Tuesday 24 June 2014

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Tennis: Nadal survives scare to face Wimbledon nemesis

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LONDON (AFP) - Rafael Nadal overcame a rocky start to his Wimbledon 2014 campaign on Tuesday to set up a second round revenge clash with his All England Club nemesis Lukas Rosol.The world number one lost the first set to Slovakia's Martin Klizan, the world number 51, but recovered to win 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 in two hours and 55 minutes on Centre Court.The Spaniard exorcised the ghosts of last year, when he tumbled out of the first round to lowly Steve Darcis.And the second seed next faces Rosol, the previously-unheralded Czech who dumped the two-time Wimbledon champion out of the 2012 second round in a stunning Grand Slam upset.Before downing his fellow left-hander Klizan, Nadal, 28, had not won a grass court match since the first round at the All England Club two years ago, before Rosol stopped him in his tracks.For me, always emotions are so high when I'm able to play on this Centre Court, Nadal said after his win.It's a magic place and unbelievable memories from this court so I'm very happy to be able to play on it again and for sure go out with a victory.I really know that it is impossible to play my best in the first round. My goal is to win and for sure the next round will be another tough one.Rosol is a very dangerous player, very strong, very powerful shots from the baseline and I know I have to play very well if I want to have chances to win, the reigning French Open champion said.The important thing is to fight, play with the right tactic and wait for the luck.Nadal was given a time violation in the fourth set but it seemed to fire up the Spaniard as he went on to break Klizan and serve out the match.It was Nadal's 700th tour level match win. The Mallorcan is the 11th player in the Open Era to reach the milestone.It's great, that means that I had a very long and successful career so I'm happy for that. But the most important thing for me, more than the 700th victory, was the victory here in the first round at Wimbledon, the 14-time Grand Slam winner said.Always it's so dangerous, so I'm very happy to be through.

Peshawar airport: Firing at PIA flight leaves one dead, one injured

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PESHAWAR (Dunya News) – At least one female passenger was killed while flight steward Ijaz Afridi was injured after unknown gunmen opened fire on a Pakistan International Airlines flight while landing at the Bacha Khan International Airport.According to PIA spokesman, the incident took place as PIA flight PK 756 --en route from Riyadh to Peshawar with around 170 passengers onboard was landing at the airport.Flight steward Ijaz Afridi has been shifted to Combined Military Hospital (CMH).Law enforcement agencies have cordoned off the area and launched search operation.

Pilot 'mismanagement' blamed in Asiana crash: officials

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) on Tuesday cited mismanagement in the cockpit as the probable cause of last Julys crash of Asiana Flight 214 in San Francisco.At a hearing in Washington, the federal agency cited a number of underlying factors, including insufficient pilot training.The main cause however appears to be mismanagement of what should have been a smooth, stabilized approach of the Boeing 777 into San Francisco airport.The July 6, 2013 crash -- the first involving a commercial airliner in the United States since 2009 -- left three dead and 187 injured.The Boeing 777 is one of the more sophisticated and automated aircraft in service, acting NTSB chairman Christopher Hart said at the outset of Tuesdays public hearing.But the more complex automation becomes, the more challenging it is to ensure that pilots adequately understand it, he said.-Over-relied on automation-In this instance, the flight crew over-relied on automated systems that they did not fully understand. As a result, they flew the aircraft too slow and collided with the seawall at the end of the runway.Asiana Flight 214 was completing an otherwise routine 10-1/2 hour journey from Seoul when it clipped the seawall at San Franciscos airport with its landing gear, skidded off the runway and burst into flames.All three of the fatalities were young Chinese women, including one who was struck by a fire truck beneath a wing covered with firefighting foam.Investigators testified that she apparently had not buckled her seat belt, and thus had been hurled out of the aircraft on impact.They also noted, however, that 98 percent of occupants were able to escape the burning aircraft themselves -- a fact they credited to the design of the seats and the overall aircraft structure.- Autopilot switched off -The NTSB has previously said the autopilot was switched off about three miles (4.8 kilometers) out, and that the air speed dipped as low as 103 knots (191 kilometers per hour), or 34 knots below the ideal approach speed.The Boeing 777s descent was so low that an array of approach lights at the end of the runway -- a key visual aid to landing -- showed four red lights, a situation that would call for an aborted landing.Due to construction work, the instrument landing system (ILS) in San Francisco was out of order on the day of the crash -- requiring pilots to visually guide their airplanes onto the runway.Central to the investigation has been the Boeing 777s auto-throttle and whether the pilots expected it to wake up and power up the aircraft when the airspeed dropped too low -- something it did not.- Asiana emphasized automation -Investigator-in-chief Bill English said Asiana emphasized maximum use of automation by its pilots, including the use of autopilots at as low as 1,000 feet (330 meters) from the ground.He also suggested the pilot flying the approach, Lee Kang-Kuk, a seasoned Airbus A320 pilot transitioning to the Boeing 777, suffered rusty hand-flying skills.Pilot skills degrade if not practiced, he added.Lee was flying into San Francisco with an instructor in the co-pilots seat, Lee Jung-Min, who himself was freshly certified to train new Boeing 777 pilots.Another NTSB investigator, Roger Cox, said Flight 214 was instructor Lees first with a trainee under his wing. Typically, he added, a rookie instructor on such a flight would himself be supervised by an experienced instructor.NTSB board member Robert Sumwalt, a commercial airline pilot for 32 years, doubted the crash was a case of crew incompetence.Rather, Sumwalt said, the pilot expected the airplane to do something for him that it wasnt designed to do.

France says national arrested in Lebanon over 'planned attack'

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PARIS (AFP) - France said Tuesday one of its nationals had been arrested in Lebanon on suspicion of planning an attack under what a local newspaper claimed was the influence of the ISIL jihadist group sweeping through Iraq.Lebanese security forces announced Friday they had detained 17 people in a hotel in Beirut following a tip-off that attacks by a terrorist group were being planned in the capital and other parts of the country.A judicial source told AFP Monday that all had been released except a Frenchman originally from the Comoros islands in the Indian Ocean.French foreign ministry spokesman Romain Nadal confirmed Tuesday that a French national was arrested in Beirut.According to the Al-Akhbar daily newspaper, the suspect was part of a group of four would-be suicide bombers who had come to Lebanon.The daily said he had admitted coming to the country with a view of committing a suicide attack under the influence of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), which has overran major areas of five provinces in Iraq and is currently pressing onto Baghdad.It said that another of the four may have been behind a suicide attack that actually took place in east Lebanon on Friday, killing one person and wounding at least 30 others.The French government is deeply concerned about the radicalisation of its nationals after several citizens have gone to fight with jihadists in Syria, where ISIL is very powerful.It unveiled an anti-terrorism plan in April to prevent radicalisation, thwart online recruitment and make it more difficult for aspiring jihadists to leave the country.Since then, authorities have arrested a French suspect called Medhi Nemmouche suspected of carrying out the Brussels Jewish Museum killings last month after spending a year fighting in Syria.

Sighting of Ramzan moon on Saturday

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ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) - The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee will hold a meeting for sighting the crescent of Ramazan-ul-Mubarak, 1435 A.H. on Saturday, June 28 (Shaban 29).According to a press release issued here on Tuesday, the meeting will be held in the building of Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) camp office Karachi whereas the zonal/ district Ruet-e-Hilal will hold their meetings at their respective places on the same time and date.The Zonal Ruet-e-Hilal Committee, ICI will hold its meeting in the building of Ministry of Religious Affairs, Islamabad.The Chairman Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee will announce the decision of crescent sighting or otherwise subsequently on the basis of information received to this end.

Who's afraid of Lionel Messi? Not Nigeria keeper Enyeama

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PORTO ALEGRE (AFP) - Nigeria's talismanic keeper Vincent Enyeama is relishing the renewal of his rivalry with Argentina's Lionel Messi in Wednesday's closing World Cup Group H game where the African champions are aiming to seal qualification to the last 16.Enyeama faced the player he hailed on Tuesday as a genius at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa where despite some notable saves the Argentines won 1-0.Asked if he was anxious about the looming skirmish with the four time World Footballer of the Year the Lille shot-stopper replied: To tell you the truth I'm never afraid of footballers,Messi is one of the best players on the planet, but it's not a game between him and me, it's a game between Nigeria and Argentina.Everybody knows he's made a lot of progress since the last time we played against each other in 2010.Messi is a genius, one of the best footballers the world has produced, but tomorrow's game is against Argentina, not just him.After an opening goalless draw against Iran and a 1-0 win over Bosnia-Hercegovina the Super Eagles are assured of taking the runners-up spot behind already qualified Argentina if they come away from the game at Porto Alegre's Beira-Rio stadium with a draw, irrespective of how their rivals for second spot, Iran, fare against Bosnia.Coach Stephen Keshi, appearing alongside Enyeama at the pre-match press conference, hinted that defender Godfrey Oboabuna, sidelined for Bosnia after an injury in the opening game, was fit again and could return to his starting XI.

Tennis: Wawrinka eases through, Bartoli weeps at Wimbledon

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LONDON (AFP) - Australian Open winner Stan Wawrinka reached the Wimbledon second round on Tuesday as defending women's champion Marion Bartoli made a tearful return to Centre Court.Wawrinka, the world number three but seeded five at the All England Club in a reflection of his grasscourt struggles, fired 18 aces and 39 winners in a 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 win over Portugal's Joao Sousa.Wawrinka, who has never got beyond the fourth round and was without a win in the tournament since 2011, tackles Taiwan's Lu Yen-Hsun for a place in the last 32.It's a quick surface, you have to be relaxed and confident. Sometimes you can be tight and nervous, said the Swiss.The now-retired Bartoli returned to Centre Court only to hear herself introduced as 'Maria' by a blundering announcer.The Frenchwoman performed the coin toss ahead of the first round match between Sabine Lisicki, the German she defeated in the final last year, and Israel's Julia Glushko.She broke down in tears as she stood on the court where she won her only Grand Slam title. Once she had finished her ceremonial duties, Bartoli headed for a front-row seat in the Royal Box.Bartoli retired in the immediate aftermath of her Wimbledon win and as a result it was Lisicki who was given the honour of opening the action on Tuesday.To relive and walk again on the Wimbledon turf, it's a lot of emotions, Bartoli tweeted.Lisicki, yet to get beyond the third round of any event in 2014, was untroubled against Glushko, the world number 79, winning 6-2, 6-1 in just 57 minutes.It's such a huge honour to play the first match, I am very thankful, said 19th-seeded Lisicki.It was very special to see Marion again.Other early winners on Tuesday were German 20th seed Andrea Petkovic, a semi-finalist at the French Open, who eased past Katarzyna Piter of Poland, 6-1, 6-4, and former world number one Caroline Wozniacki, the 16th seeded Dane, who beat Israel's Shahar Peer 6-3, 6-0.In men's action, French 14th seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, a semi-finalist in 2011 and 2012, needed just four points and three minutes to finish off Austria's Jurgen Melzer 6-1, 3-6, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 in a match held over from Monday.It was quick. I played only four points. But it wasn't easy to come back after last night. I played a good four points and finally I won, said Tsonga.- Nadal, Federer in spotlight -===============================Later Tuesday, world number one Rafael Nadal and seven-time champion Roger Federer begin their campaigns, desperate to banish the ghosts of 2013.Nadal, seeded two this year, is fresh from a ninth French Open triumph, but where Paris has proved to be a home away from home for the Spaniard, Wimbledon has delivered just bitter-sweet memories.His two titles of 2008 and 2010 must have seemed like ancient history when he crashed out in the second round in 2012.Worse was to come in 2013 when he suffered a first ever opening round loss at a major at the hands of Steve Darcis, a Belgian journeyman who hasn't won a match since.Nadal, seeking a 15th major, faces Martin Klizan of Slovakia, who took a set off the world number one in Paris last year.I've said before this is really the most dangerous tournament of the year, said Nadal.Here the courts are a little bit faster. The feeling on court is a little bit strange for everybody. Especially the top players who have more pressure.Federer, meanwhile, believes he's in the best shape to break a tie of seven Wimbledon titles he currently shares with Pete Sampras.He was buoyed by a seventh Halle grasscourt crown last week, but is aware of the pitfalls of south-west London after losing to Ukraine's Sergiy Stakhovksy in the second round 12 months ago.I feel like if things click here I should be able to win the tournament, said Federer.The 32-year-old Swiss faces Italy's Paolo Lorenzi, a man who has never won a match at the majors in his 11-year career.Top seed and world number one Serena Williams starts her campaign against Anna Tatishvili, the former Georgian player who has switched allegiance to the United States.The 32-year-old Williams lost in the last-16 at the Australian Open and suffered an embarrassing second round exit to Spain's Garbine Muguruza at the French Open.Maria Sharapova, who was champion as a 17-year-old in 2004, takes on British wildcard Samantha Murray looking to go further than last year when she was dumped out in the second round by Portuguese qualifier Michelle Larcher De Brito.

Tennis: Federer shows no mercy to Wimbledon no-hoper

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LONDON (AFP) - Roger Federer began his campaign for an eighth Wimbledon title Tuesday with a 6-1, 6-1, 6-3 victory over Paolo Lorenzi, the hapless Italian who has now lost all of his 13 Grand Slam matches.Fourth-seeded Federer, the 17-time major winner, had lost to Ukraine's Sergiy Stakhovksy in the second round 12 months ago for his earliest defeat at the tournament since 2002.But there was never a hint of a repeat of that disaster on Tuesday as the 32-year-old Swiss took victory on a sixth match point having fired nine aces and 36 winners.It's always good to win the first round because the court can be slippery sometimes, said Federer, who goes on to face either Luxembourg qualifier Gilles Muller or Julien Benneteau of France for a place in the last 32.Defeat for Lorenzi meant the 32-year-old has still to win a match at a Grand Slam in 11 years.But his run of 13 defeats in 13 matches at the majors is not a record -- that statistic of shame belongs to Costa Rica's Juan Antonio Marin who lost all of his 17 matches at the majors.Federer's compatriot, Australian Open winner Stan Wawrinka also reached the second round with a first win at the tournament since 2011.Wawrinka, the world number three but seeded five at the All England Club in a reflection of his grasscourt struggles, fired 18 aces and 39 winners in a 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 win over Portugal's Joao Sousa.Wawrinka, who has never got beyond the fourth round and was without a win in the tournament since 2011, tackles Taiwan's Lu Yen-Hsun for a place in the last 32.It's a quick surface, you have to be relaxed and confident. Sometimes you can be tight and nervous, said the Swiss.Lleyton Hewitt, the 2002 champion, and like Federer playing his 61st major, beat Michal Przysiezny of Poland, 6-2, 6-7 (14/16), 6-1, 6-4Retired women's champion Marion Bartoli returned to Centre Court only to hear herself introduced as 'Maria' by a blundering announcer.The Frenchwoman performed the coin toss ahead of the first round match between Sabine Lisicki, the German she defeated in the final last year, and Israel's Julia Glushko.She broke down in tears as she stood on the court where she won her only Grand Slam title. Once she had finished her ceremonial duties, Bartoli headed for a front-row seat in the Royal Box.Bartoli retired in the immediate aftermath of her 2013 Wimbledon win and as a result it was Lisicki who was given the honour of opening the action on Tuesday.- Emotional Bartoli -=====================Lisicki, yet to get beyond the third round of any event in 2014, was untroubled against Glushko, the world number 79, winning 6-2, 6-1 in just 57 minutes.It's such a huge honour to play the first match, I am very thankful, said 19th-seeded Lisicki. It was very special to see Marion again.Other early winners on Tuesday were German 20th seed Andrea Petkovic, a semi-finalist at the French Open, who eased past Katarzyna Piter of Poland, 6-1, 6-4, and former world number one Caroline Wozniacki, the 16th seeded Dane, who beat Israel's Shahar Peer 6-3, 6-0.Polish fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska, the 2012 runner-up, beat Romania's Andreea Mitu 6-2, 6-1.Later Tuesday, world number one Rafael Nadal was beginning his campaign, desperate to banish the ghosts of 2013.Nadal, seeded two, is fresh from a ninth French Open triumph, but where Paris has proved to be a home away from home for the Spaniard, Wimbledon has delivered just bitter-sweet memories.His two titles of 2008 and 2010 must have seemed like ancient history when he crashed out in the second round in 2012.Worse was to come in 2013 when he suffered a first ever opening round loss at a major at the hands of Steve Darcis, a Belgian journeyman who hasn't won a match since.Nadal, seeking a 15th major, faces Martin Klizan of Slovakia, who took a set off the world number one in Paris last year.Top seed and world number one Serena Williams starts her campaign against Anna Tatishvili, the former Georgian player who has switched allegiance to the United States.The 32-year-old Williams lost in the last-16 at the Australian Open and suffered an embarrassing second round exit to Spain's Garbine Muguruza at the French Open.Maria Sharapova, who was champion as a 17-year-old in 2004, takes on British wildcard Samantha Murray looking to go further than last year when she was dumped out in the second round by Portuguese qualifier Michelle Larcher De Brito.

Three policemen among eight killed in Karachi violence

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KARACHI (Dunya News) - At least eight persons including three policemen were killed in separate incidents of firing and violence in Karachi on Tuesday.Three policemen including Ghulam Ali, Somar and Munawar were shot dead while Constable Wahid Bukhsh injured when some unknown men opened firing.According to police, the police squad was targeted when on routine patrolling in Manhgopir area.On the other hand, Naseeb Farooq, a worker of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was shot dead by unidentified persons in Baldia Ittehad Town while a man was gunned down in Hussainabad area.Meanwhile, three dead bodies were found from different areas including Liaquatabad, Mewa Shah and Altaf Nagar. The victims could not be identified.

Brooks cleared, Coulson guilty in UK phone-hacking trial

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LONDON (AFP) - Former Rupert Murdoch confidante Rebekah Brooks was cleared of all charges while British Prime Minister David Camerons one-time media chief Andy Coulson was convicted of phone hacking in a dramatic end to the News of the World trial Tuesday.The jury delivered their verdicts after eight days of deliberations and nearly eight months of evidence sparked by the scandal that led to News Corp boss Murdoch shutting down the Sunday tabloid in disgrace in July 2011.Cameron swiftly gave a full and frank apology for hiring Coulson as his communications director despite knowing that the former News of the World editor had resigned from the paper when the hacking saga first emerged.At the close of what had been dubbed the trial of the century, an emotional Brooks, 46, had to be supported by a court nurse after being acquitted of conspiring to intercept voicemails and of plotting to bribe officials for stories.But while the flame-haired Brooks walked free from the Old Bailey court in London, Coulson, her former lover, faces jail following his conviction.The pair had an on-off extra-marital affair for several years while working at the paper, a further taste of scandal that only emerged at the start of the trial.The case centred on News of the Worlds efforts to hack the phones of Britains royal family, politicians, celebrities and victims of crime, including a murdered schoolgirl and families of people killed in the July 7, 2005 London bombings.Brookss current husband Charlie, a racehorse trainer, and News International director of security Mark Hanna were also cleared of perverting the course of justice by allegedly trying to hide evidence from the police.Her former personal assistant Cheryl Carter was cleared of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. The papers retired managing editor Stuart Kuttner was also cleared of conspiracy to hack phones.The scandal raised questions about the judgement of Cameron in hiring Coulson, 46, who resigned as editor of the News of the World in 2007 after a journalist and private investigator were convicted of phone hacking.- Camerons bad decision -Cameron made a televised statement apologising after the verdict, in line with a promise he made in parliament when the scandal first broke three years ago.He said he had given Coulson a second chance in appointing him to his team.It was a second chance, it turns out to be a bad decision and Im extremely sorry about that, Cameron said.Employing someone when they gave false assurances was the wrong decision. Im profoundly sorry about that.Cameron was also a close friend of Rebekah Brooks, admitting that he had once been horse riding with her, while Murdochs papers swung behind Camerons Conservatives before Britains last general election in 2010.Brooks quit as head of News International, the former British newspaper wing of Murdochs media empire. She had risen from being a secretary at the company to edit the News of the World and then went on to become one of Murdochs top aides.The company now rebranded News UK, said it had made changes in the way we do business to help ensure wrongdoing like this does not occur again.There was no immediate reaction from Murdoch.The jury at the Old Bailey court in London heard highly detailed evidence about the workings of the paper, known for its celebrity scandals and kiss-and-tell stories.Murdoch shut down the News of the World in a firestorm of disgrace and a boycott by advertisers just over three years ago after it emerged that the paper had hacked the voicemails of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler.The paper was later found to have hacked a long list of public figures including Prince William, the second-in-line to the British throne, his wife Kate Middleton, and celebrities including former Beatle Paul McCartney and actor Jude Law.The hacking scandal also prompted a judge-led inquiry into the ethics of Britains famously aggressive press, which made recommendations for reforming the way it is governed. They are yet to be put into force.The jury on Tuesday was still considering further charges against Coulson, a married father-of-three, and the papers then royal editor, 56-year-old Clive Goodman, to commit misconduct in a public office by paying officers for two directories of phone numbers linked to the royal family.

Operation Zarb-e-Azb is Jihad against terrorism: Tahirul Qadri

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LAHORE (Dunya News) - Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri has extended full support to Operation Zarb-e-Azb in North Waziristan.Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, he declared Operation Zarb-e-Azb as Jihad against terrorism.He announced that Pakistan Awami Tehreek would hold rallies every Friday to express solidarity with Pakistan Army.The PAT chief said that he would also visit Internally Displace Persons (IDPs) camps in Khyber Pakhtunkhawa.He also announced to send funds to internally placed persons (IDPs).Responding to a question regarding Model Town tragedy, the PAT chief said that killing of innocent workers was a worst example of state terrorism committed by Punjab government.Qadri said that more than 1,400 of PAT workers were arrested by the police and sent in various jails in Islamabad and Lahore.Refuting allegations that protesters attacked the police, Tahirul Qadri slammed government and termed the claims as baseless.On the other hand, Punjab government has decided to accept some of the demands of the PAT chief.Earlier on Tuesday, a case had been registered against three thousand supporters of Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Dr. Tahirul Qadri at the Airport police station in Rawalpindi, Dunya News reported.The PAT workers were booked on charges of terrorism, torturing police, damaging public property, robbery and intervention in state affair.The First Information Report (FIR) has been lodged on the behalf of DSP CIA Farhan Aslam. On the other hand, around 500 PAT workers were nominated in FIR at five police stations in Islamabad.At least 49 policemen in Rawalpindi and 36 policemen including DSP were injured during clash with Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) workers in Islamabad on Monday. Three of the injured policemen are said to be in critical condition.On Monday, PAT workers became angry after police blocked roads, preventing them from reaching Islamabad’s Benazir Bhutto International Airport, where Tahirul Qadri s flight was expected to land. Mobile phone networks were jammed, stopping them communicating with each other.Quadri s plane was eventually diverted to Lahore where he refused to get off and demanded to fly it back to Islamabad but later he conditionally disembarked from the plane after the government accepted his demand that the Punjab governor would accompany him to his Model Town residence amid tight security.

British, Saudi defence chiefs discuss Iraq crisis

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EDDAH (AFP) - Saudi Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz and visiting British Defence Secretary Philip Hammond discussed Tuesday the latest turmoil in Iraq, which borders the oil rich kingdom, state news agency SPA reported.Hammonds stop in Jeddah is the first on a Gulf tour that will also take him to the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Kuwait, amid uncertainty triggered by the Iraqi crisis.Prince Salman holds the Saudi defence portfolio, and the two men discussed cooperation between the two countries and ways to strengthen it, in addition to regional and international developments, SPA said.The tour provides an occasion to discuss the need to find a political solution for the crisis in Iraq, a diplomat in Saudi Arabia said.Speaking ahead of the visit, Hammond voiced concerns about Iraq, where militants led by jihadists from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant have made major advances against forces of the Shiite-led government.The UK is deeply concerned by the recent developments in Iraq and the gains made by ISIL. Although the UK is not planning a military intervention, we are committed to finding a long-term political solution, Hammond said.We remain committed to the security of the Gulf and want to reassure our friends and allies that we will do everything possible to support those who are working for a stable and democratic Iraqi state and to alleviate humanitarian suffering, he added.

Cricket: India captain Dhoni summoned over Hindu court case

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NEW DELHI (AFP) - Indian cricket captain M.S. Dhoni was ordered Tuesday to appear in court over a magazine front cover that allegedly hurt religious sentiments by depicting him as a Hindu god, a report said.A court in the southeastern state of Andhra Pradesh summoned him to appear on an unspecified date to testify in the case relating to an April 2013 article in the Business Today magazine.The front cover showed Dhoni as the multi-limbed Hindu god Vishnu who was seen holding various products which the hugely popular cricket star promotes.Two local activists, reportedly members of a hardline Hindu nationalist organisation, complained to the court over the graphic.In a hearing Tuesday, representatives of the magazine appeared but neither Dhoni nor any lawyer on his behalf was present, the Press Trust of India reported.The court issued the warrant of appearance as neither Dhoni nor anyone representing him appeared before it in connection with the complaint. It is not an arrest warrant, the news agency quoted an unnamed senior police officer as saying.It is a warrant of appearance and is bailable, he said.Dhoni left for England along with the rest of the national cricket squad at the weekend for Indias first five-Test series there in 55 years.The captain is one of Indias richest sportsmen and is a regular face in advertisements for products ranging from shoes to cement.

Air India joins global aviation alliance

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NEW DELHI (AFP) - Air India has joined the Star Alliance network of global airlines seven years after its first attempt, the Indian government announced Tuesday, in a major boost for the loss-making state-run carrier.Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju told reporters in New Delhi that Air India would increase its revenue by about five percent by entering the alliance which includes Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines and Air Canada.It is a new beginning for Air India and we wish they fly higher than they have already flown, said Raju, according to the PTI news agency.The deal is expected to be formalised next month and will give Air India access to the 26-member alliances network, which covers more than 1,300 destinations.The Star Alliance of global airlines shares a fleet of more than 4,000 aircraft serving an estimated 640 million passengers annually with over 22,000 daily flights.Negotiations started in 2007 but hit a roadblock three years ago when Air India failed to meet the minimum joining requirements.

Punjab govt dispatches 50 trucks of food items for IDPs

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LAHORE (Web Desk) - The Punjab government has dispatched fifty trucks loaded with food items for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) of South Waziristan Agency.On the occasion, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said not only the people of Punjab province but the whole nation is standing with the IDPs.He assured that Punjab government will continue its assistance for the IDPs till their rehabilitation.The CM appealed the philanthropists to come forward and donate generously for the IDPs.Sindh Government has also announced Rs50 million for the IDPs of North Waziristan Agency.Meanwhile, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cabinet has announced to donate one month salary to the Internally Displaced Persons of North Waziristan Agency.The announcement was made by Senior Provincial Minister Siraj-ul-Haq while speaking on a point of order at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly.
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