Thursday 8 January 2015

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Sri Lanka's Rajapakse concedes election defeat: official

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COLOMBO (AFP) - Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse has conceded defeat in his re-election bid and promised to clear the way for a smooth transition, officials said Friday.Official sources said results announced so far from Thursdays election had given opposition presidential candidate Maithripala Sirisena an unassailable lead.Presidential press secretary Vijayananda Herath said that Rajapakse had conceded defeat to Ranil Wickremesinghe, who leads the opposition in parliament. The president met with former prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe this morning. The president concedes defeat and will ensure a smooth transition of power bowing to the wishes of the people, Herath told AFP.There was no immediate comment from Sirisena who was still at his private home in Polonnaruwa, 215 kilometres (134 miles) east of the capital Colombo. Opposition lawmaker Harsha de Silva said transitional arrangements were being discussed with Rajapakse and that Wickremesinghe had guaranteed him and his family security. Voters turned out in large numbers on Thursday for the tightest presidential election Sri Lanka has seen in decades.Rajapakse had seemed assured of victory when he called snap polls in November seeking an unprecedented third term, five years after crushing a Tamil separatist rebellion that had traumatised the country for decades.But with nearly a third of the ballots officially declared, Sirisena has 52.49 percent of the vote and Rajapakse 46.21 percent. The president has seen a clear majority for the opposition candidate and there is no way to overcome that, a source close to the outgoing president said.

US-Iran to hold bilateral nuclear talks next week

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - American and Iranian negotiators will resume bilateral talks on Irans disputed nuclear programme next week in Geneva as a third deadline for a deal looms, a US official said Thursday.Acting Deputy Secretary Wendy Sherman, who has led the US delegation for more than two years, will head the team of senior officials and advisors to the next round of bilateral negotiations on January 15-17 in the Swiss city, the State Department said.The two sides will also be joined by the EUs political director Helga Schmid who will chair the next round of talks between the group known as the P51 and Iran in Geneva on January 18.In a sign that there are still tough talks ahead, Irans supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Wednesday voiced his distrust of Washington as he weighed the prospects of a complex nuclear deal.Under an interim deal between world powers and Tehran in force since January 2014, Iran agreed to limit its uranium enrichment, which can produce material for an atomic bomb.In return, Iran, which denies seeking to develop an atomic weapon insisting its nuclear program is for peaceful energy purposes only, received limited relief from crippling sanctions.But two deadlines for a comprehensive accord with the P51 group of nations -- the United States, Britain, China, France, Russia plus Germany -- have since been missed.The teams have now set a July 1 ultimatum, although they hope to reach a framework accord sometime in March, leaving the most complex technical details to be finalized afterwards.Amid pressure from the US Congress to impose more sanctions, Washington has also insisted that in the initial stages of a deal it would only suspend not entirely lift the measures.The United States arrogantly says that if Iran makes concessions in the nuclear case, they will not at one stroke lift sanctions. With this reality, how can we trust such an enemy? Khamenei said in a speech in Tehran.We are not against negotiations... Let them talk all they want, but they must negotiate based on reality, not on imaginary points.Khamenei will have the last word on Irans conditions for any final agreement.

Muslim police officer was among victims of Paris attack

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PARIS (AP) - The last of the 12 victims slain in the terror attack on the French newspaper Charlie Hebdo was a police officer the son of immigrants from mainly Muslim North Africa who was shot dead on the sidewalk by one of the assailants as they started their getaway.Police officials identified him as Ahmed Merabet. As details about his death became known, a campaign of solidarity quickly caught fire on social media Thursday, using the phrase Je Suis Ahmed I Am Ahmed. That echoed the campaign of support for the satirical newspaper that spread widely after the attack, using the slogan Je Suis Charlie.Merabet also drew attention at the United Nations.He himself was a Muslim, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told reporters. This is another reminder of were facing together. This is not a war on religion. ... It is an assault on our common humanity.French news reports gave varying ages for Merabet, though the police union to which he belonged said he was in his 30s. He reportedly had eight years of police service, and was assigned to the neighborhood where Wednesdays attack occurred.Video footage taken by an onlooker that surfaced on the Internet after the attack appeared to show a wounded Merabet on the pavement, raising a hand as though appealing for mercy before he was fatally shot in the head by one of the three gunmen. During their attack on the newspaper office, the assailants had shouted Allahu akbar Arabic for God is great and police were investigating their possible ties to a Yemen-based terrorist group.Merabet was very discreet and conscientious, police union spokesman Rocco Contento told the newspaper Le Figaro. Were all extremely shocked.Merabets home town, the suburb of Livry-Gargan in the northeastern suburbs of Paris, announced Thursday that he and the other victims would be commemorated at a ceremony Sunday at the city hall.A police union official, who cited the sensitivity of the case in requesting anonymity, said Merabets parents immigrated to France from predominantly Muslim North Africa. The officials said he didnt know whether Merabet was actively practicing the religion.The other slain officer was Franck Brinsolaro, a married police veteran who served on the bodyguard detail for the slain editor of Charlie Hebdo, Stephane Charbonnier.The union official said Charbonnier would sometimes invite Brinsolaro for meals at the famed Closerie des Lilas restaurant in southern Paris.According to French media, Brinsolaro was married to the editor of a weekly newspaper in northern France, and the couple had a 1-year-old daughter.The death of Merabet with his North African origins recalled a series of gun attacks in southern France in 2012 that killed three French paratroopers of North African descent, as well as several Jewish civilians.

Canada, United States in deep Arctic freeze

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OTTAWA (AFP) - An Arctic blast sweeping Canada and parts of the United States this week closed schools, grounded jets, killed at least four people, and even shook the ground.What the hell was that? screamed a startled woman at a loud crack produced by a frost quake in Ottawa Wednesday night.Frost quakes, or cryoseisms, occur when frozen water-saturated ground cracks in extreme cold.The University of Toronto Climate Lab tracked dozens of such events, mostly in Ottawa and Montreal regions, but also in a few US states.Temperatures plunged as low as minus 40 degrees Celsius/Farenheit with a windchill on Thursday.The cold is considered dangerous at this level, freezing exposed skin within minutes.Officials in both countries urged people to stay indoors and not to travel unless absolutely necessary. Pet owners were also told not to let dogs or cats out.People who must venture out were told to dress in layers covering all skin, to stay dry, to seek shelter and not drink alcohol which gives people a false sense of warmth.Temperatures dropped at the beginning of the week and the cold is forecast to linger until at least Saturday. In Ottawa, most bureaucrats stayed home after temperatures plunged overnight following several days of snow and freezing rain.Ice on streets sent cars sliding into ditches as road crews worked around the clock to clear snow and salt roadways -- with little success.Others were unable to get their cars started as engines were frozen solid.Hundreds of flights were delayed or cancelled at major airports throughout the week.Homeless shelters in most Canadian cities were packed full and hundreds of schools were closed across the continent.In places where schools remained open, bus drivers in some cases picked up students directly from their homes.Biting cold temperatures, bringing snow and freezing rain, were recorded as far south as Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida.As much as a foot (30 cm) of snow fell or was forecast in some US southern and western plains states.New York Mayor Bill de Blasio warned of the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning from automotive exhaust, home heating systems and obstructed chimneys as well as poorly vented generators, kerosene heaters or gas grills.In Detroit, firefighters emergency radios were reportedly freezing to their coats.In New Jersey, police were empowered to move homeless people off the streets and into shelters.Extreme winter weather was also blamed for an 18-vehicle pile up on a Pennsylvania highway that left two people dead and dozens injured.In Toronto, street cars were stopped in their tracks after brake lines and doors froze, leaving as many as 250,000 riders stamping their numb feet on curbsides.The aging streetcar fleet and related equipment -- over 30 years (old) in many cases -- do not respond well to extreme cold, the Toronto Transit Commission said on its website.The cold also sparked a political row between Torontos mayor, John Tory, and public health officials, over when to issue an extreme cold alert.When temperatures drop below minus 15 Celsius (5 degrees Farenheit) the city typically opens emergency warming centers and reaches out to homeless people, providing additional shelter beds, transportation and other services to try to get them out of the cold.Public health officials were accused of having waited too long to issue an alert after two men believed to be homeless froze to death -- one in a bus shelter, the other in an abandoned truck -- this week.Were very sorry that these men died, Howard Shapiro, Torontos associate medical officer of health, told the daily Globe and Mail.A third man discovered unconscious outside overnight Wednesday was rushed to hospital in critical condition.

Tennis: Djokovic shocked by ace-king Karlovic in Qatar

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DOHA (AFP) - World number one Novak Djokovic was buried by 21 aces as big-serving Croatian Ivo Karlovic clinched a 6-7 (2/7), 7-6 (8/6), 6-4 victory to reach the Qatar Open semi-finals on Thursday.Top seed Djokovic appeared affected by a steady breeze in the Qatari capital, which did not prevent Karlovic, the six-foot 11-inch, 35-year-old from taking his aces total to 67 in three matches.Djokovic was nevertheless three times within two points of winning the match in the second set tie-breaker, before dropping serve for 3-4 in the final set as a visibly encouraged Karlovic came up with some fine forehand winners.The top seeded Serb became sufficiently exasperated to fling down his racquet in the second set and then to sling it along the floor in the third.He never looked likely to make a break back, eventually settling instead for congratulating Karlovic who claimed a second win over the world number onwe to add to his 2008 Madrid Masters victory.I was feeling good even though it was windy, said Karlovic. I know he wasnt able to show his full range (of shots) because of the wind.I was relaxed and didnt feel I had to do anything extraordinary. I just had to focus on my game. So I guess I was luckier than him. But I am very happy that I won.The result was even more surprising than the first round defeat of the titleholder Rafael Nadal, whose fitness problems had been well documented, and who was a long way from his best against German qualifier Michael Berrer.True, Djokovic had been suffering from a fever prior to the tournament and had considered pulling out, but by the time he had dismissed Dusan Lajovic and Sergiy Stakhovsky for the loss of only six games in four sets he seemed to have recovered well.Djokovic also started quite well against Karlovic, saving a break point with a fine first serve in the opening game. Although he found it hard to make any headway against the steep and well varied Karlovic delivery, he served well enough himself and then lifted his level just at the right moments in the first tie-breaker.But an inability to capitalise when he twice had Karlovic at 30-30 on his serve early in the second set seemed to frustrate Djokovic. As this set wore on Karlovic began to sense that he might make major headway and the body language of both men changed notably.At 3-3 in the decider Djokovic saved a break point with a serve, volley and smash combination, but slipped to break point down again by mistiming an inside-out forehand drive into the net.He again made a good attempt to prevent a service break, landing a good serve and making a good volley from a decent forecourt position -- only for Karlovic to launch himself sideways and pull off his best shot of the match, a spectacular running forehand pass down the line.Once again Djokovic held Karlovic to 30-30 on his penultimate service game, and again could not progress further. Two games later when Karlovic was required to close out the win at 5-4 he completed it with a flourish, to love.Djokovic trotted off to play a doubles match against Nadal, while Karlovic was able to contemplate that by having extended his total of aces in this match by another 21 to a career total of 9,062, he may well be able to overtake Andy Roddicks 9,074 this week.He next faces David Ferrer, the fourth-seeded Spaniard, who reached the semi-finals with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Dustin Brown, a German who finished in the top 100 for the first time last year.

Jemima Khan reverts to maiden name Jemima Goldsmith

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – Imran Khan’s ex-wife Jemima Goldsmith on Thursday reverted back her name from Jemima Khan to maiden name, Dunya News reported.Goldsmith had adopted Khan’s name after the much celebrated marriage of the couple in 1995.She congratulated Imran Khan on his marriage with anchorperson Reham Khan on Thursday and reverted back to maiden name.Jemima Goldsmith and Imran Khan divorced in 2004.

Tennis: US powers into Hopman Cup final

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PERTH (AFP) - The United States pairing of Serena Williams and John Isner snuck into the Hopman Cup final with a 3-0 win over the Czech Republic at the Perth Arena on Thursday.The pre-tournament favourites had to complete a clean sweep of the Czech combination of Lucie Safarova and Adam Pavlasek in the Group A tie to reach Saturdays final of the mixed teams tournament.Having won both singles matches, Williams and Isner powered on through, taking the mixed doubles in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3.But the Czechs came agonisingly close to making it to the final during the womens singles encounter that opened the tie.Safarova, ranked 15th in the world, recovered from a set down against Williams in the game of the tournament, serving for the match at 6-5 in the third set.However, the world number one was able to break back and eventually prevailed in a tense third-set tiebreaker 6-3, 6-7 (1/7), 7-6 (8-6) to keep the Americans in the hunt.Isner then beat the 239th-ranked Pavlasek in straight sets, 7-6 (7/4), 6-4, to set up the mixed doubles decider.The United States have claimed a record six Hopman Cup titles and both Williams and Isner have won in Perth.Williams teamed with James Blake in 2003 and Mardy Fish in 2008 and can become the first three-time winner of the event, while Isner won with Bethanie Mattek-Sands in 2011.Their opponents will not be known until after Fridays final round robin ties in Group B.Williams was thrilled they were able to rise to the challenge.Were really happy, were really excited, she said.Our backs were against the wall and I think that is when John and I play our best, when we are under pressure.Williams said she was a little disappointed with her own form in the singles match against Safarova.I would love to do a little better, I missed a few shots and I was not aggressive, she said.Lucie played really well -- she was really aggressive, she kept hitting a lot of winners.Earlier, Canada bowed out of contention despite a 2-1 win over Italy.Like the Americans, the Canadian team of Eugenie Bouchard and Vasek Posposil needed to complete a clean sweep of the Italian pairing of Flavia Pennetta and Fabio Fognini in the Group A tie.Bouchard and Posposil gave themselves a chance by winning both singles matches in straight sets, but then succumbed to the Italians in a tight mixed doubles rubber.The doubles was decided by a match tiebreak, with the Italians winning their first rubber of the tournament, 6-3, 4-6, 10-7.Bouchard got the Canadians off to a perfect start against the Italians with her second successive singles win of the tournament.Having thrashed world number one Serena Williams on Tuesday, the 20-year-old starlet was too good for the 12th-ranked Pennetta, winning 6-3, 6-4.Pospisil also kept his perfect record in singles this week, beating Fognini -- who did not take a match alone all week as he struggled with the Perth head -- in easy fashion, 6-0, 6-3.However, the Canadian was unable to continue his form into the doubles, and he struggled against the Italians.

Football: Rooney voted England player of the year

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LONDON (AFP) - England captain Wayne Rooney has been voted his national teams player of the year for 2014 after topping a supporters poll.Although he failed to inspire England to success at the World Cup, it was still a memorable 12 months for the Manchester United striker.The 29-year-old scored eight goals in 13 appearances and was named England skipper following Steven Gerrards retirement from international football.Rooney also moved to within three goals of Bobby Charltons all-time scoring record.Rooney took 27 per cent of the votes from an online poll of supporters club members, more than second-placed Danny Welbeck (11 per cent) and third-placed Raheem Sterling (seven per cent) combined.Im both very happy and proud to be named the England fans player of the year, Rooney told the Football Associations website after winning the award for the third time.The fact that this award is chosen by the fans makes it even more special, so I would like to thank all those who voted.I would also like to thank all the England fans for their support throughout what was a mixed year.Receiving an honour such as this from the fans is always something that fills you with personal pride.West Bromwich Albion forward Saido Berahino won Englands Under-21 player of the year.

Football: Yaya Toure wins fourth straight African Player of Year award

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LAGOS (AFP) - Manchester City and Ivory Coast midfield star Yaya Toure on Thursday became the first player to win four successive African Footballer of the Year awards.The 31-year-old beat off the challenge of Gabon and Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Nigeria goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama, who plays for Lille in France.Toure equalled Cameroons Samuel Etoo as a four-time winner, but he is the first to claim four awards in a row.Toure, who first won the prestigious African award in 2011, led Manchester City to the English Premier League title last season as well as helping his country to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.Coaches and technical directors of the 54 member countries of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) took part in the vote.Ndombe Mubele, who scored six goals as AS Vita of DR Congo reached the final of the Champions League, was picked as Africas best player based in Africa.Nigerias Asisat Oshoala beat compatriot Desire Oparanozie and Cameroon goalkeeper Annette Ngom Ndom to be crowned Africas best female star of 2014. She also won the Youth Player of the Year Award.The 20-year-old Oshoala, who was voted the MVP and top scorer of the 2014 FIFA Under-20 Womens World Cup in Canada, joins former Nigeria stars as Mercy Akide and Perpetua Nkwocha who also won the accolade.Algeria were picked as Africas best national team of last year after they reached the knockout rounds of the World Cup for the first time in their history.However, their coach Vahid Halilhodzic was pipped to the CAF Coach of the Year Award by Kheireddine Madoui who took ES Setif to the African Champions League title.The Algerian club also upstaged Egypts Al Ahly to be named Club of the Year.African Player of the Year: Yaya Toure (Ivory Coast and Manchester City).African Player of the Year - Based in Africa: Ndombe Mubele (DR Congo and AS Vita).Womens Player of the Year: Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria and Rivers Angels).Youth Player of the Year: Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria and Rivers Angels).Most Promising Talent: Yacine Brahimi (Algeria and FC Porto).Coach of the Year: Kheireddine Madoui (ES Setif).National Team of the Year: Algeria.Womens National Team of the Year: Nigeria.Club of the Year: ES Setif (Algeria)Referee of the Year: Papa Bakary Gassama (Gambia).

Golf: Kruger and Sullivan lead in South Africa with Els in the frame

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EKURHULENI (AFP) - Home favourite Jbe Kruger birdied four of his final seven holes on Thursday as he shared a one shot lead with Englishman Andy Sullivan after the first round of the South African Open.Sullivan, chasing his first EPGA victory at the Glendower Golf Club, shook off a front nine double bogey to nail three straight birdies and an eagle on the way to a six-under par round of 66 and top spot with South Africas Kruger. Veteran Ernie Els, who is hosting the tournament in his native city of Ekurhuleni, enjoyed a fine start to his campaign as the 45-year-old carded a five-under par 67 to initially take the clubhouse lead.Els eventually settled for a share of second with Denmarks Lasse Jensen and 2009 champion Richard Sterne of South Africa, one shot back. After an early bogey, four-time Major winner Els struck back with six birdies as he looks to recover from a barren season in 2014 when he failed to win a tournament or finish in the top three. That was nice, said Els. I was a little nervous here and there, but it was so nice to play Glendower in front of my home crowd.We have had a nice start now and I want to keep it up, get better on the greens a little more and see where we end up.Four players are locked on four under, and two adrift, including 2011 Masters winner Charl Schwartzel, his South African compatriot Colin Nel, Scotlands David Drysdale and Spaniard Jordi Garcia Pinto.

Rallying: Vasilyev keeps mighty Minis in charge as Sainz quits

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ANTOFAGASTA (AFP) - Russian driver Vladimir Vasilyev maintained defending champions Minis monopoly of the Dakar Rally Thursday, the manufacturer making it five stage wins in five on the shores of the Pacific Ocean.But Carlos Sainz, the 2010 champion, retired from the race after rolling and destroying his troubled Peugeot.Vasilyev clinched the 458km run from Chiles Atacama desert, the driest place on earth, to the coastal stop of Antofagasta.The Toyota of Saudi Arabias Yazeed Alrajhi was second on the stage to remain third in the overall standings. The Hummer of Americas Robbie Gordon was third on the day.Minis Qatari driver Nasser Al-Attiyah, the 2011 champion and overall leader, was fourth Thursday with 11-time champion Stephane Peterhansel in a Peugeot a place further back.For the first time in the 2015 race, South Africas 2009 champion Giniel de Villiers failed to finish on the podium. However, the Toyota driver, sixrh on the day, remains second overall.Sainz, recruited by Peugeot to spearhead the French manufacturers return to the event after a 25-year absence, called it quits.Having lost more than nine hours on Wednesdays fourth stage across the Andes and over the Atacama because of a steering problem, the Spaniards vehicle was wrecked after rolling five times.It was a problem too far for Sainz who had earlier limped into the overnight halt at Copiapo at 3:30 in the morning.Teammate Cyril Despres, a five-time champion on two-wheels, added to Peugeots misery when a clutch failure, which cost him four and a half hours on Wednesday, was followed by a barrel-roll which delayed his fifth stage efforts.Four-time motorcycling winner and defending champion Marc Coma claimed his first stage victory of the 2015 edition, finishing the run to Antofagasta ahead of compatriot and overall leader Joan Barreda.Just as he had done on the fourth stage on Wednesday, Chiles Pablo Quintanilla took third spot.KTM rider Coma took 2min 16sec out of Honda star Barredas overall lead.But Barreda still boasts a lead of more than 10 minutes while Portugals Paulo Goncalves, also on a Honda, remains third in the standings after finishing fifth on the stage.It was a very tough stage. There was fesh-fesh all the time and in the fesh-fesh you cannot see the stones and it is not comfortable to ride, said Coma in reference to the fine sand that can clog machines and obscure views.You are always having to pay attention. Its going to be very difficult to take time from Joan, but, you know, we have a lot of racing in front of us. Theres the second part of the rally and well have two marathon stages. We will try like hell until the last day. We know that Joan is very fast and that he has a very high level, but we will try, for sure.Spains Laia Sanz, the leading female rider, was 20th on the stage to stand at 12th overall after losing 26 minutes.

Sending French cartoonists to hell strengthens cause: Cleric

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LAHORE (Daily Dunya) – Chief of Tehreek-e-Sirat-e-Mustaqim, literally ‘Movement for Right Path’ Dr Muhammad Ashraf Asif Jalali on Thursday said that the blasphemers cannot escape ‘destined end’.He said “sending those who created blasphemous cartoons to hell” will strengthen the “movement of protecting honour of prophethood”.He said if legislation to protect honour of prophets was done on an international level then the France shooting would not have taken place.It merits mentioning here that Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Tasnim Aslam on Thursday condemned attack on French magazine Charlie Habdo in Paris that left at least 12 dead and several injured.In her weekly media briefing, Ms Aslam said that Pakistan has condemned every kind of terrorist attack. She said Pakistan’s stance against mocking religion through caricature is also clear and that Pakistan has always protested against mocking of religion through the platform of Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC).The spokeswoman said that Pakistan is working towards global religious harmony and tolerance, adding that religions and faiths must be respected.She said Pakistan even submitted a resolution in this regard in United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).Armed gunmen on Wednesday stormed the office of French magazine Charlie Hebdo and killed at least 12 including 2 policemen and Editor-in-chief.Charlie Hebdo magazine has previously come under attack for mocking holy personalities through caricatures.A version of this story appeared in Daily Dunya on January 9, 2015

Man stabs wife of 20 years to death over infertility

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RAIWIND (Daily Dunya) – A man on Thursday stabbed his wife whom he had been married for 20 years to death over infertility in Raiwind.According to the details, 40-year-old Naseem Bibi married Muhammad Sultan 20 years ago and had been fighting for years over Bibi’s presumed disability to conceive a child.The fight became worst and Sultan critically injured Bibi after stabbing. She was rushed to hospital where she was confirmed dead by the doctors.The police sent the body for autopsy and booked the husband.Urdu version of this story appeared in Daily Dunya on January 9, 2015

7 cops suspended after cell phone recovered from death-row terrorist

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HARIPUR (Daily Dunya) – The superintendant of the Haripur jail was made OSD and at least seven personnel were suspended over providing cell phone and other facilities to terrorist on death row Niaz Muhammad.The Haripur central jail was declared highly sensitive and a cell phone was recovered from a death-row terrorist when he was being transferred to Peshawar upon searching.The army officers complained about the issue directly to the province’s Home Secretary and Inspector General (IG) prisons over which, the superintendent Khalid Abbas was demoted.There have been rumors of Khalid Abbas’s collaboration with Taliban.Urdu version of this story appeared in Daily Dunya on January 9, 2015

SpaceX to attempt rocket, cargo launch Saturday

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MIAMI (AFP) - SpaceX will try again Saturday to launch its Falcon 9 rocket, propelling the Dragon cargo ship toward the International Space Station and then attempting its first landing on an ocean platform.The landmark bid in the California-based companys mission to make rockets as re-usable as airplanes was delayed at the last minute Tuesday due to a problem with the rockets second stage.The launch from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida is now scheduled for 4:47 am (0947 GMT) Saturday Eastern time. A launch on Saturday would result in Dragon arriving at the station for its grapple on Monday, Jan. 12 at approximately 6 am Eastern time (1100 GMT), NASA said.Minutes after blast off, when the unmanned cargo vessel is on its way to orbit, the landing experiment will begin. Instead of plummeting into the ocean, the rockets first stage engines should refire three times, guiding the 14-story tall portion of the Falcon 9 to land upright on a floating platform in the Atlantic Ocean, some 200 miles (322 kilometers) off the coast of northern Florida.If Saturday doesnt work out, the next attempt could be Tuesday, January 13 at approximately 3:36 am (0836 GMT).The launch was initially scheduled in December 2014 but was pushed back due to a technical problem during a launchpad test fire.The stakes for SpaceX are particularly high because Orbital Sciences, the only other US company capable of sending cargo to low-Earth orbit, suffered a catastrophic rocket failure in October, forcing an end to its NASA-contracted supply missions until further notice.
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