Saturday 19 September 2015

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Venezuelans protest in support of jailed opposition leader

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CARACAS (AFP) - Some 2,000 protesters rallied in Venezuelas capital Saturday in support of jailed opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez who was recently sentenced to nearly 14 years behind bars.The gathering in eastern Caracas came in response to a call from Lopez himself, relayed to supporters through his wife Lilian Tintori.Lopez, 44, is an economist with a masters degree from Harvard University who was convicted this month for inciting violence in protests against the government of Nicolas Maduro that left 43 dead and about 3,000 wounded between February and May 2014. He has been held since February 2014.Tintori attended the rally alongside members of the opposition coalition Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD) -- including candidates running in December 6 legislative elections.Some supporters chanted Yes, we can while others waved banners reading Venezuela wants justice.Speeches made by several speakers, including Tintori, focused on the return of political exiles, hardships faced by Venezuelans due to a deep economic crisis that has caused a chronic shortage of basic goods, and soaring crime.Opposition lawmakers have said that, if they get a majority in the assembly, they will pass an amnesty law so that people who have gone into exile for political reasons can return home.Venezuela imports the vast majority of the basic goods it consumes with oil money, which accounts for 96 percent of its foreign currency.But that cash has dried up as crude prices have slid by more than 50 percent since mid-2014.Our salaries are just not enough to live on, said one protester, 51-year-old high school teacher Yureima Moreno.

British Labour's anti-war leader faces rebellion on Syria: report

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LONDON (AFP) - Senior members of Britains opposition Labour Party are planning to defy their new pacifist leader and vote with the government to carry out air strikes against Islamic State extremists in Syria, the Sunday Times newspaper reported.The paper said that half of the partys shadow cabinet would side with Prime Minister David Camerons Conservative government in a House of Commons vote it said could be held next month.Britain is already taking part in US-led air strikes against the Islamic State group in Iraq and the government wants to extend the campaign to Syria but has said it will ask for parliamentary consent.There is a majority in the Commons for air strikes in Syria if Cameron has a proper plan for targeting Isis, a shadow cabinet member told the paper, using another acronym for the jihadist group.You would get half the shadow cabinet supporting it, the senior Labour official was quoted as saying.The partys newly-elected radical leftist leader Jeremy Corbyn on Saturday resigned his role as chairman of the Stop the War campaign group that he helped found but restated his anti-war stance.In stepping down as chair, I want to make absolutely clear my continuing solidarity with the coalition and its work against wars of intervention, Corbyn said in a statement.It is now my job to lead the Labour Party, including in the struggle for peace and international justice, and that is demanding my undivided attention.Stop the War was originally set up to oppose US-led intervention in Afghanistan following the September 11 attacks and went on to organise Britains biggest ever rally against the 2003 invasion of Iraq.The group is opposed to air strikes in Syria.In 2013, Cameron lost a parliamentary vote that would have given the go-ahead for air strikes on Syria in what was seen as a major foreign policy setback, after Labour voted against the measure.The Sunday Times report comes after a rocky first week in office for the 66-year-old Corbyn since he was elected Labour leader in a shock landslide victory announced on September 12.He was voted in on a wave of anti-austerity sentiment in the partys grassroots, even though several Labour MPs see him as being too left-wing and unlikely to win a general election.Corbyn has also said he backs the abolition of the monarchy and his refusal to sing the national anthem God Save the Queen in a World War II memorial was condemned by the right-wing press.

Four killed in Mali attack blamed on extremists

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BAMAKO (AFP) - A gun attack blamed on extremists in central Mali near the border with Burkina Faso left two policemen and two civilians dead on Saturday, security officials said.The victims were killed by armed terrorists in the village of Bih, about five kilometres (three miles) from the Burkinabe border, a provincial police official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The official said the gunmen were travelling on motorcycle.One of the policemen and one of the civilians died immediately as a result of the shooting, and the other two victims died of their injuries soon after, according to a Malian security source.The source said the attackers were members of Macina Liberation Front (FLM), a new group that emerged earlier this year and has claimed responsibility for a number of attacks, some targeting security forces in central Mali.The FLM draws its support from the Fulani people of central Mali, and is also linked to Ansar Dine -- Arabic for defenders of the faith -- one of the groups that took control of Malis vast arid north in April 2012.According to the Malian security source, authorities were investigating whether the FLM maintained a rear base in nearby Burkina Faso.Mali was shaken by a coup in 2012 that cleared the way for Tuareg separatists to seize towns and cities of the north, an expanse of desert the size of Texas.Al-Qaeda-linked militants then overpowered the Tuareg, taking control of the region for nearly 10 months until they were ousted in a French-led military offensive.The vast desert region is now controlled by a patchwork of armed groups, loyal to the government or the Tuareg-led former rebels.

More arrests over 'El Chapo' prison escape in Mexico

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MEXICO CITY (AFP) - Mexican authorities have arrested 13 more people over the spectacular escape of drug kingpin Joaquin El Chapo Guzman from a maximum security prison in June, officials said.Those placed in custody include Leonor Garcia, the former legal director at El Altiplano, the prison from which Guzman fled, a source at the prosecutors office told AFP Friday.Also detained was Celina Oseguera, the former national coordinator of the federal prison system. The eleven other suspects were guards and personnel at El Altiplano, where they will now be held, the source said.Oseguera and Garcia are being held at the female prison in Tepic, in the western state of Nayarit.The Mexican government immediately put Oseguera on leave after Guzman -- head of the Sinaloa drug cartel -- escaped on July 11.A total of 20 officials have now been arrested in connection with the escape.Mexican investigators say that Guzman, Mexicos most powerful drug lord, had key inside information to ease his escape, as well as support or acquiescence from prison insiders.Guzmans escape, in which he crawled through a hole leading to a huge tunnel under his cell shower, was a major embarrassment to President Enrique Pena Nietos administration.He served just 17 months of his lengthy prison sentence.Guzman had broken out of another Mexican prison in 2001 and was caught 13 years later in Mazatlan, a tourist resort on the Pacific coast.A $3.8 million reward is being offered for Guzmans arrest.

Note to the U.S. Congress: No gladhanding the Pope

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The four leaders of the U.S. Congress asked members on Thursday to refrain from one of Washingtons favorite rituals when Pope Francis visits the Capitol next week: no trying to grab a handshake as he makes his way in.On Sept. 24, Pope Francis will become the first pontiff to address a joint meeting of the Senate and House of Representatives, and lawmakers have been looking for guidance on how to behave during the visit.In a letter, House Speaker John Boehner, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid and House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi asked members to refrain from handshakes and conversations along the House chambers center aisle as the pope, cabinet members and other dignitaries arrive.Out of respect for the Popes schedule and the expectation of a timely address, we respectfully request that you assist us by refraining from handshakes and conversations along and down the center aisle, they wrote.Pope Francis eagerly anticipated visit is expected to draw huge crowds to Washington. Tight security measures and planned street closings have already prompted calls for those who work in the city to stay home.Despite the flurry of attention to the upcoming visit, the guidance in Thursdays courtesy notice differs little from what was in a similar letter sent out in January for President Barack Obamas State of the Union address.Hugs, handshakes and chats with the president, captured by television cameras for a national audience, are a dominant feature of the presidents annual speech.However, the State of the Union letter asked members to refrain from lengthy handshakes and conversations, not to avoid them altogether.

Now you see it, now you don't: invisibility cloak nears reality

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A cloak of invisibility may be common in science fiction but it is not so easy in the real world. New research suggests such a device may be moving closer to reality.Scientists said on Thursday they have successfully tested an ultra-thin invisibility cloak made of microscopic rectangular gold blocks that, like skin, conform to the shape of an object and can render it undetectable with visible light.The researchers said while their experiments involved cloaking a miniscule object they believe the technology could be made to conceal larger objects, with military and other possible applications.The cloak, 80 nanometers in thickness, was wrapped around a three-dimensional object shaped with bumps and dents. The cloaks surface rerouted light waves scattered from the object to make it invisible to optical detection.It may take five to 10 years to make the technology practical to use, according to Xiang Zhang, director of the Materials Sciences Division of the U.S. Department of Energys Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and a professor at the University of California, Berkeley.We do not see fundamental roadblocks. But much more work needs to be done, said Zhang, whose research was published in the journal Science.The technology involves so-called metamaterials, which possess properties not present in nature. Their surfaces bear features much smaller than the size of a wavelength of light. They redirect incoming light waves, shifting them away from the object being cloaked.The cloaking skin boasts microscopic light-scattering antennae that make light bouncing off an object look as if it were reflected by a flat mirror, rendering the object invisible.The fact that we can make a curved surface appear flat also means that we can make it look like anything else. We also can make a flat surface appear curved, said Penn State University electrical engineering professor Xingjie Ni, the studys lead author.The researchers said they overcame two drawbacks of previous experimental microscopic cloaks that were bulkier and harder to scale up, or become usable for larger objects.Ni said the technology eventually could be used for military applications like making large objects like vehicles or aircraft or even individual soldiers invisible.Ni also mentioned some unconventional applications.How about a cloaking mask for the face? All the pimples and wrinkles will no longer be visible, Ni said. How about fashion design? Ni suggested a cloak that can be made to hide ones belly.

A divided Fed pits world's woes against domestic growth

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NASHVILLE (Reuters) -Federal Reserve policymakers appeared deeply divided on Saturday over how seriously problems in the world economy will effect the U.S., a fracture that may be difficult for Fed Chair Janet Yellen to mend as she guides the central banks debate over whether to hike interest rates.Though last weeks decision to again delay an interest rate increase was near-unanimous, drawing only one dissent, St. Louis Fed President James Bullard called the session pressure-packed as members debated whether global uncertainty or the continued strength of the U.S. economy deserved more attention.In the end the committee felt that tepid global demand, a possible weakening of inflation measures, and recent market volatility warranted waiting to see how that might impact the U.S.Bullard, who does not have a vote this year on the Feds main policy-setting committee, said he would have joined Richmond Fed President Jeffrey Lackers dissent, and worried the central bank had paid too much attention to recent financial market gyrations.Markets sold off sharply this summer over concerns about a slowdown in China and weak world growth, leaving Fed officials to vet whether that reflected a short-term correction or more fundamental problems on the horizon.Financial markets tend to wax and wane, sometimes suddenly. Monetary policy needs to be more stable, said Bullard, who in prepared remarks here to the Community Bankers Association of Illinois said he did not think the Fed provided a satisfactory answer to why rates should stay near zero.The economy is near full employment, and inflation will almost certainly rise, Bullard said, leaving the Feds near seven-year stay at near zero rates out of line with the broad economic picture.In a statement Lacker said he felt the current low rates are unlikely to be appropriate for an economy with persistently strong consumption growth and tightening labor markets.However at least for now the Fed set aside such concerns out of deference to a different worry: that a weak global economy may pull down the U.S. Specifically Fed officials, including Yellen, said a dip in measures of inflation expectations was worrisome if it proves to reflect eroding confidence in the recovery.The expectations of businesses and consumers about inflation is thought to play an important role in the actual pace of price increases, as well as in decisions about savings, investment and consumption that are central to economic growth.San Francisco Fed President John Williams in remarks on Saturday laid out the case for caution, and suggested he and others now want more proof before a rate hike. Williams said he still expects rates will rise this year as the disinflationary impact of low oil prices and other outside influences fades, and the U.S. economy continues to expand.Still, getting some more clarity around what is really happening in the global economy, how is that affecting the U.S. economy, and also seeing continued progress in the U.S. economy -- these are all things Im watching, Williams told reporters when asked about a possible rate rise in October.Williams, who is among the regional bank presidents who does vote on interest rates this year, declined to specify whether he sees October or December as the appropriate time to go.The Fed next meets in October and again in December.Thirteen of 17 Fed members last week said they still expect to hike rates this year.

Football: Chelsea sink nine-man Arsenal, West Ham stun leaders City

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LONDON (AFP) - Kurt Zouma and Eden Hazard gave Chelsea a controversial 2-0 win over nine-man Arsenal on Saturday while leaders Manchester City crashed to a shock 2-1 defeat against West Ham.The acrimonious relationship between Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho and Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger seeped through to both teams at Stamford Bridge in a tetchy London derby featuring even more flashpoints than usual.And at Eastlands, Kevin de Bruynes first goal for City wasnt enough to salvage their 100 percent start against the Hammers, who have defeated Arsenal, Liverpool and Manuel Pellegrinis side in their first three away games this season.City fell behind in the sixth minute when on-loan Chelsea winger Victor Moses fired home from 20 yards for the first league goal conceded by Pellegrinis club this term.Senegal forward Diafra Sakho netted the visitors second from close-range in the 31st minute.Belgium midfielder De Bruyne, a GBP 55 million ($85 million, 75 million euros) signing from Wolfsburg last month, marked his first City start with a clinical finish in first half stoppage-time.But a brilliant Adrian save from Nicolas Otamendis header ended the hosts winning run at five matches and lifted West Ham into second place.We played very well in the second half, though not in the first. We were not the aggressive team we need to be at home, Pellegrini said.We knew this would be a difficult game because it was not luck that they beat Liverpool and Arsenal.At Stamford Bridge, Wenger was furious Mike Dean opted not to send off Diego Costa following a clash with Laurent Koscielny and the referee further infuriated the Frenchman when he dismissed Gabriel for kicking Costa and then showed Santi Cazorla a red card in the second half.I would not like to be Mike Dean tonight. Costa twice should be sent off, Wenger said.In every game Costa has aggravation and he gets away with it because of the weakness of the referee.Mourinhos response felt designed to provoke Wenger as he said: I dont have a view on the sending off. Man of the match for sure was Diego Costa. He brought everything to the game.Chelsea striker Costa was booked for shoving over Koscielny after whacking the Arsenal defender in the face moments earlier.Gunners defender Gabriel remonstrated with Costa and was booked for his complaints.But the Brazilian couldnt keep his emotions under control and in first-half stoppage-time he aimed a sly kick at Costa right in front of the referee, who immediately brandished a red card.Chelsea made their numerical advantage count in the 53rd minute when French defender Zouma was left unmarked to head in a Cesc Fabregas free-kick.Cazorla was sent off in the 79th minute when the Spanish midfielder caught Fabregas with an ugly lunging tackle.Belgium midfielder Hazard guaranteed the champions second league victory of the season in the 90th minute when his strike deflected off Calum Chambers to leave the Gunners without a league success against the Blues since 2011.SmashedOdion Ighalo kept Newcastle in the relegation zone as the Nigerian forwards double inspired Watfords 2-1 win at St James Park.Ighalo gave Watford a 10th minute lead with a low strike and he increased their advantage with his fourth goal in six matches in the 28th minute.Newcastle ended a nearly 500-minute goal drought when Dutch defender Daryl Janmaat netted in the 62nd minute, but McClarens team were unable to avoid their third consecutive loss.No-one said this job was going to be easy, we didnt think it would be. We know now this is a tough job, Newcastle manager Steve McClaren said.Ten-man Sunderland slipped to the bottom of the table after a 2-0 defeat at Bournemouth.Eddie Howes side raced into a two-goal lead inside the first nine minutes, with Callum Wilson striking in the fourth minute before Matt Ritchie smashed in a superb volley.Sunderlands miserable day was completed when French defender Younes Kaboul was sent off for a second booking in the 74th minute.Saido Berahino came in from the cold to fire West Bromwich Albion to a 1-0 win at local rivals Aston Villa.Berahino had threatened to go on strike after Albion refused to sell him to Tottenham on transfer deadline day and was dropped for several matches.Leicester staged another impressive fightback to maintain their unbeaten record with a 2-2 draw at Stoke.Evertons Kevin Mirallas was sent off for a foul on Modou Barrow in the final moments of his sides 0-0 draw at Swansea.On Sunday, Manchester United travel to Southampton, Tottenham host Crystal Palace and Liverpool take on Norwich.

10,000 migrants pour into Austria as crisis deepens

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VIENNA (AFP) - Austria was bracing for an influx of 10,000 migrants on Saturday, as Europes increasingly divided countries stepped up efforts to push the wave of desperate humanity on to their neighbours.In the latest chapter in the EUs escalating refugee crisis, Croatia, Hungary and Slovenia tussled over how to cope with the massive inflow of people passing through on their way to new lives in northern and western Europe.The European Union, meanwhile, sketched out plans to boost aid to encourage Syrians in Turkey to stay put rather than join the exodus.Hungarys right-wing government, which has faced international criticism over violent clashes with migrants and a hastily erected fence along its frontier with Serbia, has vowed to defend its borders against the flood of new arrivals, most of whom are from the Middle East and Africa.But in a shift in tactics late Friday, Hungarian authorities began transporting thousands of migrants straight to the border with Austria, an apparent bid to move them through and out of their territory as quickly as possible.Austrian police said Hungary had bussed at least 6,700 people to the border, with a total of 10,000 arrivals expected in the Burgenland border region by the end of Saturday.There was no let-up in the stream of people making the gruelling journey across the Balkans into western Europe, with Croatia saying 20,700 had entered the country since Wednesday.Croatia, which initially said it would allow migrants to pass through freely, announced it was swamped on Friday and began transporting hundreds to the Hungarian border -- sparking a furious reaction from Budapest.Migrants were being transported on Friday to two border crossings with Hungary and two with Slovenia, Interior Minister Ranko Ostojic said. Both countries belong to Europes borderless Schengen zone.Hungarys barbed wire fence growsIn a new hurdle aimed at stemming the influx, Hungary said it had completed a 41-kilometre (25-mile) barbed-wire barrier along part of its frontier with Croatia.It was finished overnight Friday, defence spokesman Attila Kovacs told AFP in Budapest.The remaining 330 km of the border runs roughly along the Drava river, which is difficult to cross.The new barrier adds to a barbed-wire fence that Hungary completed along its frontier with Serbia earlier this week, backed with laws threatening illegal migrants with jail, which forced the migrant flow towards neighbouring Croatia.The first migrants to have taken this diverted new route -- through Croatia and Slovenia -- arrived in Austria on Saturday, from where many hope to travel on to elsewhere in the European Union.About 150 people crossed the border, local police said, and were being looked after by the Red Cross in the town of Styria.A step behind them, on the Croatia-Slovenia frontier, aid tents have sprung up with local and foreign volunteers giving out food, water and clothes.Its generous of them, said Khaddam Ghaiath, a Syrian former customs official who is on the road with his 70-year-old mother.It must be a shock for them to see thousands of people arriving like this. It is not a normal situation.Tensions boiled over at the Croatian border town of Harmica overnight, with Slovenian riot police using pepper spray against several hundred migrants, some with children, who had sought to push through their cordon into Slovenia, an AFP photographer saw.The clash happened shortly after Slovenian Prime Minister Miro Cerar said the small country might consider creating corridors for refugees wanting to reach northern Europe if they continue arriving in large numbers.Slovenian police said on Saturday that 1,287 had arrived as of midnight Friday, of which 483 were from Afghanistan, 470 from Syria and 126 from Iraq.German warningFigures released Friday showed the EU received almost a quarter of a million asylum requests in the three months to June, while the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said nearly 474,000 people had so far this year braved perilous trips across the Mediterranean to reach Europe.Italys coastguard on Saturday said it had picked up more than 4,500 people off the Libyan coast, as calm seas sparked a flurry of attempts to make the crossing.The continents biggest migratory flow since the end of World War II has dug a deep rift between western and eastern EU members over how to distribute the migrants fairly.Another worry is over the fate of the Schengen agreement, a pillar of the European integration project that allows borderless travel between member states.Germany, Europes biggest economy, is the great magnet for the migrants, expecting up to a million asylum seekers this year.But the countrys Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said Saturday that the EU should in future should take a finite number of migrants, while sending the rest back to a safe country in their home regions.We cannot accept all the people who are fleeing conflict zones or poverty and want to come to Europe or Germany, Thomas de Maiziere said in an interview with news weekly Spiegel.EU interior ministers are to meet again on Tuesday, followed by an emergency summit on Wednesday.Turkish solution?Meanwhile, European leaders called for more action to tackle the problem at one of its sources -- Turkey, from where many of the migrants have travelled, including tens of thousands of Syrian refugees.European Commissioner Johannes Hahn said Saturday the EU was earmarking aid of up to one billion euros ($1.13 billion) to encourage Syrian refugees in Turkey to stay there rather than join the outpouring of people heading to Europe.Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann and German Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel meanwhile issued a joint call for United Nations countries to contribute an extra five billion euros ($5.65 billion) in aid for refugees living in camps in Lebanon and Jordan.Of the more than four million Syrians who have fled their country, nearly half have sought shelter in Turkey, while more than a million are now living in Lebanon and at least 600,000 in Jordan.

Sheikhpura: Police clash with robbers, 1 claimed dead as partners flee

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SHEIKHUPURA (Dunya News) – Police on Saturday clashed with robbers busy in looting citizens in Company Bagh area of Sheikhupura.Police claimed 1 culprit was killed while his partners opened fire on one arrested suspect and then fled as he was being led for ammunition identification.

Karachi: 14 suspects arrested in police action, clash

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – 14 suspects were arrested during police action and clash with suspects in various areas of Karachi.Police raided Jamshed Quarter area and took 12 alleged suspects into custody.Police clashed with suspects in Gulshan Hadeed area and arrested 2 including an injured suspect.

2 int'l events to be held in Pakistan this year: Squash Federation

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PESHAWAR: (Dunya News) – Squash Federation announces good news for the Squash lovers in Pakistan as the country is going to host 2 international events this year; 1 in late September while the other in November, reported Dunya News.Due to the poor law and order situation in Pakistan, international Squash players had not been coming here but since the lifting of the ban last year, one international event was held in Pakistan while Pakistan Squash Federation has given the good news of 2 international events this year.Squash players from 8 countries will take part in the Chief of Air Staff International Championship to be held from September 29 to October 6 in Islamabad while players from 9 countries will participate in the second international Squash tournament in Pakistan this year from November 3rd to 10th.While the new players will be able to learn by watching the international players live in the country, the senior players will also be able to improve their rankings.Also read: Maria Toorpakai successfully defends Nash Cup title

Suspect Khalid Aman admits links to India's RAW before court

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – The arrested suspect Khalid Aman on Saturday confessed to having links with the notorious Indian intelligence agency RAW and that he received training for LMG, Kalashnikov and 3g weapons in India, Dunya News reported.According to details, Aman stated in the court that he went to India in 1993 and received militant training in Faridabad. He said under oath that his trips to India was arranged and paid for by Adil Ansari.He stated while recording confessional statement before the Judicial Magistrate that he went to India fearing Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Haqeeqi where Javed Langra arranged militant training for him.Aman said Langra sent him to Delhi after the training. He said he was arrested in Delhi for injuring Langra after a fight.The suspect said MQM leaders Muhammad Anwar and Mehmood Siddiqui got him acquitted after coming to Delhi and then was sent back to Pakistan.

National team announced for Sultan of Johar International Junior Hockey Cup

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ISLAMABAD: (Dunya News) – National team has on Saturday been announced for Sultan of Johar International Junior Hockey Cup and Dilbar Hussain has been named as the captain, reported Dunya News.Chief Selector Raheed Junior announced the team for Junior Hockey Cup in Islamabad and named Dilbar Hussain as captain because of his experience.5 players have been kept as reserve players. The tournament will be held from October 11 to 18 for which the junior hockey team will leave for Malaysia on September 28.

4 target killers arrested in Karachi after police raids

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – The police have arrested at least four target killers after raiding various places in Karachi and seized weapons from their possession, Dunya News reported.According to details, the police arrested at least three target killers were arrested from Karachi’s Nazimabad area. The police officials said that the explosives, nut bolts and weapons have been recovered from the arrested target killers.Reportedly, one of the arrested target killers had chased Allama Abbas Kameli’s son ahead of his killing. Meanwhile, the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) has raided North Karachi and arrested another target killer from there. As per the CTD police, a grenade and weapons were seized from target killer Khurram Shamshad.The arrested suspects are held for further investigation.
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