Monday 21 July 2014

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Ukraine rebels hand over MH17 black boxes, call ceasefire

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DONETSK (AFP) - Pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine on Tuesday handed over two black boxes recovered from the crash site of the MH17 jet to Malaysian officials at a press conference.They also announced a ceasefire within a 10 kilometre (six mile) radius around the crash site to allow international investigators to safely access the vast area where the Malaysia Airlines flight was downed Thursday. We have decided to hand the black boxes over to Malaysian experts, the prime minister of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, Alexander Borodai, told journalists.The Malaysian team of experts and representatives of the separatist group then signed a protocol before the bright orange boxes were handed over.On behalf of the Malaysian government I thank the government of the Donetsk Republic for handing us the two black boxes which are the property of Malaysia, said a member of the Malaysian team.We have not found the black boxes from flight MH370 (disappeared over the Indian Ocean in March), so are happy to be able to recover these.I see that the black boxes are intact with only minor damage.One of the boxes will contain all conversation in the cockpit and another all flight data.However, it is unclear how useful this will be in determining what happened to the flight, which is believed by Kiev and world leaders to have been shot down by a surface-to-air-missile.The Russia-backed separatist rebels who control the area where the plane went down are suspected of having fired the missile, however they blame the Ukrainian military.There has been an outpouring of global outrage over lack of access to the site, and fears the rebels have tampered with evidence.Borodai gave in to demands for a ceasefire to allow investigators full access to the site.We will order a ceasefire in a area of 10 kilometres around the site of the disaster, which left 298 people dead, he said.Malaysian officials were accompanying a refrigerated train transporting the remains of the passengers to the town of Kharkiv, controlled by the government in Kiev.

Clashes between Libya army, Islamists kill 16: sources

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BENGHAZI (AFP) - Sixteen people, most of them soldiers, were killed and 81 injured in clashes between the Libyan army and Islamist fighters in the eastern city of Benghazi, medical and military sources told AFP Tuesday.Most of the dead and injured are soldiers. Three civilians, including an Egyptian, were killed when a rocket hit their house, a hospital source said on condition of anonymity.A military official said fighting broke out after an alliance of Islamist militia attacked an army barrack, killing five soldiers.Special forces soldiers violently battled the Islamists, who have held sway in Benghazi since a 2011 revolution which ousted and killed longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi, plunging the nation into turmoil.Near-daily clashes take place in Libya's second city between the army and various Islamist groups, including Ansar al-Sharia, which has been classified by Washington as a terrorist organisation.Renegade former general Khalifa Haftar launched an offensive against Islamist militias in Benghazi in May.Authorities in Tripoli accuse his National Army paramilitary force of trying to mount a coup.Libya has been awash with weapons since the uprising three years ago that toppled and killed Kadhafi, and successive interim governments have struggled to establish a strong army and police force, giving former rebel groups a free hand to act.Rival militias have been engaged in a bloody battle for Libya's main international airport in Tripoli for 10 days that has halted all flights and caused extensive damage to airport infrastructure.

Tennis: Troicki celebrates return with opening Gstaad win

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GSTAAD (AFP) - Viktor Troicki made the most of his return to tennis after serving a one-year ban as the Serb defeated Austrias Dominic Thiem 7-6 (7/4), 6-4 on Monday to reach the second round of the Swiss Open.Troicki took down eighth seed Thiem, tipped as a name of the future, with the win helping to boost the Serbs fragile confidence after being granted a wild card entry after seeing his ranking plummet following his suspension.Troicki, now 847th in the world, receieved a 12-month ban for delaying a mandatory blood test at Monte Carlo in April 2013 by a day, saying he felt ill.Despite having blood drawn a day later, he was banned for a year amid protest from Serbian Davis Cup teammate Novak Djokovic.It was very emotional, very strange for me, said Troicki. I want to thank the organisers for this wild card, which means a lot to me.This past year was the toughest of my life. Its very emotional to be back and see all of the guys.I felt some tightnes in my game and pressure as I played this first match. Im very happy that Im through and that I won.Im hoping to get back to where I was before the suspension.Despite his defeat by Troicki, 20-year-old Thiem will break into the top 50, becoming the youngest member in that category. The Gstaad debutant secured his best ranking after reaching the third round in Hamburg last week.It was a tough first-match draw, Victor was not injured and not sick for a year, so he could train all the time, said Thiem.I can lose against a player who was once ranked 12th and Im disappointed.Im here to prepare for Kitzbuehel..it will be home for me and my goal will be to play much better there and Kitzbuehel will feel more normal at 700 metres instead of the 1,050 here.To have thought at the start of the year that I would reach 50th (in the world) by July would have been a utopia.I just have to set my goals a bit higher now.Argentine fifth seed Federico Delbonis began with a victory on a day where play was delayed by rain, beating German Dustin Brown 6-3, 6-3.Argentine Juan Monaco put out Victor Hanescu 6-4, 7-5 while Kazakh Andrey Golubev advanced over Spains Inigo Cervantes 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7/4).

Oil up on tight US supplies, fears over Ukraine, Gaza

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NEW YORK (AFP) - Tight petroleum supplies in the US and anxiety about fighting in Ukraine and Gaza pushed oil prices higher Monday.US benchmark contract West Texas Intermediate for August delivery jumped $1.46 to $104.59 on the New York Mercantile Exchange.European benchmark Brent oil for September delivery rose 44 cents to $107.68 a barrel in London.Analysts said recent US oil inventory reports showing lower crude supplies were major factors behind Mondays higher prices.Refiners, particularly in the Gulf Coast and Midwest, have been buying more oil in order to pump out more gasoline to meet higher summer driving demand.The physical market is tight, said Andy Lebow, senior vice president for energy derivatives at Jefferies Bache.There is limited availability of light sweet crude in the Cushing, Oklahoma market, said Andy Lipow, head of the consultancy Lipow Oil Associates.Traders are scrambling to settle commitments by Tuesdays deadline for crude deliveries under the August WTI contract, analysts said.Analysts also cited worries over potential European sanctions on Russia after Thursdays crash of a Malaysian plane and the ensuing accusations by the US and others that Russian backing of Ukrainian separatists was to blame for the disaster.As the US leveled accusations against Russia for supplying the weapons allegedly used to shoot down the passenger jet and European leaders readied new sanctions, Moscow hit back and sought to shift the blame to Kiev.Analysts also pointed to ongoing violence in Gaza, where the death toll Monday hit 572 following an Israeli offensive the government says is needed to counter Hamas.Investors... remain engaged to the unfolding situation between Ukraine, Russia and the West, as well as the ongoing Israeli ground assault of Gaza, said Sucden analyst Kash Kamal.

Dollar little changed ahead of housing, inflation data

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NEW YORK (AFP) - The dollar Monday finished little changed against most leading currencies as traders looked ahead to key US inflation and housing data later this week.With the US economic calendar Monday devoid of major reports, analysts eyed Tuesdays consumer price index report for June as a potential catalyst for the dollar.The report follows some other recent data showing higher inflation, although US Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen and others have downplayed those reports.Most analysts do not expect Tuesdays CPI report will pressure the Fed to speed plans to raise benchmark interest rates.While we agree that inflation in the US most likely bottomed, it is still not at a level that would accelerate Fed tightening, said Kathy Lien, analyst at BK Asset Management.The flattening in the US Treasury yield curve suggests investors do not expect the central bank to take action any time soon, Lien said.Yellen last week told a congressional committee the Fed could raise benchmark interest rates more quickly than expected if jobs data is unexpectedly strong, but she emphasized the shift would be entirely data dependent.Other US data this week includes reports on existing home sales and new home sales.Further signs of a rebounding US economy could see the greenback add to the gains that last week powered it to five-month peaks against the euro, said Joe Manimbo, senior market analyst at Western Union Business Solutions.But poor US housing data could weigh on US yields to the detriment of the dollar, Manimbo added.

Supreme Court orders elections for new PCB chief

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LAHORE (AFP) - Supreme Court of Pakistan on Monday ordered cricket authorities to hold fresh elections within a week to end a 14-month administrative crisis that has sparked international ridicule.The saga began in May last year when the then-chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Zaka Ashraf, was suspended for holding dubious elections.Since then, Ashraf and journalist Najam Sethi have been engaged in a power struggle for the top job. Each was reinstated in turn while the other was thrown out of office through a series of court rulings and government decrees.Sethi is the current chairman, having been restored for the third time earlier this month.On Monday the Supreme Court said the PCB must hold fresh elections for the chairman's post under its newly ratified constitution.Sethi said he would not not contest the election.After today's ruling I am restored until the elections are held and I will sit in the governing board but will not be contesting the election for chairman's post, he announced.Local media last month reported that Sethi would create a new position of PCB managing director for himself, with the chairman becoming a ceremonial post. The report was denied by the body.I had said before, and I am saying this now, that I had no long-term interest in the PCB and my long-term interest is only in the media, said Sethi, a long time newspaper editor and TV anchor.The musical chairs game for the top job has made the PCB a laughing stock overseas, with the International Cricket Council showing concern over who it should talk to on administrative matters.Traditionally, the government of the day has appointed its own candidate as head of the PCB, a system which has come in for criticism from former players including Imran Khan.

Injury-plagued Prior pulls out of England duty

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LONDON (AFP) - England wicketkeeper Matt Prior said after his sides crushing defeat by India on Monday that he will not play any more Tests this season and may have ended his international career.Prior, 32, said he needs time off to treat injuries, including an Achilles problem that will need surgery, which has hit his form.The Sussex player revealed his decision to step away from England action just hours after his country slumped to a 95-run defeat in the second Test against India at Lords.Lancashires Jos Buttler is the leading candidate to replace Prior and he will learn if he has been given the nod on Tuesday when England name their squad for the third Test in Southampton starting Sunday.Prior has had a torrid season behind the stumps and his rash dismissal, unwisely hooking Ishant Sharma, played a key role in Englands second innings collapse.He has dropped six catches of varying difficulty this season and with the bat he has averaged just 25.Prior attributes his poor form to injury complaints.Im not doing justice to myself and more importantly the team and that is what matters first and foremost, Prior said.I tore my quad before the first Test and my right hand has been beaten to a pulp, but the main issue is the Achilles.Now we have the time, I want to be pro-active about how we deal with it so I imagine that Ill have an operation.Ive always said as long as I can do my job I will manage the pain and get on with it, but it has now got to the point where I cant do my job to the level I expect of myself.An emotional Prior is reported to have told his England team-mates of his decision in the Lords dressing room following their defeat.He feels he has no choice but to have a spell out of the firing line, but is hopeful of regaining his fitness and challenge for his place next year.For now though he accepts that with 79 Test caps to his name he may have played his last game for England.That is especially difficult to take as he was keen to play his role in rebuilding a team struggling badly after a miserable run of 10 consecutive Tests without a victory.It is a huge decision and not one Ive taken lightly obviously because I could have played my last game, Prior said.Playing for England is the greatest honour you can have in the game and that is my motivation to come back and try and play again in the best possible condition.Ive made my decision for the good of the team and whoever comes in I genuinely wish them the best of luck and hope they go well and perform and help the team win. That is all I want.If that happens and I dont play again, then that was my lot. Ill be disappointed because there are a few things that I wanted to achieve and thought I would, but I can also look back and know I did some pretty good things, Prior said.

Football: Mats Hummels to join Manchester United: reports

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MANCHESTER (Web Desk) – Manchester United made the big move on Monday as they got the chance to buy Germany’s center back Mats Hummels.Hummels was also demanded by Barcelona following his amazing display at World Cup for Germany as a center back but United moved ahead of Barca and agreed upon the deal of £16m with Borussia Dortmund, according to the reports in Spain.According to Spanish newspaper Barca has failed to win race for 25 years old so there are bright chances for Manchester United to get the German defender.United Manager Louis Van Gaal was already eyeing at Hummels thanks to his performance in the World Cup.Arsenal is still expected to beat Chelsea for signing Real Madrid star Sami Khedira this summer.

PTI Long March: Main routes of Islamabad suggested to be sealed

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ISLAMABAD: (Dunya News) – An Aerial survey was conducted by the Islamabad Police in the city for checking the routes of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI)’s long march. After surveying the city, 164 routes have been identified by the police that can be used by the PTI. Police has suggested sealing the main routes of the city with the help of containers. Deployment of heavy security has also been suggested by the Police officials after aerial surveillance.The areas of Tarnol, Rawat and Margalla Hills were surveyed by the Islamabad Police today (Monday). More Rangers and Police Force will be deployed on Margalla Hills. Punjab Government and Azad Kashmir Police will be requested to assist in this regard.According to the Police report, PTI members can use four major routes, along with the smaller routes, in order to enter into Islamabad. To cope with this, Police has suggested sealing all the main routes to Islamabad by placing containers on the entry points.On the other hand, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan’s spokesman has said that no force on Earth can stop the PTI members from reaching Islamabad on 14th of August. “Supporters will enter Islamabad removing all the barriers”, he said.PTI long march, which is now being termed as ‘Azadi March’, is scheduled for 14th of August. Imran Khan had announced the march during his speech in Bahawalpur on 27th of June. Government has repeatedly said that it will not allow any marches on to the capital city on the Independence Day.

Gaza toll hits 572 on day 14 of Israeli operation

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GAZA CITY (AFP) - The death toll in Gaza rose to 572 on Monday following the bloodiest day in the Palestinian enclave since 2009 where Israel is pressing a punishing military operation.And the Israeli army said another seven soldiers had been killed in fighting in Gaza, raising the overall Israeli death toll to 27, all but two of them soldiers.The announcement came a day after 13 soldiers were killed, making Sunday the highest one-day death toll sustained by the Israeli army since the 2006 Lebanon war.Gaza emergency services spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra said air strikes and shelling killed 54 people across the enclave on Monday, and another 68 bodies were pulled from the rubble in areas hit by heavy fighting a day earlier.The army also said its troops had killed more than 10 militants who had infiltrated southern Israel through two tunnels, sparking a firefight that reportedly wounded several soldiers.Militants killed inside Israel are not included in Qudras Gaza toll.The latest deaths included six people killed in two artillery strikes, three of whom died in the southern city of Rafah and another three in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza.Of the 54 people killed on Monday, around a third of them were children, Qudra said.Seven children were among nine dead in an air raid on a house in Rafah, and another four children were killed in another strike on a house in Gaza City that killed nine people.A nighttime air strike on a residential tower block in Gaza City killed 11 people, including five children, Qudra said, and a simultaneous strike in the central Strip killed another.And Israeli tank shells slammed into a hospital in Deir al-Balah, killing four people, among them doctors, Qudra said, indicating at least 70 people were wounded.Another 32 people were killed in a series of air strikes and tank shelling across the strip.Of the 68 bodies recovered on Monday, 13 were from Shejaiya, hiking the death toll from a blistering Sunday attack to 74. Qudra said the vast majority were women, children and the elderly.Another 23 of the bodies were pulled from a three-storey house belonging to the Abu Jamaa family in the southern city of Khan Yunis which was hit on Sunday, raising the overall death toll from a single strike to 28, Qudra said.So far, Palestinian figures show 572 Gazans have been killed and more than 3,350 wounded since the start of the Israeli campaign to stamp out cross-border rocket fire on July 8.On the Israeli side, 27 people have died, including two civilians killed by rocket fire and 25 soldiers all of whom were killed since the start of a ground operation late on July 17.- Over 90 soldiers wounded -Army figures indicate another 30 soldiers were wounded in Gaza since Sunday, three of whom were in serious condition. Military radio put the overall injury toll at more than 90 soldiers since the ground assault began.Since the Israeli military started Operation Protective Edge on July 8 in a bid to stamp out rocket fire, Palestinian militants have fired 1,488 mortars and rockets that hit Israel, with air defences intercepting another 392, the army said.Approximately 84 stuck Israel on Monday, one of them in the greater Tel Aviv area, while another 16 were shot down, the army said.

US court makes first conviction in Boston attacks

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BOSTON (AFP) - A US jury on Monday returned the first conviction over the 2013 Boston Marathon attacks, finding a university friend of the prime suspect guilty of obstructing the investigation into the bombings.Azamat Tazhayakov, 20, was found guilty of taking a backpack from alleged bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaevs dorm room but not a laptop, which was tossed in a dumpster and took two days to recover.He will be sentenced on October 16. Legal experts said Tazhayakov, who is from Kazakhstan, would serve prison time in the United States and then be deported.The seven men and five-women jury returned the verdict after a two-week trial in a federal court in Boston, the first trial connected to the April 15, 2013 attacks at the Boston marathon.Three people were killed and 264 injured when two pressure-cooker bombs exploded at the races finish line, in an attack allegedly carried out by Chechen brothers Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev.Dzhokhar is due to stand trial in November -- he is accused of 30 federal charges and could face the death penalty if convicted.Police shot dead his older brother Tamerlan in the days after the attacks.

Kenya police probe hate speech leaflets after port shootings

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MOMBASA (AFP) - Kenyan police said Monday they were hunting gunmen who killed four people in an apparent ethnic revenge attack and dropped leaflets demanding minorities leave the port city of Mombasa.We are looking for them, we dont know who the attackers are and that is why we are urging the public to work closely with us, Mombasa police chief Robert Kitur said.Kitur said four people were killed when unknown gunmen on motorbikes sprayed bullets into crowds late Sunday in the Soweto district of Mombasas Likoni suburb, although local government officials confirmed only three dead.We are also investigating the source of leaflets circulated in the area, he added.The leaflets, which said the shooting was carried out in retaliation for attacks last month, appear to be a move to inflame ethnic tensions further on Kenyas already restive coast.Kenya faces multiple challenges, including an external Islamist threat, homegrown terrorism, religious, ethnic and tribal tensions, and bitter, long-running land disputes.The leaflets said the attackers were targeting people from the Luo community, who come from Kenyas western region.At least 94 people have been killed in a series of raids since mid-June around Kenyas Lamu coastal district, about 300 kilometres north of Mombasa, which have largely targeted the Kikuyu, the largest ethnic group, who come from the highlands of central Kenya.Somalias Al-Qaeda-linked Shebab have previously claimed responsiblity for a string of shootings on Kenyas Muslim-majority coast, in retaliation for Kenyas military intervention in Somalia.But they denied they were to blame for the shooting late Sunday.We are not aware of what happened in Mombasa and we are not involved, Shebab spokesman Abdulaziz Abu Musab told AFP.But we support the right of the people there to defend themselves, and anything harmful to Nairobi regime is very much welcome.Mombasa has been the scene of worsening unrest in recent months with a string of shootings and bombings blamed on the Shebab or local supporters.

Britain opens criminal probe into foreign exchange rigging

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LONDON (AFP) - British authorities launched a criminal probe on Monday into allegations of price rigging in foreign exchange markets, the Serious Fraud Office said.The director of the Serious Fraud Office has today opened a criminal investigation into allegations of fraudulent conduct in the foreign exchange market, it said in a statement, without giving further details.EU, British, and US and other regulators have levied huge fines on some of the worlds biggest banks and investment houses for manipulating currency markets worth trillions of dollars.In June Britains government, the Bank of England and financial regulators proposed legislation to punish foreign exchange rigging with criminal sanctions.The legislation was an extension of new laws regulating the inter-bank Libor benchmark interest rate.Some traders have been found guilty of manipulating the Libor and Britain has already threatened prison for those found guilty of rigging it.The Serious Fraud Office had previously said that it was looking at complex evidence before deciding whether to launch an inquiry.

European markets dip under weight of Russia tensions

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LONDON (AFP) - Europes main stock markets fell for a third day on Monday, weighed down by prospects that the US and Europe could toughen their sanctions against Russia, and by escalating violence in Gaza.Markets have been spooked by escalating tensions between the West and Russia after the downing of a Malaysian airliner last week and Israels increasingly bloody ground offensive in Gaza.In mid-afternoon deals Londons benchmark FTSE 100 fell 0.38 percent to 6,723.90 points, compared to Fridays closing levels.Frankfurts DAX 30 index shed 1.01 percent to 9,621.60 points and the Paris CAC 40 reversed 0.65 percent to 4,307.14.Scenes of conflict dominate news screens at present, be they in Gaza, Syria or Ukraine, and the result for financial markets has been an outbreak of risk aversion, said Chris Beauchamp at financial spread-betting firm IG.The possibility of fresh sanctions against Russia are dominating the news in Europe, which accounts for why the DAX is suffering more heavily than the FTSE, given Germanys close trading links with the Russian bear.British Prime Minister David Cameron said the EU was ready to toughen sanctions against Moscow over the Ukraine plane disaster barely a week after the latest round of embargoes against Russia.Russia hit back, with a senior military official saying Russian records showed that a Ukrainian Su-25 battle jet had flown close to the Malaysian passenger jet before it crashed.Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 is believed to have been blown out of the sky on Thursday by a surface-to-air missile, killing all 298 passengers and crew.- Moscow stocks extend losses -The Moscow stock market sank for a sixth day as investors were alarmed by the escalating crisis in Ukraine and the prospect of tougher sanctions doing more damage to the Russian economy.The ruble also fell against the dollar and the euro, with the dollar worth 35.12 rubles and the euro 47.50 rubles.EU sanctions have come across as somewhat half-hearted, but given last weeks horrific events the pressure for a much tougher approach towards Russia will be much harder to resist, said Michael Hewson at CMC Markets.This particular story looks like it has some way to run and investors would be unwise to become complacent about it.The tensions with Russia also weighed on US stocks, which opened lower as investors eyed the conflicts at the start of a busy week of corporate earnings.Five minutes into trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.41 percent to 17,030.15.The broad-based S&P 500 declined 0.32 percent to 1,971.88, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index gave 0.26 percent at 4,420.65.- Tesco gains -Shares in Julius Baer rose more than 6.0 percent after the Zurich-based bank said it expected to strike a deal with US authorities over a tax evasion investigation by the end of the year.Tesco shares gained 1.96 percent after the struggling British supermarket announced its chief executive would be replaced Unilever director and turnaround specialist Dave Lewis in October.Anglo American shares climbed 0.75 percent after the miner announced its platinum division would it would offload some of its South African mines after a debilitating five-month wage strike.Asian markets turned mixed, as bargain-hunting was offset by lingering geopolitical concerns after last weeks Ukraine airplane crash.Sydney added 0.15 percent and Seoul was marginally lower, while Shanghai lost 0.22 percent and Hong Kong shed 0.29 percent. Tokyo was closed for a public holiday.The European single currency edged down to $1.3520, down from $1.3524 late in New York on Friday.The British pound slipped to $1.7073 from $1.7088 on Friday. The euro rose to 79.18 pence from 79.14 pence.In commodity deals, gold increased to $1,312.75 per ounce from $1,307.25 on Friday.

POL prices likely to remain unchanged in August

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – The government has decided to keep prices of petroleum products for the month of August unchanged.According to OGRA, prices of petrol and diesel recorded megre increase, while prices of HOBC, light diesel and kerosene decreased in international markets.It is worth mentioning here that Prime Minister Nawaz Sahrif directed Finance Minister Ishaq Dar to provide relief to the masses during holy month of Ramazan and the government rejected Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority’s (OGRA) proposals to increase prices of petroleum products for the month of July.
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