

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ISLAMABAD (AFP) - A group of Pakistani artists are hoping to generate empathy among US drone operators by placing giant posters of children meant to be seen from the air in the country's troubled tribal regions.The project, titled NotABugSplat, has released a photograph -- itself taken from the air with the use of a mini-helicopter drone -- of a poster laid out in a field that shows the face of a girl who lost both her parents in one of the controversial strikes in the northwestern Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.Bug splat is said to be a term used by drone pilots based in the US to refer to how victims look when seen through video cameras.We tried to replicate as much as we could what a camera from above will see looking down, said one of the artists of the collective, who did not wish to be named individually. You will see how tiny people are and they look like little bugs, we wanted to highlight the distance between what a human being looks like when they are just a little dot versus a big face.One hope is that it will create some empathy and introspection.Since 2004, no region of the world has been targeted by US drones more than Pakistan's tribal districts, which border Afghanistan and are home to Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants. The strikes are greatly opposed in Pakistan, where they are widely condemned as a violation of sovereignty causing the unnecessary deaths of hundreds of innocent people.According to the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, these strikes have killed at least 2,296 people and 416 civilians. At least 168 of the victims were children, the BIJ said.But proponents of drones dispute the figures, and point out that the strikes have succeeded in killing high profile targets -- including former Pakistani Taliban leaders Baitullah Mehsud and Hakimullah Mehsud.The Pakistani collective was set up with the help of French street artist JR, who plans to unveil portraits from around the world at the Pantheon in Paris as part of a project called Inside Out. The artists wanted to begin their project last year in the tribal region of North Waziristan, but were dissuaded by Shahzad Akbar, a lawyer who represents the relatives of drone victims, because of the dangers.Akbar, who founded the non-profit Foundation for Human Rights, instead distributed the posters to residents.(They) put them on the roof so that when the drones are flying, the Americans will see these pictures of children ... People like it because it's a good waterproofing as well, he said.The last drone attack occurred on December 26, 2013, killing three suspected insurgents. Reports in the US media have suggested the drone strikes have been temporarily halted since then to provide the Pakistani government a chance to have talks with Taliban aimed at ending their seven-year insurgency.The talks began in February and a tentative ceasefire has been in place since March.Officially, Pakistan condemns the drone campaign as counterproductive and a violation of sovereignty.But, according to numerous leaked documents, it has in the past privately condoned their use.

Dasti failed to prove allegations: Rohail Asghar

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - A meeting of the parliamentary committee headed by PML-N MNA Rohail Asghar held here on Monday.The committee was formed to hold an inquiry into Jamshed Dasti’s allegations of immoral activities, dance parties and use of liquor at the Parliament Lodges.The committee said that Jamshed Dasti had failed to produce evidence to support his claims.Talking to media, Sheikh Rohail Ashgar said that Jamshed Dasti had failed to prove his allegation before the parliamentary committee.“The committee also recorded the statement of MNA Irfan Dogar, IB and police officials,” Asghar said.He said that the committee would make its recommendations to ensure foolproof security at the Parliament Lodges.Sheikh Rohail Asghar said said the concluding meeting would be held on April 23.It is to mention here that MNA Jamshed Dasti in February had accused some parliamentarians of being involved in immoral activities.He had accused that liquor worth millions of rupees was supplied and girls were brought to the Parliament Lodges.Dasti had claimed to have video evidences of the immoral activities in Parliament lodges.

Dutch priest shot dead in Syria

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DAMASCUS (AFP) - Dutch priest Frans van der Lugt, who gained renown for his insistence on staying in Syrias besieged city of Homs, was shot dead there on Monday by a masked gunman.His death was reported by the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and Syrias state news agency SANA, and was confirmed by the Dutch Jesuit Order.The motive for his murder was unclear, although Syrias main opposition bloc accused the regime of President Bashar al-Assad of being behind it.Van der Lugt, 75, had become a well-known figure in the Old City of Homs, respected by many for his solidarity with residents of the rebel-held area under a government siege for nearly two years.He refused to leave despite constant shelling and dwindling supplies, insisting Syria was his home and he wanted to be with the countrys citizens in their time of need.I can confirm that hes been killed, Jan Stuyt, secretary of the Dutch Jesuit Order, told AFP by phone.A man came into his house, took him outside and shot him twice in the head. In the street in front of his house, he said, adding the priest would be buried in Syria according to his wishes.- Guard wounded -The opposition National Council said a masked gunman who also wounded Van der Lugts guard from the rebel Free Syrian Army when he stormed the priests Jesuit monastery and killed him.Van der Lugt spent nearly five decades in Syria, and told AFP in February that he considered the country to be his home.The Syrian people have given me so much, so much kindness, inspiration and everything they have. If the Syrian people are suffering now, I want to share their pain and their difficulties, he said.He stayed on even as some 1,400 people were evacuated during a UN-supervised operation that began on February 7 and also saw limited supplies of food brought into the city.Government forces have besieged Homss Old City for nearly two years, creating increasing dire circumstances for those unable to leave.The faces of people you see in the street are weak and yellow. Their bodies are weakened and have lost their strength, Van der Lugt said before the UN operation.What should we do, die of hunger?The siege and shelling whittled away the Old Citys population, including a Christian community that shrunk from tens of thousands to just 66, according to the Dutch priest.Father Frans arrived in Syria in 1966 after spending two years in Lebanon studying Arabic.He lived in a Jesuit monastery, where he ministered remaining Christians and tried to help poor families -- Muslims and Christians alike.I dont see people as Muslims or Christian, I see a human being first and foremost, he told AFP in February.- Man of peace -The Vatican praised Van der Lugt as a man of peace, and expressed great pain over his death.This is the death of a man of peace, who showed great courage in remaining loyal to the Syrian people despite an extremely risky and difficult situation, spokesman Federico Lombardi said.In this moment of great pain, we also express our great pride and gratitude at having had a brother who was so close to the suffering.Dutch Foreign Affairs Minister Frans Timmermans also mourned the priest on his Facebook page.The man thats brought nothing but good in Homs, who became a Syrian among Syrians and refused to leave his people in the lurch, even when things became life-threatening, has been murdered in a cowardly manner, he said.Father Frans deserves our thanks and our respect. He must be able to count on our contribution to help end this misery.The office of Ahmad Jarba, the president of the opposition National Council, condemned the murder in the strongest terms.It said the Assad regime was ultimately responsible for this crime, as the only beneficiary of Father Franss death.Assad himself was quoted as saying the project of political Islam has failed in Syria, where more than 150,000 people have been killed in a three-year conflict that has come to be dominated by Islamists, ranging from moderates to radicals.

Roadside bomb kills 13 Afghan civilians: officials

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KANDAHAR (AFP) - A roadside bomb killed 13 civilians travelling in a pick-up truck in a volatile district of southern Afghanistan on Monday, officials said, in the first major incident since elections two days ago.Taliban militants had vowed to target voters, candidates and officials at the presidential elections, but there were no large-scale attacks on polling day on Saturday.A civilian vehicle hit a roadside bomb on the outskirts of Maiwand district, Kandahar provincial police spokesman Ghorzang Afridi told AFP. As a result of the blast, 13 civilians were killed, all men.Five others were wounded, among them one woman and some children.The truck was travelling from a remote village to Kandahar city when it hit the explosive.Roadside bombs are a common weapon used by the Taliban, though attacks that kill civilians often go unclaimed and there was no immediate claim of responsibility from the insurgents.The election will end 13 years of rule by President Hamid Karzai, who has held power since the Taliban were ousted in 2001.Preliminary results are due on April 24.Afghans have taken over responsibility for security from US-led forces, and this year the last of the NATO coalitions 51,000 combat troops will pull out.

Hagel tours China's new aircraft carrier

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BEIJING (AFP) - US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel got a first-hand look at Chinas new aircraft carrier on Monday as Beijing offered an unprecedented glimpse into its growing military clout.Hagel praised the ship tour as a promising step forward for a fledgling US dialogue with the often secretive Peoples Liberation Army (PLA), but the two sides remained deeply divided on cyber-spying and regional territorial disputes.He understands how significant it was for the PLA to grant his request for a tour, and he was impressed by the professionalism of the officers and crew, Pentagon press secretary Rear Admiral John Kirby said.He hopes todays visit is a harbinger for other opportunities to improve our military-to-military dialogue and transparency, Kirby said.Hagels two-hour visit to the carrier in the port city of Qingdao kicked off a three-day trip to China, and officials said he was the first foreigner allowed aboard the vessel by the PLA.His visit to China comes against the backdrop of friction between Washington and Beijing over cyber-spying, with each side trading accusations of digital espionage.In a speech Tuesday at the PLAs National Defence University, Hagel planned to urge China to be more open about its cyber capabilities to defuse tensions and prevent a potential crisis, a senior defence official said.- US shared cyber doctrine -We have tried to be as open and transparent on that as we can be. And we would like to see them be able to reciprocate, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.We very recently shared with them some basic doctrine on cyberspace, on how were approaching the challenges in cyberspace, the official told reporters travelling with Hagel.But the Chinese had not reciprocated, said the official, confirming a New York Times report.Last month the New York Times and Germanys Der Spiegel reported the US National Security Agency had hacked into the email archive of Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei, communications between top company officials and the source code of some of its products.Washington has long seen Huawei as a security threat due to perceived close links to the Chinese government, which the company denies.Despite friction over cyber security, officials said Chinas decision to invite Hagel aboard its sole aircraft carrier represented a solid step forward in US-China military relations.The carrier, the Liaoning, symbolises Chinas ambition to project naval power far beyond its shores and reflects a military buildup that includes spending on sophisticated anti-ship missiles and submarines.Reporters were not allowed to accompany Hagel to the carrier, but officials said the Pentagon chief and his delegation got a thorough tour of the ship, including a briefing from the carriers skipper and a walk on the flight deck.After the ship visit, some members of Hagels staff were invited to fly from Qingdao to Beijing on a Chinese military cargo plane, officials said.The Liaoning carrier was a Soviet-made warship based in Ukraine that the Chinese bought and refitted, completing the work in September 2012 in a milestone for the countrys expanding military.Beijing also has started constructing the second of four planned aircraft carriers, Chinese media reported in January.Unlike American aircraft carriers, the Liaoning is not nuclear-powered and has a shorter range. Chinese officers openly acknowledged to the Americans the ship was not yet ready for combat and that training a corps of naval aviators would take some time.They know they have a long way to go with naval aviation, the defence official said.The Liaoning nevertheless reinforces the image of China as a military power with global reach.On Tuesday, Hagel is scheduled to meet his counterpart General Chang Wanquan in Beijing, two days after warning Beijing against unilateral attempts to settle territorial disputes with its smaller neighbours.You cannot go around and redefine boundaries, violate territorial integrity and sovereignty of nations by force, coercion and intimidation -- whether its in small islands in the Pacific, or large nations in Europe, Hagel said in Tokyo, drawing a parallel with Russias incursion into Ukraine.So I want to talk to our Chinese friends about this.His comments underscored a tougher US line in recent months on Chinas approach to territorial disagreements in the South China Sea and the East China Sea, after some Southeast Asian countries accused Beijing of intimidatory tactics.

Iran aims to move ahead to drafting nuclear deal

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TEHRAN (AFP) - Iran said Monday it aims at talks with world powers this week to wind up the negotiating phase and move on to drafting a final accord on its nuclear programme.We will try to finish the discussions in this round and start writing the draft of the comprehensive agreement from the Iranian month of Ordibehesht, which starts April 21, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was quoted as saying by state-run television upon arrival in Vienna for the Tuesday-Wednesday talks.Zarif was to hold a dinner meeting later Monday with EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, who is leading the negotiations on behalf of six world powers -- the United States, China, Russia, Britain, France and Germany.The Vienna meeting is the third round of negotiations aimed at reaching a lasting accord to end the decade-long standoff over Irans nuclear programme.Western nations and Israel have long suspected Iran is pursuing a nuclear weapons capability alongside its civilian programme, charges denied by Tehran.Under an interim agreement reached last year that expires July 20, Iran froze key parts of its nuclear programme in return for limited sanctions relief and a promise of no new sanctions.Reeling from double-digit inflation, high unemployment, stagnation and mismanagement, Irans oil-reliant economy has struggled under US-led sanctions aimed at curtailing its nuclear ambitions.

FC kills 30 suspected militants in Khuzdar operation

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KHUZDAR (Web Desk) - At least thirty terrorists were killed in an operation by Frontier Constabulary (FC) in Khuzdar district of Balochistan here on Monday.At least ten FC personnel were also injured in the incident.According to FC spokesman search operation against miscreants in Parodh area of Khuzdar was underway.He said the miscreants used heavy weapons against security personnel.The spokesperson claimed that the suspected terrorists were part of banned orgainsations and were involved in attacks on trains and other incidents. The operation was monitored by IGFC Major General Ijaz Shahid.Six vehicles as well as huge quantity of arms and ammunition were seized from them.

Israelis, Palestinians try to salvage peace talks: officials

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JERUSALEM (AFP) - Israeli and Palestinian negotiators were to meet again on Monday in a new effort to salvage the teetering US-brokered peace talks, US and Palestinian officials said.The meeting came as US Secretary of State John Kerry scrambled to rescue negotiations he kick-started in July and a week after a fresh impasse saw both sides renege on commitments they made nine months ago.But Kerry warned there were limits to the time and energy the United States could inject into a process which appears to have made no progress amid bitter recriminations and moves Washington has described as unhelpful.Israeli and Palestinian negotiators met last night to discuss ways to overcome the crisis in the talks, a US official said on Monday.The meeting was serious and constructive, and both sides requested that the United States convene another meeting today to continue the effort.A Palestinian official confirmed to AFP that a meeting was scheduled, but neither side gave a time or location.Accompanied by US envoy Martin Indyk, the two sides met on Sunday evening, but Palestinian sources told AFP the session ended without any breakthrough and an Israeli official was quoted by local media as saying the process was on the edge of collapse.Israels parliament was also meeting in special session on Monday during its spring recess, for a debate on the peace negotiations, called by opposition MPs critical of the governments handling of the talks.This is a government of failure, it is a government that does not give hope but only depression, Labour party leader Isaac Herzog told the almost empty house.- No communication -But he allocated blame both to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, referring to him by the name by which he is familiarly known among Palestinians.There is not even minimal dialogue between Abu Mazen and Netanyahu. There is no communication between them, he said.They have been blaming one another since the day the negotiations started and they dont meet and dont talk.Netanyahu on Sunday threatened to retaliate if the Palestinians proceed with applications they lodged with the UN last week to sign up to 15 international treaties.Any unilateral moves they take will be answered by unilateral moves at our end, the premier said.Israel says Abbass move was a clear breach of the commitments the Palestinians gave when the talks were relaunched, to pursue no other avenues for recognition of their promised state.The Palestinians say Israel had already reneged on its own undertakings by failing to release a fourth and final batch of prisoners as expected a week ago, and that the treaty move was their response.Israel has been seeking to get peace talks extended beyond their April 29 deadline.- Last chance -Former Palestinian negotiator Mohammed Shtayyeh said that to achieve that they would have to free the prisoners and stop building in the occupied West Bank.If Israel wants to continue the negotiations it should release the prisoners, freeze settlements, and come to serious bilateral talks, he told reporters in Ramallah.These negotiations with Israel are the last chance for bilateral talks.The Palestinian diplomatic initiative won support Monday from former US president Jimmy Carter.The decision by the Palestinians to exercise their right to join international organisations should not be seen as a blow to the peace talks, he said in a statement by a panel of senior statesmen known as the Elders.I hope that, on the contrary, it will help to redress the power imbalance between Israelis and Palestinians.Kerry warned Friday there were limits to the time and energy Washington could devote to the talks, as his appeals to both sides to step back from the brink were ignored.Abbas rejected Kerrys plea to withdraw the treaty applications, and Netanyahu rejected US appeals to refrain from tit-for-tat moves, instead asking for a range of retaliatory options.However, commentator Tal Harris wrote in Mondays Jerusalem Post that the peace process was still alive.Although it might smell funny, it isnt dead yet, said Harris, of the Israeli-Palestinian dialogue movement One Voice.
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