Friday 8 January 2016

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Zhob: Shutter down protest against change in route of economic corridor

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ZHOB (Dunya News) – A shutter down protest was seen in Zhob Friday against the move for changing the route in Pak-China Economic Corridor. The protest was observed on the call of All Parties Action Committee ((APAC) and Traders Union.All shops, markets and businesses of the city remain closed.The APAC has stated that even stricter action shall be taken if the government does not cater to the reservations regarding the Western route and did not reveal the true facts to the public.

Dengue on the rise again as 30 patients confirmed

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – The start of the New Year has seen Dengue on the rise again as 30 patients suffering from the disease have been confirmed in Karachi.According to Dengue Prevention and Control Program Sindh’s Managing Director Masood Solangi has that 30 patients afflicted with Dengue fever have been admitted in various private and government hospitals within one week.He stated that last year more than 350 people had contracted the illness.The MD also informed that an awareness campaign by Sindh’s Health Department is also started for the public so that people may take precautionary measures in order to protect them from the mosquitoes and subsequently the disease.

Mexico recaptures drug kingpin 'Chapo' Guzman

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MEXICO CITY (AFP) - Mexican marines recaptured fugitive drug kingpin Joaquin El Chapo Guzman on Friday following an intense military operation, six months after his spectacular prison break embarrassed authorities.The chase for the worlds most-wanted drug lord ended in the northwestern city of Los Mochis, in Sinaloa state, the successful culmination of a months-long manhunt on Guzmans home turf.The 58-year-olds arrest is a major sigh of relief for President Enrique Pena Nieto, whose administration was humiliated when Guzman broke out of a maximum-security prison on July 11.Mission accomplished: We got him, Pena Nieto wrote on Twitter.It is the result of the permanent work of courageous service members of our institutions, who focused night and day on the mission that I ordered, he said later in a televised address, flanked by his security team at the National Palace.The arrest followed intense and careful intelligence and investigative work that broke up the network of influence and protection of this criminal, the president said.Pictures circulating in Mexican media show the mustachioed kingpin with a dirty, sleeveless shirt, handcuffed and sitting on a bed. A poster of a woman in a bikini is on a wall.Another picture shows him in the backseat of a car holding his chin with one hand while sitting next to a shirtless man.Sinaloas governor, Mario Lopez Valdez, told Radio Formula that Guzman was recaptured in a hotel on the outskirts of Los Mochis.A federal official told AFP that Guzman was captured by marines.The navy issued a statement shortly before the arrest became public saying that five suspects were killed in a gunfight with marines in Los Mochis, but it did not say whether the raid involved Guzman.Six people were detained after the shootout, which broke out when marines were tipped off about the presence of armed men in a home, the navy said.The navy said a suspected gang capo escaped while a dozen weapons, including a rocket-grenade launcher, were seized.US Attorney General Loretta Lynch hailed the arrest as a blow to his Sinaloa drug cartel, a victory for Mexicans and US citizens, and vindication of the rule of law in our countries.Guzmans latest attempt to escape has failed and he will now have to answer for his alleged crimes, which have resulted in significant violence, suffering and corruption on multiple continents, Lynch said.Extradition to US?Questions will now turn to whether Mexico will extradite Guzman to the United States.Pena Nieto had refused to hand Guzman over to the US before his escape, but the authorities have since then secured an arrest warrant to extradite him.On July 11, after 17 months at the Altiplano maximum-security prison in central Mexico, Guzman slipped through a hole in his cells shower, climbed on a motorcycle mounted on rails, and traveled 1.5 kilometers (one mile) through a tunnel to freedom.US and Mexican law enforcement officials say Guzman then flew to his home turf at the Sinaloa-Durango state border, where he is revered as a modern-day Robin Hood.More than a dozen prison and federal police officials have been arrested on charges of helping Guzman flee, along with several associates of the drug lord who worked from the outside on building the tunnel.Marines nearly recaptured him in October in a remote mountain region straddling the two states.Authorities said Guzman injured his face and a leg while falling in the rough terrain as he escaped.Guzman had been captured on February 22, 2014 in the Sinaloa resort of Mazatlan. He was found in a condo with his wife and their young twin daughters.He had been on the lam for 13 years after escaping a first time in 2001 from another prison by hiding in a laundry cart. He had spent eight years in prison following his 1993 capture in Guatemala.Lord of tunnelsThe man whose nickname means Shorty had used the money from a drug empire whose tentacles reach Europe and Asia to dig himself out of trouble.He is a legend of Mexicos underworld, with musicians singing his praise in folk ballads known as narcocorridos, tributes to drug capos.With his daring underground escapes and ability to sneak narcotics under the US-Mexico border, he also earned the nickname Lord of the Tunnels.Born on April 4, 1957 to a family of farmers, Guzman was recruited by Guadalajara cartel boss Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo, the godfather of Mexicos modern drug cartels.His Sinaloa drug cartel became the top gang after Felix Gallardo was arrested in 1989.Guzman married an 18-year-old beauty queen in 2007 and is believed to have 10 children with various women. A son was shot dead in a shopping center parking lot in May 2008.

Palm-sized $79 computer targets emerging-nation needs

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LAS VEGAS (AFP) - It is a spherical computer that costs $79, is packed with a fair amount of what the Internet has to offer -- and fits in the palm of your hand.The computer startup Endless is out to bring the Internet to people without deep pockets or reliable online connectivity.The idea is to make it useful with full Internet, limited Internet or without any Internet, Endless chief executive Matt Dalio said of the computers aimed at emerging markets.It comes pretty loaded, he added, speaking at the Consumer Electronics Show on Friday in Las Vegas.For example, the Endless Mini includes online encyclopedia Wikipedia and courses from non-profit educational organization Khan Academy.The computers, which require keyboards, can be plugged into any television to provide a display.Dalio depicted the San Francisco-based startups mission as a for-profit spin on the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project launched a decade ago by Nicholas Negroponte, who has advised Endless.OLPC originally aimed to create a $100 computer for children in developing countries, but the price later approached twice that amount.OLPC was before its time, Dalio said. We are learning from what they did right and what they did wrong.Instead of giving computers away to those who cant afford them, Endless prices its offering to be within reach of people with just enough money to join the knowledge economy, according to Dalio.The barriers are cost and connectivity, he said, holding up an Endless Mini. With cost, we solve that right here.Endless Mini addresses the connectivity problem by coming loaded with large amounts of information which is then updated whenever it is connected online. A larger and more powerful model sells for $189.Endless computers are powered by open-source Linux operating software with a simplified user interface.Linux has historically been targeted at the most tech-savvy users and we are targeting the least tech-savvy users, Dalio said.We needed to make it as easy as a smartphone to use.The computers are being sold at the website endlessm.com.It costs too much to give away computers to a billion people, he said.But if you can sell them you have a revenue stream that allows you to build a product of epic proportions.

New wave in tech: hacking the brain

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LAS VEGAS (AFP) - The next frontier for the tech sector is the human brain.A new breed of neuro-hacker is finding ways to capture and manipulate brainwaves to improve health, with potential to help the severely handicapped.A number of the innovations were on display at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, where computer scientists and biomedical experts showcased ways to tap into and use brain signals.The mind control headband unveiled by startup BrainCo effectively hacks into brain signals with a range of possible applications -- from helping to improve attention spans, to detecting disease, controlling smart home appliances or even a prosthetic device.The device translates your brainwaves into electronic signals, said the Boston-based firms Zenchuan Lei.At CES, BrainCo demonstrated how a person could use the headband to manipulate a prosthetic hand -- a potential life-changer for those paralyzed or missing limbs.These signals can be used to control objects like a prosthetic hand, Lei said. You can turn the lights on or off just by focusing on that.The device designed by scientists from Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology employs neuro feedback, a means of allowing people to control their brain waves for various purposes. It is expected to be sold later this year for less than $150.Lei suggested the device could also help people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder because it teaches you to enhance your focus and concentration.A similar project on display from New York-based OpenBCI (which stands for open-source brain-computer interface) seeks to create a platform for applications of the technology in health care, education or other fields.OpenBCI uses a 3D-printed helmet which captures brainwaves from various sectors of the brain.Neuro-marketing potentialThis can be used to help people with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or Lou Gehrigs disease) or quadriplegics communicate, said OpenBCI chief executive Conor Russomanno.The technology also offers a potential for so-called neuro-marketing which tests new products and services on the basis of sensory and cognitive response.South Korean startup Looxid Labs unveiled a headset that tracks both brainwaves and eye movements, claiming this provides more accurate insights into the mind.No other device that Im aware of combines these things, said Looxid chief business officer Alex Chang.With the headset attached to a computer, you can roll your eyes to scroll the mouse, and click on a button by blinking, Chang said.The headset is being launched in July as a developer kit, with scope to build applications for controlling physical or virtual objects, communicating, analyzing a users mood or mental health, or verifying their identity.We also see this as having potential in gaming because you can control things with your eye, Chang said.When you concentrate you can stop the bullets.He added that for neuro-marketing applications, we can show someone an ad and we can see where the eyes are focused. We can scan emotions and understand how someone is responding.Other exhibitors at CES demonstrated wearable devices that block pain signals to the brain, as an alternative to medications with side effects for people who suffer from debilitating pain.Meditation aidThe neuro-feedback technique is being applied as a meditation aid by Canadian-based Interaxon and its Muse headband.Muse uses sensors on the forehead and behind the ears to measure brain signals, and advise users how to improve their meditation technique.The coaching app helps people achieve a level of consistency in their meditation efforts.Its like going to the gym. The muscle doesnt get stronger unless you do it over and over again. Its the same with your brain, said Muse marketing manager Tracy Newsome-Rosenthal at the CES show.One startup at CES was showcasing a technique to deliver pleasure signals to the brain via music, by triggering the release of neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin.The hand-held device from Florida-based Nervana allows users to plug in a music player into the $299 device and get the pleasurable signals delivered by its headphones.We send a signal into the vagus nerve which produces dopamine, and that relaxes you, CEO Ami Brannion told AFP on the show floor.Some people describe the sensation as euphoric.But Brannion said the technique is not really hacking the brain.We access the central nervous system and it just tickles the nerve to remind the brain to release dopamine, she said.People who practice yoga or meditation can already do this.

US ramps up war on IS propaganda, recruitment

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - The White House intensified efforts Friday to fight propaganda and recruitment by extremist groups such as the Islamic State, announcing a new task force and pressing Silicon Valley to help out.The renewed push comes in response to frustration that the IS group has managed to lure and recruit followers in Europe and the United States to launch deadly attacks without detection by intelligence services.It also comes amid greater awareness that the recruitment and operational planning by violent extremists is making use of the Internet and other electronic communications in ways that can avoid detection by intelligence.Added to that is a frustration that US efforts to counter the Islamic State group and Al-Qaeda propaganda over the Internet have shown poor results.The horrific attacks in Paris and San Bernardino this winter underscored the need for the United States and our partners in the international community and the private sector to deny violent extremists like ISIL fertile recruitment ground, said National Security Council spokesman Ned Price, using another acronym for the IS group.The immediate move was the formation of a new unit, the Countering Violent Extremism Task Force, by the Department of Homeland Security and the Justice Department, to coordinate their efforts to fight extremism domestically.At the same time, the State Department will cut back its direct efforts at countering propaganda by violent extremist groups, in what appeared to be an admission that they havent worked.Instead, the emphasis will be on supporting international partners of the United States -- both governmental and non-governmental -- in their programs to neutralize such groups promotional activities.Tech giants pressed to helpAs that was being announced, White House top security officials were to meet leading Internet companies in Silicon Valley in an effort to build cooperation with them.High on the agenda will be how to make it harder for terror groups to use the Internet to recruit supporters and prevent them using technologies like encryption to mask their activities, according to the agenda of the San Jose meeting obtained by AFP.Underscoring the high importance of the meeting, President Barack Obamas Chief of Staff Denis McDonough will lead the delegation from Washington.The group will also include Attorney General Loretta Lynch, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, the directors of the National Security Agency and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, according to the agenda.From the tech industry, top executives from Apple, Facebook, LinkedIn, Dropbox, Microsoft, Twitter, and YouTube were expected to attend.The talks come amid mounting frustration in Washington that the Islamic State group, Al-Qaeda and other groups have been able to use publicly available technology to build their influence and hide their activities from even the most advanced US intelligence operations.Without any hint it was coming, on December 2 a married couple sympathetic to the Islamic State group slaughtered 14 people and injured 22 others in an attack with automatic weapons on a holiday office party in San Bernardino, California.Days afterward, Obama called on high-tech and law-enforcement leaders to make it harder for terrorists to use technology to escape from justice.The goal here is to find additional ways to work together to make it even harder for terrorists or criminals to find refuge in cyberspace, said White House spokesman Josh Earnest on Friday.Key issues on the agenda of the Silicon Valley meeting include how to make it tougher for terrorists to leverage the Internet to recruit, radicalize, and mobilize followers, and making it harder for terrorists to use the Internet to facilitate and operationalize attacks.The meeting though raises a challenge to some of the worlds top tech companies, wary of being seen to cooperate with and share data with the US or other governments.Earnest said that there are precedents for Silicon Valleys social media giants working with security officials, such as in fighting child pornography.Technology leaders are patriotic Americans. They dont have any desire for child pornographers or would-be terrorists to be using their tools and their technology to harm innocent people, he said.I do think there is an opportunity for there to be a robust discussion about ways we can make it harder for terrorists to leverage the Internet to recruit, radicalize and mobilize supporters, he told reporters.

IS sympathizer shoots Philadelphia cop in 'chilling' ambush

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NEW YORK (AFP) - A man claiming allegiance to the Islamic State extremist group shot and seriously wounded a policeman in Philadelphia, opening fire multiple times at point-blank range with a stolen police gun before he was arrested, officials said Friday.The apparent assassination attempt comes amid heightened security in the United States following last months assault by a radicalized Muslim couple in California that killed 14 people, and the November terror attacks in Paris.Policeman Jesse Hartnett, 33, was shot three times in his left arm as he sat in his patrol car late Thursday in the northeastern city. Im shot. Im bleeding heavily, he yelled in a dispatch call.Authorities said they were astonished he survived.Philadelphia police commissioner Richard Ross called the attack absolutely chilling and described the officers injuries as very, very serious.Stills captured from video surveillance and released to the press show the suspect opening fire as he walks towards the patrol car, extending his arm into the vehicle and then continuing to fire as he flees on foot.If that doesnt just make the hairs on your neck just rise when you see that, its scary, Ross told reporters.The officer got out of his vehicle, despite being injured, and managed to return fire, hitting the suspect, who was quickly arrested.He stated that he pledges his allegiance to Islamic State, follows God and that is the reason he was called upon to do this, homicide police Captain James Clark told a news conference.Police said the suspect, named as Edward Archer, 30, has a criminal record, but that it was unclear whether he acted alone or as part of a wider conspiracy.He doesnt appear to be a stupid individual, just an extremely violent one, said Ross.Ross, said he was absolutely amazed that Hartnett, an officer with five years experience, had survived. This man fired at least 11 shots from a nine millimeter at close range, he said.Nothing to do with IslamPolice said it was unclear how the suspect obtained the firearm, which was stolen from police in October 2013.That is one of the things that you absolutely regret the most, that an officers gun is stolen and it is used against one of your own, Ross said.Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney praised Harnetts bravery but urged people to draw no link between the criminal act and Islam.That is abhorrent, its terrible and it does not represent the religion in any way, shape or form or any of its teachings, Kenney said.This is a criminal with a stolen gun trying to kill one of our officers. It has nothing to do with being a Muslim.Thursdays shooting is likely to raise further concerns about the threat posed by homegrown extremists within the United States, inspired to act by IS extremists based in Iraq and Syria.Muslim community activists have already decried what they call an unprecedented anti-Muslim backlash in the wake of the Paris attacks.Elsewhere on Friday, two suspects with alleged ties to the IS group were due to appear in court in California and Texas.Aws Mohammed Younis al-Jayab, an Iraqi-born Palestinian, was arrested on Thursday and came to the United States from Syria as a refugee in 2012.He is accused of fighting in Syria for various terror groups.Another Iraqi-born Palestinian, Omar Faraj Saeed Al Hardan, was due to make an initial court appearance after being indicted in Texas for providing material support to the IS group.The head of the FBI, James Comey, told lawmakers last year that upwards of 200 Americans have traveled or attempted to travel to Syria to join IS extremists.

UN council condemns 'heinous' IS attack in Libya

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UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - The UN Security Council on Friday strongly condemned the heinous suicide bombing claimed by Islamic State extremists that killed dozens in Libya and called on rival groups to speed up the formation of a unity government.More than 50 people were killed in the attack on Thursday on a police training school in the coastal city of Zliten, a security source said, in the deadliest single attack in Libya since the fall of Moamer Kadhafi.The 15-member council described the suicide bombing as a heinous act and said those responsible should be brought to justice.It also condemned a separate attack the same day on a checkpoint in Ras Lanouf, home to a key oil terminal, in which six people died including a baby.The council urged all parties in Libya to join efforts to combat the threat posed by transnational terrorist groups exploiting Libya for their own agenda by urgently implementing the Libyan political agreement setting up the unity government, said a statement.The United Nations brokered the unity government deal that was signed by politicians last month, but the agreement does not have the full backing of Libyas rival parliaments.Libya has had rival administrations since August 2014, when an Islamist-backed militia alliance overran Tripoli, forcing the government to take refuge in the east.EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini on Friday met in Tunis with the prime minister-designate of the new unity government, Fayez al-Sarraj, and unveiled a 100-million-euro aid package.

3 European tourists hurt in Egypt attack, assailant killed

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CAIRO (AFP) - Three European tourists were slightly wounded Thursday in an attack on a hotel at Egypts Red Sea resort of Hurghada, police said, adding that one armed assailant was killed and another injured.The tourists -- two Austrians and a Swede -- have suffered knife wounds but they are in stable condition, said health ministry spokesman Khaled Megahed.The assailants were armed with knives when they attacked the hotel, police said.One of the assailants was killed and the other seriously wounded, a police official said earlier, adding that security forces had foiled the attack.He said the tourists had been slightly wounded.A statement from the interior ministry said the assailants had tried to enter the hotel from its restaurant on the street front.The attack comes a day after a gang of youths hurled fireworks and birdshot at a bus and police guarding a Cairo hotel on Thursday, without hurting anyone, according to officials and witnesses.A security official said about 40 Arab Israelis were inside waiting to board a bus when that attack occurred.The Islamic State group on Friday claimed responsibility for that attack.IS also claimed responsibility for downing a Russian passenger plane on October 31 after it took off from the airport of Sharm el-Sheikh, another Egyptian Red Sea resort, killing all 224 people on board.But Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has dismissed the claim as propaganda and promised a transparent probe into the Russian plane tragedy.He also promised that the government would support Egypts vital tourism industry, which has plunged since the Russian plane crash.The country has been roiled by mainly jihadist violence since the army, then led by Sisi, ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013.The attacks have largely focused on security forces in reprisal for a fierce crackdown on Morsi supporters.

Anti-Saudi protests in Iran as row smoulders

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TEHRAN (AFP) - Anti-Saudi demonstrators took to the streets of Tehran on Friday to protest Riyadhs execution of a prominent Shia cleric and after Iran accused its rival of bombing its embassy in Yemen.The Saudi minorty also protested in the city of Qatif, near the hometown of the sheikh, Nimr al-Nimr, while in the Pakistani capital 1,500 people rallied against his execution.The festering diplomatic crisis in the Middle East has raised sectarian tensions across the region and complicated efforts to resolve conflicts in Syria and Yemen.In a development that could further strain relations, Saudi media reported Friday that four Iranians would go on trial in the kingdom, one for spying and the other three for terrorism.Around 1,000 protestors marched through Tehran chanting slogans against Riyadhs ruling family, according to an AFP photographer.Others shouted death to America and death to Israel, frequent rallying cries at demonstrations in Iran.Some carried placards with the picture of Nimr, the cleric and activist whose execution by Saudi Arabia on Saturday unleashed a wave of anger across the world.Relations between the longtime adversaries hit a fresh low Thursday when Iran accused Saudi warplanes of deliberately targeting its embassy in Sanaa, damaging the property and seriously wounding a security guard.The Saudi-led coalition battling Iran-backed rebels in Yemen denied the attack, but Tehran said it would take the matter to the UN Security Council.Saudi Arabia is responsible for the security of our diplomats and of our embassy in Sanaa, Irans Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said.The coalition said there had been no operations near the embassy, which was safe and has not been damaged.The Yemeni conflict, which pits the rebels known as Huthis against pro-government forces backed by Riyadh and other Gulf Arab states, is one of the main sources of dispute between Saudi Arabia and Iran.Crimes against MuslimsDuring weekly prayers in Tehran, influential cleric Ayatollah Mohammad Emami Kashani told worshippers that Riyadh, along with Israel and the United States, was responsible for all crimes committed against Muslims.The Zionist regime plans, the US supports and Saudi Arabia sources the necessary funds, Kashani said, according to state news agency IRNA.Pictures from the city of Qatif showed what appeared to be hundreds of demonstrators, many clad in black.Around 1,500 people also rallied against the execution in Islamabad, Pakistan.Nimr was executed along with 46 other prisoners that Riyadh said were terrorists.In response, protesters in Iran stormed and set fire to the Saudi embassy in Tehran and consulate in the second city of Mashhad.Iran denounced those attacks, but the repercussions quickly rippled across the region and beyond with Saudi allies Bahrain, Djibouti, Somalia and Sudan following Riyadhs example and cutting diplomatic ties with Tehran.At the same time, the United Arab Emirates has downgraded relations with Iran, while Kuwait and Qatar have recalled their ambassadors.Iran hit back Thursday by announcing a ban on imports from the kingdom, which will reportedly affect goods worth about $40 million (36.7 million euros).The latest crisis threatens a fragile UN-backed initiative to end the war in Yemen, where the world body says at least 2,795 civilians have been killed since March.Special UN envoy for Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed arrived in Riyadh Friday to meet Yemeni Prime Minister Khaled Bahah, the governments delegation to the talks and political party leaders, as well as senior Saudi officials, the UN said in Geneva.Iran and Saudi Arabia also support opposing sides in Syria. Tehran is providing military assistance to close ally President Bashar al-Assad against rebel groups, some backed by Saudi Arabia.The growing tensions have heaped doubt on a UN-backed plan that foresees talks between the Syrian sides this month in a bid to end a war that has claimed more than a quarter of a million lives.The roadmap, adopted by the UN Security Council, calls for creation of a transitional government within six months and elections within 18 months.Saudi media said that the four Iranians set to stand trial in Saudi Arabia were arrested in 2013 and 2014, but they were not identified nor were the charges against them spelled out.

UN Security Council to discuss aid to besieged Syria towns

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UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - The UN Security Council will meet Monday to weigh urgent efforts to deliver badly needed aid to three besieged towns in Syria, the council presidency said Friday.Syrias government has authorized UN aid deliveries to the towns, including Madaya, which is northwest of Damascus and near the Lebanese border.At least 23 people in a health center there supported by Medecins Sans Frontieres have starved since December 1, the group said on its website, adding that many more are at risk. Six of the dead were aged one year or less.A first round of relief deliveries was expected to arrive over the weekend, UN officials said.Madaya, surrounded by pro-government forces, is in dire need of medical supplies as well as food. The other two towns, Fuaa and Kafraya in the northwest, are besieged by rebels.Spain and New Zealand on Friday asked that the 15-member council receive a report Monday on the UN aid effort.

Pakistan to merge stock exchanges to form single bourse

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KARACHI (AFP) - Pakistans benchmark Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) will become the Pakistan Stock Exchange next week after merging with two other bourses to become the single share trading entity in the country, officials said Friday.The merger of the Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad Stock Exchanges into the PSX could pave the way for more foreign investor interest, observers said.All the three stock exchanges are being merged into a single national stock exchange from Monday, LSE chief Aftab Chaudhry told AFP.The merger will help in selling the exchange to a strategic buyer as part of the demutualisation plan, said Mohammad Sohail, chief of Topline Securities, a Karachi-based investment house.Under the plan the PSX would become a listed company on the exchange with 40 percent of its shares offered to foreign buyers -- 20 percent in an initial public offering (IPO) and the remaining 40 percent allocated to listed brokers.Foreign investors can already trade on the existing exchanges, but the new bourse would be better organised with greater international links, observers said.The new buyer would be likely to introduce new derivatives and would facilitate new listings, providing much needed depth and breadth in the market, Sohail said.The KSE was set up in 1947 with only five listed companies and a market capitalisation of just 37 million rupees ($37 million according to exchange rates at the time). It now has 572 companies listed with the total value of 6,958 billion rupees ($66 billion).

Saudi Defence Minister Muhammad Bin Salman to visit Islamabad tomorrow

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Saudi Arabian Defence Minister and Deputy Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman is expected to visit Islamabad tomorrow (Sunday), sources said.According to sources, the Saudi Defence Minister will discuss military alliance of 34 Islamic countries along with bilateral relations and the operation against terrorism. The Saudi Minister will meet with Pakistan’s political leadership and military officials.The Saudi royal Prince is the second Minister of Saudi Arabia to visit Pakistan this week.

Swine flu spreads across Punjab, 3 more patients identified in Multan

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MULTAN (Dunya News) – Swine flu appears to be spreading across Punjab as three more patients were identified in Multan who are now being treated at Nishtar hospital. Number of Swine flu patients being treated in hospitals has now risen to seven.Three year old Azra, a resident of Nasheman Colony, Multan was shifted to Nishtar hospital for treatment of the disease. Meanwhile Muzzaffargarh’s 53 year old Shehnaz and Sheikhupura’s 40 year old Farzana were also brought to the hospital after contracting the illness.Doctors have obtained blood samples of those afflicted with the sickness and have sent them to laboratories in Islamabad for analysis.

Imran Farooq murder: FIA to arrest Altaf, other suspects through Interpol

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – In an important new development, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has decided on arresting Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain and two other prime suspects of Imran Farooq murder case, Iftikhar Hussain and Muhammad Anwar, through Interpol.The decision for the arrest came after startling revelations into the case by key suspect Khalid Shamim.It has also been revealed that Shamim and other suspect Mohsin Ali did not take their lawyers into confidence before giving their confessional statements. Lawyers of both suspects have complained to the families of the accused regarding this and have indicated a withdrawal from the case for this reason.According to FIA, arrest warrants from Islamabad’s court against the three accused will be sent to London through Interpol. A request will also be made to the British government to arrest the suspects through Interpol and be handed over to Pakistan.Legal experts have stated that even though no such agreement for the custody of the accused exists between Pakistan and Britain, however it is possible that a mutually agreed deal pertaining to this issue maybe struck between both countries given the sensitivity of the case.It is pertinent to mention here that the MQM leaders have been nominated in the First Information Report (FIA) filed in Pakistan.Further Reading:FIA to seek arrest warrants against Altaf Hussain, two othersEarlier on Thursday, two prime suspects of the case, Khalid Shamim and Mohsin Ali, confessed to the crime in front of the judicial Magistrate.Shamim admitted that a key MQM personality wanted to get Farooq out of his way. He said the directives to assassinate Farooq came from London.The suspect also admitted that Kashif attacked the victim with a knife.ATC Judge Kosar Abbas Zaidi approved a 14 day judicial remand of the suspects and ordered that both suspects be brought to court again on 21st January.Further Reading:Key MQM personality wanted to get Imran Farooq out of his way: Khalid ShamimFarooq, 50, a founding member of the MQM party was stabbed and beaten to death in Edgware, northwest London in September 2010.He claimed asylum in Britain in 1999. He was wanted in Pakistan over scores of charges including torture and murder but always claimed the accusations were politically motivated.He had twice been elected an MP in Pakistan, but went into hiding in 1992 when the government ordered a military crackdown against party activists in Karachi.
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