Tuesday 8 April 2014

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

5 dead in Karachi as multiple explosions rock Sindh

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – As many as five persons died, while several others injured in eleven cracker explosions carried out across Sindh including Karachi on Tuesday, Dunya News reported.According to details, unidentified men threw a bag full of explosives at Zamzama Street in Karachi resulting in cracking of windows of nearby buildings.Another man died as result of cracker attack at a shop at Buffer Zone area.A grenade attack was carried out at a house in Korangi Mehran Town, no loss was reported as a result.Unidentified men threw explosives at a car in Gulistan Johar area which resulted in injury of two persons.Another explosion took place at Safawara Chowrangi area when motorbike riders threw explosives at a shop.Investigations were underway into the incident and it appeared to be a case of extortion, said newly-appointed Station House Officer (SHO) of Clifton Ghazala Syed, the first woman to be appointed as an SHO in Karachi.Hand grenade attacks by motorcycle-borne masked men also took place in the city of Hyderabad, Dadu and Jacobad. Police said four incidents were reported from Hyderabad and its outskirts. Blasts were also reported on up-country railway tracks in Sehrish Nagar, Qasimabad taluka and Khursheed Colony of Kotri in Jamshoro district. A blast occurred in the heart of Hyderabad outside Radio Pakistan building on Meeran Mohammad Shah road. No one has claimed responsibility for these attacks yet.

Girl injured as result of acid attack in Lahore

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – Three persons including a woman threw acid on a girl on Tuesday just as she was walking home. The girl survived several burn injuries. Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif took notice of the incident and ordered immediate arrest of the culprits, Dunya News reported.A girl was thrown acid by at least three persons including a woman just as she was walking home. The girl was brought to Jinnah Hospital where doctors discharged her after initial treatment.Police took the victim to the police station to record statement and initiate investigation. The victim already has a rape case registered at a local police station. She expressed suspicion that the same group might have attacked her.Chief Minister’s advisor for health Khawaja Salman Rafiq visited the victim at hospital and assured justice. He said the girl is being provided with complete medical care, vowing that the culprits will soon be brought to the court of justice.Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif took notice of the incident and sought report from CCPO Lahore.

Bilawal requests Maradona to train Pakistani street child football team

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari met street child football team and lauded their outstanding performance in the street child world cup in Brazil. Bilawal also said he has talked to football icon Diego Maradona for training of the team.According to Dunya News sources, team members were given a cheering welcome at Bilawal House Karachi by PPP leader Faryal Talpur, Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.Faryal Talpur announced 1 lakh rupees per team member as reward for outstanding performance.Bilawal said that Pakistani children have brought pride and honour to the whole country.Earlier, Sindh Assembly also announced reward packages for the Street Child Football team over outstanding performance in Street Child Football World Cup in Brazil.The reward package includes free education upto postgraduate level announced by provincial minister for education, two lakh rupees cash prize per player by Sindh government, with an additional five lakh rupees announced by provincial youth minister Mumtaz Jakhrani. Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) Member Provincial Assembly (MPA) Khurram Sher Zaman also presented cheques in the amount of ten thousand rupees per player.Street child football team received a cheering welcome upon returning home by Sindh Assembly as they were graced with cultural outfits including Sindhi hats and shawls.Sindh Assembly had specially summoned the team to appreciate their outstanding performance in the Street Child Football World Cup that took place in Brazil.The house echoed with applause for the team.Talking on the occasion, the players said they were not expecting such a welcome. They said that street children’s talents should be recognized and promoted at early stage.Street children deserve attention and care, they added.The house members also sang national anthem.Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani also presented souvenir shields to the players after the assembly session.

PTI to challenge Protection of Pakistan Bill

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PESHAWAR (Dunya News) – Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) announced on Tuesday that it will challenge Protection of Pakistan Bill in Supreme Court. Party Chief Imran Khan said that Pakistan cannot progress until top leadership pays taxes, Dunya News reported.Imran Khan urged the authorities to assess politicians’ assets starting from his assets, adding that he’s willing to give away illegitimate assets if found any.Addressing media, PTI leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that PTI has secured MQM and Jamaat Islami’s support for challenging the bill.Earlier, National Assembly approved the Pakistan Protection Bill late on Monday amid strong amid volatile and noisy protests and walkout by the opposition parties, during which the opposition parties also tore the copies of the bill, and tried to access Speaker’s dais, only to be blocked by official parliamentarians shielding the Speaker.According to reports, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI), Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam Fazal (JUI-F), Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Jamaat Islami (JI) opposed some of the clauses of the bill.MQM’s committee member Asif Husnain said Protection of Pakistan Bill will mostly be implemented on his party. Opposition parties also objected over proposed right to arrest anyone upon suspicion and over the power to transfer the case to any other court.MQM recommended five amendments in the bill. According to the bill, an accused can be held for up to 90 days and the transfer of trial from one province to another will also be possible.The bill also recommends keeping the proceeding of trial of a terror suspect confidential.

Govt hasnt released any prisoner as per demand list: TTP

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HANGU (Dunya News) – In a statement issued by pokesman of banned Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) Shahidullah Shahid, the government showed no progress regarding release of Taliban prisoners and declaration of peace zone.He said that Taliban are serious in holding peace talks with the government seriously but the action against TTP activists across the country continues that is intolerable.Shahidullah Shahid said that no Taliban prisoner was releases as per the list forwarded to the government while the government was turning the blind eye to the demands.He demanded of the government to release non-combatant prisoners unconditionally and announce free peace zone so that the negotiation committees could travel without any danger.It is to mention here that Professor Ibrahim on Monday said that a meeting between government negotiating committee and the Taliban shura is expected to take place in tribal areas, adding that the venue hasn’t yet been decided.He said the second phase of peace talks have started, saying that the first meeting was very positive.The Taliban negotiator stressed that peace can only be restored through talks. He said they were making efforts to make dialogue successful.Earlier, Professor Ibrahim said that the government and the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were working on a mechanism for release of prisoners, adding that both sides were moving forward with full confidence.According to sources, it had been decided to form a special committee and design a mechanism for the release of prisoners. The committee will check the list of prisoners and would forward its recommendations after reviewing the crime if committed by the prisoner.Earlier, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar announced that 12-13 more Taliban prisoners were being released and the total number of released prisoners before upcoming meeting between government and Taliban representatives would reach 30. He said that Taliban will also have to release non-combatant prisoners including former Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani’s son.Addressing media after negotiation committees’ meeting at Punjab House, he said that it is difficult to bring peace adding that conducting military operation is no big deal. He said that the government is passing through a patience-testing phase, adding that matters are proceeding in a positive way.He said that primary objective is to restore peace while staying within bounds of law and constitution, adding that the process of release of non-combatant prisoners of both sides is continued.He said that Taliban also have to free non-combatant prisoners because single-handed clap is not possible.Various issues came under discussion during the session. He announced that 12-13 more prisoners will be released before next meeting between government and Taliban representatives.He said that discussion venue is being deliberated upon, in order to facilitate Taliban, so that government and Taliban can resume talks on major issues.Earlier, South Waziristan’s political administration released 16 Taliban prisoners on April 2 as part of goodwill gesture,According to reports, those freed were arrested during various search operations in South Waziristan two years ago.Sources say the free men include Mera Jan, Abdullah Jan, Salamat Khan, Bandshah Gul, Abdul Aziz, Noorzada, Satta Jan, Saddam Hussain, Ziauddin, Sher Pao, Riaz Ali, Mir Alam, Sher Alam Khan, Iqbal, Noor Alam.Reportedly, these men belong to outlawed Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) of Mehsood area.

Sindh Assembly rewards Street Child Football team with free education, cash prizes

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – Sindh Assembly announced on Tuesday reward packages for the Street Child Football team over outstanding performance in Street Child Football World Cup in Brazil, Dunya News reported.The reward package includes free education upto postgraduate level announced by provincial minister for education, two lakh rupees cash prize per player by Sindh government, with an additional five lakh rupees announced by provincial youth minister Mumtaz Jakhrani. Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) Member Provincial Assembly (MPA) Khurram Sher Zaman also presented cheques in the amount of ten thousand rupees per player.Street child football team received a cheering welcome upon returning home by Sindh Assembly as they were graced with cultural outfits including Sindhi hats and shawls.Sindh Assembly had specially summoned the team to appreciate their outstanding performance in the Street Child Football World Cup that took place in Brazil.The house echoed with applause for the team.Talking on the occasion, the players said they were not expecting such a welcome. They said that street children’s talents should be recognized and promoted at early stage.Street children deserve attention and care, they added.The house members also sang national anthem.Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani also presented souvenir shields to the players after the assembly session.

Sri Lanka party marred by player dispute

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COLOMBO (AFP) - Sri Lanka's team flew home in triumph Tuesday to a huge street party after winning the world Twenty20 tournament, but celebrations were marred by controversy over the retirements of Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara.Tens of thousands of fans lined the street from the main international airport to downtown Colombo, a distance of 35 kilometres (21 miles), causing traffic chaos across the capital as the heroes passed by in a motorcade.Sangakkara and Jayawardene, both former skippers, told reporters at the airport there were serious disagreements about their retirement from T20 cricket.Jayawardene said his remarks to a local newspaper, that the tournament may be his final T20 appearance, had been taken as notice of his intention to retire, and based on that he had been criticised by a cricket board official.I am disappointed and hurt that an official went public criticising us without first asking us whether we actually made those remarks, he told reporters shortly after landing.I agree with what he says, Sangakkara added.Both said they had been uncertain whether they would play in the World T20 tournament until a few hours before they were due to leave for Bangladesh.Sources close to the players said they did not finalise their employment contracts with the cricket board until the eve of their departure, following disputes between players and the board over pay and conditions.There was no immediate comment from the cricket board, but an official had earlier criticised both senior players for allegedly going public about their retirement plans without prior notice to the board.On the eve of the finals with India, the board announced a million dollar bonus for the team if it could finally shed its reputation for choking in major tournaments.Sri Lanka hosted but lost the last World T20 tournament in 2012, and were defeated in the final of the 2007 and 2011 50-over World Cups.Sangakkara was in celebratory mood despite grumbles with the board.Its going to be a massive day, he tweeted, along with photos of fans who mobbed the airport and the streets to greet him and the rest of the team.Rain gods be kind.The met office had forecast thunder showers in Colombo, but the weather was holding up as the team was driven at a snail's pace to meet President Mahinda Rajapakse.Fans waved national flags and cheered as the team bus escorted by hundreds of motorcycles and cars passed by. It was the biggest street party since government forces crushed Tamil Tiger rebels in May 2009.The victory on Sunday night in Dhaka came 18 years after Sri Lanka's triumph in the 50-over World Cup, which had been followed by a series of defeats in the finals of major tournaments.

UN chief decries death of Dutch priest in Syria

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UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned the shooting death of a well-known Dutch priest in Syria as an inhumane act of violence.Frans van der Lugt, 75, who gained renown for his insistence on staying in Syrias besieged city of Homs, was shot dead there by a masked gunman.Bans spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the UN chief demands that warring parties and their supporters ensure that civilians are protected, regardless of their religion, community or ethnic affiliation.The motive for the priests murder was unclear, but Syrias main opposition bloc and President Bashar al-Assads regime traded blame for the killing.Both the Syrian government and armed groups have the legal obligation and moral responsibility to do so, the statement from Bans office added.They must do everything to avoid and prevent violence against civilians, including indiscriminate shelling and air attacks on civilian areas.Ban was also horrified by apparent executions in the town of Kassab, his spokesman said.While the United Nations is unable to confirm the validity of these reported atrocities, gross human rights violations undeniably continue and residents of entire villages such as Kassab have been forced to flee, the statement added.Government forces continue to indiscriminately destroy whole neighborhoods, burying entire families beneath the rubble of their homes.The UN chief is extremely concerned that groups listed as terrorist organizations by the United Nations Security Council continue to brutalize the civilian population, the statement added.

Scandals dog top aide to India's would-be PM Modi

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NEW DELHI (AFP) - For a politician running on a platform of clean government, having a key aide facing murder and extortion charges could be seen as a liability -- but not by the man tipped to be Indias next prime minister.Narendra Modi, the hardline Hindu nationalist leading the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) into elections this week, first met former stockbroker Amit Shah in the 1980s when both of them were volunteers.Over the years, Shah, a portly and bearded 50-year-old, has become his closest confidante and key political manager. He is widely expected to take a senior role in any future Modi-run administration.Everyone in the party understands that the shortest path to Modi goes via Shah, said one party insider, who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity.The married father of a son was in the eye of a storm at the weekend after reportedly telling supporters to see Indias parliamentary polls as an opportunity for revenge against the left-leaning ruling Congress party.Speaking in an area torn apart by sectarian hatred last August, he will face a criminal investigation after branding the government as one that protects and gives compensation to those who killed Hindus.More than 50 people died in the district of Muzaffarnagar in the state of Uttar Pradesh, where several BJP members were already facing charges of inciting violence against Muslims.Modi is reviled by many of Indias Muslims due to religious riots in Gujarat in 2002 when he was chief minister. At least 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, were killed.In May 2013, Shah was appointed chief strategist for Uttar Pradesh, where the BJP must triumph for Modi to stand any chance of emerging as Indias next prime minister when results are announced on May 16.Opponents, including Minority Affairs Minister Rahman Khan, accused him of trying to polarise voters and even deliberately stoking tensions in a state with a long history of sectarian killings.What I can tell you is that there is a Modi wave not just in Uttar Pradesh but across the country, Shah told AFP on sidelines of an event in Delhi in March.The latest polls show the party likely to win more than half of the 80 seats up for grabs, but it has faced criticism for fielding two candidates linked to the Muzaffarnagar riots.Obviously, he (Shah) is one of our wisest political heads and the man in charge of UP. He would be giving key inputs for candidates nomination, a senior party leader told AFP on condition of anonymity.- A master strategist -Even those colleagues who resent his aloofness acknowledge Shahs acumen and respect his unflinching loyalty to Modi. His patron has reciprocated, sticking by him through multiple scandals.The biggest of those stems from the alleged extra-judicial killing in 2005 of accused gangster Sohrabuddin Sheikh and his wife Kauser Bi in western Gujarat state, where Modi has been chief minister since 2001.Shah, then Gujarat home minister, has been charged with being a co-conspirator in what federal investigators claim was a staged shootout to eliminate Sheikh, who was part of an extortion racket.Gujarat police claimed Sheikh was a terrorist plotting to kill Modi.In 2010, Indias federal police charged Shah with murder, extortion, destruction of evidence and criminal conspiracy. He insisted he was innocent, but immediately resigned.In a country where allegations against politicians are commonplace and police are widely viewed as corrupt, Modi weathered the storm by defending Shah as the victim of a conspiracy.Convictions in India, especially of politicians, usually take years if not decades to secure in the log-jammed court system.Amid a BJP election publicity blitz portraying Modi as a corruption-free man of action, the charges against Shah have gone largely unmentioned.- Criminal or crime fighter? -Shah gained a reputation during his eight-year stint as Gujarats home minister for a swift and often deadly crackdown on crime.In another controversial case on his watch, four people including two teenagers were gunned down in another alleged extrajudicial killing in 2004.In September 2013 a former top Gujarat policeman, DG Vanzara, released an explosive letter from prison accusing Shah of dirty tactics.He was also implicated last November in a scandal dubbed stalkergate, in which alleged transcripts of conversations between him and policemen were released by investigative news website Gulail.In them, Shah purportedly orders officers to trail a woman at the behest of saheb, a Hindi term for boss, ordering them to report every movement of the young architect, particularly if and when she met any male friends.Shah again dismissed the report as a conspiracy hatched by Congress.

Two days of gunfights leave 24 dead in Mexico's north

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MEXICO CITY (AFP) - The death toll from two days of gunfights in Mexicos northern state of Tamaulipas rose to 24 after authorities reported six more slayings in the drug violence-plagued region.Authorities said 15 men and two women were killed on Sunday in a series of shootings between criminal groups in the towns of Tampico and Ciudad Madero, on the Gulf of Mexico coast.A mans body was found on a bench and two others on a street in Tampico early Monday, according to the Tamaulipas Coordination Group of federal and state security forces.The first shootout was reported in Ciudad Madero, where two gunmen killed two men and a woman on Sunday afternoon, the security group said in a statement.Ten minutes later, authorities in neighboring Tampico found the body of a man with a bullet wound to the head.Later, a carload of gunmen fired at a man whose body was found in a Ciudad Madero street. Ten minutes later, another body was found in a street corner of the town.After nightfall, five men and one woman were killed in front of a fuel station in Tampico. Moments later, another man was gunned down in an ice cream shop.Another body was recovered that evening in Madero.The statement did not say what gangs were involved in the killings.But Tampico Mayor Gustavo Torres told Milenio television that the shootings in his town were linked to score-settling between members of the Gulf Cartel.Tamaulipas has been the scene of a turf war between the Zetas and Gulf drug cartels, former allies that have battled for control of lucrative drug trafficking routes to the United States since they parted ways in 2010.The Tamaulipas Coordination Group said in a separate statement that four suspected criminals were detained Sunday in two Tampico homes, armed with rifles and grenades.Further north, three more people were killed Sunday in clashes between criminals near the Rio Grande in Ciudad Mier, which lies near the border with the US state of Texas. Those killings were also reported on Monday.Soldiers recovered a pick-up truck, three AK-47 and one AR-15 assault rifle, one grenade and two bulletproof vests.The bloody Sunday came one day after a gun battle between soldiers and suspected criminals in Ciudad Miguel Aleman, which is near Ciudad Mier.Four armed civilians were killed in a skirmish after they opened fire on a hotel, the state prosecutors office said.Some 80,000 people have been killed in drug violence in Mexico since 2006.

Euro zone set for 1.2% growth along with danger of deflation: IMF

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BRUSSELS (AFP) - The euro zone economy is recovering towards 1.2-percent growth this year, the IMF said in an upgraded forecast on Tuesday but renewed pressure on the European Central Bank to cut interest rates to counter deflation dangers.Warning that recovery in the 18 euro zone members was struggling up a slippery slope, the IMF raised the outlook for this year from 1.0 percent, and forecast 1.5-percent growth next year and in the medium term.Although the euro zone had finally emerged from recession after a contraction of 0.5 percent last year, downside risks dominate, the IMF said.The legacy of the financial and debt crises in the form of high unemployment, debt and tight credit still had to be tackled, but the recovery is underpinned by reforms already enacted, it added.However dangers abound, notably a relatively high risk of deflation, which could set the recovery back, the International Monetary Fund, warned in its spring economic forecasts.Countries in difficulties because of budget deficits must push ahead with economic reforms, the IMF said, acknowledging that voter reform fatigue could set in.The remarks came just as France, the second-biggest euro zone economy after Germany, is signaling it wants extra leeway from European Union authorities.It indicated Tuesday it would delay presentation of its three-year budget plan to the European Union by around a week, after a government reshuffle likely to trigger changes in economic policy.The IMF, repeating advice already cold-shouldered by European Central Bank head Mario Draghi, said: in the euro area, more monetary easing, including unconventional measures, is necessary to sustain activity ... thus lowering risks of even lower inflation or outright deflation.Draghi replied to this last week when the bank held its key rate at 0.25 percent and said the ECB did not share the IMFs analysisHowever Draghi said that the ECB was ready to act fast to prevent inflation from falling further.The ECBs main policy target is to stabilise medium-term inflation at just under 2.0 percent, while it came in at 0.5 percent in March.The IMF forecast euro zone inflation of 0.9 percent this year, down from 1.3 percent last year.It said the rate would rise to 1.2 percent in 2015, but argued at length that low inflation could push up debt and interest rates in real terms, especially for countries still in difficulty.This was a reference to the danger that very low inflation cause businesses and consumers to delay purchases in the belief that prices will be lower later, setting of a vicious spiral of low demand, rising unemployment and falling activity which can defy cuts in interest rates.- Recovery could be derailed -The report insisted that more monetary easing is needed and that measures could include further rate cuts and mildly negative deposit rates to encourage banks to lend.If member countries eased up on reforms to raise competitiveness and put at risk hard-won gains, the recovery could be derailed, with high unemployment and public fatigue with reform playing a role.The IMF welcomed progress among euro zone members to create a banking union, but said more work was needed, commenting that the framework seemed too cumbersome to provide rapid solutions for failing banks.The Fund also called on euro zone countries to reform labour laws and to simplify tax systems as part of a drive for competitiveness.The recovery was being led mainly by export performance but there were signs that demand in countries such as France and Spain was recovering.The strength of the German economy stood out with firm demand at home and a strong external performance, and the German public sector was in a position to raise investment which would boost growth throughout the euro zone.This recommendation by the IMF comes against a background of controversial criticism of Germany for having an unduly big trade surplus and not stimulating spending at home enough.The IMF urged countries with surplus economic growth, such as Germany; to boost domestic demand and help reduced intra-euro-area imbalances.

Oil market rises on renewed Ukraine tensions

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LONDON (AFP) - Global oil prices advanced on Tuesday on renewed Ukraine tensions after pro-Russian protesters seized government buildings in the eastern city of Donetsk.New Yorks West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for delivery in May won 77 cents to $101.21 per barrel.Brent North Sea crude for May gained 50 cents to $106.32 a barrel in late morning trade in London.NATOs chief on Tuesday warned Russia against further intervention in Ukraine, urging Moscow to step back after pro-Kremlin militants seized government buildings in several cities in the east.Unsettling news continues to come out of east Ukraine, where pro-Russian separatists are becoming increasingly forthright in their demands for a split from Ukraine and an accession to Russia, said Commerzbank analyst Carsten Fritsch.Ukraine accuses Russia of fuelling these tensions. Any further escalation of the situation would intensify tensions between Russia and the West and could lead to tighter sanctions being imposed on Russia.So far, the market appears to believe this to be unlikely, though that means the (oil) price would react all the more strongly if sanctions actually were imposed on the Russian oil and gas sector.Pro-Russia activists have seized state buildings in the eastern cities of Kharkiv, Lugansk and Donetsk, where they have vowed to vote on joining Russia in an eerie echo of last months situation in Crimea, a Black Sea peninsula that has since been annexed by Moscow.Kiev has accused Russia of fomenting the unrest and Washington warned the Kremlin to stop efforts to destabilise Ukraine, accusations that Moscow brushed off.Russian troops remain massed on the border with Ukraine, exacerbating concerns about a possible military conflict.With Ukraine being a key conduit for Russian gas to Europe traders fear that any disruption to supplies will send oil and gas prices skyrocketing.Russian deliveries account for 34 percent of the natural gas supplies to the European Union, according to the Soufan Group, a US-based intelligence firm.The returning tensions in Ukraine are definitely providing some support to oil prices, added Desmond Chua, market analyst at CMC Markets in Singapore.Investors are watching closely for clues about Russias intentions regarding Ukraine, he told AFP.Singapore-based brokerage Phillip Futures said concerns over Ukraine ensured crude prices stayed well supported at elevated levels despite fears over the influx of Libyan crude into global markets.Rebels in Libya seeking regional autonomy agreed Sunday to allow the reopening of two of four oil terminals they have blockaded since July.The deal allows for the immediate reopening of the Zueitina and Al-Hariga terminals, which have a combined oil export capacity of 210,000 barrels per day (bpd).It also aims for a lifting of the blockade of Ras Lanouf and Al-Sidra ports, which together have a 550,000 bpd capacity, within two to four weeks.Tripoli says the blockade since July has cost Libya more than $14 billion in lost revenues, slashing exports from 1.5 million to 250,000 bpd.

Asian shares mixed, tech firms follow US peers down

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HONG KONG (AFP) - Asian markets were mixed on Tuesday following another heavy sell-off on Wall Street, with technology stocks taking a beating, while a stronger yen added to downward pressure on Japans Nikkei.Eyes are also on a news conference by the head of the Bank of Japan after its latest policy meeting, its first since a controversial tax rise took effect at the start of the month.Tokyo sank 1.36 percent, or 201.97 points, to 14,606.88 and Sydney was down 0.06 percent, or 3.1 points, at 5,410.6, while Seoul added 0.17 percent, or 3.33 points, to close at 1,993.03.Hong Kong added 0.98 percent, or 219.82 points, to 22,596.97 while Shanghai surged 1.92 percent, or 39.45 points, to 2,098.28 on hopes Beijing will soon unveil measures to kickstart Chinas economy after last weeks mini-stimulus.All three main indexes in New York suffered a third straight session of losses on Monday as big-name tech firms, which had helped last years rally, suffered sell-offs on concerns they are overvalued. Among the US losers Monday were Apple, Yahoo, Google and LinkedIn.Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at Rockwell Global Capital in the United States, said there was also a little anxiety before earnings season kicks off this week.On Wall Street the Dow sank 1.02 percent, the S&P 500 slipped 1.08 percent and the tech-rich Nasdaq fell 1.16 percent.- Yen extends gains against dollar -Asian tech stocks followed their US peers lower, with Sony off 1.36 percent and Sharp losing 3.68 percent in Tokyo.In Seoul Samsung was off 0.21 percent, with added downward pressure coming from its forecast of a decline in operating profit for the second straight quarter year-on-year.The yen edged up against the dollar as traders looked for safer bets, while it was given an extra boost by data showing Japan had posted its first current account surplus in five months in February.The dollar was at 102.67 yen in the afternoon in Tokyo, against 103.09 yen late in New York.The euro bought 141.21 yen and $1.3752, compared with 141.65 yen and $1.3740.There was little movement after the Bank of Japan said it would hold off announcing any fresh monetary easing measures, as expected.Investors are awaiting comments by governor Haruhiko Kuroda at a news conference later in the day to see what he has to say about the economy after the 8.0 percent sales tax came into force on April 1.On oil markets New Yorks main contract West Texas Intermediate for May delivery rose 92 cents to $101.36 a barrel and Brent North Sea crude for May gained 56 cents to $106.38.Gold fetched $1,309.64 an ounce at 0807 GMT, up from $1,300.91 late Monday.-- In other markets ---- Taipei rose 0.13 percent, or 11.81 points, to 8,888.25.Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co gained 1.28 percent to Tw$119.0 while Hon Hai Precision was 0.12 percent higher at Tw$86.4.-- Wellington fell 0.87 percent, or 44.28 points, to 5,031.56.Telecom was off 0.20 percent at NZ$2.52 and Contact Energy fell 0.76 percent to N$5.24.-- Manila fell 0.41 percent, or 34.50 points, to close at 6,579.90.Conglomerate Ayala Corp. dropped 0.33 percent to 604 pesos and its property arm Ayala Land shed 1.28 percent to 30.90 pesos.-- Mumbai was closed for a public holiday.

European stocks drop further

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LONDON (AFP) - Europes main stock markets retreated on Tuesday after the previous days slump, as Ukraine-Russia tensions offset robust British manufacturing data.Londons benchmark FTSE 100 index dropped 0.76 percent to 6,572.21 points in late morning deals.In Paris, the CAC 40 index lost 0.51 percent to 4,413.36 points and Frankfurts DAX 30 shed 0.62 percent to stand at 9,452.11 compared with Mondays closing values.European equities were pressured by fresh geopolitical drama together with declines on Wall Street overnight where tech stocks continued their descent amid worries about inflated valuations, said Ishaq Siddiqi, market strategist at ETX Capital traders.European tech companies though rebounded from heavy losses on Monday, with British group ARM Holdings up 0.38 percent to 976.18 pence.Elsewhere, markets again are on edge as this fresh escalation of the (Ukraine) crisis could see further turbulence in financial markets, said Siddiqi.Russia warned Kiev on Tuesday that any use of force in Ukraines east, where pro-Kremlin militants have seized government buildings in several cities, could tip the country into civil war.In Paris, shares in construction, media and telecoms group Bouygues rose by 2.76 percent to 29.8 euros on a newspaper report that the company was in talks to sell its telecom arm to to low-cost upstart Free, asking 8.0 billion Euros ($11 billion), after failing to buy SFR at the weekend.European leading stock markets had tumbled on Monday as investors fretted over the global technology sector, the US interest rate outlook and fresh unrest in Ukraine, dealers said. Frankfurt shed 1.91 percent on the weeks first day of trading.In foreign exchange deals, the British pound was boosted after official data showed that industrial output across Britain rose by a robust 0.9 percent in February compared with activity in January, cementing the countrys economic recovery.The European single currency dropped to 82.37 British pence from 82.75 pence on Monday, while the pound climbed to $1.6711 from $1.6603.The euro climbed to $1.3766 from $1.3740 late on Monday in New York. The dollar fell to 102.56 yen from 103.09.On the London Bullion Market, the price of gold increased to $1,313.98 an ounce from $1,299 on Monday.Asian stock markets closed mixed on Tuesday following another heavy sell-off on Wall Street, with technology stocks taking a beating, while a stronger yen added to downward pressure on Japans Nikkei, traders said.All three main indices in New York suffered a third session of losses in a row on Monday as big-name tech firms, which had helped last years rally, were sold off on concerns they are overvalued.Among the big US losers on Monday were Apple, Yahoo, Google and LinkedIn.

Five shot dead in Indian held Kashmir ahead of polls

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SRINAGAR, India (AFP) - Suspected rebels in Indian Kashmir have shot dead a soldier and two policemen, officials said Tuesday, two days before voting begins in the region for the national election.A gun battle late Monday in Kralpora village, 130 kilometres (81 miles) northwest of the main city of Srinagar, left one soldier and two policemen dead.Two terrorists were killed, said Indian army spokesman N. N. Joshi.In another clash Tuesday a policeman was shot at point-blank range and critically wounded by a suspected rebel in the town of Anantnag, 55 kilometres south of Srinagar.The militant also snatched an automatic rifle from the (injured) officer before fleeing the scene, said police officer Sheikh Junaid.Security has been stepped up across the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir which is scheduled to go to the polls in five stages between April 10 and May 7.
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