Thursday 18 September 2014

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Florida: 6 children, 2 adults dead in Gilchrist shootings

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BELL (AP) - A sheriff says a man killed six of his grandchildren, his adult daughter and himself in a small town in north Florida.Gilchrist County Sheriff Robert Schultz at a news conference identified the man as 51-year-old Don Spirit. He says the children ranged in age from 3 months to 10 years old.Schultz says a deputy who arrived on a report of a shooting Thursday made contact with Spirit who later committed suicide.A photo on the Gainesville Suns website shows several police vehicles on a rural road. A sheriffs deputy was keeping people away behind police tape.Bell is small town of just 350 people about 30 miles (48 kilometers) west of Gainesville.

Police crackdown on PTI workers, dozens arrested

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Dozens of workers of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) were rounded up in Islamabad during a massive crackdown on home-going people in early hours of Friday.According to details, the PTI workers were on their way back after attending the sit-in at D-Chowk, when they were rounded up near PIMS hospital at a police checkpoint.Three doctors from a Swabi hospital were also among those who were arrested. They informed police that they are doctors but even then they were not released. Apart from the participants of sit-in, ordinary citizens were also arrested at police check posts established at different places in the capital.

Murray signals backing for Scottish independence

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LONDON (AP) - After carefully avoiding taking a side on the issue, former Wimbledon champion Andy Murray signaled his support for Scottish independence on Thursday, the day of the historic vote.The Scottish player sent out a post on Twitter just hours ahead of the polls opening on the referendum to break away from the United Kingdom.Murray indicated that negative campaigning by the anti-independence side made up his mind in favor of secession.He tweeted to his 2.7 million followers: Huge day for Scotland today no campaign negativity last few days totally swayed my view on it. excited to see the outcome. lets do thisThe 27-year-old Murray, who grew up in Dunblane, Scotland, resides in England and is not eligible to vote in the referendum. But he is one of Scotlands most high-profile global figures, and his words got wide airing in the country.Later Thursday, Murray was quoted as telling the Daily Mail website he would continue to represent Britain in the 2015 Davis Cup, regardless of the outcome of the referendum. If Scotland does vote to break away, independence would not go into effect until March 2016.Britain was drawn on Thursday to face the United States in the first round of next years Davis Cup. Led by Murray, Britain beat the Americans 3-1 last year in the first round in San Diego; the 2015 rematch will be in Britain from March 6-8.I will be playing for Great Britain in the Davis Cup next year. That is for sure, Murray was quoted as saying before the draw on the Mails website. As far as Im concerned the vote doesnt change anything in that regard.In 2013, Murray became the first British player in 77 years to win the Wimbledon mens title, a victory that was celebrated with national fervor. He also won a gold medal for Britain at the 2012 London Olympics, draping himself in the Union Jack after beating Roger Federer in the final.If Scotland became independent, then I imagine I would be playing for Scotland, Murray told reporters at the recent U.S. Open.However, questioned repeatedly in recent years and months about independence, Murray steadfastly refused to come out for one side or the other. He was mindful of the reaction he received in England when he said jokingly that he would support anyone but England at the 2006 World Cup.I dont know a whole lot about politics, and I have made that mistake in the past and its caused me a headache for seven or eight years of my life and a lot of abuse, he said.Murray spoke to the Daily Mail about his decision to send the early morning tweet on Thursday.Ive followed pretty much everything about it (the independence debate) over the last two weeks, and especially in the last few days. and thats how I felt at the time, he said.Its not my decision. I cant vote. Its for the Scottish people to decide, and I trust them to make the right decision. I will support whatever the outcome is. Regardless of how it goes, its very important for everyone to come together and stick together afterwards.After Murrays Wimbledon victory, Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond waved the Saltire, the blue and white Scottish flag, in the Royal Box.Murray was critical of Salmonds gesture and spoke of his national identity.I am proud to be Scottish, but I am also proud to be British, he said at the time. I dont think there is any contradiction in that.Its uncertain whether Scotland would be able to form an independent team in time for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. If not, Scottish athletes could either continue to compete for Britain or compete under the Olympic flag.

Monfils & Kohlschreiber into Moselle Open quarters

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METZ (AP) - Second-seeded Gael Monfils of France and third-seeded Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany advanced to the quarterfinals of the Moselle Open on Thursday.Monfils overcame a slow start before beating Michal Przysiezny of Poland 7-5, 6-1, and faces seventh-seeded Jerzy Janowicz of Poland after he comfortably beat veteran Jarkko Nieminen of Finland 6-4, 6-4. The big-serving Janowicz saved all three break-points he faced and hit nine aces.Przysiezny, ranked 136th, broke Monfils opening service game and held for 2-0, but Monfils broke straight back.Monfils, who had two match points before losing to 17-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer in the U.S. Open quarterfinals, is looking for his second title of the season after his victory on hard courts in Montpellier in February.Kohlschreiber had 12 aces in a 6-3, 7-5 win against Italys Paolo Lorenzi and next plays Germanys Jan-Lennard Struff, who did not face a single break-point in a 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-4 win against No. 5 Jeremy Chardy of France.No. 6 Joao Sousa of Portugal and No. 8 David Goffin of Belgium also reached the last eight.Sousa struggled, saving 14 of 16 break-point chances, as he labored to a 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (3) win against Dutchman Igor Sijsling. He next plays Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu.Goffin eased past Germanys Tobias Kamke 6-1, 6-3 to set up a quarterfinal against top seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

Wozniacki into quarterfinals at Pan Pacific Open

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TOKYO (AP) - Second-seeded Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark rallied from a set down to beat qualifier Jarmila Gajdosova of Australia 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 Thursday to advance to the quarterfinals of the Pan Pacific Open.The U.S. Open finalist broke Gajdosova three times in the third set at Ariake Coliseum and won with a crosscourt backhand. She will take on eighth-seeded Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain in Fridays quarterfinals.She played a great game and it took me a while just to get into it, said Wozniacki , who won the tournament in 2010. I managed to pull through today and was a little bit lucky but also played some good points at important moments.Suarez Navarro defeated Daria Gavrilova of Russia 7-6 (5), 6-3.Also, Garbine Muguruza of Spain defeated fourth-seeded Jelena Jankovic of Serbia 7-6 (4), 6-4 and will face Casey Dellacqua of Australia in the quarterfinals. Dellacqua beat Marina Erakovic of New Zealand 6-2, 6-4.

Britain to face US in 1st round of Davis Cup again

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DUBAI (AP) - Britain will host the United States in a first-round rematch in next years Davis Cup. Led by Andy Murray, Britain upset the Americans playing without the injured John Isner 3-1 last year in San Diego.The two sides were drawn on Thursday to face each other again in the World Group opening round from March 6-8. Britain is the home team and has the choice of venue and surface.Murray was quoted as telling the Daily Mail website that he will play for Britain in the 2015 Davis Cup, regardless of the outcome of Scotlands referendum on independence. Earlier Thursday, he tweeted support for independence.Japan and Canada will also meet in the first round for a second straight year. Japan won in Tokyo this year, their first tie since 1938.France hosts Switzerland in this years final, to be played from Nov. 21-23.France was drawn to play at Germany next year France won their quarterfinal in April with Switzerland traveling to Belgium.South American rivals Argentina and Brazil will meet for the first time since 1980. The tie their first ever in the World Group will be in Argentina.In another high-profile pairing, Serbia will host Balkan rival Croatia in a matchup that could feature Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic vs. U.S. Open winner Marin Cilic.Also, the Czech Republic will host Australia, and Italy will travel to Kazakhstan.

Inter and Sevilla open Europa campaign with wins

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PARIS (AP) - Three-time European champion Inter Milan opened its Europa League campaign with a hard-fought 1-0 win away to Ukrainian side Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, while defending champion Sevilla had an easier 2-0 win against Feyenoord on Thursday.Three-time champion Sevilla took control with first-half goals from midfielders Grzegorz Krychowiak and Stephane Mbia.Inter defender Danilo DAmbrosio scored moments after Dnipro captain Ruslan Rotan was sent off for a second yellow card. DAmbrosio latched onto Artem Fedetskiys botched clearance and fired powerfully past goalkeeper Denys Boyko in the 71st minute.Inter tops Group E after Saint-Etiennes 0-0 draw away to Azerbaijan side Qarabag Agdam, while Sevilla is level at the top of Group G with Standard Liege, which beat Rijeka of Croatia by the same score.Belgian winger Dries Mertens scored twice as Napoli rallied to beat Sparta Prague 3-1, with Argentina striker Gonzalo Higuain equalizing from the penalty spot before setting up Mertens first. But Napoli sits second in Group I because Swiss side Young Boys routed Slovan Bratislava 5-0.An own goal from Ricardo Rodriguez, efforts from defenders Seamus Coleman and Leighton Baines, and a late strike from Belgium forward Kevin Mirallas helped Everton crushed German side Wolfsburg 4-1 in Group H. Lille drew 1-1 with Russian side Krasnodar in the other game.Group E rivals Dynamo Moscow and PSV Eindhoven also won.Forward Aleksandr Kokorin and midfielder Aleksei Ionov scored Dynamos goals in a 2-1 win at Greek side Panathinaikos, while a penalty from Dutch striker Luuk de Jong earned PSV a 1-0 home win against Estoril.In Group C, the favorites dropped points as Premier League side Tottenham was held to 0-0 at Partizan Belgrade, and Besitkas from Turkey drew 1-1 against Asteras Tripolis.Algeria striker El Arbi Hilal Soudani scored a first-half hat trick as Dinamo Zagreb thrashed Hungarian side Astra 5-1 to take top spot in Group D, with Scottish side Celtic drawing 2-2 at Austrian side Salzburg despite leading twice.Romania forward Claudiu Keseru also got three as Steaua Bucharest thrashed Danish side Aalborg 6-0 to take first spot in Group J ahead of Dynamo Kiev, which won 3-0 away to Portuguese side Rio Ave.Ukraine winger Andriy Yarmolenko, midfielder Younes Belhanda and striker Artem Kravets got a goal each for the visitors.Fiorentina beat French Cup winner Guingamp 3-0, with all the goals scored by wingers.Juan Vargas headed in Jasmin Kurtics cross in the first half and Juan Cuadrado lashed in David Pizarros well-weighted pass midway through the second. Federico Bernardeschi completed the scoring late on.Ghanaian winger Mubarak Wakaso scored on his Celtic debut, and Brazilian striker Alan leveled shortly before the break. Midfielder Scott Brown put Celtic back in front after an hour with a deflected volley, only for forward Jonatan Soriano to equalize with a well-struck free kick.

Senate votes to support Obama on rebel aid

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WASHINGTON (AP) - In the heat of an election campaign, Congress cleared the way for the U.S. military to train and equip Syrian rebels for a war against Islamic state militants on Thursday, reluctant ratification of a new strategy that President Barack Obama outlined scarcely a week ago.The 78-22 Senate vote sent Obama legislation that also provides funding for the government after the end of the budget year on Sept. 30, eliminating any threat of a shutdown. The House approved the bill on Wednesday.The measure split Republicans and Democrats alike, and created new fault lines for this falls elections for control of the Senate as well as the 2016 race for the White House.Intervention that destabilizes the Middle East is a mistake. And yet, here we are again, wading into a civil war, said Sen. Rand Paul laying down a marker for Republican presidential primaries still more than a year distant.Sen. Mark Begich in a difficult re-election campaign, said, I disagree with my president on the wisdom of having the U.S. military become involved. It is time for the Arab countries to step up get over their regional differences and be more aggressive in the fight against terrorists, he said.For a second straight day, the administration dispatched top-ranking officials to reassure lawmakers and the public that no U.S. ground combat operation was in the offing. Obama made the same promise in an address to the nation eight days ago laying out his new policy.Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told one House committee that Obama is not going to order American combat ground forces into that area.Appearing before a different panel, Secretary of State John Kerry said the administration understands the danger of a slippery slope. The term was widely used a half-century ago as the United States slid ever deeper into a Vietnam war that eventually left more than 50,000 U.S. troops dead.Obamas general plan is to have U.S. troops train Syrian rebels at camps in Saudi Arabia, a process that the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Martin Dempsey, said could take a year.Additionally, the president already has said he will use existing authority to have the Pentagon deploy airstrikes against Islamic fighters in Syria as well as in Iraq. Hagel said the president received a detailed plan for operations in Syria during a visit Wednesday to U.S. Central Command in Tampa, Florida, and was reviewing it.From halfway around the world came a chilling reminder from militants who already have overrun parts of Syria and Iraq and beheaded three Westerners. This time, the Islamic State group released a video showing a British journalist who said he was their prisoner.In Washington, leaders in both political parties supported the Senate legislation, draining the debate of all suspense.Asked about approving Obamas plan in the wake of the war in Iraq, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said, Iraq was a mistake. I was misled and I voted wrong. But this is not Iraq, this is a totally different thing.Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell also favored the legislation, yet said it must be followed by a top-to-bottom review of the administrations global military strategy.Senate liberals split.Sen. Bernard Sanders conceded the threat posed by forces seeking an Islamic State. But he said countries in the Middle East most threatened had not yet joined the international coalition that Obama is assembling.Not only are countries in the region not stepping up in the fight ... but believe it or not several of these Gulf states are empowering Islamic State forces as well as al-Qaida allied groups with financial contributions, he said.But Sen. Barbara Boxer said Obama proposed a moderate, middle course between doing nothing in response to a terrorist threat and refighting the Iraq war. Every civilized person has to stand up against this, she said.While Democrats expressed fears that the legislation could lead the nation back into a war, some Republicans were skeptical that Obamas strategy was strong enough to prevail.As a result, the legislation provided a narrow grant of authority that will expire on Dec. 11. It specifically stops short of approving the deployment of U.S. forces into hostilities or into situations where hostilities are clearly indicated by the circumstances.The expiration date means Congress will return to the issue in a postelection session scheduled for mid-November.The overall spending bill will prevent a government shutdown like the one that occurred a year ago, when House Republicans tried to eliminate funding for Obamas health care program.It finesses yet another issue that divides the Republican party, renewing until next June the Export-Import Bank, which helps finance purchases of U.S. exports. Tea party lawmakers want to abolish the agency, while business-oriented Republicans support it.The vote in the House on Wednesday giving Obama authority to train rebels was 273-156.More Democrats, 85, voted to defy the president than Republicans, who cast 71 votes against the policy advanced by a commander in chief they distrust.

Series of attacks kills at least 36 in Iraq

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BAGHDAD (AP) - A series of bomb and mortar shell attacks in and around Baghdad killed at least 36 people, Iraqi officials said Thursday, in an assault that underscored the threat posed to the Iraqi capital by marauding Islamic militants that have seized large parts of country.At least 15 people alone were killed in an apparently coordinated assault the northern Shiite district of Khazimiyah, according to police. A suicide bomber rammed his explosives-laden car into a security checkpoint there late in the evening. Minutes later, three mortar shells landed in different parts of the district, hitting houses and a bus station.Police said 31 were wounded in the attacks on Khazimiyah, which is a major pilgrimage site that contains the shrine of two revered Shiite Imams.There was no immediate claim of responsibility for those attacks or a series of other explosions that rattled the capital area, but car bombs and attacks against Shiite civilians are common tactics used by Islamic State militants.The extremist group, which considers Shiites heretics, has captured large chunks of territory in western and northern Iraq, plunging the country into its worst crisis since U.S. troops left at the end of 2011. U.S. warplanes have been carrying out airstrikes against the group as Iraqi and Kurdish security forces work to retake territory it has seized.Earlier in the day, a bomb blast struck a shopping street in the Toubachi neighborhood in northwest Baghdad, where a bomb blast killed four people and wounded 10, police said. Another blast struck after dark, killing another six and wounding 15.Elsewhere in the capital, a bombing near a car repair shop downtown killed three and wounded eight, while an explosion in a wholesale produce market killed three more people and wounded 11, police officials said. A roadside bomb also struck an army patrol, killing two soldiers and wounding four.In the citys southern suburbs, police said mortar shells landed on houses, killing three people, according to police.Medical officials confirmed the causalities. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.

IS group seizes 21 villages in northern Syria

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BEIRUT (AP) - Islamic State fighters backed by tanks have captured 21 Kurdish villages over the past 24 hours in northern Syria near the Turkish border, prompting civilians to flee their homes amid fears of retribution by the extremists sweeping through the area, activists said.For more than a year, the Islamic State group and Kurdish militias have been locked in a fierce fight in several pockets of northern Syria where large Kurdish populations reside. The clashes are but one aspect of Syrias broader civil war a multilayered conflict that the U.N. says has killed more than 190,000.Since Wednesday, Islamic State militants appear to have gained the upper hand in Syrias northern Kurdish region of Kobani, also known as Ayn Arab, overrunning 21 Kurdish villages, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. It said there were casualties on both sides, but that Kurdish civilians were fleeing their villages for fear that Islamic State group fighters will commit massacres against civilians.Nawaf Khalil, a spokesman for Syrias powerful Kurdish Democratic Union Party, the Kurdish fighters withdrew or lost up to 20 villages in the Kobani region and evacuated civilians with them.The battles that are taking place in Kobani are the most violent, Khalil said adding that Islamic State group fighters were using tanks in their offensive. Khalil called on Kurds around the world to come to Syria to defend Kobani.The fighting forced nearly 3,000 people to try flee to Turkey and gathered near the border Turkish district of Suruc, according to the private Dogan News Agency. A video released by the agency showed Syrian refugees walking to the border with some Kurds asking to be allowed to cross to stay with relatives on the Turkish side of the frontier.Like many fronts of Syrias civil war, momentum in the fight between the extremists and the Kurds has swung back and forth. Earlier this week, for example, Kurdish fighters captured 14 villages from the Islamic State in other parts of Syria.Still, the retreat in Kobani marked a setback for the battle-hardened Kurdish force known as the Peoples Protection Units. The militia, which also goes by the initials YPK, has been perhaps the most successful fighting force battling the Islamic State group, which has routed Iraqi and Syrian government forces. Last month, the YPK crossed the border into Iraq and opened a safe passage for members of the ancient Yazidi minority who were attacked by Islamic State fighters.The fighting around Kobani is part of the Islamic States wider battle in Syria as the extremists look to seize control of the few areas in the northeast still outside of their hands.The Syrian government, meanwhile, has begun targeting the group with greater frequency since the militants overran much of northern and western Iraq. Before that, President Bashar Assads has largely left the group alone, instead focusing his firepower on more moderate rebel brigades.On Thursday, government helicopter gunships attacked the northern town of al-Bab, which is controlled by the Islamic State group, killing more than two dozen people. The Local Coordination Committees activist group said 51 people were killed in the attack in which a helicopter dropped a barrel packed with explosives on a bakery.The Observatory also reported the airstrike, but said at least 26 were killed. It warned that the number could rise because some of the wounded are in critical conditions.The discrepancy in death tolls could not be immediately reconciled, but casualty figures frequently differ in the chaotic aftermath of attacks in Syria.The U.S. has been conducting airstrikes against Islamic State fighters in Iraq since early August. President Barack Obama last week authorized strikes against the group in Syria as well, and his administration is currently trying to cobble together an international coalition to go after the group. The U.S. is already flying reconnaissance missions over Syria.Observatory director Rami Abdurrahman said activists saw drones flying over areas held by the Islamic State group, including the towns of Manbij and Maskaneh. He added that it is not clear whether the drones were American.

Roadside bomb kills 4 UN peacekeepers in Mali

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BAMAKO (AP) - A roadside bomb in northern Mali killed four U.N. peacekeepers and wounded three on Thursday, a spokesman said of the latest in a string of deadly attacks on the force.A car carrying Chadian troops hit the explosive north of Aguelhoc, which is near the embattled city of Kidal, said Olivier Salgado.Earlier this month, four U.N. peacekeepers were killed and several were wounded when their convoy hit a mine in the same region. Another mine killed a peacekeeper earlier this week.There was no immediate claim of responsibility and Salgado did not speculate on who was responsible for the bomb. Previous land mines have been blamed on Islamic extremists linked to al-Qaida, and they have taken responsibility for some.Northern Mali fell under control of Tuareg separatists and then al-Qaida-linked Islamic extremists following a military coup in 2012. A French-led intervention last year scattered the extremists, but some remain active in the countryside and there have been continued bursts of violence.U.N. troops are now trying to stabilize the north, and peace talks have begun between the Malian government and Tuaregs, who maintain a heavy presence in Kidal and have resisted the authority of the Bamako-based government. Al-Qaida is not participating in those discussions.

UN chief calls for about $1 billion to fight Ebola

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UNITED NATIONS (AP) - Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says the number of Ebola cases is doubling every three weeks and is calling for a 20-fold increase in aid totaling almost $1 billion to tackle the viruss worst-ever outbreak over the next six months.The U.N. chief told an emergency meeting of the Security Council on Thursday that the ebola epidemic in West Africa demands the attention of the world and unprecedented action.Ban announced that he is establishing a U.N. emergency mission to address the unprecedented challenge.He thanked U.S. President Barack Obama for sending 3,000 troops to provide expertise in training and engineering, read the names of about 20 other countries that have responded with contributions and urged all nations coming to the U.N. General Assembly ministerial meeting next week to follow suit.

Vote counting begins in Scotland on independence

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EDINBURGH (AP) - Excitement vied with apprehension as Scottish voters went to the polls Thursday in a referendum on independence, deciding whether to dissolve a 307-year union with England that brought prosperity but has increasingly felt stifling to many Scots.As the polls closed and the vote counting began, there was a quiet thrill of history in the making on the fog-shrouded streets of Scotlands capital, Edinburgh. Many Scots were staying up all night in homes and bars to watch the results roll in.Eager voters had lined up outside some polling stations even before they opened at 7 a.m. Many polling stations were busy and turnout was expected to be high. More than 4.2 million people had registered to vote 97 percent of those eligible including residents as young as 16.A Yes vote would trigger 18 months of negotiations between Scottish leaders and London-based politicians on how the two countries would separate their institutions before Scotlands planned Independence Day on March 24, 2016.For some, it was a day they had dreamed of for decades. For others, the time had finally come to make up their minds about the future both for themselves and for the United Kingdom.Fifty years I fought for this, said 83-year-old Isabelle Smith, a Yes supporter in Edinburghs maritime district of Newhaven, a former fishing port. And we are going to win. I can feel it in my bones.For Smith, who went to the polling station decked out in a blue-and-white pro-independence shirt and rosette, statehood for Scotland was a dream nurtured during three decades living in the U.S. with her late husband.The one thing America has that the Scots dont have is confidence, said Smith, who returned to Scotland years ago. But theyre getting it, theyre walking tall.No matter what, Scotland will never, ever be the same again.The question on the ballot paper could not be simpler: Should Scotland be an independent country?Yet it has divided Scots during months of campaigning, generating an unprecedented volume and intensity of public debate and participation. The Yes side, in particular, has energized young people and previously disillusioned working-class voters.Polls suggest the result was too close to call. A final Ipsos MORI poll released Thursday put support for the No side at 53 percent and Yes at 47 percent. The phone survey of 991 people has a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points.Until recently, polls suggested as many as 1 in 5 voters was undecided, but that number has shrunk dramatically. In the latest poll, only 4 percent remained uncertain how they would vote.Many questions the currency independent Scotland would use, its status within the European Union and NATO, the fate of Britains nuclear-armed submarines, based at a Scottish port remain uncertain or disputed after months of campaigning.After weeks in which British media have talked of little else, the television airwaves were almost a referendum-free zone Thursday. Electoral rules forbid discussion and analysis of elections on television while the polls are open.On the streets, it was a different story, with rival Yes and No billboards and campaigners outside many polling places.At an Edinburgh polling station, Thomas Roberts said he had voted Yes because he felt optimistic about Scotlands future as an independent country.Why not roll the dice for once? he asked.Once the polls closed, ballot boxes were to be transported to 32 regional centers for counting. The result was expected Friday morning.Roberts said he was looking forward to learning the outcome in a pub, many of which were staying open overnight.Im going to sit with a beer in my hand watching the results coming in, Roberts said.Many who oppose independence agreed that the campaign had reinvigorated Scottish democracy.I support the No side, but its been a fascinating, worthwhile discussion about Scotlands future, said David Clarke, a writing consultant.If its a No, its a win-win situation. If its a Yes, we will have to deal with the fact that its a Yes.But other No supporters said the noisy pro-independence campaign had divided the country and fueled bad feeling among neighbors.The country is divided with a hatchet. Its so awful and it was completely unnecessary, said Fiona Mitchell, distributing No leaflets outside a polling station.First Minister Alex Salmond, leader of the independence campaign, cast his vote near his home in northeastern Scotland. If the Yes side prevails, he will have realized a long-held dream of leading his country to independence from an alliance with England formed in 1707.In a final speech on Wednesday night, Salmond told voters: This is our opportunity of a lifetime and we must seize it with both hands.Pro-independence forces got a last-minute boost from tennis star Andy Murray, who signaled his support of the Yes campaign in a tweet to his 2.7 million followers early Thursday.Anti-independence leaders, including former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, have implored Scots not to break their links with the rest of the United Kingdom, and have stressed the economic uncertainties independence would bring.Many Yes supporters planned to stay up late in bars, or to gather in symbolic spots like Calton Hill, overlooking Edinburgh hoping the sun will rise Friday on a new dawn and not a hangover.But financial consultant Michael MacPhee, a No voter, said he would observe the returns coming in with anxiety.Scottish independence was the daftest idea Ive ever heard, he said.

Jamshed Dasti presents himself for arrest along with 10 companions

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MUZAFFARGARH: (Dunya News) – Member National Assembly (MNA) from Muzaffargarh Jamshed Dasti has presented himself, along with his 10 aides, to the police for arrest at City Police Station. Jamshed Dasti and 200 aides were booked under anti-terrorism act, dacoity and interruption in government activities. Case was registered under sections 148, 149, 186, 324, 353, 359 and anti-terrorism act.Police has formally arrested Jamshed Dasti along with his companions and has announced to start case against him Anti-Terrorism Court, Dera Ghazi Khan. Several people standing outside City Police Station were also arrested and locked up by Muzaffargarh Police. Heavy deployment is being observed outside and on the roof of police station.

US stocks creep higher on encouraging news

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NEW YORK (AP) The U.S. stock market climbed to new record highs Thursday as investors received more encouraging news on the economy. The slight gains come a day after the Federal Reserve signaled that its in no rush to raise interest rates.KEEPING SCORE: As of 2:30 p.m. Eastern time, the Standard & Poors 500 index was up eight points, or 0.4 percent, to 2,010. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 96 points, or 0.6 percent, to 17,253. Both major indexes surpassed previous record highs. The Nasdaq composite climbed 28 points, or 0.6 percent, to 4,589.JOBS: Fewer Americans filed first-time claims for unemployment benefits last week, according to the Labor Department. Weekly applications fell 36,000 to 280,000, well below economists forecasts. The four-week average, a less-volatile measure, also dropped.GOING UP: The question isnt Why are we up today? said Dan Veru, chief investment officer at Palisade Capital Partners in New York. Its Why arent we up a lot more? What youre seeing is the U.S. economy growing at a modest pace, not too hot and not too cold. Its an environment that allows the Federal Reserve to stick to a policy that coaxes businesses to borrow and spend and could fuel further gains for the stock market.OVERSEAS: In Europe, Germanys DAX advanced 1.4 percent, and Frances CAC 40 gained 0.8 percent. Britains FTSE 100 added 0.6 percent.AYE OR NAY: Scotland opened polling stations on Thursday for a referendum on whether the country will leave the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and become an independent state. The first exit polls will be released after voting closes at 10 p.m. local time, or 2100 GMT. Opinion polls have suggested the Yes campaign favoring independence is neck and neck with the No campaign that wants Scotland to stay in the United Kingdom.ONE VIEW: A yes vote is likely to weigh heavily on the sterling and equities. A no vote should result in a relief rally and is likely to be positive for the sterling and equities, said IG strategist Stan Shamu in a commentary. The pound was trading at a two-year high against the euro at €1.27, and holding steady against the dollar at $1.64.BIG DEBUT: Alibaba Group is expected to wrap up its mammoth initial public offering later Thursday, then make its debut on the New York Stock Exchange on Friday under the symbol BABA. The Chinese e-commerce company could raise as much as $21.8 billion from institutional investors, making it the largest IPO on record in the U.S.WRONG WAY: Rite Aid plunged 20 percent after it cut its profit forecasts for the full year, laying part of the blame on higher costs for generic drugs. The drugstore chain still expects to post sales of $26 billion this year. Rite Aids stock lost $1.33 to $5.31.HIGHER PROFIT: ConAgra said its quarterly profits nearly tripled, sending its stock up $1.40, or 4 percent, to $33.42. Sales for the company behind Chef Boyardee canned pasta and Hebrew National hot dogs were flat but interest payments and other costs fell.FED WATCH: On Wednesday, the Federal Reserve maintained its stance of keeping short-term interest rates near zero for a considerable time. But it did raise its estimate for what the Feds benchmark interest rate could be at the end of 2015: to 1.38 percent, up from its last estimate of 1.13 percent. In the depths of the 2008 financial crisis, the Fed cut its benchmark rate to a range near zero and has kept it there ever since.Most economists expect the first rate increase to come by the middle of next year. Before the Feds meeting, many in the market speculated that the Fed might signal an earlier start.ASIAS DAY: Hong Kongs Hang Seng finished 0.9 percent lower and South Koreas Kospi dropped 0.7 percent. Japans Nikkei 225 outperformed, gaining 1 percent as the yen traded at a six-year low against the dollar. Markets in mainland China, India and Southeast Asia also rose.OIL: Benchmark U.S. crude fell $1.27 to $93.16 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. On Wednesday, the Energy Department reported a 3.7 million barrel increase in U.S. crude inventories last week. Most analysts had expected a decline, typical for this time of year._________________________Youkyung Lee contributed from Seoul, South Korea
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