Saturday, 30 April 2016

Dunya TV

Dunya TV


Woman suffers serious burns as unknown assailants hurl acid

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BAHAWALNAGAR (Dunya News) – A 27 year old woman in Bahawalnagar suffered serious burns Saturday as unknown assailants riding on a motorcycle hurled acid at her. The woman has been shifted to District Hospital in critical condition.The woman had arrived in Hafizabad village of Bahawalnagar for prayer. According to the police, two unknown youngsters riding a motorcycle stopped near her, attacked her with acid and then fled the scene. Doctors have said that the woman’s 35% part of the body has been burnt by the acid.The woman works as a hostess in private bus company.

Multan: Mother, 3 children suffer burns in acid attack

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MULTAN (Dunya News) – A mother and her children suffered burns when attacked by unknown assailants with acid. The incident occurred in Chuk Sardar area of Shujabad, Multan.According to the details, unknown assailants emptied a jar of acid on the mother and her children while they were sleeping in their home.The mother and her 14 year old daughter have been shifted to the emergency ward of Nishtar hospital, while 2 other children are under treatment in Civil Hospital Shujabad.According to police officials, action will only be conducted at the request of the father of the children.

US woman sentenced to 100 years for cutting baby from stranger's womb

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - A judge in Colorado has sentenced a woman to 100 years in prison for cutting an eight-month-old baby from a strangers womb with kitchen knives, local media reported.The sentence included the maximum penalties for attempted murder and unlawful termination of a pregnancy, which Judge Maria Berkenkotter said on Friday reflected the brutality of last years attack.A jury in February found Dynel Lane guilty of attempting to kill Michelle Wilkins by beating, stabbing and choking her after luring her to her home by posting an advertisement for maternity clothes on Craigslist, the online classified listings service.Prosecutors could not charge Lane with murdering the baby because a coroner found no evidence it had survived outside the womb.Lane, 36, had faked a pregnancy for months, deceiving her husband David Ridley, whom she had told would be the babys father.You embrace your narcissistic fantasy to live the lie you created, and it was more important than my life and my daughters life, the Times-Call quoted Wilkins as saying on the witness stand.The court in Boulder heard that Lane had posted photos of herself online in which she had appeared pregnant and that she had sent Ridley ultrasound images she had downloaded from the Internet.However, he had grown suspicious about her claims and pressured her to see a doctor, media reported.Lane lured Wilkins, 26 at the time, to her house in the city of Longmont, north of Denver, in March 2015.Prosecutors said that when Wilkins went into the basement to look at baby clothes, Lane hit her and tried to choke and smother her before cutting the baby from her womb, the Times-Call reported.She left Wilkins on the floor unconscious while she took the baby to a hospital with Ridley -- who lived with Lane and her two daughters -- saying she had suffered a miscarriage, media reported.Wilkins later regained consciousness and managed to call police. Reported to have been barely alive when she arrived at the hospital, she survived after an operation.Lane has expressed no remorse for the attack. Asked in court if she wanted to speak, she said no.However, her lawyer said she had been seriously affected by the death of her son in 2002, when he drowned in what was ruled to be an accident, the Times-Call reported.Prosecutors inability to charge Lane with murdering Wilkins baby prompted Colorado Republicans to introduce legislation that would have allowed a murder charge.However, Democrats rejected the bill, the third time the proposal failed in Colorado.But 38 other states have made killing a fetus a homicide.

Obama takes final bow at star-studded Washington dinner

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WASHINGTON (Dunya News) -With seven performances under his belt, U.S. President Barack Obama will try one last time to bring the house down at the annual White House correspondents dinner on Saturday, a night of playful ribbing of both politicians and the news media.The black-tie event, which Obama has previously joked is a night when Washington celebrates itself, brings together journalists and media moguls, Hollywood stars and policy wonks and the powerbrokers from Capitol Hill.For Obama, who is scheduled to speak around 10:20 p.m. ET (0220 GMT Sunday), it will be his final correspondents dinner as a sitting president. Comedian Larry Wilmore, who hosts a show on the cable outlet Comedy Central, will take to the podium after the presidents remarks.White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters on Friday not to rule out surprises from Obama, who has polished his comedic timing over seven prior dinner appearances.I know that the president will certainly poke a little fun at himself, Earnest said, adding that he thought some good-natured ribbing of his friends will occur as well.In previous years, Obama has taken on Washington gridlock, political rivals and presidential hopefuls with usually light-hearted, but sometimes pointed, jokes.Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump, who wont be at the dinner, could surface in Obamas monologue.Back in 2011, when Trump was weighing a 2012 presidential run and was in the ballroom, Obama skewered him for questioning whether the president was born in the United States. He then speculated about the change the real estate mogul would bring to the White House, including bikini-clad women in the front fountain and gold columns by the entryway.Wilmore, who has been working on his jokes with a small team for the last month, said he plans to talk about the presidential election and Obamas legacy. Ill definitely bring up race, Wilmore, who is African-American, told cable network C-SPAN. Thats going to be an issue in a lot of different ways.The dinner, a long-standing tradition, has morphed from a relatively low-key gathering of journalists and their sources into a glamorous red-carpet affair.Invitees this year include singer Aretha Franklin, actor Morgan Freeman and Super Bowl MVP Von Miller of the Denver Broncos. Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders is expected to attend, but his rival Hillary Clinton is not.The dinner has drawn criticism from some who feel that partying with sources is not conducive to hard-hitting journalism.

Istanbul braces for police lockdown on May Day

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ISTANBUL (AFP) - Istanbul braced for a major security lockdown for May Day on Sunday, with almost 25,000 police on duty and numerous roads closed for an occasion that regularly sees clashes between Turkish protesters and police.The Istanbul governors office said in a statement Saturday that in order to provide for the security of citizens on labour day, 24,500 members of the Turkish security forces would be on duty in the city.The metro station on the main Taksim Square will be completely closed and the station at the end of the main shopping street Istiklal Caddesi will be closed to exiting passengers.Security measures are already evident in Taksim Square -- a focus for protests in the past -- with metal security barriers lining the roads and dozens of anti-riot police present, an AFP correspondent said.Numerous roads -- in particular those leading to Taksim -- will also be closed, it added.The authorities, as in previous years, have refused to allow an officially-approved demonstration to take place on Taksim Square, meaning clashes are highly probable.The Hurriyet daily reported that police have requested all bars and clubs in the Beyoglu area around Taksim -- a popular nightlife spot -- close at midnight overnight Saturday to Sunday for the sake of public order ahead of the protests.Trade unions and labour groups are being allowed to hold an official demonstration on a market site in the outlying district of Bakirkoy, close to the citys main airport.But this is unlikely to attract the attention of the anti-government leftists who will likely try to protest in areas around Taksim and Besiktas on the Bosphorus.May Day comes at a time of particular tension in Turkey after a succession of deadly attacks this year blamed on jihadists and Kurdish militants.Controversy is also growing over the rule of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whom critics accuse of increasingly authoritarian tendencies.Several foreign missions have warned their citizens over the risk of violence in Istanbul on May 1, with the US embassy warning of the potential for violent confrontation between demonstrators and security personnel.On May 1 last year, Turkish police used water cannon and tear gas to disperse May Day protesters in Istanbul, while police and demonstrators engaged in pitched battles in some areas.Parliament last year passed a controversial security bill giving the police greater powers to crack down on protests.Taksim has been a flashpoint for clashes on Labour Day since dozens of people were killed there on May 1, 1977 when modern Turkey was going through one of its most turbulent periods.

IS claims killing of Hindu tailor in Bangladesh

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TANGAIL (AFP) - The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the murder of a Hindu tailor in central Bangladesh on Saturday, according to a US-based monitoring group, amid a rise in attacks on religious minorities in the Muslim-majority nation.Elements from the Islamic State assassinated a Hindu in the city of Tangail in Bangladesh by stabbing him to death, the IS-affiliated Amaq news agency said, citing a source, according to SITE Intelligence Group.He was known for blaspheming the (Peace Be Upon Him), Amaq said in the Arabic message.Police officials told AFP they were investigating whether the killing was linked to extremist militants or was tied to a family dispute.They came on a motorcycle and attacked him as he sat on a roadside. They hacked him on his head, neck and hand, deputy chief of Tangail district police Aslam Khan said.Bangladesh is reeling from a series of brutal attacks on members of minority faiths, secularists, foreigners and intellectuals in recent months, including two gay activists and a liberal professor in the past eight days alone.Many of the killings have been blamed on or claimed by extremist groups and in several cases attackers riding motorbikes hacked the victims to death with machetes or cleavers.However, the government denies that international terrorist groups such as IS or Al-Qaeda have a presence in the country, instead blaming homegrown militants for the killings.Local Muslims had in 2012 filed a complaint with police against Joarder, who owned a tailoring shop, for making derogatory comments about the Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him).He was charged with hurting religious sentiments and spent three weeks in jail.But the trial did not proceed after the complainants withdrew the charges, Abdul Jalil, the police chief of Gopalpur sub-district told AFP.Another official said that the dispute appeared to have ended peacefully, adding that the victims family said he was also being threatened by a relative.Arrests in Christian killingSeparately, police said Saturday they had arrested two members of a banned extremist militant outfit, Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) in the case of a Christian convert brutally hacked to death in March.The JMB men are suspects in the murder of Hossain Ali Sarker, Kurigram district police chief Tobarak Ullah told AFP, adding that the arrests were made two days ago.IS group has in recent months claimed responsibility for the killing of Christians, Hindu priests and members of the minority faiths in Bangladesh.In February suspected militants decapitated a top Hindu priest inside a temple complex in one of the countrys northern districts, in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group.The murders come amid a long-running political crisis that some suggest has radicalised opponents of the government. Analysts say terrorists now pose a growing danger in the South Asian country.At least 30 members of religious minorities, secular activists, foreigners and intellectuals have been murdered in Bangladesh in the past three years.Hindus, the countrys largest religious minority, make up nearly 10 percent of Bangladeshs 160 million people.

84 migrants still missing after boat sinks off Libya: IOM

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ROME (AFP) - Eighty-four migrants are still missing after an inflatable craft sank off the coast of Libya, according to survivors cited by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Saturday.Twenty-six people were rescued from the boat which sank on Friday, and were questioned overnight. According to testimonies gathered by IOM in Lampedusa 84 people went missing, IOM spokesman in Italy Flavio Di Giacomo wrote on his Twitter feed.Earlier Saturday Italys coastguard said an Italian cargo ship had rescued 26 migrants from a flimsy boat sinking off the coast of Libya but voiced fears that tens more could be missing.The coastguard received a call from a satellite phone late Friday that helped locate the stricken inflatable and called on the merchant ship to make a detour to the area about four miles (seven kilometres) off the Libyan coast near Sabratha.The nationalities of the rescued migrants, who were transferred to a coastguard vessel and taken to the Italian island of Lampedusa, were not immediately known.More than 350,000 people fleeing conflict and poverty have reached Italy on boats from Libya since the start of 2014, as Europe battles its biggest migration crisis since World War II.

Building collapse kills at least two in India's Mumbai

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MUMBAI (AFP) - A three-storey building collapsed in Indias Mumbai on Saturday, killing at least two people and injuring five, local authorities told AFP.Rescue work was ongoing at the site in the financial capital as local police said they feared five or six people still lay trapped under the rubble.We received five patients from the site of the collapsed building, said a duty officer at JJ Hospital in Mumbai, one of two hospitals where the injured were taken.Two of them were brought in dead and the other three are critical with severe head and fracture injuries.Local media reports said the building housed a beer bar and a factory.A senior police official in the city gave a lower death toll, saying one person had been killed and at least five injured, but said rescue work was still ongoing.We are trying to ascertain if five or six people are actually trapped under the rubble, Dhananjay Kulkarni, a spokesman for Mumbai Police told AFP, adding that the cause of the collapse was not known.Mumbai has been hit by several deadly building collapses in recent years, often caused by shoddy construction, poor quality materials or ageing buildings.But in one of Indias most crowded and expensive cities, people still use old, dilapidated buildings because of a shortage of space.

Formula One: I'll never give up, says Hamilton as curse hits again

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SOCHI (AFP) - A crestfallen Lewis Hamilton vowed Saturday to never give up in his world title defence after another engine failure wrecked his hopes in qualifying for Sundays Russian Grand Prix.The defending three-time world champion was unable to take part in the Q3 top-ten shootout as his Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg cruised to a 24th career pole position by seven-tenths of a second.He also suffered an engine failure at the Chinese Grand Prix where he started from the back of the grid and has been involved in opening lap accidents in all three races this year.In Shanghai, he recovered from last to finish seventh. This time, he said, he only wanted just to recover from wherever I start tomorrow. Theres nothing I can do.But, you know, I never give up.Rosberg, seeking his first world title, has taken full advantage and won all three races this season to open up a 36-point lead ahead of Hamilton in the championship.This time, Hamilton suffered his power unit failure on his outlap for a second run during Q2, after topping the times in Q1.As a result, he qualified 10th, but may face a further setback if he is given a grid penalty for a change of engine ahead of Sundays race.Hamilton said the power unit problem was similar to that which he suffered in China.This was the second engine (of the season), from the last race. And the same failure I had in the last race as well. I went back out in Q2 at the end to get a feel of it and I lost the same power as I lost in China.His Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff admitted: Its a very bizarre situation. It seems like the same failure as in Shanghai, which means we have to reassess the root cause of the problem.But this is motor racing and it can happen. Lewis seems to have all the bad luck and the other side of the garage has all the luck.I hope there is no penalty for Lewis, but we need to discuss that with the FIA (International Motoring Federation) to see what we want to do and make it without a penalty.Its getting tough for Lewis now and I have no doubt he will come out of it. But, right now, he has every right to be upset.

Qatar requests 'emergency' Arab League meet on Syria

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DOHA (AFP) - Doha has requested an emergency meeting of Arab League envoys to discuss deadly Syrian regime air raids on the war-ravaged city of Aleppo, the official Qatar News Agency reported Saturday.Qatars permanent envoy at the Cairo-based pan-Arab body has requested holding a meeting to discuss the dangerous escalation in the city of Aleppo and the Syrian regime forces massacres against civilians there, said the statement on QNA.The request comes after Russia said it will not ask the Syrian regime it backs to halt air raids on Aleppo, capital of the northern province of the same name and a key battleground in the five-year Syria war.Some 250 civilians have been killed in Syrian regime air raids since April 22 or in army and rebel crossfire that has intensified despite a truce which came into force on February 27, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.Regional heavyweight Saudi Arabia late on Friday strongly condemned the raids and urged the Syrian regimes allies to take all measures needed to stop these attacks and all crimes carried out by (President) Bashar al-Assad and his supporters against the Syrian people.Through this criminal act, the tyrant of Damascus Bashar al-Assad, affirms that he is not serious in responding to the demands of the international community or in moving ahead with the ongoing talks to peacefully resolve the Syrian crisis, said a Saudi foreign ministry official in a statement on the SPA news agency.A new round of UN-backed peace talks is set to start on May 10 in Geneva.Qatar and Saudi Arabia support Syrian rebels fighting Assads Russian- and Iranian-backed regime in a conflict which has killed more than 270,000 people since it began in March 2011.

Sudan military plane crash kills all five crew: army

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KHARTOUM (AFP) - A Sudanese military plane crashed on Saturday in the state of North Kordofan, killing all five crew members on board, the army said.The Soviet-era Antonov 26, usually used in operations against rebels, crashed while landing at the airport in El Obied, the capital of North Kordofan, an army statement said.The aircraft has been destroyed and all five crew members martyred, it said. Three army officers and two soldiers were on board.The army said the crash was caused by technical problems.The air force fleet of Russian-made planes and helicopters has suffered a number of losses in recent years, with the military frequently blaming technical problems.In June 2013, two air force crew died when their helicopter crashed in war-torn Blue Nile state, just a week after another went down in conflict-plagued South Kordofan.The military relies heavily on air power in its campaign against the rebel Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) as well as in fighting rebels in war-torn Darfur in the far west.SPLM-N insurgents in Blue Nile and South Kordofan have been fighting President Omar al-Bashirs Arab-dominated Khartoum government since 2011.Rebels have often claimed to have shot down military aircraft in these regions.

Karachi: Rangers in action, 8 militant wing operatives arrested

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – Crackdown against crime and terrorists continued Saturday with Rangers in action in Karachi. Eight suspects including operatives of a militant wing were arrested during raids conducted by the security agency in several areas of the city.According to the Rangers Spokesperson, raids were conducted in Mohammadi Colony, Kala Board, Azizabad, Landhi and Golimar areas.On the other hand, citizens managed to nab a dacoit engaged in looting citizens in Buffer Zone 15-A area. Citizens thrashed the suspect severely before handing him over to the police.Police say the robber was involved in incidents of street crime in several areas of the city including the Buffer Zone.

Khawaja Asif mocks PTI leadership on Twitter

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LAHORE (Dunya News) - Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and Federal Minster Khawaja Asif on Saturday mocked Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership through a tweet, reported Dunya News.Khawaja Asif included a famous dialogue from 1975 Bollywood movie ‘Sholay’ in his tweet, adding “both of your ‘ATMs’ have offshore accounts”.Asif’s tweet comes at a time when the country’s politicians are being criticised for having accounts in offshore companies and evading taxes.Tera Kaya bane ga Kalia, Teri to dono ATMs offshore nikleen..— Khawaja M. Asif (@KhawajaMAsif) April 30, 2016 Hor raula pao....— Khawaja M. Asif (@KhawajaMAsif) April 30, 2016

PML-N leaders angered, respond to Bilawal's statements against PM

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – Leaders of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) Saturday were greatly angered by Pakisatn Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto’s statements against Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif and responded with their own rebuttals.Talking to Dunya News, Member National Assembly (MNA) Talal Chaudhry said that Bilawal is still a kid and the party does not take his statements seriously. He also responded sarcastically to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan and PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari’s alleged friendship over the fight against corruption.PML-N leader Daniyal Aziz criticised Bilawal, saying that the PPP chairman may not have talked with his father before demanding resignation from the PM.Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah also responded to Bilawal’s speech. He stated that calling PM Nawaz, who made Pakistan a nuclear power, as a friend of India showed Bilawal’s political weakness. He added that Bilawal should look towards his own home before targeting corruption.

Kalabagh: 2 dead, 7 in critical condition after consuming toxic meal

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KALABAGH (Dunya News) – Two people have died whereas seven are left in a critical condition after consuming a toxic meal in the Thatti Sharif area, reported Dunya News.The two persons who died are grandfather and granddaughter in relation and are named as Abdul Rehman and Tasneem, who was 10 year old.The ones in critical condition were transferred to the District Headquarters Hospital, Mianwali. The victims include a mother, two sons named Dilawar and Ramzan and four daughters named Irum, Muskaan, Muqadas and Yasmeen who are aged between 3-15 years.According to local sources, the family slaughtered a goat and consumed its meat as the goat was shivering after it was bitten by a venomous insect which left all of them in a terrible shape.

Friday, 29 April 2016

Dunya TV

Dunya TV


Panama Leaks: PTI seek Babar Awan's services for legal battle

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Friday managed to seek the services of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator Babar Awan over the Panama Leaks issue. Awan’s help was sought for the expected legal battle that will ensue.According to sources, Awan met PTI’s senior leader Jehangir Khan Tareen in Islamabad. The two leaders discussed the legal aspects of the Panama Leaks during the meeting.PTI is also mulling the submission of a petition against Prime Miniser (PM) Nawaz Sharif over the Panama Leaks issue. Awan has already met PTI chairman Imran Khan two days ago in this regard.Meanhwhile Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamalis return from Turkey is being seen as crucial with significant developments in the Panama Leaks investigation commission issue are expected within 72 hours.

Imran cancels Sindh visit, Shah Mehmood to lead rally to its destination

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan maybe on a path to reconciliation with Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in an attempt to narrow the growing schism in the Opposition parties. Khan cancelled his visit to Sindh scheduled for today (Saturday). In the absence of Khan, PTI leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi will be leading the anti-corruption rally towards its final destination.According to the details, the PTI leaders and advised their chairman to cancel his Sindh visit so that relations between PTI and PPP could be strengthened. Khan, who was supposed to join the anti-corruption rally from Sindh, has now decided against it and will be visiting Lahore instead.The PTI chairman and his party remain admanat on holding a rally at Charing Cross area of Mall road, Lahore, depsite the government not granting the official permission to do so. Tension are on the rise between the government and PTI after the government barred PTI from holding the rally.

Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali reaches country after Turkey visit

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali reached back to the country late Friday night after a visit in Turkey. Jamali’s return was being anxiously looked upon as significant developments are now expected in the next 72 hours regarding the Panama Leaks’ commission fiasco.Government had earlier on April 22nd had finally written a letter to the Chief Justice, requesting him to head an investigative commission for probing into the Panama Leaks case. Prior to his departure to Turkey, Chief Justice Jamali had only given the letter a cursory read to the letter.The government had finally caved into the demands by the Opposition parties, calling for the government to writing the letter. However despite this arrangement being agreed upon, the commission formation suffered further problems as Opposition parties rejected the government’s Terms of References (TORs) that were set in regards to the investigation commission.

Administration bars PTI from holding rally at Lahore's Charing Cross

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – Conflict between the government and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has risen after the district administration barred PTI from holding a rally at Charing Cross area of Mall road, Lahore. However, Spokesperson for the Punjab government has stated that PTI is adamant that it will hold the rally in the exact area despite permission not been given officially.Speaking in regards to the rally, the Spokesperson stated that government will fulfill its responsibility of providing security; however, maintaining peace and stability during the rally will be PTI’s responsibility.He added that PTI will be held responsible for any untoward incident during the rally.Meanwhile PTI chairman Imran Khan remains adamant and has stated that the venue for the party’s rally in Lahore, going to be organised on Sunday at the Charing Cross, will not be changed.While addressing the media prior to leaving for Islamabad from Lahore s Allama Iqbal International Airport, Khan said that he shall return to Lahore tomorrow (Saturday) and will inspect the arrangements made for the rally.Khan stated that to organise a rally is PTI’s constitutional right adding that it is the administration’s responsibility to provide security for the event.He said that the venue of the rally will not be changed as similar events have been arranged at the Charing Cross in the past therefore they cannot be held back from holding a rally at the same venue.On the other hand, PTI leader Shoaib Siddiqui reiterated the PTI chairman’s stance, saying that the party is determined and will hold a rally at Lahore’s Charing Cross at all costs.Siddiqui further stated that Lahore was on its way to ushering in a new era. He added that the party will not be afraid of cases and jails.Sidddiqui stated that the government was responsible for the provision of security to the nation.He further stated that PTI’s earlier rallies had caused no damages to the property.

Tennis: Kyrgios downs Coric, eyes second Estoril final

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ESTORIL (AFP) - In-form Australian Nick Kyrgios moved closer to a second consecutive final at the Estoril Open after dominating Borna Coric 6-4, 6-4 in the quarter-finals on Friday.World number 20 Kyrgios, a losing finalist a year ago to Richard Gasquet, will on Saturday face Spaniard Nicolas Almagro, who beat Argentine seventh seed Leonardo Mayer 6-4, 7-6 (7/5).Hes someone I watched when I was growing up, Kyrgios said of the veteran Almagro. Ive always admired how he played. Im not going to think too much about the match. I know what hes going to do and I know what I have to do to win.Kyrgios, who turned 21 this week, and 19-year-old Croatian Coric are two of the most promising stars on the ATP but had never previously played each other.The Australian broke early in both sets to establish himself and keep the momentum firmly on his side of the clay court.He sent over an ace for two match points, with both saved by Coric, before Kyrgios finished the win on his third chance in 69 minutes.Coric was stopped at the Estoril quarter-final stage for a second straight edition.Kyrgios fired 10 aces to seven for his opponent and never faced a break point.At the top of the draw, Pablo Carreno Busta prevented an all-French semi-final as he put out top seed Gilles Simon 6-3, 6-4.The upset sent eighth seed Carreno Busta into a match-up with French third seed Benoit Paire, a winner over Spains Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, 7-6 (7/2), 6-2.Carreno Busta is one victory away from a second career ATP final after losing in Sao Paulo to Pablo Cuevas in February.Simons return to the seaside venue outside of Lisbon for the first time since 2011 ended in disappointment, as the world number 18 was ambushed by his 50th-ranked opponent, managing only two aces and losing serve twice.It as the first time Ive played him and he had a really good match, Simon said. He was very consistent. The match was close but always on his side. He played the right shot at the right moment, he was the better player today.Paire, whose patchy game can come and go, found it tough to adjust to the faster conditions in the heat of the day after playing night matches previously, but was pleased to get past Garcia-Lopez without too much trouble.It was a little tough in the beginning, not great for the confidence, said Paire whose physical niggles include losing a tooth this week.But I began feeling better and better as the match went on. He was a tough opponent, Im glad I won in straight sets. When I was down I told myself just to keep going, Im happy to win today.

Tennis: Serena pulls out of Madrid Open with flu

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MADRID (AFP) - World number one Serena Williams has pulled out of the Madrid Open, which begins this weekend, with flu, organisers announced on Friday.Unfortunately, I have to withdraw from Madrid because Ive been battling the flu and Im not at 100 percent. I look forward to returning soon, said Williams in a statement released by organisers.The 21-time Grand Slam champion, 34, is a two-time winner in Madrid having triumphed in the Spanish capital in 2012 and 2013.Last year she reached the semi-finals before losing to eventual winner Petra Kvitova, of the Czech Republic.In the absence of Williams, Polands Agnieszka Radwanska, who had been seeded two, will become the top seed.Williams, who is the defending French Open champion, is now scheduled to open her clay-court season at the Italian Open in May.

Football: PSG rout Rennes to equal points record

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PARIS (AFP) - Paris Saint-Germain matched their Ligue 1 points record from the 2013-14 season with Fridays 4-0 rout of Rennes moving them onto 89 points with three games still to play.Maxwell struck the opening goal five minutes after half-time on a soggy evening at the Parc des Princes before Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored twice to increase the Swedes goal haul to 34 for the campaign.Edinson Cavani added a fourth in stoppage time as PSG earned their 28th win of the season to surpass the previous mark also set two years ago.With games to come against Gazelec Ajaccio, Bordeaux and Nantes, Laurent Blancs side have every chance of breaking another record in a domestic season that has been completely dominated by Paris.Rennes are now without a win in four games as their European hopes continue to fade, with the defeat leaving the Brittany club a point behind Lille, who visit Lorient on Saturday, in the race for sixth place which would warrant a Europa League spot should PSG beat Marseille in next months French Cup final.A sparse crowd in the capital witnessed little of interest in the opening 45 minutes, Ibrahimovic and Angel Di Maria -- both named on the four-man shortlist for Ligue 1 Player of the Year -- going close with the Argentine also denied by Benoit Costil.But PSG burst into life after half-time as Maxwell rolled the ball through the legs of Rennes defender Joris Gnagnon as he strolled into the area before drilling a right-foot shot past Costil via the underside of the crossbar.Ibrahimovic combined with Di Maria to double the home sides lead just four minutes later, the Swede stretching to reach the Argentines cross and flicking the ball home.Cavani hit the bar shortly after as PSG flexed their muscles, Costil making a string of fine saves to keep out Ibrahimovic, Javier Pastore and Lucas and temporarily limit the damage for Rolland Courbis side.However, there was nothing the Rennes keeper could do as Ibrahimovic shrugged off Ludovic Baal after being played in by Pastore to blast in his second goal of the game 12 minutes from time.Marco Verratti, who replaced Benjamin Stambouli for the final half-hour, released Cavani in stoppage time with the Uruguayan putting a series of earlier misses behind him by picking out the far corner for his 16th goal of the season.Lyon host Gazelec Ajaccio on Saturday as they bid to keep hold onto second place and an automatic Champions League qualifying spot, while third-place Monaco host Guingamp and fourth-place Nice visit Nantes.Saint-Etienne, who like Nice are just two points behind Lyon and Monaco, will aim for a sixth straight win at home to Toulouse.Marseille travel to Angers on Sunday looking to snap an 11-game winless run in the league which has left the struggling French giants just five points above the relegation zone.

Football: Barca await Real, Atletico Champions League hangover

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MADRID (AFP) - Barcelona hold the slightest of advantages in a thrilling three-way La Liga title race with just three games remaining ahead of their trip to Real Betis on Saturday.The Catalans lead Atletico Madrid solely thanks to their better head-to-head record with Real Madrid just a point behind the leaders in third.However, Barcas chances of retaining their title could be boosted by Atletico and Reals European commitments as their respective clashes with Rayo Vallecano and Real Sociedad are sandwiched between the two legs of their Champions League semi-finals.Atletico and Real remained on course for a second Madrid derby final in three years in midweek as Atletico will travel to Germany with a 1-0 lead over Bayern Munich, while Real host Manchester City at the Santiago Bernabeu with the scores level at 0-0.By contrast, Barca have enjoyed just their second free midweek of 2016 and appear to have turned the corner with 14 goals without reply against Deportivo la Coruna and Sporting Gijon in their last two outings after a run of three straight league defeats.There are people who say it is better to play every three days to not lose the rhythm of competition, others say it is better to rest, but the most important thing is winning, Barca defender Gerard Pique said on Thursday.We need to win the three games that are left to win La Liga and then the Cup final.It is in our hands which is the most important thing. If we win the three games we will be champions.Luis Suarez scored four times in each of Barcas last two games to streak three ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo in the race to be the leagues top scorer.The Uruguayan is well set to win at least that personal duel as Ronaldo is expected to miss a third straight game with a thigh injury as Real travel to San Sebastian.Karim Benzema will join the three-time World Player of the Year on the sidelines after he picked up a hamstring injury in the first leg at City.In their absence Gareth Bale will be charged with leading the Madrid attack as he did with a double when they came from 2-0 down to register a ninth straight La Liga win at Rayo Vallecano last weekend.And Real coach Zinedine Zidane refused to accept he will prioritise the upcoming second leg with City ahead of their trip to Anoeta.It is another final. From here until the end of the season we only have finals remaining, he told Madrids website.We have not had much time to prepare, but we know that. We have to play every three days and it is both a difficult stadium and a difficult team to play against.Atletico look to have the easiest task of the three title contenders on Saturday when they welcome struggling Rayo to the Vicente Calderon in a Madrid derby.Coach Diego Simeone has resisted the temptation to rotate his squad in recent weeks, but may have one eye on the return in Munich on Tuesday with only six days separating the two legs.Defender Diego Godin and winger Yannick Carrasco are both expected to miss out through injury with Atletico hopeful both will be fit in time to face Bayern.

Football: Platini wages last fight against ban, verdict by May 9

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LAUSANNE (Agencies) - UEFAs fallen president Michel Platini mounted a final challenge against his six-year ban from football on Friday in an appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), with a verdict due by May 9.The stakes could not be higher for the 60-year-old former French international, who led Europes powerful football confederation and was favoured to take charge of world governing body FIFA before his dramatic downfall last year.Among the witnesses at the day-long hearing was Platinis former ally-turned-foe, FIFAs disgraced ex-president Sepp Blatter.If CAS overturns the ethics violation verdict imposed by FIFA judges, then Platini could be at the Stade de France for the Euro 2016 opener between hosts France and Romania on Jun 10. A negative verdict will see his glittering career in the sport brought to an ignominious halt.Today the match begins, a new match, the final ... Im optimistic, were going to win, Platini told reporters before entering the court in the Swiss city of Lausanne.Exiting the court after the hearing, Platini said his confidence had grown and restated his claim that the verdict from FIFA judges was unjust.The Frenchman has been sanctioned over an infamous two million Swiss franc (US$2 million, €1.8 million) payment he received in 2011 from then-FIFA president Blatter.FIFAs ethics committee in December banned both men from all football activities for eight years. The suspensions were cut to six years in February.Both men insist they did nothing wrong and that the payment was part of a legitimate oral contract tied to consulting work that Platini did for FIFA between 1999 and 2002.CAS secretary general Matthieu Reeb said that May 9 verdict would include simply a decision and the reasoning will come a little later.Before entering the court, Blatter told reporters he was happy to honour a request from FIFA that he testify and that he was looking forward to greeting Platini again.It has been a while since Ive seen him, the 80-year-old Blatter said. He later described the process as fair (and) very proper. I hope that my participation has helped to find a solution to this problem, Blatter said, declining to discuss specifics of his testimony.Blatter has also appealed to CAS and is awaiting a date for his hearing.In a further twist, Blatter remains the target of a Swiss criminal investigation partly focused on the dubious transaction.Blatter and Platini were the hightest profile casualties in the massive scandal that has engulfed FIFA over the last 11 months.Previously the most powerful figures in world football, the pair were once considered strong allies but their relationship publicly frayed as Blatter repeatedly refused to cede the FIFA presidency and graft allegations widened.The murky two million Swiss franc payment ultimately destroyed Platinis chances of replacing Blatter as the Frenchman was forced to pull out of the race to become FIFA president in an election won by his number two at UEFA, Gianni Infantino.UEFA has said it will not replace Platini until all his appeals are exhausted, so if the former French star is successful at CAS he could reclaim his job in time to preside over Euro 2016.The May 9 verdict date means UEFA will almost certainly not elect his replacement at the bodys congress in Budapest next week, as it would have done if CAS had ruled against the Frenchman.Platinis lawyer Thibaud DAles conceded to AFP that the sport tribunal was his clients last avenue of appeal.The CAS hearing included three legal experts, one each representing Platini and FIFA and a president. Platini chose Yale and Harvard educated Swedish lawyer Jan Paulsson, with world footballs ruling body selecting Bernard Hanotiau of Switzerland.The hearing was chaired by Luigi Fumagalli, a University of Milan-educated Italian international law expert.The hearing was closed to the public, but Platinis legal team was expected to have produced an invoice for the suspect payment in an attempt to prove there was nothing untoward about the transaction.Five people from the offices of FIFA were involved in this payment, which was processed by the Finance Committee and reported to the Executive Committee. It is far from a hidden payment, said DAles.

Formula One: Hamilton fastest in Russia, Vettel stops

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SOCHI (Agencies) - Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton boosted his morale with the fastest lap in Russian Grand Prix practice on Friday after Mercedes team mate Nico Rosberg set the early pace and Ferrari suffered reliability problems.Rosberg, chasing his seventh win in a row and fourth of the season, was quickest in the morning around the Olympic Park used for the 2014 Winter Games in the Black Sea resort.The championship leader dropped to third in the afternoon, however, with Hamilton setting a best time of one minute 37.583 seconds on supersoft tyres compared to Rosbergs 1:38.450.Ferraris Sebastian Vettel stopped on track during the second session.Hamilton is the only driver to have won in Russia since the races debut in 2014 and he needs to complete the hat-trick on Sunday to eat into his team mates hefty 36 point lead after just three of the 21 races.The Mercedes pair, who have won 35 of the last 41 races between them, were comfortably ahead of the rest in the morning but Vettel was second fastest for Ferrari after lunch.The four-times world champion, whose team have suffered power unit problems in two races this season, was halted by an electrical failure with an hour to go.Ferraris Kimi Raikkonen was fourth in both practices.Australian Daniel Ricciardo, who tested a new head protection device at the start of the session and has finished fourth in all three races, was sixth and fifth for Red Bull in the two sessions.Russian team mate Daniil Kvyat was seventh, with McLarens Jenson Button eighth and Fernando Alonso 10th in a boost for Honda-powered McLaren as they fight their way back up the pecking order after a nightmare 2015 season.Renaults Russian test driver Sergey Sirotkin, who will be competing in the GP2 support series this season, replaced Denmarks Kevin Magnussen for the first session.He ended up 13th fastest with regular race driver Jolyon Palmer 18th.

'Not even close to retiring' says dethroned David

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KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) - Squash legend Nicol David has quickly banished any suggestions of retirement after she was dethroned as world champion in a further sign that her unparalleled dominance of the sport has ended.The second-seeded Malaysian, vying for a ninth world title, was defeated Thursday in the quarter-finals of the PSA World Championships in Kuala Lumpur by fifth-seeded Nour El Sherbini of Egypt.The 32-year-old Davids championship defence on home soil had been closely scrutinised following a dip in form that saw her phenomenal nine-year reign as world number one broken last September.Disappointed - but not even close to retirement, David tweeted late Thursday after her loss.David has firmly secured her place in squash history as one of the sports giants, using her lightning quickness and unrivalled court sense to win just about everything worth winning, including a record eight world championships.But she hinted this week that her era of dominance was ending, admitting she was now focused more on tightening up her game than recapturing the top rank.I am definitely going to be fighting for the next one (world championship), for sure, said David, who has slipped to world number five.My body is good, Im feeling really strong and its now really fine-tuning a few things, adjusting and adding to my game.David is Malaysias most accomplished sports star and faced sky-high expectations from an adoring hometown crowd.In a mark of her stature in Malaysia, her matches this week were played in an arena bearing her name. She had looked solid in the tournament before losing decisively to El Sherbini 14-12, 4-11, 11-3, 11-7.Egged on by the crowd, she later said she pushed too hard, too early and dropped the first game, sealing her fate. David had been seeking her first world championship on home soil after falling short in Malaysia on two previous attempts.World number one Laura Massaro from England will meet third-seeded Egyptian Raneem El Welily, while El Sherbini will battle compatriot Nouran Gohar in the semi-finals on Friday.

Administration bars PTI from holding rally at Lahore's Charing Cross

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – Conflict between the government and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has risen after the district administration barred PTI from holding a rally at Charing Cross area of Mall road, Lahore. However, Spokesperson for the Punjab government has stated that PTI is adamant that it will hold the rally in the exact area despite permission not been given officially.Speaking in regards to the rally, the Spokesperson stated that government will fulfill its responsibility of providing security; however, maintaining peace and stability during the rally will be PTI’s responsibility.He added that PTI will be held responsible for any untoward incident during the rally.Meanwhile PTI chairman Imran Khan remains adamant and has stated that the venue for the party’s rally in Lahore, going to be organised on Sunday at the Charing Cross, will not be changed.While addressing the media prior to leaving for Islamabad from Lahore s Allama Iqbal International Airport, Khan said that he shall return to Lahore tomorrow (Saturday) and will inspect the arrangements made for the rally.Khan stated that to organise a rally is PTI’s constitutional right adding that it is the administration’s responsibility to provide security for the event.He said that the venue of the rally will not be changed as similar events have been arranged at the Charing Cross in the past therefore they cannot be held back from holding a rally at the same venue.On the other hand, PTI leader Shoaib Siddiqui reiterated the PTI chairman’s stance, saying that the party is determined and will hold a rally at Lahore’s Charing Cross at all costs.Siddiqui further stated that Lahore was on its way to ushering in a new era. He added that the party will not be afraid of cases and jails.Sidddiqui stated that the government was responsible for the provision of security to the nation.He further stated that PTI’s earlier rallies had caused no damages to the property.

Yen hits 18-month high vs dollar

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NEW YORK (AFP) - The yen surged to an 18-month high against the dollar on Friday (Apr 29), extending the prior days rally after the Bank Japan shocked markets by failing to provide more stimulus.The Japanese unit surged on Thursday after the BoJ stood pat on monetary policy, confounding expectations it would act after a double earthquake and a string of weak readings on the worlds number three economy.The dollar tumbled to ¥106.31, its lowest level since October 2014, from ¥108.11. The euro dropped to ¥121.75 from ¥122.76.Analysts said the central bank would likely try to talk the yen down following the units ascent, as it did earlier this month.The dollar, meanwhile, continued to weaken under pressured by the Federal Reserves go-slow signal on interest rate hikes earlier this week.Surprisingly weak US consumer data on Friday showed Americans spent only 0.1 per cent more in March than they had in February, despite rising incomes.The downbeat consumer report added to concerns about the strength of the US economy, after Thursdays report showing it grew at only a 0.5 per cent annual rate in the first quarter.The euro continued its climb against the dollar, at one point hitting US$1.1459, its highest level in more than two weeks. Around 2100 GMT, the euro traded at US$1.1452, up a solid 0.9 per cent from the same time on Thursday.Eurostat, the official statistics office, said the 19-nation eurozone economy grew 0.6 per cent quarter-over-quarter in the first three months of the year, double the rate of the two previous quarters and 1.6 per cent higher than a year ago.Not only is the US data not very good, but data elsewhere is pretty good: The eurozone GDP is growing faster than the US at this point, said Greg Anderson, global head of forex strategy at BMO Capital Markets.

Nepali girls 'marry' Hindu god to protect from widowhood

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KATHMANDU (AFP) - Its a big day for nine-year-old Nepali schoolgirl Riddhima Shrestha and her three-year-old sister, Ishita, as they dress up in silk brocade and gold jewellery, preparing to wed a Hindu god.The two sisters are among dozens of girls taking part in the ihi or bel bibaha ceremony -- a coming-of-age ritual practised by Kathmandus indigenous Newar community, whose customs combine elements of Hinduism and Buddhism.The two-day ceremony, usually held several times a year in the capitals historic durbar (royal) square, sees pre-pubescent girls marry the Hindu deity, Vishnu, symbolised by the local bel fruit.The centuries-old custom is believed to protect girls from the stigma of widowhood by ensuring that a Newari womans first husband -- the god -- will inevitably outlive her mortal spouse.During the ceremony, girls hold the bel fruit, also known as a wood apple, in one palm and touch a statue of the god with the other, symbolically giving Vishnu their hand in marriage. The girls parents also secure their place in heaven by performing kanyadaan -- the practice of giving away ones daughter in marriage -- according to the priests who conduct the ceremony.These are traditions handed down by our ancestors, we have to follow them and keep them alive. It is our culture, said Dipendra Shrestha, father of the two girls.After the rituals end, with gifts for the bride followed by a feast for family and friends, its back to school for third-grader Riddhima, who is the first of her classmates to go through the ceremony.My friends were curious about it, it was fun to tell them about it, Riddhima told AFP.I really enjoyed myself, I felt like a grown-up, like a bride.

Oil prices edge back from 2016 highs

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NEW YORK (AFP) - Oil prices pulled back a tick on Friday (Apr 29) from 2016 peaks, capping a fourth straight week of gains as the market pushed higher supported in part by a weaker dollar.Traders seemed bent on looking past the global supply glut and media reports of higher OPEC production in favor of optimism that eventually the market will find a balance that would stabilize prices, which have slid from mid-2014 peaks above US$100 a barrel.US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) slipped 11 cents to US$45.92 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.In London, Brent North Sea crude for delivery in June, the European benchmark, lost only one cent at US$48.13 a barrel.Over the course of the week, WTI rose 5.0 per cent and Brent 6.7 per cent, pushing the months gains to around 20 per cent for both.The supply situation is still a factor in terms of oversupply and I think we rallied as much as we can on the hopes of a rebalancing coming at the end of the year, said John Kilduff of Again Capital.Also underpinning the market was the dollars weakness after the Federal Reserve indicated Wednesday it was in no hurry to raise interest rates and the Bank of Japans rejection of more stimulus the next day, which sent the yen soaring, analysts said.A weak dollar makes oil, priced in the US currency, more affordable for buyers.The declining US oil production and a weaker US dollar are giving tailwind to prices, whereas the ongoing oversupply and record-high US crude oil stocks are being ignored, said Commerzbank analysts in a client note Friday.

Thursday, 28 April 2016

Dunya TV

Dunya TV


Smith backs Cricket Australia campaign for day-night test

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SYDNEY (Reuters) - Cricket Australia has bolstered its campaign to host a day-night test against South Africa later this year by publishing an interview with captain Steve Smith in which he backed the proposed fixture.South Africas players balked at an invitation to play a day-night match in Adelaide in November after discussions with Australian players including Smith, Proteas skipper AB De Villiers said this week.Smith, however, said his team would be happy to play a day-nighter against South Africa at the famous South Australian venue, as well as the fixture already scheduled to be played under lights at the Gabba against Pakistan in December.Im surprised that he named me, Smith was quoted as saying from India on the Cricket Australia (CA) website. The feedback we gave them was that Adelaide is the best place to play it, in our opinion.Were playing one in Brisbane now, but Adelaide is the best place to play it and I think it could work there.I dont know where theyve got their ideas from, he added. If they wanted to play one wed be happy to.Cricket Australia are determined to reprise the success of last years inaugural day-night test against New Zealand at Adelaide Oval.The test attracted huge crowds but lasted only three of the scheduled five days on a wicket especially prepared to offset durability problems with the pink ball.De Villiers also highlighted concerns over visibility of the pink ball.Cricket Australia are continuing their talks over the fixture with their South Africa counterparts and it looks likely that CA Chief Executive James Sutherland might have to get his cheque book out again.CA committed an additional AUS$1 million (US$762,400) in prize money for the series to help overcome reluctance from Australia and New Zealand players about using the pink ball in Adelaide.

Football: Totti gets Olympic support for contract bid

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MILAN (AFP) - Ageing Roma icon Francesco Totti has been given backing from Italys Olympic Committee as he seeks to earn a final years deal at the club amid interest from Major League Soccer.One-club man Totti is in his 23rd, and possibly last season at the Serie A side, who have been hesitant to offer the legendary playmaker a final years contract.At 39 years old, Tottis appearances for the Giallorossi, currently third in the league, have been few and far between in what has been an injury-hit campaign.Despite interest in his services from MLS side New York Cosmos, among other clubs around the world, Totti is believed to want to bring the curtain down with the club he has stayed faithful to throughout his storied professional career.Tottis hopes of earning a final years deal were boosted recently when he came off the bench to score late, crucial goals for Roma as they continue their bid to snatch the leagues second automatic Champions League qualifying spot from Napoli.Italian Olympic Commitee (CONI) chief Giovanni Malago, for one, believes Roma owe it to the legendary forward to bow to his wishes.Totti is an amazing story, a fairy tale that is almost too good to be true. For those who love sport, football and Roma its a great story. Francesco is a modern day hero, said Malago.Ive always had a soft spot for him. If its in the clubs professional interests, I think it makes sense (to give him a contract).Roma president James Pallotta has been keen to push Totti into a director or ambassadors role at the club, although reports in Italy suggest the American could be swayed by recent events.In the meantime, Tottis age would be no problem for many interested clubs around the world, says New York Cosmos coach Giovanni Savarese.He admitted to Gazzetta dello Sport that contact had been made with the Roma star.Weve had contact. Besides, any coach in the world would be interested in player like Totti, Savarese said.His age shouldnt be an issue, its what he brings to the team.

38 civilians dead in rebel, regime attacks in Syria's Aleppo

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BEIRUT (AFP) - At least 38 civilians were killed and dozens more wounded in fresh violence in Syrias second city Aleppo on Thursday, a monitoring group said.Rebel rocket and artillery fire on government-held neighbourhoods killed 18 civilians, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.Two children were among the dead, and about 40 people were wounded.Regime air strikes on rebel-held districts, including the heavily populated Bustan al-Qasr neighbourhood, killed 20 civilians, including thre civilians, the Observatory said.An upsurge in fighting in Aleppo, Syrias pre-war commercial hub, has killed at least 186 people since Friday, the Britain-based group said.An AFP correspondent in the city said the barrage of air strikes began at around 10 am (0700 GMT) and was carrying on into the afternoon.Rescue workers in the city -- known as White Helmets -- said they were exhausted by the escalation in violence.We were still working on the air strikes from last night in the Sukkari neighbourhood, one volunteer told AFP.Overnight raids on the rebel-held neighbourhood hit a hospital and a nearby block of flats killing at least 30 people, the White Helmets said.Among the dead was the last paediatrician still working in rebel areas of the city.

India asks Britain to deport liquor tycoon

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NEW DELHI (AFP) - Indias foreign ministry said Thursday it has asked Britain to deport the embattled former airline boss Vijay Mallya, who faces a money laundering investigation.Mallya, a part-owner of the Force India Formula 1 team who used to run a liquor empire, left India on March 2 owing more than $1 billion and is believed to be in Britain.Last week India revoked his passport, after he repeatedly failed to appear before investigators looking into financial irregularities at Kingfisher Airlines, which ceased operating in 2012 leaving millions of dollars in unpaid bills.As of today, the ministry has written to the High Commission of the UK in Delhi requesting the deportation of Sri Vijay Mallya so that his presence can be secured for investigations against him under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act 2002, ministry spokesman Vikas Swarup told journalists.Swarup said India had not yet heard back from the British authorities.Last week an Indian court issued an arrest warrant for the 60-year-old, once dubbed the King of Good Times for his lavish lifestyle.His massive debt has become a symbol of Indian banks vast volume of bad loans -- meaning in default or close to it -- seen as a threat to financial stability in Asias third-largest economy.Critics say the government has not done enough to tackle the issue of wealthy individuals such as Mallya, who obtain huge loans that they later fail to repay.The Enforcement Directorate, Indias financial crimes agency, has reportedly accused him of siphoning off money from Kingfisher to buy property abroad -- a claim the company denies.I dont think they are going to deport him but we have to make an effort, we cant keep sitting on it, a directorate official told AFP on condition of anonymity on Thursday.If he is deported then once he comes back here he will be arrested at the airport itself.The businessman, who is also a member of Indias parliament, has denied absconding and has criticised the media for what he has called a witch hunt.

Football: Benzema suffers hamstring strain, doubt for City return

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MADRID (AFP) - Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema is a major doubt for the Spanish giants Champions League semi-final, second leg against Manchester City on Wednesday after Madrid confirmed he is suffering from a hamstring strain.Following tests carried out today on Karim Benzema in the Sanitas La Moraleja University Hospital, he has been diagnosed with a strained right hamstring, the club said in a statement on Thursday.His recovery will continue to be assessed.Benzema came off at half-time of Tuesdays 0-0 draw in the first leg against City having also been forced off before the break in Saturdays 3-2 win at Rayo Vallecano.Real refused to confirm how long the Frenchman will be sidelined, but he looks certain to miss Saturdays trip to Real Sociedad in La Liga in the hope that he can be fit for Citys visit to the Santiago Bernabeu.Madrids attack could be thoroughly depleted as they aim to make a 14th European Cup final should three-time World Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo also not recover from a thigh strain for the second leg.Ronaldo has missed Reals last two games and Spanish radio station COPE reported on Wednesday he will undergo stem cell treatment in a bid to be fit to face City.Between them Ronaldo and Benzema have scored 74 goals in all competitions for Madrid this season.

Shamim's video 'leaked' to distance public from MQM: Farooq Sattar

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KARACHI (Dunya News) –Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s (MQM) Senior Deputy Convener Dr. Farooq Sattar Thursday stated that recording a video statement of Dr. Imran Farooq’s prime murder suspect Khalid Shamim while being in custody of law enforcement agencies and showing the video on media was a questionable issue and is an attempt to distance the public from MQM.Addressing a press conference at Khursheed Beghum Secretariat in Karachi, Sattar stated that the video ‘leak’ has raised numerous questions for which government is responsible for answering.Sattar further stated that this was a drama being played against MQM in the wake of the failure of Pak Sarzameen Party’s (PSP) rally.In an answer to a question, Sattar stated that things stated in the video show that the suspect was in contact with the other primary suspect of the case since 2010.Sattar has appealed to the Chief Justice of Pakistan to take suo-motto action on the video statement of the suspect.

RAW shifts sleeper cells from Malaysia, South Africa back to India

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – After embarrassing exposure of its network in Pakistan, Indian intelligence agency RAW was forced to change its strategy and now has shifted its sleeper cells from Malaysia and South Africa, back to New Delhi, India. RAW’s notorious agent Mehmood Siddiqui has taken up residence in India while 2 other facilitators Zafar and Khalil have also reached India.According to the new strategy, Javed Langra is seeing RAW’s setup in Karachi from India. Siddiqui, Khalil and Zafar now send instructional emails to Canada while Safdar Baqri sends the messages from Canada to RAW’s sleeper cells in Karachi.Intelligence agency has started tracking emails sent from India to Canada and London. Significant revelations have also surfaced during the interrogation of arrested suspects.The Indian intelligence agency’s involvement in Pakistan was blatantly exposed with the arrest of its spy Kulbhushan Yadav, who was captured from the southern part of the province. Yadav had been sponsoring terrorist activities in Pakistan.

Water Tanker Association calls off protest after successful negotiations

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KARACHI (Dunya news) – Water Tank Association late Thursday night called off its protest after a round of successful negotiations were held with Commissioner Karachi Asif Haider Shah. President of Water Tanker Association Riaz Baloch stated that the city’s administration had assured fulfilling their demands within the next 24 hours.The Association was protesting against alleged corruption, mismanagement and contract system in Karachi’s Water and Sewage Board. The protest was being held outside Managing Director (MD) Water Board’s office.All water tankers placed at Shahrah-e-Faisal were removed after the successful dialogue while the delivery of water throughout the city will be restored in the morning.

Karachi: 4 suspects apprehended in police action

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – Police late Thursday night apprehended 4 suspects in Boat Basin area of Karachi.According to the police, arrested felons were involved in more than 50 incidents of street crime. Ammunition and a stolen motorcycle were also recovered from the perpetrators.In a separate incident, a motorist was killed during an accident at Super Highway. Police say that the accident occurred due to collision between 2 cars.Meanwhile despite increasing incidents of street crime, effective steps by the police are not being taken. In the Soldier Bazaar area of Gunjanabad, armed suspects on motorcycles are a constant threat to the citizens and incidents of looting are common.Dunya News obtained a CCTV footage showing a robbery near Nishtar Park area. Armed suspects can be clearly seen looting the citizens outside residential apartments. The felons bearing arms can be seen robbing people of cash and mobile phones.Pedestrians crossing through the area were also targeted by the perpetrators.

Karachi: 4 accused rounded up during police operation

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – Crackdown against criminal elements in Karachi continued as four accused were taken into custody during police operation in Boat Basin area of the city on Thursday, Dunya News reported.According to details, police conducted an operation in Boat Basin area and apprehended four accused. Police sources said that the arrested persons were involved in cases of street crimes. Police also recovered arms and a stolen motorcycle from their possession.On the other hand, a man was killed in traffic accident at the Super Highway near Maymar More area. Police sources said that the man died when a car collided with another vehical at the Super Highway.

Bullish oil markets hit new 2016 highs

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NEW YORK (AFP) - World oil prices climbed again on Thursday, hitting the highest levels this year despite an absence of significant news to spur the gains.Rising for a third day, prices had some support from a weaker dollar after the Federal Reserve held interest rates unchanged on Wednesday and signaled it was in no hurry to raise rates, analysts said.We had the Fed go relatively dovish, so we had a bit of a move lower in the US dollar - thats commodity-positive, said Bart Melek of TD Securities.The oil markets are looking past the global oversupply for the moment and bidding things up technically, Melek said. Brent probably wants to go to 50 bucks.In London, Brent North Sea for June delivery, the European benchmark, rose 96 cents to the highest price since November at US$48.14 a barrel.US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for delivery in June advanced 70 cents to US$46.03 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.If I could figure out why the crude oil prices are so high said James Williams of WTRG Economics. Prices have been strong and typically you get some profit-taking at this point.The weaker dollar could be helping. On Thursday, the dollar tumbled about 3.0 per cent against the Japanese currency after the Bank of Japan disappointed markets by not offering additional stimulus to the struggling economy.The Japanese yen is doing its best to support oil prices today, as the yen has rallied like a mad thing on inaction by the Bank of Japan, said Matt Smith of ClipperData.

Yen surges after Bank of Japan skips stimulus

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NEW YORK (AFP) - The yen surged about three per cent against the dollar on Thursday after the Bank of Japan left markets in shock by failing to deliver more stimulus for the struggling Japanese economy.Traders had widely expected the central bank to unveil fresh measures to shore up the worlds number-three economy after this months deadly earthquakes in southern Japan and a series of weak data.But, after a two-day meeting, the BoJ announced it would stand pat, saying it wanted to gauge the effects of the negative interest rate policy introduced in January.The main takeaway from the BoJ meeting is the Japanese feel no immediate pressure to use monetary policy or currency intervention to turn around the economy, said Kathy Lien of BK Asset Management.They feel like theyve done enough for the time being and want to see how the economy reacts first.At 2100 GMT Thursday, the dollar bought 108.11 yen, down from 111.47 at the same time Wednesday.The greenback ended the day lower against its major rivals after the US government reported first-quarter economic growth slowed to a paltry 0.5 per cent annual rate from 1.4 per cent in the fourth quarter.Analysts had expected a better 0.9 per cent. The data came a day after the Federal Reserve left ultra-low interest rates unchanged citing the slowing economy.While a weak quarter was largely expected ... the data will continue to keep the outlook for the next rate hike by the Fed very clouded, said Omer Esiner of Commonwealth Foreign Exchange.

Williamson gets nod as Kiwi captain in all three forms

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WELLINGTON (AFP) - Star batsman Kane Williamson got the nod as New Zealands captain in all three forms of the game on Thursday, replacing the retired Brendon McCullum.Williamson has long been seen as McCullums heir apparent and has already skippered the Black Caps in several one-day and Twenty20 matches.Kane has been a leader within the team for a long time now and already shown himself to be an extremely capable captain, NZ Cricket chief executive David White said.Hes respected by his peers and the wider cricket community for his professional approach both on and off the field, and has a superb cricket brain.Williamson, who is currently in India playing in the IPL, said he wanted to build on the achievements of McCullum, who retired in February.Its certainly an honour... (I) believe this team can achieve a lot, he said in a statement.Williamson led New Zealand on a giant-killing charge to the semi-finals at the recent World Twenty20 tournament in India, winning praise for his bold use of spin.Known for his calm demeanour under pressure, he made his international debut in 2010 against India.He was named Wisden Almanacks Leading Cricketer in the World this month after amassing 2,692 international runs across all formats last year -- the third-highest annual aggregate ever.Before his death last month, Martin Crowe singled out Williamson as the player most likely to succeed him as New Zealands greatest ever batsman.He already has an average of 49.23 from 48 Tests, including 13 centuries, and averages 47.00 from 93 one-dayers.His Test figures include a career-best 242 not out against Sri Lanka in Wellington last year to give the Black Caps a stunning come-from-behind victory.Coach Mike Hesson said he did not believe the captaincy duties would prove a distraction for Williamson at the crease.Hes got that ability to go into his little bubble when he bats and hopefully we can keep that, he said.The Black Caps next tour in is August, when they go to Zimbabwe and South Africa.

Get used to pink-ball Tests, says Kiwi boss

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WELLINGTON (AFP) - Players and traditionalists need to accept pink-ball Tests or the five-day format will not survive, New Zealand Cricket chief executive David White warned Thursday.Australia and New Zealand played the inaugural day-night Test in Adelaide last year, attracting huge crowds to rival those at limited-overs versions of the game.But players from both sides complained about the pink ball, intended to be more visible under floodlights, and some conservatives felt it undermined a Test tradition dating back to 1877.White said there was strong enthusiasm for more day-night Tests at a meeting of the International Cricket Council board in Dubai last weekend.He said there was also a groundswell of support from fans and television broadcasters, expressing confidence that players would eventually come around.I think the players will be very supportive going forward, (day-night Test cricket) is essential for the survival of the format, to be honest, he told Radio Sport.White said day-nighters would never dominate Test cricket but he could envisage a time when most series included a match played under lights.It provides an opportunity for the game to be more accessible to the fans and weve got to listen to them, they drive the revenue, they drive the game, he said. Weve got to uphold the traditions of the game -- Im as traditional as anyone -- but weve got to look to the future as well.Players raised concerns after the Adelaide Test about the pink balls movement and durability, as well as the difficulty batsmen faced seeing it under lights.South Africas players have also refused to commit to a day-night Test later this year in Adelaide, Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland said last week.Black Caps coach Mike Hesson said fine tuning would solve the problems, insisting New Zealands players backed the concept of day-night Tests.I think its inevitable that well play a lot more day-night cricket over the coming years, he told reporters.However, White said Indian officials had jumped the gun in announcing last week that they would play a pink-ball Test against New Zealand when the Black Caps tour later this year.He said NZC wanted it to go ahead but it would not be locked in until discussions around issues such as practice matches were completed.He said administrators in India saw it as a way to raise the profile of Test cricket.They realise that they have got an issue with their crowds at Test match cricket, he said.While T20 and one-day cricket is huge, they do struggle to get big crowds for Test matches.Hesson denied administrators in Australia and now India were using New Zealand as a guinea pig to trial the effectiveness of day-night cricket before adopting it against big-name opponents.He said it would be an honour to be involved in the first pink-ball Test played in India, if the fixture goes ahead.To play in front of a full house in India in a Test match would be pretty special, he said.

Donald eyes full-time Australia job

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SYDNEY (AFP) - South Africa great Allan Donald said he had his eye on a full-time job with Australia Thursday after he was named as temporary bowling coach for their tour of Sri Lanka.The former pace spearhead nicknamed White Lightning is filling in after Craig McDermott stepped down as bowling coach at the end of the World T20 in India.Head coach Darren Lehmann said it was a massive coup to secure Donalds services for the Test, one-day and Twenty20 tour from July to September.He brings a wealth of experience with him and our guys will benefit greatly from having him around, Lehmann said.His Test record speaks for itself and he was without a doubt one of the most formidable bowlers of his generation.There was media speculation on Wednesday that Donald could stay on for this years home series against South Africa, but this was not confirmed by Cricket Australia.Donald, who has previously coached with England, New Zealand and South Africa, said if the job was offered full-time, he would take it.If it does happen to be a long-term thing, then I would absolutely love to do that, the South African, who took 330 Test and 272 one-day international wickets during an illustrious career, told the Cricket Australia website.Theres no question about it. I would love to work with Boof (Lehmann) and his team, without a shadow of doubt.But well take it small steps at a time and see how that goes.Cricket Australia are still considering a full-time replacement for McDermott, with their former Test fast bowler Jason Gillespie, who is head coach at English county Yorkshire, a top target.Along with Donald, former Australia batsman Stuart Law, who used to coach the Sri Lankan and Bangladesh national sides, was drafted in for the Test component of the Sri Lanka tour.He will cover for current batting coach Greg Blewett, who is taking leave for the birth of his second child.Australias two-month series against Sri Lanka includes three Tests -- in Kandy, Galle and Colombo -- along with five one-day internationals and two Twenty20s.Before that, they have a one-day tri-series in the West Indies, which also includes South Africa.Former Tasmania fast bowler Adam Griffith will be the acting bowling coach for the tri-series.