Monday 1 February 2016

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

British woman jailed for six years for joining IS

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BIRMINGHAM (Agencies) - A mother who fled to Syria with her toddler in a bid to join Islamic State (ISIS) has been jailed for six years.Tareena Shakil, 26, from Birmingham, took her son to the capital of the caliphate in Raqqa in October 2014.During her two-week trial at Birmingham Crown Court, the jury were shown tweets, messages and photographs from her, including images of the black flag of ISIS and passages calling on people to ‘take up arms’, and stating her wish to become a ‘martyr’.Photographs recovered from Shakil’s phone showed images of her wearing an IS balaclava, and posing with firearms.The jury heard Shakil, formerly of Burton-upon-Trent, Staffordshire, told her family she was going to Turkey for a beach holiday with her young son but secretly travelled across the border into Syria after wishing to live under Sharia law.She told the court she returned to the UK in February last year after realising she had ‘made a mistake’ and was arrested at Heathrow Airport.Sentencing the bright former college student, Judge Melbourne Inman said: ‘You embraced ISIS, you sent messages on the day of your arrival in Syria that you were not coming back and by October 28 you were sending a message to your brother-in-law that it was part of your faith to kill the murtadeen (apostates) and on December 9 you told your father you wanted to die a martyr.’The judge told Shakil it was clear she had been radicalised following online conversations with prominent members of the terrorist group, including Fabio Pocas.He said: You had followed tweets and other statements from radical preachers and terrorists and formed your views from those and from discussions you had with a known terrorist, and who you described as being involved in the training of terrorist fighters for ISIS.As an unmoving Shakil looked on from the secure dock, the judge said she had planned her flight to the de facto IS capital of Raqqa and researched travelling without arousing suspicion.Exactly what occurred in Raqqa is far from clear, he added.You told lie after lie to the police and in court between February and November 2015, including that you were kidnapped, were not responsible for any tweets and any incriminating photographs were staged against your will.You pleaded not guilty and told more lies to the jury which they have understandably rejected.The judge described Shakils decision to involve her young son, 14 months old at the time of travel, as a serious aggravating factor.Most alarming, however, is the fact that you took your son and how he was used, he said.The most abhorrent photographs, however, were those taken of your son wearing a balaclava with an ISIS logo and specifically the photograph of your son, no more than a toddler, standing next to an AK47 under a title which, translated from the Arabic, means father of the British jihad.Shakil had also encouraged other women to join her in Raqqa.

UN envoy declares start of Syria peace talks

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GENEVA (AFP) - The UN envoy for Syria on Monday declared the official start of peace negotiations in Switzerland aimed at charting a way out of the brutal and tangled civil war that has killed more than 260,000 people.Speaking after his first formal meeting in Geneva with the main opposition grouping, Staffan de Mistura said that indirect talks between the government and the opposition are now starting officially.The Swedish-Italian diplomat said he expected the talks to be complicated and difficult, but that Syrias people deserved to see something concrete, apart from a long, painful negotiation.He said he could not say how long he expected a first round of talks to last, but said he hoped the negotiations would achieve something by February 11.The main opposition High Negotiations Committee (HNC), here since late Saturday, had been reluctant about committing to a hoped-for six months of proximity talks, using go-betweens to negotiate with the government of President Bashar al-Assad.The group had demanded that before starting talks humanitarian aid must get through to besieged cities and Russian and regime bombardment of civilians must stop, along with the release of prisoners.In an apparent goodwill gesture, Syrias government agreed in principle Monday to allow aid into three besieged towns, including starvation-struck Madaya, the UN said. And HNC spokesman Salem al-Meslet sounded upbeat after the meeting with de Mistura, vowing that his group will strive to join the political process.We came here to discuss with the special envoy UN resolution 2254, lifting the sieges and stopping the crimes done by Russian air strikes in Syria, and I believe we received positive messages, he said.The highly complex, almost five-year-old Syrian war has forced half of Syrias population to flee their homes, with millions fleeing to neighbouring states or even risking their lives reaching Europe.The war has sucked in, on opposing sides, not only other countries in the region like Turkey and the Gulf states but also Western nations and, since September, Russia.The chaos has allowed the Islamic State extremist group -- which has claimed responsibility for atrocities around in the world including in Paris in November -- to overrun swathes of Syria and also Iraq.On Sunday the extremist Sunni group said it was a behind multiple bombings at a revered Shiite shrine south of Damascus that monitors said killed more than 70 people.In November, world powers agreed in Vienna on an ambitious roadmap that foresees six months of talks leading to a new constitution and free elections within 18 months.But they did not address the controversial question about the future of Iran and Russias ally Assad, whose forces in recent months have made progress on the ground thanks to Moscows military involvement.British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said Monday the talks must deliver a political transition away from Assad.But experts say the West is backing off from demands that Assad leave before any such transition starts, seeing him as a lesser evil than IS.The HNC said it was waiting to hear more from de Mistura after he meets with the delegation representing Assads government on Tuesday.On Sunday the governments chief negotiator, Bashar al-Jaafari, denounced the HNC as not serious.We do not know who is the other side. They dont even have a final list (of negotiators), said Syrias tall and stern ambassador to the UN.In particular, the government objects to the inclusion in the HNC -- backed by Washington and in particular by Irans arch rival Saudi Arabia -- of rebels who it sees as terrorists.One of these, the HNCs chief negotiator, is Mohammed Alloush from the powerful Islamist armed rebel group Army of Islam, or Jaish al-Islam, who arrived in Geneva late Monday.We came to find a solution, Alloush said after arriving, adding however: There is no common ground with the regime. The regime wants to eliminate the opposition. He did not confirm whether he would be meeting with de Mistura in the coming days. In a potentially hopeful sign, Western diplomats said Sunday that Riad Hijab, the head of the HNC and a former Syrian prime minister, was also due in Geneva soon.Outside powers were also in Geneva keeping a close eye on proceedings, with Jaafari reportedly meeting with the Russian ambassador, and Western envoys touching base with the opposition.A US official said that Anne Patterson, US assistant secretary for Near Eastern Affairs and US Syria envoy Michael Ratney met with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov on Monday in Geneva.Patterson urged Russia to use its influence with the Assad regime to push for full humanitarian access to all Syrians in need, the official said.

Taliban suicide bomber kills 20 police outside Kabul base

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KABUL (AFP) - Twenty policemen were killed Monday when a Taliban suicide bomber struck their base in Kabul, officials said, just days before a fresh round of international talks aimed at reviving dialogue with the Islamist group.Scores of people were also wounded as the attacker blew himself up in a queue of police officers waiting to enter the base, leaving several bodies and charred debris strewn around the area.The carnage marks one of the worst attacks on Afghan forces in recent months, despite a renewed international push to restart formal peace talks which stalled last year.As a result of the terrorist attack near the Afghan National Civil Order Police headquarters... 20 people were martyred and 29 others were wounded, the interior ministry said in a statement.A senior ministry source told AFP that all of those killed were policemen, and at least three critically wounded officers were battling for their lives in hospital. The health ministry said some of those wounded were hit in the chest by flying shrapnel.Ambulances rushed to the scene, which was cordoned off by authorities after the bombing that coincides with the Talibans unprecedented winter offensive.The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, with insurgent spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claiming on Twitter that up to 40 police were killed and wounded.Once again, terrorists have targeted a populated area with no regard for innocent lives, NATO said in a statement, adding that civilians were among those wounded.The Taliban have no plan for the development of Afghanistan. Targeting those who defend their fellow Afghans does not advance the cause of peace.The carnage comes just ahead of a third round of four-country roadmap talks trying to lay the groundwork for direct dialogue between Kabul and the Islamist group.Delegates from Afghanistan, Pakistan, China and the United States are set to convene in Islamabad on February 6 in a bid to seek a negotiated end to the Taliban insurgency, now in its fifteenth year. The Taliban have stepped up attacks on government and foreign targets in Afghanistan this winter, when fighting usually abates, underscoring a worsening security situation.Afghan security forces have suffered record casualties since NATO ended its combat mission in December 2014, leaving them to battle the resurgent Taliban largely on their own.In recent months the Taliban briefly captured the northern city of Kunduz, the first urban centre to fall to the insurgents, and have seized territory in the opium-growing southern province of Helmand.Observers say the intensifying insurgency highlights a push by the militants to seize more territory in an attempt to wrangle greater concessions during talks.Pakistan -- the Talibans historic backers -- hosted a milestone first round of talks directly with the Taliban in July.But the negotiations stalled when the insurgents belatedly confirmed the death of longtime leader Mullah Omar, sparking infighting within the group.The first and second round of the four-country talks were held last month in Islamabad and Kabul respectively.

Thirteen students on picnic drown in India beach tragedy

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MUMBAI (AFP) - A college picnic to the beach turned into a tragedy on Monday when at least thirteen students drowned off Indias west coast after they went swimming, police and officials said.The tragedy was the latest drowning incident in India, where many people are unable to swim and lax safety standards mean beaches are often without lifeguards.Dozens of students from Pune city were on an excursion to Murud beach in the Raigad district of the western Indian state of Maharashtra when disaster struck on Monday.A total of 155 students from Pune went to Murud main beach and some of them went swimming around 3.30 pm (1000 GMT) this afternoon, assistant inspector of Raigad police Arvind Patil told AFP.Thirteen students are dead due to drowning. The victims were all aged between 19 and 23, Patil said, adding that 10 women and three had men died.The victims were enrolled at Abeda Inamdar College, an arts, science and commerce institute in Pune. P. A. Inamdar, a trustee at the college, told AFP that the students had been on a picnic to Murud, which had been arranged by the educational institute.They were on an excursion and must have gone into the sea against the advice of the teachers. They were swept away by the tides, Inamdar said.He said that 14 people had drowned, ten women and four men, although police insisted that the death toll was still at 13 late on Monday.Inamdar said all other students had been accounted for while Patil also said everyone else on the excursion was safe after a massive rescue operation involving the Indian coast guard and navy.Commander Rahul Sinha, a spokesman for the navy, said up to 18 students had got into difficulty in the water and that six of them had been rescued and taken to hospital. Murud sits on the Konkan coast, which has dozens of beaches popular with locals who prefer it to the internationally renowned tourist state of Goa.Murud is around 140 kilometres (90 miles) south of Mumbai.Inamdar said between eight and ten college staff had accompanied the students on their trip and he had been told that there hadnt been any lifeguards on duty at the time of the tragedy.I dont think there were lifeguards on the beach. That is the basic problem, he said.In a statement, the governor of Maharashtra, C. Vidyasagar Rao, expressed his condolences to the families of those who died.I am deeply aggrieved and shocked to know about the drowning of 13 students... who had gone to the Murud beach in Raigad district for a picnic, he said. My heart goes out to the near and dear ones of all students who lost their life.Mondays incident comes a few weeks after a man drowned off Mumbai trying to save a girl who fell into the sea while taking a selfie.The girl and two friends fell off rocks into the Arabian sea while clicking photos of themselves. A passerby, 37-year-old Ramesh Walanju, jumped in and helped save the two friends but was washed away by the choppy waters and his body was found floating in a nearby creek. The girl is still missing.In February 2014, 29 people died when a passenger boat capsized in the eastern state of Orissa.A month prior to that incident, 21 people were killed when a tourist boat capsized off Indias remote Andaman Islands.

Tennis: Djokovic fears only karma in Grand Slam history quest

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MELBOURNE (AFP) - Another overpowering win kept him head and shoulders above his peers at the Australian Open, but Novak Djokovic said fears of a big slap from karma make him humble as he continues his quest for Grand Slam history.The achievements keep coming for the supreme Serb after he smashed world number two Andy Murray 6-1, 7-5, 7-6 (7/3) in two hours, 53 minutes Sunday to lift his fourth trophy in five Grand Slams.It moved the 28-year-old to 11 Grand Slam titles, joint fifth on the all-time list and, at his current rate, closing fast on Roger Federers all-time record of 17.Not only has Djokovic become the first man in nearly 50 years to win six Australian titles, he has also established himself as a class apart from his main rivals: Murray, Federer and Rafael Nadal.Murray never recovered from a first set which passed in a blur 6-1 -- suffering the same fate as Nadal and Federer, who lost the first set by the same scoreline in their heavy defeats to Djokovic this year.But Djokovic said he refuses to accept that he has separated himself from the top echelon of mens tennis, previously dubbed the Big Four, although results may show otherwise.I dont want to allow myself to be in that frame of mind, he said, sitting next to the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup for the sixth time in the depths of Rod Laver Arena. Because if I do, the person becomes too arrogant and thinks that hes a higher being or better than everybody else. You can get a big slap from karma very soon. I dont want that.I try to still follow the same kind of lifestyle and routine, things that Ive been doing all these years that have been helping me to get to where I am.He added: I hope this kind of approach will help me to get to where I am. I dont want to step away from it.Djokovic said he sets no boundaries as he contemplates a career which could yet outdo anything previously achieved on a tennis court.Last year he put together one of the best seasons ever seen, winning three Grand Slam titles -- a feat he also managed three years earlier in 2011.This season, the first ever mens Golden Slam, which is the four major titles plus Olympic gold, is on the table, a fact which will not have gone unnoticed by Djokovic.But the main priority is completing the career Grand Slam by winning his first French Open title, the only big trophy to elude him last year when an inspired Stan Wawrinka left him in tears in the final.He said: Ive heard actually one nice metaphor yesterday. Its much easier for the wolf that is going uphill and running up the mountain... he was hungrier than the wolf standing on the hill.You can observe it from different sides, but I believe that all the guys that are out there fighting each week to get to number one are very hungry to get to number one, and I know that. I cant allow myself to relax and enjoy. I mean, I can. Of course I want to enjoy, and I will, but its not going to go more than few days. After that Im already thinking about how can I continue on playing well throughout the rest of the season each tournament.

Tennis: Murray insists he's not far off Djokovic

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MELBOURNE (AFP) - Andy Murray insisted he wasnt far away from matching Novak Djokovic despite his fourth defeat to the runaway world number one in the Australian Open final.Dad-to-be Murray paid the price for a slow start as he went down 6-1, 7-5, 7-6 (7/3) in a one-sided mens final Sunday which only underlined the Serbs supremacy.But Murray, before making a dash to the airport to fly home to his pregnant wife, said he felt he remained in touch with Djokovic despite their widening head-to-head statistics.I dont know how far off I was tonight. The first set, you know, I wasnt there, but the second and third sets I do think were very close, said the British world number two.I do think I could have played a bit better. I didnt think I hit my forehand as well as I could have done. When I did in the third set, that helped me out a lot.I was able to get myself into the net more. I was able to play more offensive tennis then.I mean, most of the matches we played in Slams I think have been competitive. Whether that looks the same from the outside or not, I dont know.Murrays latest defeat to Djokovic made him only the second man in the Open era -- after Ivan Lendl, his former coach -- to lose five finals at the same Grand Slam tournament.Murray lost to Roger Federer in the 2010 final, and he was also runner-up in 2011, 2013, 2015 and now 2016, watching Djokovic lift the winners trophy each time.His head-to-head record with the Serb moves to 22-9 in Djokovics favour, including 11 of their last 12 matches and their last four Grand Slam meetings, going back to Murrays Wimbledon win in 2013.Murray and Djokovic, both 28, were born a week apart and have known each other since their junior days, and while they are both at the top of mens tennis it is the Serb who has accelerated in front.Djokovic has 11 Grand Slam titles to Murrays two, 61 career trophies to 35 and $97 million in prize money compared to $44 million for the Scot.However, it seemed to matter little to the Scot, whose first priority was catching the first plane out of Melbourne to be reunited with his wife, Kim Sears.It has been a tough fortnight for Murray, who almost pulled out of the tournament when his father-in-law Nigel Sears, Ana Ivanovics coach, collapsed at Rod Laver Arena last week.Im proud that I got into this position, Murray said. Just quite looking forward to getting home now.

Tennis: Nadal gets wildcard invite to defend Buenos Aires title

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BUENOS AIRES (AFP) - Rafael Nadal has had his request for a wildcard invitation to next weeks Argentina Open accepted as the Spaniard rejigs his schedule after his shock Australian Open exit.The world number five lost in the first round of a Grand Slam for just the second time in his career to fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco in Melbourne.After his unexpectedly early departure the 29-year-old travelled to Mallorca to start training for what could be a make or break year on clay, starting now with the defence of his title in Buenos Aires.I want to thank the organisers of the Argentina Open for giving me this wild card to play in Buenos Aires, he told the ATP website from Mallorca on Monday.The times that Ive played in Argentina have been special and full of good memories because the people are some of the best in the world.I asked for this wild card after the bad result in Melbourne and I hope that Buenos Aires will once again be the start of a good run for me. I will try my best to make sure it is.Nadal strengthens the line-up in Argentina which already features world number five David Ferrer, Frances Jo-Wilfried Tsonga the number nine and 12th ranked American John Isner.After last weeks loss Nadals coach and uncle Toni Nadal raised the possibility that the 14-time Grand Slam champion may seek a new or expanded coaching team in a bid to arrest his slide in form.I understand that in sport results come first and if you have to make a change, you have to do it, Toni Nadal told Spanish radio station Cadena Cope last Wednesday.To lose so early in Australia is one of the biggest disappointments we have had because in the last four months we had been playing well.I hope it is only a blip and we move forward.

Tennis: Djokovic consolidates rankings lead after Australian Open win

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PARIS (AFP) - Novak Djokovic consolidated his big lead in the latest ATP world rankings released Monday after beating Andy Murray in the Australian Open final for the second year in a row.The Serb has now won the title at Melbourne Park six times, which is the joint record with Roy Emerson.Roger Federer closed the gap on Britains Murray in second place thanks to his run to the semi-finals, the Swiss improving on his third-round defeat to Andreas Seppi last year.The biggest mover in the top 10 was David Ferrer, who has jumped from eighth to sixth. The Spaniard lost out to Murray in the quarters Down Under, which was one round better than he managed 12 months ago.Gael Monfils took advantage of world number five Rafael Nadals shock first round exit to reach the last eight, and the Frenchman jumps up eight places in the world rankings to 17th.ATP world top 20 (as of February 1):1. Novak Djokovic (SRB) 16,790 2. Andy Murray (GBR) 8,945 3. Roger Federer (SUI) 8,795 4. Stan Wawrinka (SUI) 6,3255. Rafael Nadal (ESP) 4,8806. David Ferrer (ESP) 4,325 (2) 7. Kei Nishikori (JPN) 4,2358. Tomas Berdych (CZE) 4,200 (-2) 9. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) 2,905 (1)10. Richard Gasquet (FRA) 2,760 (-1)11. Milos Raonic (CAN) 2,630 (3)12. John Isner (USA) 2,585 (-1)13. Marin Cilic (CRO) 2,495 14. Kevin Anderson (RSA) 2,305 (-2) 15. Gilles Simon (FRA) 2,235 16. David Goffin (BEL) 1,97017. Gael Monfils (FRA) 1,800 (8)18. Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP) 1,775 (3)19. Dominic Thiem (AUT) 1,725 (1)20. Bernard Tomic (AUS) 1,720 (-3).

Tennis: Kerber second in the rankings after Australian Open title

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PARIS (AFP) - Angelique Kerber has risen from sixth to second in the latest WTA world rankings released on Monday after claiming her maiden Grand Slam title at the Australian Open.The German stunned world number one Serena Williams in the final at Melbourne Park on Saturday, but the American still holds a large lead at the top of the rankings.Williams older sister Venus has slipped out of the top 10 after her first-round defeat to unseeded Briton Johanna Konta.Kerbers rise means that Simona Halep, Garbine Muguruza and Maria Sharapova have all slipped down.Spains Carla Suarez Navarro is the newest entry into the top 10 at number eight thanks to her run to the quarters.WTA world top 20 (as of February 1):1. Serena Williams (USA) 9,245 pts2. Angelique Kerber (GER) 5,700 (4)3. Simona Halep (ROM) 5,545 (-1)4. Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) 5,2105. Garbine Muguruza (ESP) 4,991 (-2)6. Maria Sharapova (RUS) 3,672 (-1)7. Flavia Pennetta (ITA) 3,611 (1)8. Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP) 3,595 (3)9. Petra Kvitova (CZE) 3,582 (-2)10. Lucie Safarova (CZE) 3,580 (-1)11. Belinda Bencic (SUI) 3,260 (2)12. Venus Williams (USA) 3,091 (-2)13. Karolina Pliskova (CZE) 3,090 (-1)14. Viktoria Azarenka (BLR) 2,935 (2)15. Timea Bacsinszky (SUI) 2,894 (-1)16. Roberta Vinci (ITA) 2,885 (-1)17. Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) 2,535 (3)18. Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) 2,51119. Jelena Jankovic (SRB) 2,505 (3) 20. Ana Ivanovic (SRB) 2,461 (3).

Golf: Worth wait as Snedeker lifts Torrey Pines trophy

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LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Brandt Snedekers stellar 69 in brutal weather on Sunday proved enough to see the American lift the trophy at a sunsplashed Torrey Pines on Monday as the weather-delayed Farmers Insurance Open concluded.Snedeker had been simply sensational on Sunday when gusting winds and spells of driving rain forced three delays and pushed scores up at Torrey Pines north of San Diego, California.Snedeker, who described it as like playing a British Open on a US Open set-up had built a 72-hole total of six-under 282 when play was halted Sunday afternoon with most of the field still to finish.Jimmy Walker was seven-under on the course, and South Korean veteran K.J. Choi at six-under, both with eight holes to play.Although the sun was out on Monday, winds were still strong enough that spectators were banned from the course -- where several trees had toppled overnight -- and neither Walker nor Choi could get into the clubhouse ahead of Snedeker -- the only player to break par in the final round.You would not imagine what was going through my head, Snedeker said of his anxious night spent worrying about the weather and whether he was really likely to find himself collecting his eighth US PGA Tour title.Snedeker was at the 18th green watching when Choi missed a long birdie attempt at his final hole that would have forced a playoff.Instead he settled for a par and a 76 that gave him solo second on 283, one shot in front of Kevin Streelman who posted a 74 for 284.Walker closed with a 77 for 285 that put him equal fourth with Swedens Freddie Jacobsen, who carded a final-round 76.Snedeker, who started the final round on Sunday morning six shots off the pace, said it was unbelievable to find himself hoisting the trophy.I thought I was out of the tournament starting on Sunday morning, he said.Perhaps he should have known better, however, since he won the 2012 title at Torrey Pines despite heading into the final round seven shots off the lead.

All private schools in Punjab to reopen today

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LAHORE (Dunya News) - All private schools of Punjab will reopen today (Tuesday) after successful negotiations between Punjab government and private school owners, Dunya News reported.According to the details, it was decided during negotiations with private school owners on Sunday to open schools on Monday which had been closed due to security reasons on January 26 but the administrations of Beaconhouse, LGS, The City School, Lacas, Learning Alliance, Educators, Smart School, TNS, Salamat Schools, Newlands, Gymboree Play & Music and Lahore PreSchool did not accept the decision.During the negotiations on Monday these schools also accepted government’s stance and agreed to start their educational activities in the province. The President of All Pakistan Private Schools Federation has also confirmed the opening of schools.

Swine flu claims two lives in Karachi

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KARACHI (Dunya News) - According to details, 83-year-old Amin Bawani died in a private hospital on January 16 while one year-oil Salma died on January 31.The laboratory tests have confirmed that death of both the patients was caused by swine flu. Director Health Services Karachi Zafar Ejaz says the swine flu has been confirmed in both the cases, however the patients lost their lives as they also suffered from pneumonia.

Extension in Rangers' powers: Sindh Govt to send summary to Centre today

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KARACHI (Dunya News) - Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar and Chief Minister (CM) Sindh Qaim Ali Shah agreed to issue a notification about extension in Rangers’ powers with consensus. Sindh Government will send summary for extension in Rangers’ powers in the province to the Federal Government today (Tuesday), Dunya News reported.Earlier, Chaudhry Nisar phoned CM Sindh Qaim Ali Shah on Monday and both the leaders agreed to issue a notification about extension in Rangers’ powers with consensus.Interior Minister Ch Nisar said that all efforts would be made to address reservations of the Sindh government. He also asked the Sindh government to issue a new notification regarding extension in Rangers powers which are set to expire in a few days.Qaim Ali Shah assured Nisar that he will send a requisition within next 24 hours.CM Sindh, on this occasion, once again told the Interior Minister that Sindh government is still looking forward to his visit, to which Nisar said that he would soon visit Karachi and all efforts would be made to address reservations of the Sindh government.

WHO declares international health emergency over Zika

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GENEVA (AFP) - The World Health Organization on Monday said a surge in serious birth defects in South America was strongly suspected of being caused by the Zika virus and constituted an international health emergency.The UN health body said that a surge in cases of microcephaly -- a devastating condition in which a baby is born with an abnormally small head and brain -- was likely caused by the mosquito-borne Zika virus and declared the situation a public health emergency of international concern.The WHO is under pressure to move swiftly to tackle Zika, after admitting it was slow to respond to the recent Ebola outbreak that ravaged parts of west Africa.WHO chief Margaret Chan said a meeting of health experts who make up the agencys emergency committee had agreed a causal relationship between the Zika infection during pregnancy and microcephaly is strongly suspected, though not scientifically proven.The clusters of microcephaly and other neurological complications constitute an extraordinary event and a public health threat to other parts of the world, she said.WHO warned last week that the mosquito-borne virus was spreading explosively in the Americas, and said the region could see up to four million Zika cases this year alone.For decades after Zika was first discovered in Uganda in 1947 the mosquito-borne virus was of little concern, sporadically causing mild illness in human populations.But although the symptoms of virus have until now appeared benign, growing indications of a link to microcephaly and a rare neurological disorder called Guillain-Barre syndrome have stirred growing alarm.Zika alone would not be a public health emergency of international concern, explained David Heymann, who chaired Mondays WHO emergency committee meeting.He stressed the urgent need to scientifically establish whether the clusters of microcephaly and Guillain Barre are caused by Zika, but acknowledged that it will take time.In the meantime, Chan said, the world could not put off coordinating measures to protect against the spread of Zika, in the affected region and beyond.Brazil was the first to sound the alarm in the current crisis, warning in October that a rash of microcephaly cases had emerged in the northeast. It has since become the worst affected country, with some 4,000 suspected cases of microcephaly, of which 270 have been confirmed, up from 147 in 2014.WHO said Monday that French Polynesia had also seen a spike in microcephaly cases during a Zika outbreak there two years ago.As alarm grows over the surge in number of cases, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Jamaica and Puerto Rico have warned women to delay conceiving until the Zika outbreak is brought under control.Colombia, which has reported more than 20,000 Zika infections, including 2,100 in pregnant women, meanwhile warned Monday it was expecting an explosion of cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome, a serious condition affecting the nervous system.We are currently talking about a rate of 2.3 cases of Guillain-Barre for every 1,000 patients with Zika. That is quite a lot, Health Minister Alejandro Gaviria said on Colombian radio.Since Colombia is forecasting about 657,000 cases of Zika during the epidemic, it expects over 1,500 cases of Guillain-Barre, he said.Panama meanwhile said Monday it had registered 50 Zika cases, and jitters over the virus have spread far beyond the affected areas to Europe and North America, where dozens of cases have been identified among people returning from holiday or business trips.WHO is looking to take resolute action on Zika after coming in for stinging criticism over its initially sluggish response to the devastating west Africa Ebola outbreak.Ebola, which has killed more than 11,000 people in west Africa since late 2013, was declared a global health emergency in August 2014 and continues to carry that label. WHO on Monday stressed to need up work to improve diagnostics and develop a vaccine for Zika -- for which there is currently no treatment.The virus is transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which also spreads dengue fever, and which is found everywhere in the Americas except Canada and Chile. Chan said efforts to ward off Zika infections, including getting rid of stagnant water where mosquitos easily breed, and using personal protection against mosquito bites such as using repellant and sleeping under mosquito nets, could not wait.WHO meanwhile refrained from issuing travel warnings, although Chan hinted that pregnant women might want to avoid travel to Zika-affected areas, if possible.

Oil prices fall on weak China data, dimming deal hopes

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NEW YORK (AFP) - Oil prices tumbled Monday following disappointing Chinese economic data and doubts about an imminent deal of major petroleum producers to cut output.US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for March delivery dropped $2 to $31.62 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent North Sea crude for April delivery shed $1.75 at $34.24 a barrel in London.Chinas official purchasing managers index, which tracks activity in factories and workshops, fell to 49.4 in January, its lowest level since August 2012 and well below the 50 mark that separates growth from contraction.It was the sixth consecutive month the Chinese manufacturing PMI has signaled contraction, adding to concerns about slowing growth in the worlds largest energy consumer.Analysts said traders were also increasingly skeptical of a potential deal anytime soon between Russia and members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries to cut output in the glutted petroleum market. Talk of such a deal had helped left oil prices last week, but has little credibility, said a note from Morgan Stanley. The market is quite convinced were not going to see anything immediately, said Bart Melek, head of commodity strategy at TD Securities. Were in a situation where the supply side isnt likely to contract because of no OPEC-Russia agreement and then you have a new risk emerging that Chinese demand isnt going to be there, he said.Analysts said some of the selling was also spurred by profit taking after oil prices rose in the last two weeks following a lengthy slide.Excess supply and weak demand have pushed oil prices from above $100 a barrel in July 2014 to todays levels slightly above $30 a barrel.
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