Friday 8 May 2015

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

US urges investigation of UN over C. Africa child sex scandal

Posted:

UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - The US envoy to the United Nations called Friday for an independent investigation into how the world body handled claims that French soldiers raped children in Central Africa.US ambassador Samantha Power said the investigation should focus on how quickly the accusations were raised to the relevant authorities and how promptly they reacted, as well as the necessary anonymity provided to victims and witnesses.We need this impartial investigation of the handling to be carried out swiftly, she told reporters.We need all individuals, both in member states themselves and within the UN organization who were involved in the handling of this, again, grave and grotesque set of allegations, to involve themselves and come forward and make everything that they know available.According to the French defense ministry, soldiers dispatched to the chaos-ridden nation to restore order after a 2013 coup are implicated in an investigation into the alleged sexual abuse of several emaciated children there who had begged for food.The abuse reportedly took place at a center for displaced people near the airport of the Central African capital Bangui between December 2013 and June 2014.The accusations were serious enough for a secret French investigation to be launched in July, after Swedish official Anders Kompass, a director of operations at the UN human rights office, leaked the report to France.Power said claims contained in the UN report were very credible and very disturbing.It is essential that those countries whose soldiers are alleged to have been involved in crimes of this magnitude act aggressively to track down the facts and to punish anybody responsible, she added.The UN report also accused soldiers from Chad and Equatorial Guinea, according to a non-profit group with access to the document.The main thing right now is to ensure accountability for the victims of these alleged rapes, said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric.There will come a time when we need to look at how this has been handled.Kompass, the whistleblower, was suspended for leaking the report and faces an internal UN probe for passing on confidential information without approval from his superiors.A UN tribunal, however, has ordered his reinstatement.

Cameron wins stunning victory in watershed UK vote

Posted:

LONDON (AFP) - Prime Minister David Camerons Conservatives were on Friday celebrating a stunning victory in Britains general election, which cut short the careers of his top three rivals and put the countrys European Union future in doubt.Widespread predictions of a close contest with the centre-left Labour opposition proved to be wrong, as Cameron won 331 out of 650 parliamentary seats and a new term as head of a majority centre-right Conservative government.The victory in Thursdays election was focused on England, however.North of the border, the pro-independence Scottish National Party (SNP) won a historic landslide, just seven months after losing a referendum on breaking away from the rest of the United Kingdom.In another dramatic result, the leaders of Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the anti-EU UK Independence Party (UKIP) all stepped down over their parties electoral drubbing.Following his own re-election in Witney, near Oxford, Cameron travelled to Buckingham Palace in London, where he was reconfirmed as prime minister by Queen Elizabeth II, the head of state.Top ministers stay putEnding five years of coalition government with the centrist Liberal Democrats, he announced to reporters outside 10 Downing Street: I will now form a Conservative majority government.Hours later he signalled continuity by reappointing the same finance, foreign, defence and interior ministers from his outgoing cabinet -- George Osborne, Philip Hammond, Michael Fallon and Theresa May respectively.Cameron also named Chancellor of the Exchequer Osborne, seen as a potential future party leader, as first secretary of state -- an honorific title that effectively makes him his number two.The election victory is an endorsement of the Conservatives austerity programme and is likely to see a continuation of cuts to public spending as they seek to reduce a budget deficit of nearly GBP 90 billion (120 billion euros, $140 billion).The pound rallied and stocks rose as investors welcomed a clear result and a government seen by the markets as more business-friendly than the Labour alternative.US President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel telephoned Cameron to congratulate him on what they both called an impressive victory.But the election exposed deep political divisions and Cameron avoided triumphalism in his victory speech, promising to bring our country together.He said he would deliver on manifesto pledges for the benefit of everyone in Britain, including an in-or-out referendum on the countrys EU membership by the end of 2017.Political map redrawnCameron paid tribute to Labour leader Ed Miliband and his former deputy prime minister, Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg, both of whom stepped down Friday after dismal results.He also acknowledged the SNPs surge, promising to give Scotland the strongest devolved government anywhere in the world, with important powers over taxation.Scotland voted to reject independence in a referendum last September, partly after Cameron promised it new powers.But the left-wing SNP came close to a clean sweep in Thursdays election, winning 56 out of the 59 Scottish seats, up from just six in 2010.It is an extraordinary statement of intent from the people of Scotland. The Scottish lion has roared, former SNP leader Alex Salmond said, as he was elected to the seat of Gordon.Most of the SNPs gains were at Labours expense -- in Paisley and Renfrewshire South, 20-year-old student Mhairi Black defeated Labours campaign chief, Douglas Alexander, to become the new parliaments youngest MP.Overall, Labour lost 26 seats to finish on 232, a poor showing for which Miliband said he took absolute and total responsibility, before standing down as party leader.It was also a terrible night for the centrist Liberal Democrats, who lost 49 of their 57 seats as voters punished them for entering into government with Cameron after the previous election.Clegg was re-elected but shortly afterwards resigned the party leadership, saying: The results have been immeasurably more crushing than I could ever have feared.Nigel Farage stepped down as UKIP leader after failing to win his seat. His anti-EU, anti-mass immigration party came third in the share of the vote with 12.6 percent but won only one seat.EU membership in questionThe election raises questions over Britains future in the EU, with Cameron confirming: We will deliver that in-out referendum on our future in Europe.He has previously said he would campaign to stay in the bloc, provided he can secure changes to Britains terms of membership, notably on freedom of movement -- although this has so far been met with resistance in EU capitals.European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, whose nomination Cameron opposed, sent his congratulations saying he was ready to strike a fair deal for the United Kingdom in the EU.

Saudi announces Yemen humanitarian truce dependent on Huthis

Posted:

SANAA (AFP) - Saudi Arabia Friday announced a humanitarian ceasefire in Yemen starting May 12, even as it stepped up retaliatory air strikes on Shiite Huthi rebels in the north of the country.We have made a decision that the ceasefire will begin this Tuesday, May 12, at 11:00 pm and will last for five days subject to renewal if it works out, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said at a meeting of Gulf ministers in Paris.Warplanes from a Saudi-led coalition have focused their fire since Thursday on rebels in their northern stronghold after Riyadh vowed harsh punishment for deadly cross-border bombardments.On the humanitarian front, the UN childrens agency warned that restrictions on delivering food and fuel are hampering aid efforts and threaten the lives of tens of thousands of Yemeni children.The ceasefire will end should Huthis or their allies not live up to the agreement -- this is a chance for the Huthis to show that they care about their people and they care about the Yemen people, Jubeir said at a joint news conference with US Secretary of State John Kerry.Kerry said the ceasefire would take place provided that the Huthis agree that there will be no bombing, no shooting, no movement of their troops or manoeuvring to reposition for military advantage (and) no movement of heavy weapons.He stressed that the pause in hostilities was a renewable commitment that, if it held, opens the door to possibility of an extension.Since the border shelling, Saudi-led air raids have targeted rebel control centres, a communications complex, a landmine factory and other rebel positions across Saada province bordering Saudi Arabia, state media in Riyadh said.Red line crossedWitnesses in Saada said coalition jets dropped leaflets urging residents to leave and an AFP correspondent in Sanaa reported scores of families arriving there.The coalition warned that all of Saada will be a military target to coalition strikes after 7:00 pm (1600 GMT) Friday, Saudi media said.Coalition warplanes bombed the city of Saada and border areas on Friday evening, as well as a Huthi military convoy travelling between Saada and adjacent Jawg province, witnesses said.Saudi Arabia, which has led six weeks of air strikes on Yemen in support of exiled President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, has warned that the Iran-backed Huthi rebels crossed a red line by shelling populated border areas in the kingdom.The equation is different, the confrontation is different, and they will pay a harsh and expensive price, coalition spokesman Brigadier General Ahmed al-Assiri said.Riyadh has repeatedly accused Iran of arming and funding the Huthis, charges Tehran denied again on Friday, with a foreign ministry spokeswoman dismissing efforts to put the blame on others.Air strikes have failed to halt the Huthis and allied fighters loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, amid mounting concern over civilian casualties.The United Nations has renewed its plea for a ceasefire after weeks of fighting have left more than 1,400 people dead and nearly 6,000 wounded, many of them civilians.UNICEF warned that fuel in Yemen may run out in less than a week, complaining that humanitarian access is being blocked by many parties to the conflict.Women, children killedIf restrictions on the commercial imports of food and fuel continue, then it will kill more children than bullets and bombs in the coming months, said UNICEF spokesman Christophe Boulierac.Yemeni state news agency Saba, which the rebels control, said Friday that 13 people including women and children were killed when a village in the northern Hajja province was bombed.Coalition warplanes also hit Huthi positions in the city of Amran, north of Sanaa, witnesses said.In the southern town of Loder, a roadside bomb killed 12 Huthis, local commander Ali Issa said, adding that two of his men died in clashes.AFP could not independently verify death tolls.Amnesty International, citing eyewitness testimony, pointed to a repeated failure by the coalition to take adequate precautions to prevent civilian deaths in Yemen.It singled out a May 1 air strike on Sawan, east of the capital, that killed 17 civilians and destroyed nine houses as a damning indictment of the failure of the Saudi Arabian military and its allies to take adequate steps to ensure civilians are not needlessly slaughtered.According to local residents and a council representative, there was no fighting before the nighttime raid, and there were no fighters or military targets in the area, Amnesty said.The rebels are accused of receiving support from Tehran where thousands of people demonstrated Friday to denounce the air strikes.Protesters paraded an effigy of Saudi King Salman holding an American flag in one hand and an Israeli one in the other.Thousands of Huthi supporters also demonstrated in Sanaa, an AFP correspondent reported.

Burundi president defies critics to file third term bid

Posted:

BUJUMBURA (AFP) - Burundis President Pierre Nkurunziza filed his candidacy for a third term in office Friday, assuring elections set for June would go well despite deadly protests over his bid to extend his 10-year rule.Nkurunziza smiled as he became the first candidate to register for the June 26 polls, shrugging off international pressure not to run and dismissing fears of a mounting crisis.At least 18 people have been killed, including protesters and police, and scores been wounded since late April, when the ruling CNDD-FDD nominated Nkurunziza to stand for reelection, triggering daily protests.These demonstrations have turned into insurrection, but it is something that will be controlled shortly, and I assure you that the elections will go well, Nkurunziza said, as he handed over the documents needed to the electoral commission, surrounded by supporters.Opposition parties and civil society groups say Nkurunzizas third-term bid violates the constitution, which limits a president to two terms in office, and the accords that ended a 13-year civil war between Tutsis and Hutus in 2006.On Friday evening, one of the main protest leaders, Pacifique Nininahazwe, told AFP that demonstrations would be suspended for one day on Saturday.The collective against the third term announces that there is a one-day truce on Saturday, said Nininahazwe. The protests will resume on Sunday.Nininahazwe said the pause in demonstrations would let people stock up on supplies and allow the dead to be buried with honour.Saturdays promised truce was the first sign of a concession from the protesters, after two weeks of street battles with the police, in which scores of people have been injured.On Friday evening, a senior police commander said the authorities had received orders to dismantle all the oppositions barricades.In the capitals Nyakabiga neighbourhood police used a bulldozer to clear roadblocks, igniting renewed clashes with stone-throwing protesters.The police used tear gas and water cannon to break up the demonstration, which came after a day of relative quiet.Burundi is at peaceNkurunziza, a former rebel leader from the Hutu majority who has been in power since 2005, has come under intense international pressure to bow out at next months election.African Union Commission chief Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said Thursday it was clear that there shouldnt be a third term for the incumbent.The head of the European Unions election monitoring mission in the country, David Martin, expressed concern over the climate of violence.Referring to the presidents stated plan to end the protests, Martin said the prohibition and repression of peaceful demonstrations expressing legitimate concerns would violate the conditions necessary for a credible and transparent vote.The president of neighbouring Rwanda, Paul Kagame, criticised his Burundian counterpart.If your own citizens tell you We do not want you to do that or to lead us, maybe theyre saying you havent done enough for them, Kagame told a convention in Switzerland.US Secretary of State John Kerry has also criticised Nkurunzizas desire to cling to power.Dressed in a grey suit, the embattled Nkurunziza said Friday the current crisis was nothing compared to what we experienced in 1993-1994, referring to the start of the civil war.It is something which concerns only some areas of Bujumbura... in the rest of the country people go quietly about their work, more than 99 percent of the territory of Burundi is at peace, he said.East African leaders are to hold an emergency meeting on the crisis on May 13 in Tanzania.Burundis Constitutional Court has dismissed objections over Nkurunzizas re-election bid, saying his first presidential term did not count as he was elected by parliament, not directly by the people.The courts vice-president, however, fled the country after refusing to sign the judgement, claiming judges had been subjected to death threats.Opposition doubtful of dealThe government and opposition met Friday to discuss a resolution to the crisis, but civil society leaders said they were sceptical an agreement could be found quickly.The only thing we agree on is a delay to the electoral calendar, one civil society leader said, asking not be named.The United Nations special envoy for the Great Lakes region, Said Djinnit, appealed Thursday for calm.Everything must be done to avoid any escalation that could undermine peace and stability of the country, Djinnit said in Bujumbura, where he attempted to mediate an end to the standoff.Djinnit warned that perpetrators of acts of violence could be hauled before national and international courts.The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Fatou Bensouda, said in a statement Friday her office was closely following events in Burundi.Any person who incites or engages in acts of mass violence... is liable to prosecution before the Court, she said.

Colombian leader slams rebels over soldier's severed leg

Posted:

MEXICO CITY (AFP) - Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos ordered his government on Friday to step up an offensive against the leftist ELN guerrilla movement after the rebels showed off a soldiers severed leg.Santos expressed disgust at reports that the National Liberation Army had placed an anti-personnel mine in a childrens park in northwestern Colombia and that the explosion blew off both of the soldiers legs.Speaking during a visit to Mexico, Santos said placing mines is already a savage act but showing a leg like a trophy next to a college, thats a barbaric act that borders on madness.He said he ordered the armed forces to intensify (the offensive) against the ELN and redouble efforts against this criminal organization.While the government has held peace talks with the countrys biggest rebel group, the FARC, since 2012, it has not launched any dialogue with the ELN.Despite his tough talk Santos reiterated his willingness to begin peace negotiations with the ELN.The ELN is part of this war, part of this conflict, and it would be ideal for us to reach an agreement with both (rebel) groups, he told Mexicos Televisa channel.The 2,500-strong ELN said in June that it had begun exploratory discussions with the government in a bid to launch negotiations in parallel with Bogotas talks with the FARC.As for the FARC talks, Santos said there was a more than 50 percent chance that a final peace deal can be agreed to end a conflict that began in the 1960s.On Friday, government and FARC negotiators, whose meetings have been hosted by Havana, agreed on a roadmap to remove landmines.Colombia is second to Afghanistan in the world for landmine victims, with more than 11,000 people killed or wounded since 1990.

US opens federal civil rights probe of Baltimore police

Posted:

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The US Department of Justice launched a federal civil rights investigation Friday into whether police in Baltimore have systematically discriminated against residents, after the death of an African-American man in police custody.The death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray, who succumbed to a serious spinal injury suffered while in the back of a police van last month, sparked violent unrest that led authorities to declare a city-wide curfew and deploy the National Guard.Six police officers have been charged in connection with his arrest and death. One faces a second-degree murder charge.The Department of Justice is opening an investigation into whether the Baltimore Police Department has engaged in a pattern or practice of violations of the Constitution or federal law, Attorney General Loretta Lynch announced, in one of her first acts since being sworn in less than two weeks ago as the nations top law enforcement official.This investigation will begin immediately and will focus on allegations that Baltimore Police Department officers use excessive force including deadly force, conduct unlawful searches, seizures and arrests, and engage in discriminatory policing.The riots that erupted in Marylands largest city -- just an hours drive north of Washington -- after Grays funeral left shops looted and dozens of police officers injured, and led to hundreds of arrests.It was clear that recent events, including the tragic, in-custody death of Freddie Gray, had given rise to a serious erosion of public trust, Lynch said.Grays death occurred at a time of exacerbated tensions in the United States over police treatment of blacks, following the death of a number of unarmed African-American men at the hands of officers.One of the most prominent cases was that of 18-year-old Michael Brown, who was fatally shot in Ferguson, Missouri last year, sparking extensive and sometimes violent protests across the nation.The white officer who shot Brown, Darren Wilson, was not indicted. But in a searing report, the Justice Department said it found a widespread pattern of racial discrimination by Fergusons largely white police force, and multiple violations of citizens constitutional rights.Meanwhile, police on Friday lined the streets of a Long Island town where thousands attended the funeral of a New York officer who was gunned down last Saturday.Brian Moore, 25, was the third police officer killed in Americas largest city in five months.Generations of mistrustThe Baltimore probe, described as a pattern-or-practice investigation, has been employed in communities nationwide. It does not focus on individual cases, aiming instead to determine whether a police force has engaged in systemic or persistent patterns of misconduct.Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake welcomed the investigation, saying her city will not shy away from the challenge of implementing reforms.But in a sign of tension between officers and city leaders, Baltimores police union, which fumed over the charges against six officers in the Gray case, said it welcomed Lynchs probe but wanted to see it also focus on the mayor herself.Mayor Rawlings-Blake is the leader of all city agencies, including the Baltimore Police Department, and we believe that her leadership of, and involvement in, the police department also deserves evaluation, the Baltimore City Fraternal Order of Police said in a statement.Lynch, poised and composed given the critical nature of one of her first appearances before reporters in her new position, said the review will lead to a report detailing possible reforms going forward.We are talking about generations of mistrust and generations of communities that feel separated from government overall, she said.Youre talking about situations where there is a flashpoint occurrence that coalesces years of frustration and anger, she added.Lynch met in Baltimore Tuesday with civic and faith leaders, lawmakers and police officers to discuss the path forward.None of us has illusions, she said.The challenges that we face and that Baltimore faces now did not arise in a day and change will not come overnight. It will take time and sustained effort.

Disgraced ex-CIA chief Petraeus says could serve again

Posted:

MIAMI (AFP) - Disgraced former CIA chief and retired general David Petraeus, who recently pleaded guilty to providing secrets to his mistress, said Friday that he would consider serving the US again if asked.There is nothing greater than public service and if some opportunity at some point comes along I would certainly consider it, he told a group of French foreign trade advisors in Miami.Petraeus, hailed by some in the US for changing the course of the Iraq war, was given two years probation and fined $100,000 in April for providing classified information to his mistress and biographer Paula Broadwell.There was no greater privilege than I had as a soldier and then as a spymaster and to some degree now in the business world, said the man who led the US wars in Iraq and then Afghanistan.Petraeus served as the head of the CIA after retiring from the military. He resigned from the post after his affair became public.Once a rising star in the US who some regarded as presidential material, Petraeus ruled out a run for the countrys highest office.Even before the missteps that Ive had I was never going to run for office, he said. My family is adamantly opposed to it and frankly my politics dont necessarily work for the primaries of either of our parties.Petraeus chairs the KKR Global Institute that analyzes global trends as a branch of an American private equity firm.Asked about the role of the US in the world, Petraeus said the country is rebounding to be a global leader after the taxing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.The pendulum has swung back, theres a keen recognition in Washington that US leadership is needed.

Jobs report saves Dow, S&P 500 from losses

Posted:

NEW YORK5 (AFP) - US stocks went from famine to feast this week with a mid-week swoon giving way to a big rally following Fridays April jobs report.The Dow Jones Industrial Average finished the week up 167.05 points (0.93 percent) at 18,191.11, while the broad-based S&P 500 advanced 7.81 (0.37 percent) to 2,116.10, less than two points below a record.The tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index slipped 1.84 (0.04 percent) to 5,003.55.Factors behind the weakness in the first part of the week included lackluster economic data. The US trade deficit in March jumped more than 40 percent to a six-year high, due in part to the strong dollar.Analysts also cited worries about higher oil prices as well as the continued logjam in talks between Greece and its creditors on a package to unlock bailout funds.Stocks also sold off after US Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen characterized US stock market valuations as quite high and said they pose potential dangers to financial stability.Analysts said Yellens comments suggested the Fed is eager to raise ultra-low interest rates despite some disappointing economic data.She seems to be hinting that theyre going to have to raise rates one way or the other as long as the economy is growing at all, said Chris Low, chief economist at FTN Financial.But US stocks rallied Thursday and again Friday after the Labor Department reported the US economy added a solid 223,000 jobs in April and unemployment fell to a seven-year low of 5.4 percent.David Levy, portfolio manager at Kenjol Capital Management, said the jobs figure came in at a sweet spot for Wall Street because it suggested the economy had turned a corner after a weak first quarter.At the same time, the US labor market showed some signs of weakness, with wages barely growing and underemployment still elevated. That suggested the Fed would not hasten its plan to raise interest rates, Levy said.Investors are breathing a sigh of relief, Levy said Friday afternoon.McDonalds turnaround outlinedIn corporate news, fast-food chain McDonalds unveiled a long-awaited turnaround plan under new chief executive Steve Easterbrook, who reorganized the companys international operations and announced plans to sell off more company-owned restaurants to franchisees.But McDonalds shares fell after the plan was released. A note from Morningstar called the plan somewhat lacking on menu details.In merger news, Alexion Pharmaceuticals announced another big deal in the drug business, saying it would buy Synageva BioPharma for $8.4 billion to create a bigger player in treatments for rare diseases.Alibaba rallied after reporting a 45 percent gain in revenues to $2.1 billion in the January-March quarter, though profits plunged by nearly half. The Chinese e-commerce giant named chief operating officer Daniel Zhang as chief executive, replacing Jonathan Lu.Online listings and review site Yelp surged on reports it is considering selling itself, while shares of cloud computing company Salesforce lurched up and down on shifting reports on its possible acquisition by Microsoft or another large tech player.Cisco Systems announced longstanding chief executive John Chambers would step down and be replaced by another company veteran, Chuck Robbins.Cisco reports quarterly earnings next week. Dow member DuPont will also be in the news with an annual meeting that will consider activist fund Trian Fund Managements efforts to win four board seats.There are also a handful of economic reports, including US retail sales for April.

North Korea test-fires underwater ballistic missile: state media

Posted:

SEOUL (AFP) - North Korea has successfully test-fired a newly developed underwater ballistic missile which it describes as a world level strategic weapon, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported early Saturday.Leader Kim Jong-Un gave the order to test-fire the missile and watched as it was launched from an attack submarine, the news agency said.There took place an underwater test-fire of Korean-style powerful strategic submarine ballistic missile, KCNA said.The ballistic missile was developed on the personal initiative of Supreme Commander of the Korean Peoples Army Kim Jong-Un.It described the weapon as meeting the latest military science and technology requirements, calling the test an eye-opening success on par with a satellite launch.The acquisition of the technology... made it possible for the KPA (Korean Peoples Army) to possess a world-level strategic weapon capable of striking and wiping out in any waters the hostile forces infringing upon the sovereignty and dignity of Songun Korea and conduct any underwater operation, it said.It came after Pyongyang on Friday slammed US allegations that its space research is essentially a disguised ballistic missile programme, and vowed to send more satellites into orbit in defiance of UN sanctions.There is little doubt that North Korea has an active ballistic missile development programme, but expert opinion has been split on just how much progress it has made.

Dollar rises as US jobs data leaves rate hike at bay

Posted:

NEW YORK (AFP) - The dollar edged up against the euro Friday after a solid US jobs report that seemed to discount the likelihood of a Federal Reserve interest rate hike in June.The US economy added 223,000 jobs in April, bouncing back from a mere 85,000 in March, the Labor Department reported, roughly in line with the consensus estimate.While the unemployment rate ticked down to 5.4 percent, a seven-year low, the details in the report showed only slight signs of a tightening labor market.The Federal Reserve is particularly focused on the labor markets strength in deciding when to raise the benchmark federal funds rate, pegged at the zero bound since late 2008 to support the recovery from the Great Recession. The US central bank has indicated the rate liftoff could come as early as June but the decision would be data-dependent.Even though forex traders were disappointed, the Federal Reserve has no reason to change their plans to raise rates in 2015 after todays report. It wasnt a great release but it wasnt terrible either and we believe the data reinforces our view that liftoff will be September, said Kathy Lien of BK Asset Management.The pound, meanwhile, advanced after the stunning upset election victory in Britain of Prime Minister David Camerons Conservatives.The Conservatives are seen as being more business friendly and more importantly, offer continuity in a country that last year experienced the fastest rate of growth in the G7, said Craig Erlam, senior market analyst at forex trader Oanda.2100 GMT Friday ThursdayEUR/USD 1.1208 1.1266EUR/JPY 134.25 134.91EUR/CHF 1.0449 1.0384EUR/GBP 0.7256 0.7382USD/JPY 119.77 119.75USD/CHF 0.9323 0.9218GBP/USD 1.5446 1.5262

Pervez Rashid's statement 'blasphemous', says religious scholars

Posted:

LAHORE (Daily Dunya) – Religious leaders called for immediate dismissal of Federal Minster Pervez Rashid on Friday, calling his remarks on seminaries as ‘blasphemous’, reported Dunya News.Leaders of Wafaq-ul-Madaris said that terming madaris as ‘centers of ignorance’ is paramount to blasphemy, in an obvious reference to Information Minister Pervez Rashid.Leaders of Wafaq-ul-Madaris said that Pervez Rashid had questioned the very basis on which the country’s foundation had been laid, pleading that the Prime Minister should dismiss the minister from his position.Criticizing the appointment of Pervez Rashid, leaders of Wafaq-ul-Madaris commented that the post of Information Minister is a sensitive one and should not be left to the whims of a secular person.The leaders of the movement said that the incumbent PM should clarify his position on the statement of his minister else action will be taken.Hinting towards the Information Minister, they further said that terming madaris as ‘centers of ignorance’ is paramount to blasphemy.

Former cricketers uselessly blame domestic structure: Intikhab Alam

Posted:

LAHORE: (Daily Dunya) – Director Domestic Cricket Intikhab Alam has on Friday said that some former cricketers criticize the domestic cricket structure in the country for no reason at all. He said that this criticism does not help cricket, reported Daily Dunya.Talking at National Cricket Academy (NCA), Intikhab Alam said that the same structure of domestic cricket was there when Pakistan won the 1992 world cup and it was very much in place when Pakistan won Twenty-20 world cup in 2009.Intikhab Alam said that the actual reason behind Pakistan’s downfall is that there is no international cricket in the country and foreign teams do not visit the country due to which Under-19 and A teams don’t get the chance to play international standard cricket.Alam said that international cricket is going to be restored in the country after Zimbabwe’s tour to Pakistan and the situation will get better. He requested the former cricketers to do positive and constructive criticism instead of settling personal scores so that the cricket conditions in the country can be improved.

Karachi: All cases ended under NRO reopened

Posted:

KARACHI: (Dunya News) – In what appears a dramatic turnaround compared to the situation that arose in 2007 during former President Musharraf’s regime, all the cases ended under the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) have on Friday been reopened and murder and attempted murder cases of 34 Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) suspects have been reopened, reported Dunya News.Local court in Karachi has started to hear all the cases once again. The court issued non-bailable warrants of 34 MQM workers including Nadeem Marble, Kamran aka Panda, Akram and Azeem. 10 murder cases against these suspects were registered in Mominabad, Saeedabad and Orangi Town police stations. All these cases had been quashed under the NRO.However, these cases were reopened in 2012 on the orders of the Supreme Court of Pakistan. The court has already issued a show-cause notice to the investigative officers.

Haripur: Firing on local body election candidates convoy, 6 killed

Posted:

HARIPUR (Dunya News) – Firing on an local body candidate’s convoy on Friday killed 6 bodyguards while two persons including independent candidate Javed Khan were injured, reported Dunya News.Union Council Kholianwala’s independent candidate in local body elections, Javed Khan, was on election campaign when his convoy was attacked upon on Galag Road by grenades.Indiscriminate firing was also done on the occasion due to which 6 bodyguards were killed while Javed Khan along with another person was also injured.According to police, the slain and injured persons have been transferred to DHQ Hospital, Haripur.

Board set up to investigate helicopter accident: Foreign Secretary

Posted:

ISLAMABAD: (Dunya News) – Foreign Secretary of Pakistan Aizaz Chaudhry has on Friday said that a board has been set up by Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif to investigate the Naltar Helicopter incident. He said that the black box of the helicopter has been found and according to initial investigation, the incident was not an act of terrorism but caused by some technical fault, reported Dunya News.Briefing the media after the incident, Aizaz Chaudhry said that the visit was intended to introduce the foreign diplomats to the natural beauty of Pakistan. He said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was going to inaugurate the chairlift in the presence of foreign diplomats.Foreign Secretary told that the helicopter crashed into a building, few feet from the helipad.Chaudhry said that there 19 people in the helicopter and 12 out of them have been rescued. He said that the crew sacrificed their lives to rescue several other lives. He said that the government will fully cooperate with the countries whose diplomats have died in this accident and currently preparing for handing over their dead bodies to the respective countries.Foreign Secretary told that a ceremony to commemorate the dead will be held next week. He said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has announced 1-day mourning. “Pakistan’s flag will remain lowered on Saturday throughout the country and on Pakistani embassies across the globe”, he added.
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)