Wednesday 9 April 2014

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Football: Holders Bayern brush aside United to reach semis

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MUNICH (AFP) - Holders Bayern Munich romped into the Champions League semi-finals with a 3-1 victory at home to Manchester United in Wednesday's quarter-final, second-leg to win 4-2 on aggregate. Having drawn 1-1 at Old Trafford in last week's first-leg, Bayern had to come from behind after United's left-back Patrice Evra put the guests ahead with a superb second-half strike at Munich's Allianz Arena.But Bayern equalised just 69 seconds later through a diving Mario Mandzukic header, the first of their three goals in the final half an hour.Thomas Mueller then tapped Bayern into the lead before Arjen Robben slotted the hosts third to knock David Moyes' United out of the competition.I thought the players did a great job tonight, the only crime was that we let them equalise just a few seconds later, said Moyes.We contained them for long periods of time, but it wasn't to be.Defensive midfielder Michael Carrick said the United squad were deveastated to have thrown away the lead in Munich.We're bitterly disappointed to go out, said Carrick.We put ourselves in a great position after getting the opening goal - but the equaliser straight after was a big blow for us.I thought we might go on to score again, but in the end it's a defeat and one we'll have to take.Bayern join Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid and Chelsea in the final four with the Bavarians eager to defend their title in the May 24 final in Lisbon.The first ten minutes after the break were a catastrophe for us as they took the lead, said Robben with Bayern on the verge of their fourth Champions League final in five years.It was important that we got the equaliser quickly, now we have just one more opponent before the Lisbon final.The first-half was a tense, tactical affair with Bayern failing to exploit their customary 70 percent possession as United packing their defence, forced the Germans to attack through the middle with little success.Manchester's wing-backs Phil Jones and Evra worked tirelessly to contain Bayern's wingers Robben and Franck Ribery, limiting the Bavarians' main source of chances.Just as they had in the first-leg, United gave a masterclass in how to defend against Bayern's star-studded attack with their deep-lying defence quickly closing down any spaces the Germans managed to open up and tightly marking Bayern's stars.The ten first-half chances Bayern created in peppering the United goal to the single Manchester effort -- when Luis Valencia had a goal disallowed -- told it's own tale. United looked to have taken a first-half lead when Valencia converted Wayne Rooney's cross at the back post, but the effort was ruled offside.Robben was United's chief tormentor in the first 45 minutes and he threatened with a probing run into the area before his final shot was charged down just before the half-time whistle.United put the Bayern defence under pressure after the break and they were rewarded when Evra gave the guests the lead with a thunderbolt of a shot which gave Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer no chance as it hit the top right-hand corner on 57 minutes.The lead lasted just under two minutes as Ribery was released on the left wing and his cross was met by Mandzukic who beat Evra to the diving header.The relief from the Bayern squad was palpable as the Croatia international unleashed a primal scream after his equaliser.The goals breathed life into the match as space suddenly opened up for both teams to attack.United had their chances after when England striker Rooney, who played despite the effects of a badly bruised toe, mistimed his shot with just Neuer to beat.Germany's Mueller then put the defending champions in the last four when he flicked Robben's cross past United goalkeeper David de Gea on 68 minutes.And the hosts turned the screw on United when Robben was finally rewarded with a 76th-minute goal which he had threatened to produce all night.The Dutch winger cut across the United defence, then buried his shot past the diving De Gea into the bottom left-hand corner to complete Bayern's fight-back.

Football: Atletico Madrid beat Barcelona to reach last four

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MADRID (AFP) - Atletico Madrid progressed to the semi-finals of the Champions League for the first time in 40 years with a 1-0 win over Barcelona on Wednesday to seal a 2-1 aggregate victory.Koke put the hosts in front after just five minutes as he volleyed home Adrian Lopez's headed pass.Atletico also hit the woodwork three times in the first-half, but were given a late scare as Neymar came within inches of taking the game to extra time when his header went just wide. Defeat ends Barcelona's run of reaching six straight Champions League semi-finals.The atmosphere was amazing. It didn't affect Barca because they are used to those atmospheres, but it did influence our players. It gave us great positive energy, said Atletico boss Diego Simeone.We maintain the same humility. we understand that the other teams (in the semi-finals) have been there far more than Atletico Madrid.We are there 40 years later and we believe in what we are doing. We want to continue being competitive as was our intention at the start.Barcelona captain Xavi said his side had done everything they could to break down Atletico's defensive wall and deserved to at least take the game to extra-time.We had four or five clear chances, he said.They took advantage of the opening few minutes they had. We showed heart and we deserved a draw.Despite missing top-scorer Diego Costa through injury, Atletico made an incredibly fast-paced start and were ahead within five minutes.Adrian, who was only starting due to Costa's absence, smashed a shot off the post and when David Villa collected the loose ball his cross was headed by Adrian into the path of Koke to volley home.Villa should then have doubled Atletico's advantage as he burst onto Koke's through ball and struck the post with just Jose Manuel Pinto to beat.Lionel Messi then had Barca's first clear opening when he headed Dani Alves' cross inches wide.However, Atletico were soon back on the front foot and Villa was again denied by the woodwork against his old side on 19 minutes when he volleyed Raul Garcia's flick-on against the bar.Barca managed to stem the Atletico tide somewhat as the first-half developed and Messi fired another decent opening wide after sensational skill by Neymar took him past three Atletico players.Both sides had penalty shouts waved away just before half-time as Koke went down under pressure from Javier Mascherano before Cesc Fabregas claimed he had been caught by Diego Godin, but on both occasions English referee Howard Webb was unimpressed.The roles were reversed at the start of the second-half as Barca pressed in search of the precious away goal that would bring them back into the tie.Neymar was played in by a fine through ball by Xavi, but Thibaut Courtois did enough to force the Brazilian wide before Xavi somehow was unable to bundle home Dani Alves' cross from the rebound.Xavi came close again on the hour mark as this time he headed an Alves cross just past the far post.Both coaches then made their first changes as Alexis Sanchez replaced Fabregas and Diego Ribas was introduced for Adrian.And it was the Atletico man, whose wonder strike put Los Rojiblancos in front in the first leg, who nearly made an immediate impact as his drive from a narrow angle was beaten away by Pinto.The Barca reserve 'keeper then made a vital save with his outstretched leg to prevent Gabi sealing the tie as he bore down on goal.Andres Iniesta was surprisingly replaced by Pedro Rodriguez, but even without their creative fulcrum Barca nearly found a way through when Neymar's diving header flew inches past 12 minutes from time.Pinto made another fine save to prevent Cristian Rodriguez rounding off a famous night for Atletico in style in the final minute.However, it made no difference to the final result as the final whistle was greeted with a huge roar by the home fans.

Tennis: Stephens to lead US Fed Cup team against France

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NEW YORK (AFP) - World number 18 Sloane Stephens will lead the United States when they host France in a Fed Cup World Group playoff in St. Louis, Missouri, this month.The US Tennis Association and Fed Cup captain Mary Joe Fernandez announced the US squad for the April 19-20 tie on Wednesday, with Sloane heading a team that also includes Madison Keys, Varvara Lepchenko and Christina McHale.Keys is ranked 42nd in the world, Lepchenko 49th and McHale 57th.The best-of-five match series will be played at Chaifetz Arena on the campus of Saint Louis University.The winners will advance to the 2015 World Group and have a chance to compete for the Fed Cup title next year. The losers will be relegated to World Group II.French captain Amelie Mauresmo has said that France's team will include 22nd-ranked Alize Cornet, Caroline Garcia, Virginie Razzano and Kristina Mladenovic.The United States has won the most Fed Cup titles of any nation with 17, but haven't won the competition since 2000.

Golf: McIlroy ready for Masters test, younger rivals

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AUGUSTA (AFP) - Rory McIlroy finds himself a betting favorite at the Masters, the old man of his group for the first two rounds at age 24 and excited to test Augusta National.As the sun sank over the layout's trademark pine trees on the eve of the 78th Masters, cool conditions were expected to give way to four days of warm and perfect weather, firming the formidable and undulating greens on one of golf's greatest stages.I would like to see that because soft conditions seem to bunch up the field a little bit, McIlroy said. Firmer greens and firmer conditions definitely separates it, which is a good thing.Thursday morning it might still be a little soft but by Thursday afternoon the course should be firm again. It will present a really good test.World number nine McIlroy, a two-time major champion, was on pace for a wire-to-wire Masters win in 2011 before a last-nine collapse Sunday left him sharing 15th.The Northern Ireland star answered by winning his next major, the 2011 US Open at Congressional, and added the 2012 PGA Championship.The Masters was the major that got away but McIlroy is seen as a sure contender this week in a wide-open field of green jacket hopefuls.Trouble is, McIlroy said, these foes are mostly the same US PGA Tour players he has not conquered since the 2012 tour playoffs.Because it's the Masters and because it's so big or hyped up, you ought to remember you're still playing against the same guys you play with week-in and week-out, so I've beaten them before, they've beaten me before, he said.That's why I'm saying there are so many guys here this week that will feel like they have a chance to win.Two of them are his playing partners, 20-year-old Jordan Spieth and 23-year-old fellow American Patrick Reed. Both are among a record 24 Masters newcomers trying to become the first first-timer to win since Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979.OK, it's Augusta and there is a certain element of experience that you need to play around here, McIlroy said.But you've got guys that are coming here for the first time like Patrick Reed or Jordan Spieth and they are going to stand on the first tee on Thursday and think, 'I've got a great shot at winning this tournament.'Spieth, ranked 13th, is best known for winning last July to become the first teen champion at a PGA event since 1931.Reed, a PGA winner three times in the past eight months who is ranked 23rd, is best known for delcaring himself a top-five player after his triumph last month at Doral. Going to be no top-five players in that group, quipped McIlroy, whose trio is the 17th of 33 groups Thursday, teeing off at 10:52 a.m. (1452 GMT).First go-around here, you are always a little tentative, McIlroy said. They are aggressive players and they will go out there. They have shown they can play well on big stages.You want to respect the course. You don't want to try to be too gung ho or go for so many shots. You need to pick your spots where you want to be aggressive.World number one Tiger Woods will miss the Masters for the first time in his career following back surgery last month to ease a pinched nerve.But most players, including defending champion Adam Scott, expect a thrilling Masters even without the 14-time major champion, whose pursuit of the record 18 majors won by Jack Nicklaus has stalled since his 2008 US Open triumph.This event produces something special no matter what. It just has a way of doing it, Scott said. It's not going to involve Tiger this year, but it will involve someone else and it will be a memorable event anyway.Augusta National chairman Billy Payne echoed those feelings.We miss Tiger, as does the entire golf world, Payne said. Nevertheless this is the Masters, what we hope is the best golf tournament in the world, one of the greatest sporting events, and I think we will have a very impressive audience and another great champion to crown.Another notable absence this year is the Eisenhower Tree, the century-old loblolly pine named for former US President and Augusta National member Dwight Eisenhower.While tradition-centric Masters followers lament the loss of Ike's Tree to damage from a February ice storm, players don't mind so much the loss of the 65-foot-tall obstacle about 210 yards off the tee at the left-center of the 17th fairway.I have great respect for the tree, but I think the hole works better without it, said Gary Player, the 78-year-old South African legend whose first Masters win in 1961 came the same year Eisenhower left office.

Formula One: Hamilton tops Bahrain practice times

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MANAMA (AFP) - Great Britains 2008 Fomula One world champion Lewis Hamilton clocked the fastest time during the second day of testing Wednesday at the Sakhir circuit where he won the Bahrain Grand Prix at the weekend.Three of the five world champions still competing -- Englands Jenson Button (McLaren), Finlands Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari) and Germanys Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) -- did not take part in the testing which allowed certain stables to use their reserve drivers and Pirelli to test their new tyres.Its been a long day, running lap after lap to analyse the tyres but driving a Formula One car is never boring, said Hamilton, who clocked a fastest lap of 1min 34.136sec after 132 laps.Of course, the nature of a tyre test means we havent learnt anything in particular in terms of improving the car but its useful for Pirelli and therefore useful to us in the long term.They just gave me different sets and I told them how each felt. The plan was just to get in as many laps as we could. The times mean nothing as everyone had their own programmes to run.Its been a fantastic few weeks for the team but also a long stint away, so Im sure everyone is looking forward to heading back home for a well-deserved rest.Its a short turnaround before China so Ill be in the factory to work on ways we can improve.Hamiltons Mercedes teammate and championship leader Nico Rosberg clocked the fastest time in the days first practice session.Other two-day practice sessions will take place throughout the season, on the Tuesday and Wednesday, after certain Grand Prix.The fourth race of the 2014 Formula One season, the Chinese Grand Prix, takes place on April 20.

Pakistan re-enters global bond market after seven years

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ISLAMABAD (AFP) - Pakistan has re-entered the international bond market after a seven-year gap, the finance ministry said Wednesday, raising $2 billion to boost dwindling foreign exchange reserves and shore up the rupee.The transaction represents the largest ever international bond offering by Pakistan, a finance ministry spokesman said in a statement.Pakistan raised $750 million and $500 million in its last bond issues in 2007, which were offered with a 7.75 percent mark-up and a 10-year term.The latest bonds will raise $1 billion each in five and 10-year terms, the spokesman said.An overwhelmingly strong response from investors with over 400 orders resulted in the transaction surpassing initial expectations of raising $500 million, he added.Mohammad Sohail, a financial analyst at Topline Securities, said the five-year bond was offered at a fixed rate of 7.25 percent while the 10-year bond was fixed at 8.25 percent.The major investors were from the United States, he added.Testament of investor confidence can be seen from the bidding size, Sohail said, attributing improved investor perception about Pakistan to factors including new government reforms and an improving economic outlook.Cash-strapped Pakistan, plagued by a bloody homegrown Taliban insurgency, is battling to get its shaky economy back on track and solve a chronic energy crisis that cripples its industry.Last month the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said it saw signs of an improvement in the countrys economic situation, expecting Pakistans growth to accelerate to around 3.7 percent for the 2014-15 fiscal year.An IMF report said the growth was boosted by a stronger manufacturing industry thanks to an easing of Pakistans chronic electricity shortages, despite weaknesses in agriculture.But the report cautioned that Pakistan still had tight foreign reserves and security challenges, including Taliban violence.

NASA says weird Mars lights are not a sign of life

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - A NASA robot has snapped pictures showing glints of light on the Martian horizon, which some UFO enthusiasts have seized on as a sign of alien life on the Red Planet.Not so, said the US space agency.More likely, the images of bright spots taken on April 2 and April 3 are a product of the suns glare or cosmic rays, NASA said in a statement.In fact, similar glints of light are seen all the time in images taken by the Curiosity rover, a multibillion dollar unmanned vehicle equipped with cameras and drilling instruments that is exploring Mars.In the thousands of images weve received from Curiosity, we see ones with bright spots nearly every week, said Justin Maki of NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.These can be caused by cosmic-ray hits or sunlight glinting from rock surfaces, as the most likely explanations.Furthermore, the bright spots appear in images from the right-eye camera of the stereo Navcam, but not in images taken within one second of those by the left-eye camera, the space agency said in a statement.NASAs explanation may not dampen enthusiasm among believers in alien life on Mars, such as the website operated by UFO Sightings Daily which said the lights could offer proof of exterrestrial beings.This could indicate there there is intelligent life below the ground and uses light as we do, the site proclaimed.NASAs Curiosity rover landed on the dry, dusty planet in 2012 on a mission to search for signs that life may have once been able to thrive there.

Oil prices rise on US supplies, Libya deal skepticism

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NEW YORK (AFP) - Oil prices advanced Wednesday after a US supply report showed strong gasoline demand and as questions persisted about a full resumption of Libyan oil exports.US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for May delivery rose $1.04 to $103.60 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.In London. Brent oil for May delivery added 31 cents to $107.98 a barrel. The Energy Information Administration said US crude supplies jumped 4.0 million barrels for the week ended April 4, well above the 1.0 million forecast by analysts surveyed by the Wall Street Journal.However, analysts fixated on a drop of 5.2 million barrels of gasoline supplies, much more than the 700,000 barrel decline that had been projected.We're definitely seeing oil demand on the rise, said Carl Larry, an analyst with Oil Outlooks and Opinions.Larry said Wednesday's minutes from the March policy meeting of the US Federal Reserve also suggested that the Fed is in no rush to raise benchmark interest rates.We're going to have this soft monetary policy for some time and that's going to give consumers and commercial producers a chance to keep growing and that's going to increase oil demand, Larry said.Analysts were also taking a cautious view of a weekend deal between rebels in eastern Libya and the central government to resolve a nine-month oil blockade.Under the deal reached Sunday, the rebels are to hand over two of the four terminals in eastern Libya they control this week and will cede the other two within two to four weeks provided the negotiations are successfully concluded.Rebels Wednesday ceded control of the Al-Hariga terminal, enabling exports to resume as early as Sunday.But Tim Evans, energy futures specialist at Citi Futures, said the oil market views the Libya progress as inconclusive, in part because a full transition of control of all of the ports has still not been completed.

11 killed as result of firing at wedding

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ABBOTTABAD (Dunya News) – Opponents opened fire at a festive house amid wedding, killing eleven persons including women, Dunya News reported.The incident took place at Tehsil Hawelian of Abbottabad.The incident took place at a wedding ceremony of man identified as Zulfiqar when opponents opened indiscriminatory firing over longstanding dispute that caused a chaos at the event.The casualties include three women and two children.The incident also left as many as fourteen people injured who were rushed to Ayub Medical Complex and District Headquarters Hospital.The incident caused chaos in the area afterwards. Police also reached the crime scene, however, no arrests were made.It has been reported that two groups had a longstanding dispute over property.

United Baloch Army has nothing to do with Islamabad blast: Interior Ministry

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Interior Ministry refuted outlawed militant organization United Baloch Army’s (UBA) claim on Wednesday, saying that UBA’s claim is ridiculous, Dunya News reported.The ministry also said that the culprits will be chased once complete facts are uncovered.According to Interior Ministry spokesperson, the Islamabad H-11 sector fruit market explosion links elsewhere. The statement said that UBA’s claim is found absurd following initial investigations.Earlier, banned United Baloch Army (UBA) claimed responsibility of Islamabad fruit market blast – that killed at least twenty four persons and injured dozens – on Wednesday, Dunya News reported.The militant group said that the blast is carried out in retaliation of Pakistan security forces’ operation in Balochistan.United Baloch Army had also accepted responsibility of Jaffar Express train en route from Quetta to Lahore that had killed at least seventeen passengers and injured over forty.A bomb tore through a bustling Islamabad market on Wednesday morning, killing at least 18 people, police and hospital officials said, the latest violence to hit government peace talks with the Taliban.The blast took place around 8:00 am (0300 GMT) at a wholesale fruit and vegetable market close to the capital s twin city Rawalpindi, as hundreds of grocers and sellers gathered to trade.It is the deadliest to hit the Pakistani capital since a huge truck bomb at the Marriott Hotel in 2008.A bomb disposal official told French news agency AFP on condition of anonymity that the device hidden in a fruit box weighed five to six kilograms (11 to 13 pounds) and was packed with nuts and bolts to cause maximum carnage.

PML-N MNA Sheikh Akram disqualified over fake degree

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JHANG (Dunya News) – Election tribunal de-notified Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Member National Assembly (MNA) Sheikh Muhammad Akram from NA-89 Jhang on Wednesday for holding fake degree, Dunya News reported.Maulana Ahmed Ludhianvi and Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Jhangvi hafd filed a petition in election tribunal Faisalabad against Sheikh Akram accusing him of violation election rules.The petitioners took the stance that the PML-N candidates had mentioned incorrect details before filing nomination papers in May 2013 general elections.They said that Sheikh Akram had mentioned his qualification matriculation in his nomination papers while he contested other elections mentioning his qualification as Bachelor of Arts (BA).The election tribunal found objections against Sheikh Akram correct and declared him ineligible as Member of National Assembly.Recent disqualificationIt is pertinent to mention here that another PML-N MPA Khan Muhammad Jatoi was disqualified last month also over fake degree scandal. Khan Muhammad Jatoi elected from Muzaffargarh’s constituency PP 259 over forged degree case. The tribunal further ordered a re-polling in the constituency, Dunya News reported.Deciding over a petition filed by Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) candidate Sardar Samiullah Khan, election tribunal announced the disqualifying verdict while ordering a re-poll in the PP 259 constituency.The basis for disqualification was lack of honesty which is a compulsory provision for candidates under the heading of ‘Saadiq and Amin’.Khan M was also disqualified by Layyah election tribunal in 2006’s by-poll over fake matriculation certificates.

Scanners procurement legit, ready to be hanged if corruption proven: Rehman Malik

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Responding to interior minister’s allegations, former interior minister Rehman Malik said on Wednesday that no corruption happened during the purchase of security equipment, adding that even if a single penny is proven wasted during the procurement process, he is ready to be hanged, Dunya News reported.Rehman Malik also demanded judicial inquiry over scanner procurement matter.Earlier, Federal Interior minister Chaudhry Nisar revealed on Wednesday that previous government imported scanners worth one billion rupees for security purposes, claiming that all of those scanners cannot detect explosives and thus are useless.He said that all those responsible for the procurement of security equipment should be hanged till death if corruption of even a penny is proven.Federal minister visited the site of the attack and alleged while addressing the media that previous government imported security equipment including scanners worth billions and yet the equipments fail to detect explosives.He said that effective security is not possible without adequate technology.Responding to interior minister’s allegations, former interior minister Rehman Malik said that no corruption happened during the purchase of security equipment, and that even if a single penny is proven wasted during the procurement process, he would be ready for hanging.Rehman Malik also demanded judicial inquiry over scanner procurement matter.Earlier, a bomb tore through a bustling Islamabad market on Wednesday morning, killing at least 18 people, police and hospital officials said, the latest violence to hit government peace talks with the Taliban.The blast took place around 8:00 am (0300 GMT) at a wholesale fruit and vegetable market close to the capital s twin city Rawalpindi, as hundreds of grocers and sellers gathered to trade.It is the deadliest to hit the Pakistani capital since a huge truck bomb at the Marriott Hotel in 2008.A bomb disposal official told French news agency AFP on condition of anonymity that the device hidden in a fruit box weighed five to six kilograms (11 to 13 pounds) and was packed with nuts and bolts to cause maximum carnage.Banned United Baloch Army (UBA) claimed responsibility of Islamabad fruit market blast – that killed at least twenty four persons and injured dozens – on Wednesday, Dunya News reported.The militant group said that the blast is carried out in retaliation of Pakistan security forces’ operation in Balochistan.United Baloch Army had also accepted responsibility of Jaffar Express train en route from Quetta to Lahore that had killed at least seventeen passengers and injured over forty.

Possible security lapse: Interior minister blames previous govt

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Federal Interior minister Chaudhry Nisar revealed on Wednesday that previous government imported scanners worth one billion rupees for security purposes, claiming that all of those scanners cannot detect explosives and thus are useless, Dunya News reported.He said that all those responsible for the procurement of security equipment should be hanged till death if corruption of even a penny is proven.Federal minister visited the site of the attack and alleged while addressing the media that previous government imported security equipment including scanners worth billions and yet the equipments fail to detect explosives.He said that effective security is not possible without adequate technology.Responding to interior minister’s allegations, former interior minister Rehman Malik said that no corruption happened during the purchase of security equipment, and that even if a single penny is proven wasted during the procurement process, he would be ready for hanging.Rehman Malik also demanded judicial inquiry over scanner procurement matter.Earlier, a bomb tore through a bustling Islamabad market on Wednesday morning, killing at least 18 people, police and hospital officials said, the latest violence to hit government peace talks with the Taliban.The blast took place around 8:00 am (0300 GMT) at a wholesale fruit and vegetable market close to the capital s twin city Rawalpindi, as hundreds of grocers and sellers gathered to trade.It is the deadliest to hit the Pakistani capital since a huge truck bomb at the Marriott Hotel in 2008.A bomb disposal official told French news agency AFP on condition of anonymity that the device hidden in a fruit box weighed five to six kilograms (11 to 13 pounds) and was packed with nuts and bolts to cause maximum carnage.Banned United Baloch Army (UBA) claimed responsibility of Islamabad fruit market blast – that killed at least twenty four persons and injured dozens – on Wednesday, Dunya News reported.The militant group said that the blast is carried out in retaliation of Pakistan security forces’ operation in Balochistan.United Baloch Army had also accepted responsibility of Jaffar Express train en route from Quetta to Lahore that had killed at least seventeen passengers and injured over forty.

Imran urges KPK CM to end discretionary funds

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan has directed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak to end tradition of spending taxpayers money as discretionary funds in the province.He said that audit of each spending from the national treasury is necessary for transparent and good governance.Imran Khan expressed the hope that the PTI’s provincial government would set a trend in this regard like other matters.According to sources, the move comes after the media reports that a provincial minister transferred a hefty amount of money from discretionary fund to his personal account for distribution among deserving players.Earlier, talking to media outside the parliament on Tuesday, the PTI chief said a recent survey showed around 57 percent people were satisfied with the performance of PTI government in the province.Imran Khan said that the formation of a committee by the National Assembly to investigate the allegation of non-payment of taxes by members of parliamentarian and report within 90 days is a good development.He said firstly the committee should investigate non-payment of taxes by party heads. I offer my self for the investigation first, he added.The PTI chief said that payment of taxes by the parliamentarians would enhance prestige of Parliament. He asked all the parliamentarians to declare their assets in and outside the country.Imran Khan said tax collection cannot be improved unless the politicians themselves set the example.

Islamabad blast: United Baloch Army claims responsibility

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Banned United Baloch Army (UBA) claimed responsibility of Islamabad fruit market blast – that killed at least twenty four persons and injured dozens – on Wednesday, Dunya News reported.The militant group said that the blast is carried out in retaliation of Pakistan security forces’ operation in Balochistan.United Baloch Army had also accepted responsibility of Jaffar Express train en route from Quetta to Lahore that had killed at least seventeen passengers and injured over forty.Earlier, a bomb tore through a bustling Islamabad market on Wednesday, killing at least 18 people, police and hospital officials said, the latest violence to hit government peace talks with the Taliban.The blast took place around 8:00 am (0300 GMT) at a wholesale fruit and vegetable market close to the capital s twin city Rawalpindi, as hundreds of grocers and sellers gathered to trade.It is the deadliest to hit the Pakistani capital since a huge truck bomb at the Marriott Hotel in 2008.A bomb disposal official told French news agency AFP on condition of anonymity that the device hidden in a fruit box weighed five to six kilograms (11 to 13 pounds) and was packed with nuts and bolts to cause maximum carnage.
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