Saturday 7 February 2015

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Andy Murray steps into fray right after Australian Open final loss

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ROTTERDAM, Netherlands (AFP) - Andy Murray steps straight back into the fray just over a week since his Australian Open final loss, playing as top seed at the Rotterdam ATP event from Monday.The Scot leads three other top 10 rivals into the indoor event, with Canadian Milos Raonic seeded second, holder Tomas Berdych at third and 2014 Australian Open champion Stan Wawrinka taking fourth.Despite his Melbourne disappointment at losing 12 of the last 13 games in the final against Novak Djokovic, Murray is ready to strive for more success after returning to the fourth ranking position.Its pleasing to be back playing close to my best. I still feel like I can make improvements in my game. I think I can get a few percent better over the next couple of months, said the 27-year-old who lost a 2014 Rotterdam quarter-final to Marin Cilic.Murray won the Dutch title in 2009 and returned in 2011 with a first-round loss to Marcos Baghdatis.Murray begins play at the Ahoy Stadium against a qualifier and then plays the winner from Canadian Vasek Pospisil and German Philipp Kohlschreiber.Second seed Raonic, a quarter-finalist in Australia against Djokovic, will be making his Rotterdam debut, starting in the first round with another qualifier.Berdych, the 2014 champion, faces a challenge in dangerous Pole Jerzy Janowicz, who will try to better a quarter-final a year ago when he lost to the Czech.Wawrinka, 29, is back for the first time in a decade. In his last appearance in 2005, he was beaten in the second round by compatriot Roger Federer.Wawrinka opens in the first round against Dutch wild card Jesse Hut Galung, ranked 250th.Fifth seed Grigor Dimitrov was beaten by Murray in the Melbourne fourth round and begins his week against a qualifier.Number six seed Ernests Gulbis faces Austrian Dominic Thiem, who is looking for his first win of the season.

Malala Yousafzai calls for global support to help release 200 schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram

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LAGOS (AFP) - Nobel peace laureate Malala Yousafzai on Sunday called for global support to help release more than 200 Nigerian schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram, as they marked 300 days as hostages.As we mark this tragic 300th day of captivity for hundreds of kidnapped Nigerian schoolgirls, I call on people everywhere to join me in demanding urgent action to free these heroic girls, she said.Boko Haram fighters seized 276 teenagers from the Government Girls Secondary School in the remote town of Chibok, in Borno state, northeast Nigeria, on the evening of April 14 last year.Fifty-seven managed to escaped but 219 are still being held, despite military claims that they had been located but that a rescue operation was too fraught with danger to be conducted.The girls abduction and subsequent claims from Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau that they have been forcibly converted to Islam or married off sparked global outrage.The hashtag BringBackOurGirls trended on social media and saw prominent figures, including US First Lady Michelle Obama, tweet their support, as well as global street protests.Malala, 17, who was shot by the Pakistani Taliban for defying threats about her attending school, visited Nigeria in July last year to urge President Goodluck Jonathan to take action.Jonathan has been widely criticised for what has been seen as a lacklustre response to the crisis and for failing to end the deadly, six-year insurgency.On Sunday, Malala said the government in Abuja and the international community can and must do much more to resolve this crisis and change their weak response to date.If these girls were the children of politically or financially powerful parents, much more would be done to free them, the childrens rights campaigner added in a statement.But they come from an impoverished area of northeast Nigeria and sadly, little has changed since they were kidnapped.Nigeria is preparing to go to the polls to elect a new president and parliament.Malala said politicians who secure a win should commit to making the Chibok girls release -- and the education of all Nigerian children -- a priority in their first 100 days in office.Lets end this horrible saga now. Leaders must make sure the BringBackOurGirls effort results in a real outcome: the return of the Chibok girls, she added.

Girlfriend murderer to appeal against his sentence after 'Serial' does podcast

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - A man convicted of murdering his girlfriend in 1999 and featured in a recent hit US podcast will be given a chance to appeal his sentence, a Maryland court said in a decision made available Saturday.Adnan Syed, 34, was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2000 for the murder of his former girlfriend Hae Min Lee.The story of the young couple become a sensation after it was featured in the blockbuster weekly podcast Serial.According to the appeals court decision, Adnan Syed has until March 16 to trigger the appeal over whether he had adequate representation at trial.Prosecutors from the state of Maryland argued against allowing the appeal, saying Syed was given a fair defense and there is no need to reopen his case.The court is scheduled to hear arguments in June.Serial is a mix of investigative journalism, first-person narrative and dramatic story telling. Its first season focused solely on Syeds story and included 12 episodes.The show cast doubt on whether Syed received proper representation at trial and whether he committed the murder of Lee.During his trial, prosecutors argued that Syed strangled Lee after school in the parking lot of a suburban Baltimore Best Buy electronics store, jealous that she was seeing another, older man after they were no longer dating each other.Both were honor students and children from immigrant families -- one from Pakistan, the other from South Korea -- who had concealed their relationship from their conservative parents.The show was downloaded over 5 million times on the Apple iTunes store. It is also available at www.serialpodcast.org.

Paris: Renaud Lavillenie thwarted in bid to improve record

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PARIS (AFP) - Frances Renaud Lavillenie was thwarted in his bid to improve his own world pole vault record on Saturday, failing three times to succeed at 6.17m.He had to be satisfied with a best of 6.01m in an indoor meeting at Nevers, central France.The performance was the best in the world this season and the ninth time the 28-year-old had cleared the symbolic six-metre barrier.Why would I be disappointed? I did 6.01m -- it was a successful evening, said the Frenchman.I missed the world record but I had some fine attempts. Im super happy with my evenings work.Lavillenie, who set the world record of 6.16m in Donetsk in February last year, had also reached six metres in Rouen two weeks ago.

New York: Brian Williams taking himself off air for

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NEW YORK (AFP) - Top US television anchor Brian Williams said Saturday he was taking himself off the air for several days as he faces an internal investigation for embellishing an Iraq war story.Williams, 55, who reportedly earns $10 million a year and is watched by an estimated nine million Americans a night, admitted earlier this week that a story he often repeated on air about coming under fire was not true.In the midst of a career spent covering and consuming news, it has become painfully apparent to me that I am presently too much a part of the news, due to my actions, Williams said in a note posted on NBCs website.As managing editor of NBC Nightly News, I have decided to take myself off of my daily broadcast for the next several days, and Lester Holt has kindly agreed to sit in for me to allow us to adequately deal with this issue, he added.Upon my return, I will continue my career-long effort to be worthy of the trust of those who place their trust in us.On Friday, NBC launched an internal investigation about Williamss claims that he came under fire in a helicopter in 2003, amid criticism from troops who were present at the time.His on-air apology on Wednesday further fanned the flames, with critics refusing to accept Williams simply made an honest mistake.He is now facing further scrutiny about his coverage of Hurricane Katrina.A hugely respected journalist in the United States, Williams has anchored NBC Nightly News since 2004. In December, he renewed his contract with NBC for five years.

I'm satisfied with my hearing regarding lawsuit challenging my suspension: Adrian Peterson

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LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Adrian Peterson said he thought he received a fair hearing Friday from a US federal judge in Minnesota who agreed to consider a lawsuit challenging his suspension from the NFL.The Minnesota Vikings running back was suspended indefinitely -- and at least through April 15 -- after pleading no contest in November to a misdemeanor charge for whipping his son with a tree branch.NFL-appointed arbitrator Harold Henderson upheld the sanction in December, saying the ruling was neither unfair nor inconsistent.But the NFL Players Association filed a lawsuit on behalf of Peterson, seeking Petersons reinstatement because the incident in May preceded the August implementation of the leagues tougher sanctions for players involved in domestic violence.The lawsuit argues that before the new policy, Peterson would have been suspended for no more than two games.Peterson and his wife, Ashley, were in the courtroom in Minneapolis, where US District Judge David Doty said he would take the matter under advisement.I always like good arguments, Doty said.I felt like I got a fair game, said Peterson, who was asked if he would like to stay with the Vikings and answered of course.Fans outside the courtroom shouted their support and got waves from Peterson and his wife.The 29-year-old player hadnt been seen publicly in Minnesota since September, before he was indicted in Texas in the whipping which left his four-year-old son who lives with his mother in Minnesota but was visiting Texas with bruises and cuts days later.Originally charged with a felony, Peterson agreed to a plea deal and received probation and a $4,000 fine and was required by a Texas judge to perform 80 hours of community service.NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, however, chastised the player for showing no meaningful remorse for his conduct.The NFLPA is urging a quick resolution to the case so Peterson can resume his career.The Vikings have said theyd like Peterson to return to the team in 2015, but havent confirmed that will happen.

Indian fast bowler Ishant Sharma ruled out of World Cup 2015

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SYDNEY (AFP) - India seamer Ishant Sharma has been ruled out of the World Cup after failing to recover from a knee injury, according to various media reports.The 26-year-old will be replaced in the defending champions squad by Mohit Sharma, the cricinfo website claimed.Ishant, who has played 76 ODIs and taken 106 wickets, hasnt played since the Boxing Day Test against Australia in Melbourne.He was selected for the ODI against Australia in Sydney on January 26 but the game was abandoned due to rain before he had the chance to test his fitness.Mohit Sharma, also 26, has taken 10 wickets in 12 ODIs.

Baghdad: Years-old curfew ends

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BAGHDAD (AFP) - Iraqs years-old nightly curfew was raised on Sunday in a bid by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to ease restrictions on daily life despite persistent violence plaguing the country.Doing away with the curfew -- which most recently was in effect from midnight to 5:00 am -- ends a longstanding policy aimed at curbing violence in the capital by limiting movement at night.The curfew, in place since the aftermath of the US-led invasion of 2003, did little to curb the deadly bombings that plague the capital, which are carried out during the day or early evening with the aim of causing maximum casualties.The hours the curfew has been in force have varied over the years, and it has been lifted completely before only to be reinstated again.Illustrating the persistent danger of violence in Baghdad, bombings in the capital killed at least 32 people and wounded more than 70 on Saturday.The decision to lift the curfew comes as Iraqi forces battle to regain ground from the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group, which spearheaded an offensive that overran large areas north and west of Baghdad last June.Abadi ordered the move this week, a decision his office said was taken so there would be normal life as much as possible, despite the existence of a state of war.

Extreme snowfall blocks Murree roads, tourists helpless

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MURREE: (Dunya News) – Extreme snowfall in Murree has left the tourists helpless as all the roads, including Murree Expressway, have been blocked and people have been waiting in long queues for hours, reported Dunya News.Though the falling white snow has made the ‘Queen of Mountains’ even more beautiful yet the traffic system has choked due to massive influx of the tourists. Hundreds of cars are stuck in Murree, Nathia Gali, Ayyubia, Barrian and other famous streets of Murree. Traffic was also slowed down as the wet roads got slippery.In Baagh and other areas of Azad Kashmir also, everything has been covered by snow. Roads got blocked in Lasdna, Sadhan Gali, Dheer Kot, Darra Haji Peer and Mahmood Gali while road link to many of the areas has been cut off.Western winds from Baluchistan covered Ziarat with snow as well. Natural beauty seems to have peaked in all these regions, however.

Imran Khan's protest film will fail again: Pervaiz Rasheed

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LAHORE (Dunya news) – The Federal Minister for Information Pervaiz Rasheed on Saturday said that they will not allow any container to think that it is stronger than the ballot box. Rasheed stated that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan’s protest film will fail again. The Federal Information Minister said that Minister for Railway Khawaja Saad Rafique sees former President of Pakistan General (Retired) Pervaiz Musharraf behind the protest conspiracy. Rafique stated that whoever follows Musharraf will become zero themselves.Pervaiz Rasheed expressed these views while talking to the media during a dinner hosted by Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz’s (PML-N) leader Tehmina Daultana.According to the details, Rasheed informed that talks are going on with PTI for the formation of a judicial commission. He stated that Minister of Finance Ishaq Dar has raised some questions the answers to which they are awaiting.Rasheed stated that whatever issues PTI has raised, it has not been able to prove them in the tribunal. He asked what PTI will come up with in the judicial commission then. Rasheed informed that they will still form the judicial commission for Imran Khan. He declared Khan’s decision for protesting again as targeted criticism.The Federal Information Minister stated that an association of the unemployed is gathering under leadership of Musharraf which will be unable to do anything.Khawaja Saad Rafique stated that the PTI chairman will not gain anything with politics of grieving and protesting. This will damage the country however. Rafique stated that politicians should not cross the red line. He said they hope that Khan learns politics. The Minister for Railway declared Musharraf as the country’s most conflicted personality.Speaking on this occasion, Tehmina Daultana stated that she has never used politics to obtain any posts. She stated that Prime Minister (PM) of Pakistan Mian Nawaz Sharif is and will remain her leader.

Chelsea extends lead atop Premier League to 7 points

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LONDON: (AP) - Chelsea extended its Premier League lead to seven points by beating Aston Villa 2-1 on Saturday as Manchester City was held to a 1-1 draw by Hull.Eden Hazard and Branislav Ivanovic netted for Chelsea, either side of Jores Okores header for Villa, which ended a goal drought of 11 hours for Paul Lamberts team.It is the first time Jose Mourinho has won as Chelsea manager against Villa in the Premier League at Villa Park.Obviously it is a very important victory for us, Mourinho said. There is a long way to go, the Premier League is the Premier League and every game is difficult. It is the only league in the world where the teams from the bottom, they can play the teams from the top and not just make it difficult, they can win matches and points.Defending champion City needed a last-minute free kick from midfielder James Milner to salvage a point at home to Hull after David Meyler had surprisingly put the visitors ahead in the first half.City has now gone four games in the league without winning and manager Manuel Pellegrini conceded that Saturdays result makes his sides hopes of retaining its title harder.It is more difficult to reverse seven points than five points but Chelsea can also lose games, Pellegrini said. More importantly, for our team it is important to recover our performances.Elsewhere, Tottenham came from behind to beat fierce north London rival Arsenal 2-1 in the days early game thanks to two goals from striker Harry Kane.Germany international Mesut Ozil lashed a volley past Hugo Lloris after 11 minutes to give Arsenal the lead, but Arsene Wengers side immediately sat back and invited pressure from Tottenham, looking to strike on the counterattack.Kane converted a rebound on 56 minutes after Arsenal goalkeeper David Ospina made a brilliant save to keep out Mousa Dembeles header, before leaping highest to nod in Nabil Bentalebs cross four minutes from the end.Its a special feeling, Kane said. The fans were incredible today ... The spirit is high and I am enjoying it.Southamptons Champions League push continued with a 1-0 win at Queens Park Rangers. Sadio Mane scored the winner for Ronald Koemans side in the 90th minute.Crystal Palaces resurgence under new manager Alan Pardew continued as it beat Leicester 1-0, while Swansea drew 1-1 with Sunderland.Liverpool plays city rival Everton in the late match.

How the Catholic Church names its saints

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SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, California: (AP) - The 18th-century Franciscan missionary Junipero Serra is expected to be elevated to sainthood this fall in Washington, D.C.Serras impending sainthood has generated protests from Native Americans who say the priest spread disease, wiped out native populations and enslaved converts as he built a Catholic mission system throughout what is now California.A primer on becoming a saint:THE ROAD TO SAINTHOOD:Becoming a saint in the Catholic Church is a long process that can take decades or even centuries.A candidate must first be recognized as venerable by the pope for being a Catholic who lived out heroic virtues.The person must next attain beatification the final step before possible sainthood that requires the Vatican confirm a miracle attributed to the candidates intercession.Sainthood also called canonization comes last and requires (in most cases) confirmation of a second miracle.WHO DECIDESWithin the Vatican, the Congregation for the Causes of Saints makes recommendations to the pope on candidates for beatification and canonization.Martyrs, or those who were killed out of hatred for the faith, dont need a miracle to be beatified though they need one to be canonized. In rare cases, such as Serras, the pope can also fast-track the candidate to sainthood without the usual second miracle.These so-called equipollent canonizations are rare, but Pope Francis has done several to honor those hes called great evangelizers.In his announcement last month, he said Serra fit that category.A STICKY DECISIONDecisions about who to elevate to sainthood in the Catholic Church are often political and can sometimes be held up for decades or centuries.Many people were opposed to sainthood for St. John Paul II, for example, because of his mishandling of the sex abuse scandal.Jewish opposition to Pope Pius XII has held up his beatification the last step before possible sainthood for decades.Its extremely rare for a beautification or canonization to be canceled after its been publicized, however.In one of the only such cases in recent times, a newly elected Pope Benedict XVI suspended the planned beatification of a French priest in 2005 so the Vatican could investigate allegations of anti-Semitism in his writings.The process for canonizing that priest, the Rev. Leon Dehon, had begun more than 40 years earlier.

Case dismissed against 'Spider-Man' in Times Square scuffle

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NEW YORK: (AP) - Charges against a costumed Spider-Man accused of slugging a police officer in Times Square have been dismissed after prosecutors decided not to pursue them.The Daily News reports the Manhattan district attorneys office consented Friday to dismiss Junior Bishops case for lack of a speedy trial. Prosecutors didnt say why they were doing so.Bishop was arrested in July on assault and other charges. Police said he punched an officer in the face after being told to stop hassling tourists to give him more money than they offered for photos with him.Bishop denied demanding more money. He said Times Squares costumed characters, ticket agents and others who interact with passers-by make it what it is.His arrest came as reports of misbehaving costumed characters were prompting calls for regulation.In August police distributed fliers to tourists saying tipping was not required when taking photos with the Elmos, Mickey Mouses, SpongeBobs and Statues of Liberty that flock to the area. Many of the people who dress to make ends meet said tipping plummeted.A Batman and a Spider-Man were arrested in September for getting into a fistfight with another man who began heckling the characters.

Ahead of curfew ending, bombs kill 40 in Iraq's capital

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BAGHDAD: (AP) - Ahead of Baghdad ending a decade-old nightly curfew, bombs exploded across the Iraqi capital Saturday, killing at least 40 people in a stark warning of the dangers still ahead in this country torn by the Islamic State group.The deadliest bombing happened in the capitals New Baghdad neighborhood, where a suicide bomber detonated his explosives in a street filled with hardware stores and a restaurant, killing 22 people, police said.The restaurant was full of young people, children and women when the suicide bomber blew himself up, witness Mohamed Saeed said. Many got killed.The Islamic State group later claimed the attack, saying their bomber targeted Shiites, according to the SITE Intelligence Group, a U.S.-based terrorism monitor. The militants now hold a third of both Iraq and neighboring Syria in their self-declared caliphate.A second attack happened in central Baghdads popular Shorja market, where two bombs some 25 meters (yards) apart exploded, killing at least 11 people, police said. Another bombing at the Abu Cheer outdoor market in southwestern Baghdad killed at least four people, police said.In Tarmiya, a Sunni town 30 miles (50 kilometers) north of Baghdad, a bomb blast killed at least three soldiers in a passing convoy, authorities said.Hospital officials confirmed the casualty figures. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they werent authorized to brief journalists. No group claimed the other attacks.The bombings came as Iraq prepared to lift its nightly midnight-to-5 a.m. curfew on Sunday. The curfew largely has been in place since 2004, in response to the growing sectarian violence that engulfed Iraq after the U.S.-led invasion a year earlier.There was no immediate comment Saturday from Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, who announced the end of the curfew on Thursday by decree. He also ordered that streets, long blocked off for security reasons, reopen for traffic and pedestrians.Iraqi officials repeatedly have assured that the capital is secure, despite Sunni militant groups occasionally attacking Baghdads Shiite-majority neighborhoods.

Austria opposes arming Ukrainian government forces

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VIENNA (AFP) - Austria opposes arming the Ukrainian government in their fight against rebels in the east of the country, Chancellor Werner Faymann was quoted as saying Saturday.I do not believe military action is the way to resolve conflict. I am opposed to sending arms, Faymann told the Kurier daily in an interview.Calls have been growing in some quarters, notably in the United States, to arm Kievs Western-backed government following a recent upsurge in fighting in which pro-Russian rebels have appeared to gain the upper hand.German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Saturday -- following talks in Moscow with Russian President Vladimir Putin and French President Francois Hollande -- that she opposed such a move.I cant conceive of a situation where better armaments for the Ukrainian army would so impress President Putin that he believes he will militarily lose, Merkel told the Munich Security Conference.Faymann also expressed scepticism about the European Union imposing new sanctions on Russia ahead of a summit of EU leaders in Brussels next week.In my opinion sanctions are a vicious circle difficult to get out of. In the short and medium term they achieve little or nothing at all ... I would like to put the focus on peace talks, he said.The EU needs to show Putin that it is interested in a fair cooperation, provided that certain rules, such as accepting the sovereign rights (of other countries), are adhered to, Faymann said.We should not be building more walls but tearing them down, he said.
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