Saturday 14 February 2015

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

India wins the toss, elects to bat first

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ADELAIDE: (Web Desk) - Mahendra Singh Dhoni has won the toss against Pakistan at the Adelaide Oval and elected to bat first. Dhoni said on this occasion that he always wanted to bat as the pitch looked like a batting paradise.Misbahul Haq told that Umar Akmal will be keeping for Pakistan as Sarfraz has been dropped while batting will be opened by Younis Khan for Pakistan.

Pitch Report from Adelaide: Bat if you win the toss, tells Wasim Akram

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ADELAIDE: (Web Desk) - Pakistans former captain Wasim Akram has said that the pitch at the Adelaide Oval is rock hard and there will be some serious pace but there doesnt seem to be any chance for the spinners. He said that the side winning the toss must bat first as there will be slight movement early on in the day but no movement at all later on the day.Reading the pitch at the Adelaide Oval on Sunday before the start of the game, Wasim Akram said that the pitch will be a batting paradise. Slight movement is expected under the lights but nothing under the sun, he said.Sunil Gavaskar said that had he been Indian captain, he would have gone for batting after winning the toss straight away.

Not again Another winter storm bears down on US Northeast

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BOSTON: (AP) - Yet another winter storm is heading toward the northeastern New England states, promising snow and heavy winds to a region already staggered by repeated blows.A blizzard warning is in effect for coastal areas from Connecticut to Maine starting Saturday afternoon. It will be the fourth major storm the region has seen in less than a month.The National Weather Service says about a foot (30 centimeters) of snow could fall in Boston and two feet (60 centimeters) is possible in parts of Maine. Wind gusts of 60 mph (96 kph) or more and blowing snow promise to make travel dangerous, if not impossible, at times.Officials also warned that power outages are possible because of the high winds.Some areas have already gotten 6 feet (1.8 meters) or more of snow.

Greece's PM warns too early to speak of bailout win

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ATHENS (AFP) - Greeces PM Alexis Tsipras warned Saturday that a high-stakes eurogroup meeting to resolve the countrys bailout drama was going to be tricky, despite progress made in negotiations with the EU.Mondays negotiations at the Eurogroup will be difficult, he told Real News weekly, as Greek and EU officials met for talks on Athens demands for a radical restructuring of its massive international bailout programme.In Brussels, our partners met another Greece, one that knows what it wants to ask for. A significant step forward was taken, it is however early to speak of an agreement, he said.The consultations began Friday after Tsipras laid out his plans to his peers, including Europes sceptical paymaster German Chancellor Angela Merkel, at his first European Union summit.Merkel recognised the need for compromise on all sides, but also called for Greece to respect the conditions of the bailout -- a position that neatly encapsulated both sides in the stand-off.It is not a negotiation but an exchange of views to better understand each others position, an EU official said of the final huddle Saturday before next weeks meeting of eurozone finance ministers in Brussels.The talks are ongoing and the institutions are expected to report at the Eurogroup on Monday, the official said, without giving further details.No discussions are scheduled for Sunday, with the parties reporting back to their governments to complete preparations for Mondays meeting of the 19 eurozone finance ministers at 1400 GMT.Dutch Finance Minister and Eurogroup head Jeroen Dijsselbloem said Friday he was pessimistic about the prospects of any quick deal.Sky-high ambitionsThe Greeks have sky-high ambitions. The possibilities, given the state of the Greek economy, are limited, Dijsselbloem said in describing the difficulties in finding common ground.I dont know if well get there by Monday, he added.US Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew urged all sides in the talks to set aside rhetoric and focus on reaching a pragmatic path forward.The EU and the International Monetary Fund bailed Greece out in 2010, and then again in 2012 to the tune of some 240 billion euros, plus a debt write-down worth more than 100 billion euros ($113 billion).In return for the bailouts, the then centre-right Greek government agreed to a series of stinging austerity measures, and the much-resented oversight by the EU, IMF and European Central Bank troika.Tsipras won elections last month on promises to ditch the programme, which he said had wrecked the economy and sent the jobless rate soaring.In a more conciliatory move, however, Athens also said it could live with 70 percent of the current programme, but that Greece must be allowed leeway on the rest so it can do more to boost the economy.The governments efforts have been largely applauded at home, where it enjoys an approval rating of just over 60 percent, according to a poll by Kappa Research for the Vima weekly, published Saturday.Some 46 percent of those polled said they believed the economic situation would improve in the next 12 months, while 25 percent said they were in favour of leaving the common currency and returning to the drachma.Thousands of Greeks were expected to take to the streets in the capital and across the country on Sunday evening for pro-government demos ahead of the Brussels meet.In a show of support, several hundred people in debt-laden Italy -- which has also suffered the effects of austerity -- rallied in Rome Saturday, with one organiser saying Greece is not alone Europe must change.Time is of the essence in resolving the impasse amid fears that failure could force Greece out of the eurozone, with potentially disastrous consequences for all concerned.The countrys current debt rescue expires at the end of this month, and the ECB has signalled it is unwilling to offer Greece the cheap funding to keep its banking system afloat if there is no new arrangement between Athens and its creditors.

Bahrain police fire tear gas as protests mark uprising

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DUBAI (AFP) - Bahraini police fired tear gas to disperse hundreds of Shiite protesters who took to the streets for Saturdays fourth anniversary of an uprising that deeply divided the key US ally.Amnesty International urged Bahrain to rein in its security forces and seize the opportunity of the fourth anniversary of the uprising to announce genuine and long overdue reforms.Police deployed heavily as men and women carrying Bahrains red and white flag and portraits of detained activists chanted Down Hamad, referring to the Sunni king.Protesters burned tyres and blocked roads.The police fired tear gas and sound bombs after boosting security around several villages and along major roads to prevent protesters advancing towards central Manama, witnesses said.The opposition said on Twitter that the police also fired buckshot, and posted pictures of wounded protesters, saying several activists were arrested.The main opposition bloc Al-Wefaq, in a statement issued in English, urged protesters to stick to the non-violent movement and... refrain from putting lives and private and public properties under threat.The calls for violence acts do not relate to the Bahraini peoples peaceful movement for democracy, it said, condemning the excessive use of force by security forces and which has resulted in serious casualties among the peaceful citizens.It gave a toll of 13 people wounded.Bahrains Saudi-backed Sunni authorities crushed protests led by its majority Shiites shortly after they erupted on February 14, 2011, taking their cue from Arab Spring uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa.Saturday is also the anniversary of a 2001 referendum in which Bahrainis approved a national charter for reform which restored a parliament dissolved in 1975. In February 2002, Bahrain became a kingdom ruled by a constitutional monarchy.Stern warningThe radical February 14 Coalition, a cyber youth group described as by authorities as terrorist, had called for demonstrations and strikes across the kingdom to mark the anniversary.But the public security chief, Major-General Tariq al-Hassan, issued a stern warning.Action will be taken against those who spread terror among citizens or residents, put the safety of others at risk or try to disrupt the nations security and stability, he said.Amnesty said in a statement that fundamental freedoms have increasingly been curtailed in Bahrain.The London-based rights watchdog urged the kingdom to release detained activists, allow demonstrations and hold to account all those responsible for human rights abuses.Bahrain, home to the US Fifth Fleet, sits across the Gulf from Shiite-dominated Iran.It is also one of several Arab states backing US-led air strikes against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria, making it a vital Western ally.The sectarian divide is deepening in Bahrain with a growing gap between the Sunni minority government and its mainly Shiite opponents.The opposition is demanding a real constitutional monarchy with an elected prime minister independent of the ruling royal family, but the Al-Khalifa dynasty has refused to yield.Al-Wefaq leader Sheikh Ali Salman has been behind bars since December 28 for allegedly trying to overthrow the regime.Citizenships revokedAttacks targeting the security forces have increased.The movement has reached its four years with the situation only getting worse and deteriorating with citizens threatened by losing their nationalities any minute, Al-Wefaq said.Bahrain has revoked the citizenships of scores of activists over the past few years.In October, a court banned Al-Wefaq for three months for violating a law on associations.There looks like little hope of progress in Bahrain. The opposition is barely legal, said Neil Partrick, analyst at the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies.The political rivals have struggled to bury their differences through a national dialogue that fell apart despite several rounds of negotiations.In November, the opposition boycotted parliamentary elections in which pro-government Sunnis won the most seats.Al-Wefaq has insisted peaceful protests must continue until a political solution is reached.An information ministry statement said Saturday that those who are willing to take part in the democratic (political) path must do this through legitimate and constitutional frameworks and not through boycotting elections and inciting violence, chaos, division, and hatred.

West Brom crushes West Ham 4-0 in FA Cup 5th round

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LONDON: (AP) - Nigeria striker Brown Ideye maintained his resurgent form at West Bromwich Albion by scoring in either half in the teams 4-0 win over West Ham in the FA Cup fifth round on Saturday.Ideye almost left West Brom in January, six months into a difficult first season, but stayed at the Hawthorns and has now netted for three straight games under recently hired manager Tony Pulis.Ideye put West Brom ahead in the 20th by turning in Craig Dawsons center, and made it 3-0 with a 57th-minute header from Stephane Sessegnons cross.James Morrison scored the second in the 42nd and Saido Berahino completed the rout in the 71st, just after Morgan Amalfitano was sent off for West Ham for pushing West Brom midfielder Chris Brunt in the face.Second-tier Blackburn thrashed 10-man Stoke 4-1 at Ewood Park despite the Premier League team taking the lead through Peter Crouch after 10 minutes. Josh King scored a hat trick for Blackburn while Geoff Cameron got a straight red card just before halftime for fouling King in the area with Rudy Gestede converting the penalty.Reading won at 10-man Derby 2-1.Crystal Palace hosts Liverpool later Saturday.

Perils for online love seekers

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WASHINGTON (AFP) -- Advice for people seeking love on the Internet for Valentines Day: keep looking, but watch for scams and other risks.Security experts say hackers and other malicious actors often use the occasion to target romance-seekers and the lovelorn.The growing sector of dating apps that use mobile technology has led to new risks, according to researchers.International Business Machine (IBM) Security said this week it found 26 of 41 mobile dating apps studied to be vulnerable to cyber-attacks that put personal user information and corporate data at risk.Many dating applications can give access to a smartphone camera, microphone, storage, location and mobile wallet billing information, according to IBM.Many consumers use and trust their mobile phones for a variety of applications. It is this trust that gives hackers the opportunity to exploit vulnerabilities like the ones we found in these dating apps, said IBM Security vice president Caleb Barlow.Other tried-and-true scam methods, many using email or social networks, can also be effective tools for fraudsters.Some use electronic greeting cards which infect a computer with malware. Others purport to be florists seeking to verify information for flower delivery.Romance fraud schemes -- mostly aimed at people over 40 -- consistently make top scam lists, according to the American Association of Retired Persons, which warns people to avoid clicking on links or responding to secret admirers online.Security experts urge caution when potential dates seem too good to be true, and quickly ask for money or personal information.Scammers often typically meet their victims online through dating websites or social networking, and eventually ask for money using wire transfers or prepaid money cards, according to a warning from Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine.DeWines office said the state had received 90 complaints of sweetheart scams, with the average loss at $22,000.Victims of this scam think theyve found the right person, but often they end up losing thousands of dollars, said Attorney General Mike DeWine.Victims of this scam think theyve found the right person, but often they end up losing thousands of dollars, DeWine said.Online dating works well for many people, but you have to be very careful. Dont send money to someone youve never met in person.DeWine urged people to be cautious when potential dates wont meet in person or claim to be in another country, with an urgent need for money.An Federal Bureau of Investigation,FBI warning from 2014 said the scammers troll social media sites and chat rooms in search of romantic victims usually claim to be Americans traveling or working abroad.The most common targets are women over 40 who are divorced, widowed, or disabled, but every age group and demographic is at risk, the FBI said.Its not only in America: the City of London police said online dating fraud in Britain rose 33 percent in 2014, costing a total of 34 million pounds ($52 million).There was a significant rise in fraud cases from April to May 2014, suggesting that in the blissful wake of Valentines Day people may become more susceptible to romance scams, the London police statement said.

Football: Son hits hat-trick but Bayer still lose

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BERLIN (AFP) - South Korea striker Son Heung-Min scored a hat-trick but still ended up on the losing team as Bayer Leverkusen lost 5-4 to VfL Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga on Saturday.The 22-year-old Son needed just 10 second-half minutes to claim his second German league hat-trick after also claiming a treble in Leverkusens 5-3 romp against his old club Hamburg last season.The Korean ended up on the losing team as Dutch striker Bas Dost scored four goals, including a 94th-minute winner, as second-placed Wolfsburg remained eight points behind Bundesliga leaders Bayern.Despite his impressive goal haul, Son is only the joint ninth top scorer in the Bundesliga, while Dost is joint fourth, with Bayern Munichs Arjen Robben and Frankfurt captain Alexander Meier setting the pace on 14 goals each.Leverkusen are sixth in the table after their second straight defeat, having been shocked by resurgent Werder Bremen last Sunday.Roger Schmidts Bayer prepare to host 2014 finalists Atletico Madrid in the last 16, first-leg, of the Champions League in 10 days time, having lost 4-0 at home to Paris St Germain at the same stage last season.

Syrian journalists slightly wounded south of Damascus

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BEIRUT: (AP) - Syrias state news agency says two Syrian journalists have been lightly wounded in a town south of the capital Damascus where government forces have been on the offensive.SANA says the two, who work for state-owned Al-Ikhbariya TV, were wounded Saturday in the town of Deir al-Adas in an attack by opposition fighters. It gave no further details.The Committee to Protect Journalists says that at least 17 journalists were killed in Syria in 2014, with at least 79 killed since the fighting began in 2011.Also Saturday, Syrian rebels fired several rockets on the outskirts of President Bashar Assads hometown of Kardaha in the coastal province of Latakia, the Ahrar al-Sham rebel faction said.The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights had no immediate word on casualties.

Football: PSG in injury crisis ahead of Chelsea clash

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PARIS (AFP) - Paris Saint-Germain were hit by a quadruple injury blow ahead of their Champions League clash against Chelsea after Yohan Cabaye, Marquinhos, Lucas and Serge Aurier were all forced off in a 2-2 draw against Caen on Saturday.Midfielder Cabaye was the first to come off, just 16 minutes into the Ligue 1 game, with what appeared to be a groin injury.Defender Marquinhos failed to return for the second half due to a thigh problem, according to French TV Canal.PSGs woes continued on 69 minutes when Aurier picked up a muscle strain after trying to clear the ball from inside his own penalty area.The Ivory Coast right back, who was playing his first league game since winning the Africa Cup of Nations, had to be stretched off the pitch.With 10 minutes to play, Lucas limped off down the tunnel to receive treatment.This proved fatal for the title holders, who finished the game with nine men as they had already used all their substitutes before Aurier and Lucas were injured, conceding two late goal.With Javier Pastore also struggling to be fit for the Chelsea encounter, PSG coach Laurent Blanc faces an anxious wait ahead of the last-16, first leg clash at the Parc des Princes.

American: Bin Laden asked him in '90s to use plane as weapon

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NEW YORK: (AP) - A New York terrorism trial has featured the first testimony by an American who says Osama bin Laden asked him to use his plane as a weapon in 1995.Ihab Mohammad Alis testimony came in the trial of Khaled al-Fawwaz. Prosecutors say al-Fawwaz is an early leader of al-Qaida who conspired in the 1998 bombings of two U.S. embassies in Africa. The attacks killed 224 people, including a dozen Americans.Ali testified that al-Qaida, and possibly bin Laden himself, gave him $9,000 in 1993 to become a pilot at U.S. flight schools.Ali says bin Laden told him he could use his private jet to fly into then-Egyptian President Hosni Mubaraks plane. The 52-year-old, one-time Orlando, Florida, resident says he quit al-Qaida in 1996 and is cooperating. Hes served a 10-year sentence.

Apple plans to develop electric car: WSJ

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - US tech giant Apple is working in secret to create a company-branded electric vehicle, according to the Wall Street Journal.The maker of the iPhone and iPad has a team of several hundred people working on a minivan-style car that could incorporate Apples array of technology products.The newspaper quoted people familiar with the matter in a story Friday on the car project nicknamed Titan.If the vehicle moves forward it would put Apple in competition with other electric car makers including Tesla and General Motors.The Wall Street Journal said the company is exploring several different technology developments and could decide not to proceed with the car.On Tuesday, Apple became the first company to be valued at over $700 billion after recently posting $18 billion in quarterly profits.The tech giant has made gains in the smartphone industry and has developed a highly-anticipated smartwatch.The companys executives say Apple continues to look for ways to expand its global footprint and technology offerings.

Apple plans to develop electric car: WSJ

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - US tech giant Apple is working in secret to create a company-branded electric vehicle, according to the Wall Street Journal.The maker of the iPhone and iPad has a team of several hundred people working on a minivan-style car that could incorporate Apples array of technology products.The newspaper quoted people familiar with the matter in a story Friday on the car project nicknamed Titan.If the vehicle moves forward it would put Apple in competition with other electric car makers including Tesla and General Motors.The Wall Street Journal said the company is exploring several different technology developments and could decide not to proceed with the car.On Tuesday, Apple became the first company to be valued at over $700 billion after recently posting $18 billion in quarterly profits.The tech giant has made gains in the smartphone industry and has developed a highly-anticipated smartwatch.The companys executives say Apple continues to look for ways to expand its global footprint and technology offerings.

Poroshenko, rebel chief say will respect ceasefire

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KIEV (AFP) - Both Ukraine and the pro-Russian rebels pledged Saturday that they are going to respect a ceasefire due to come into force, after fierce fighting plunged the truce into doubt.Under a peace plan signed between Kiev and the rebels in Minsk Thursday after marathon talks between the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France, a ceasefire will start in war-torn east Ukraine at midnight (2200 GMT Saturday).Ukraines President Petro Poroshenko confirmed he remained ready to abide by the deal in a phone conversation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande, the French presidency said in a statement.The Ukrainian president assured that everything was ready for the start of the ceasefire, the presidency said in a statement.Poroshenkos office released a statement after the phone call saying that the three leaders agreed that all sides, including Russia, must fulfil the obligations they have taken on themselves, most of all the ceasefire.On the other side, rebel leader Alexander Zakharchenko -- seen by Kiev and the West as a Kremlin puppet -- signed an order commanding his troops to observe an immediate and total ceasefire at the agreed time.The order did however give the rebel forces the right to respond to any perceived attacks with all force and means.A senior rebel figure for the smaller self-proclaimed Lugansk Peoples Republic also insisted that their troops would obey the truce and pull back heavy weapons.Under the terms of the peace deal the two warring sides have two days from the start of the truce to begin pulling back heavy weapons from the frontline.The last-ditch peace plan is seen as the best hope of ending the violence that has claimed at least 5,480 lives since April but scepticism remains high after the collapse of a similar previous deal.Fresh fighting raged in the hours before the ceasefire was set to come into effect, with Ukraine and the United States accusing Russia of piling in weapons to fuel a rebel onslaught to grab territory.

Nigerian military repels Boko Haram attack on northeast town

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BAUCHI, Nigeria: (AP) - Nigerias military Saturday repelled an attack on a northeastern town by Boko Haram Islamic extremists who, as they retreated, warned residents not to participate in the countrys elections in March.Two air force jets joined soldiers in attacking the rebels after they assaulted Gombe in the morning.The Boko Haram fighters left in a convoy of vehicles carrying dozens of corpses, according to residents.They were heard telling our people in the villages leading to Gombe that they have not come to harm civilians but the security agents. They were also dropping copies of papers with messages written in Hausa warning people not to participate in the coming elections, lest they risk being killed, said resident Malam Hassan.The Associated Press obtained a copy of the message in which Boko Haram warned that its fighters will attack all polling stations in the March 28 elections. The Boko Haram paper also said residents should not assist the army and pledged not to attack those who stayed out of its fight against the government.We are calling on you all to come and join us in the Jihad and embrace Islamic Sharia jurisprudence, said the papers dropped by Boko Haram.The fiercest fighting was about three kilometers (two miles) outside the town, resident Jummai Aliyu said.Gombe has previously been attacked multiple times, including by a car bomb in December that killed at least 20 people.Boko Harams Islamic extremist insurgency killed 10,000 people last year compared to 2,000 in the four previous years, according to the U.S. Council on Foreign Relations. Fighting has forced some 157,000 people to seek refuge in Niger, while 40,000 others have gone to Cameroon and 17,000 are in Chad, according to the United Nations.On Friday, the group staged its first attack on Chadian territory, bringing to three the number of neighboring countries roped into what had previously been an internal Nigerian conflict. The targeted village, Ngouboua, was already home to nearly 3,300 refugees who had fled Boko Haram-related violence in Nigeria, according to the U.N.Cameroon and Niger have also been attacked. Along with Benin, all three have vowed to contribute to a regional force against Boko Haram that is expected to be launched in the coming weeks, though funding questions remain unsettled.Boko Harams media division on Saturday claimed on Twitter that more than 48 soldiers had been killed in fighting in Diffa, Niger, and that more than 24 Chadian soldiers were killed in recent fighting in Gamburu, Nigeria, according to the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors militant forums. The numbers could not be verified. They were higher than casualty figures provided earlier by officials in Niger and Chad.Nigeria announced Feb. 7 that it was pushing back planned presidential and legislative elections by six weeks, to March 28, because of insecurity.The United Nations special representative for West Africa said Friday that Nigerias military needs to show greater resolve in the widening fight against Boko Haram.
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