Sunday 17 April 2016

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Ethiopia says death toll from raid rises to 208; 108 children kidnapped

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ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) -The death toll from a raid carried out by South Sudanese gunmen in western Ethiopia has risen to 208 people and the assailants kidnapped 108 children, an Ethiopian official said on Sunday.The attack took place on Friday in the Horn of Africa nations Gambela region which, alongside a neighboring province, hosts more than 284,000 South Sudanese refugees who fled conflict in their country.By Sunday afternoon, the number had risen to 208 dead and 75 people wounded from 140 a day earlier, government spokesman Getachew Reda told Reuters, adding the assailants had also abducted 108 children and taken 2,000 head of livestock.Ethiopian Defense Forces are taking measures. They are closing in on the attackers, he said.Getachew did not give further details, but officials in Gambela said on Saturday Ethiopian troops had crossed the border in pursuit of the attackers.Cross-border cattle raids have occurred in the same area in the past, often involving Murle tribesmen from South Sudans Jonglei and Upper Nile regions - areas awash with weapons that share borders with Ethiopia.Previous attacks, however, were smaller in scale.The gunmen are not believed to have links with South Sudanese government troops or rebel forces who fought the government in Juba in a civil war that ended with a peace deal signed last year.South Sudanese officials were not immediately available for comment.Under pressure from neighboring states, the United States, the United Nations and other powers, South Sudans feuding sides signed an initial peace deal in August and agreed to share out ministerial positions in January.

Brazil impeachment backers take strong lead in Congress vote

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BRASILIA (Reuters) -Supporters of the impeachment of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff took a commanding lead in a ballot in the lower house of Congress on Sunday that could hasten the end of 13 years of leftist Workers Party rule in Latin Americas biggest economy.With 272 votes cast, 210 members of Congress had voted in favor of Rousseffs impeachment and 62 voted against or abstained. The Datafolha polling group projected Rousseffs defeat.Rousseffs opponents needs votes from 342 of the 513 members of the chamber to send her for trial in the Senate on charges of manipulating budgetary accounts to support her 2014 re-election.If Rousseff, Brazils first female president, loses Sundays vote, the Senate must decide by a simple majority whether there are legal grounds to hear the case against her, a decision expected in early May.Should it agree to do so, Rousseff, 68, would be suspended from office and Vice President Michel Temer would take over.The political crisis in Brazil, which comes during the countrys worst recession since the 1930s, has deeply divided the country of 200 million people and sparked a battle between Rousseff and Temer.Both sides said they had enough votes to win the motion in the session where lawmakers yelled slogans and scuffles broke out in front of the speakers podium as pro-impeachment legislators waved flags reading: Goodbye Dear.Hundreds of thousands of protesters from both sides took to the streets of dozens of towns and cities across the country. As congressional members voted, tens of thousands of pro- and anti-impeachment demonstrators packed the grassy esplanade in front of the legislature in the capital, Brasilia.A 6.5-foot-high (2-metre) wall had been erected there stretching for more than half a mile (1 km) to separate both sides, a symbol of the stark political divide in one of the worlds most unequal societies.Opinion polls suggested more than 60 percent of Brazilians supported impeaching Rousseff, whose inner circle has been tainted by a vast corruption scandal at state oil company Petrobras.Despite anger at rising unemployment, Rousseffs ruling Workers Party still musters strong support among millions of working-class Brazilians, who credit its welfare programs with pulling their families out of poverty during the past decade.The majority of Brazilians are in favor of democracy and are against this coup, said Maira Jane, one of the thousands of pro-Rousseff demonstrators outside Congress. Whether you are in favor or against the government. Its a question of democracy.PARALYSED GOVERNMENTThe impeachment crisis has paralyzed activity in Brasilia, just four months before the country is due to host the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, and as it seeks to battle an epidemic of the Zika virus, which has been linked to birth defects in newborns.Critics of the impeachment process say it has become a referendum on Rousseffs popularity - currently languishing in single digits - which sets a worrying precedent for ousting unpopular leaders in the future. They note that Rousseff is accused of a budgetary slight of hand commonly employed by many elected officials in Brazil.Leaders in Temers centrist PMDB party were confident they could muster two dozen votes more than the 342 needed.Government officials acknowledged Rousseffs situation was very difficult as they kept seeking votes or abstentions that would favor her, despite newspaper polls showing they lacked the necessary support.Business lobbies have thrown their weight behind the ouster of Rousseff, blamed by them for high inflation and an economy forecast to contract nearly 4 percent this year, as they look to Temer to restore business confidence and growth.Brazils stocks and currency have been among the worlds best-performing assets in recent weeks on growing bets that Rousseff would be removed from office, allowing Temer to adopt more market-friendly policies.Whoever governs the country in coming months will inherit a toxic political environment, a divided Congress, rising unemployment and an expected contraction of 4 percent this year in the worlds ninth-largest economy.PROTESTERS GATHERWhile Rousseff herself has not been personally charged with corruption, many of the lawmakers who will decide her fate on Sunday have been.Congresso em Foco, a prominent watchdog group in Brasilia, said more than 300 of the legislators who will vote - well over half the chamber - were under investigation for corruption, fraud or electoral crimes.As they cast their vote, some lawmakers said the next politician to be impeached should be the man leading the proceedings, Speaker Eduardo Cunha, charged with corruption and money laundering in the kickback scandal involving state-run oil producer Petrobras and facing an ethics inquiry over undeclared Swiss bank accounts.Thousands of pro-impeachment demonstrators packed Sao Paulos central Paulista Avenida, draped in Brazilian flags and waving banners reading: Dilma out and in support of the judge leading the Petrobras investigation.We need to make this country viable again, said Paulo Tosi Marques, 66, a retired business administrator at the pro-impeachment demonstration in Sao Paulo. Look at what we have - corruption, inflation and an unprecedented crisis.

Obama immigration action goes before Supreme Court

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Supreme Court will hear a case on Monday that tests the boundaries of presidential powers, confronting the question of whether President Barack Obama exceeded his authority with unilateral action to spare millions of people in the country illegally from deportation.The case, one of the most consequential of the courts current term that ends in June, pits Obama against 26 states led by Texas that filed suit to block his 2014 immigration plan.The high court is evenly divided with four liberal justices and four conservatives following the February death of conservative Antonin Scalia. That raises the possibility of a 4-4 split that would leave in place a 2015 lower-court ruling that threw out the presidents executive action that bypassed the Republican-led Congress.The arguments in the case come at a time when immigration is a divisive issue in the U.S. presidential campaign, with top Republican contenders advocating deporting all of the estimated 11 million people in the country illegally.Obama took the action after Republicans in the House of Representatives killed bipartisan legislation, billed as the biggest overhaul of U.S. immigration laws in decades and providing a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants, that was passed by the Senate in 2013.Obamas plan was tailored to let roughly 4 million people - those who have lived illegally in the United States at least since 2010, have no criminal record and have children who are U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents - get into a program that shields them from deportation and supplies work permits.Obamas program was called Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA).Shortly before the plan was to go into effect last year, a federal judge in Texas blocked it after the Republican-governed states filed suit against the Democratic presidents executive action. The New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld that decision in November.The Supreme Courts ruling is due by the end of June.Obamas action arose from frustration within the White House and the immigrant community about a lack of action in politically polarized Washington to address the status of people, mostly Hispanics, living in the United States illegally.Obama has drawn Republican ire with his use of executive action to get around Congress on immigration policy and other matters including gun control and healthcare. On the immigration action, the states contend Obama exceeded the powers granted to him by the Constitution by intruding upon the authority of Congress.

One dead, Seven missing after storms wreak havoc in central Chile

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SANTIAGO (Reuters) -Heavy rains battered central Chile over the weekend, leaving one person dead, seven missing and millions without drinking water as landslides caused havoc and rivers breached their banks. A woman was killed by a landslide in the San Jose de Maipo valley, a mountainous region just southeast of the capital, Santiago, while police suspended the search for three people who disappeared in a landslide in the same area.Police said they would resume their search at sunrise on Monday, when more rain is expected.In total, seven people have gone missing, 95 homes have sustained major damage and about 80,000 people are without electricity, said Chile emergency office Onemi.Over the past four days, Santiago has seen about 3 inches (80 mm of rain), nearly five times the amount it normally gets for the whole month of April, said Cristobal Torres, meteorologist with the state meteorology service.Light showers are forecast for Monday before stopping on Tuesday morning, said Torres.Dirt and debris from the surrounding Andes mountains were washed into Santiagos potable water supply. An estimated 4 million people suffered cuts to their water supply and authorities asked residents to stock up on drinking water, prompting a rush on bottled water at the citys supermarkets.The heavy downpours also led global miner Anglo American Plc and state-owned producer Codelco [COBRE.UL] to suspend operations at two major copper mines.Many schools in Santiago and nearby coastal towns suspended classes for Monday, while streets in some parts of the city become overrun by floodwaters after the Mapocho River breached its banks.Television images showed muddy water flowing down streets and cascading into underground parking lots.

Muzaffargarh: 15 hospitalised after eating poisonous food

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MUZAFFARGARH (Dunya News) – According to details, 15 people fell unconscious after consuming poisonous food at a marriage ceremony in Muzaffargarh’s Alipur tehsil on Sunday, Dunya News reported.The victims were shifted to District Headquarters Hospital where patients faced difficulties due to lack of medical staff due to which five critically ill patients were shifted to Bahawalpur for treatment.

Five suspects shot dead during police encounter in Lahore, Okara

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – Five dacoits were shot dead late Sunday night during alleged police encounters in the cities of Lahore and Okara.According to the details, Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) police and armed suspects clashed in Shadiwal area of Hanjarwal in Lahore.Police say that killed suspects Talib and Saddaqat were wanted for several crimes including armed robbery and murder. Talib was a resident of Raiwind while Saddaqat lived in Bund road area. The dead bodies of both suspects have been shifted to the mortuary.Meanwhile in Okara’s area of Renala Khurd, suspects were looting citizens after placing barriers at GT road. Police arrived at the scene after learning of the incident. The felons opened fire on police to which police retaliated, shooting dead 3 of the armed robbers while 2 accomplices managed to escape.

Tennis: Rafael Nadal defeats Gael Monfils for ninth Monte Carlo title

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MONTE CARLO (AFP) - Rafael Nadal needed nearly three hours to defeat Gael Monfils 7-5, 5-7, 6-0 on Sunday and win a record ninth title at the Monte Carlo Masters.The Spaniard claimed his first trophy in the Principality since 2012 as he played in his 100th final and tenth in Monte Carlo.The win pulled Nadal level with ATP leader Novak Djokovic on 28 trophies at the Masters 1000 level.Winning a first Masters honour since Madrid in May, 2014, Nadal improved to 12-2 over Monfils The pair were plagued by unforced errors in the tight contest, with the winner striking 36 while Monfils made more than 50.The match was also riddled with 34 break points, with Nadal converting on eight of 21 while Monfils managed five of 13.It’s great to win a Masters title again, Nadal said. I had a tough season last years. but I’ve had better preparation this year, even with a tough start to the season.I hope this week will help me a lot, the Spaniard said as he prepared to move onto his home clay of Barcelona next week. I’m very happy to win a tough match.The defence in the first two sets was just unbelievable. In the third I told myself I had had to hit my forehand harder. I went for winners, but at times it was tough to find the right feeling.This is a great victory for me and a very emotional one.It’s just amazing to win here again. This is an event I love so much, I’ve been struggling in the past and I came here and am able to play well.This victory means a lot to me. I hope it helps my season with confidence for the next few tournaments. I’ve been able to play well for two events in a row - Indian Wells and here - and I’m very happy about that.Nadal now owns 68 titles and will carry on in the run-up to the French Open with renewed confidence; Monfils can take small consolation after winning his first-ever set against Nadal on clay.The opening set took almost an hour and a quarter and set the stage for the second, which at one point featured three consecutive breaks of serve out to 4-4.Monfils moved into winning position with a break for 6-5 and kept the struggle alive as he won the set for one apiece.I ‘m feeling good. I’m not trying to assess the tournaments here and there. I just want to continue the work I’m doing, which is good work. I’m trying to improve my intensity in the tournaments match after match, Monfils said.I try to play better and develop better tennis. I even try also to feel better. Today,it was a beautiful final. It was a high level of tennis, said Monfils.In two weeks I’m hoping to be better. In three weeks, too, and be better for the French Open. But the third was all Nadal as the Spanish fifth seed swept to a love finish to win his eighth clay match against the Frenchman without a defeat.Nadal improved his superlative tournament record to 58-4 after winning eight straight titles from 2005-2012. His last finals appearance here was in 2013 when he lost to Novak Djokovic.Nadal’s specialist record on his favoured clay is all but untouchable, with the 14-time Grand Slam winner standing 48-8 in clay finals.

France beat the Netherlands 3-2 to reach Fed Cup final

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TRELAZE (AP) - Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic beat Kiki Bertens and Richel Hogenkamp 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 in a decisive doubles match on Sunday as France rallied from 2-1 down against the Netherlands to win 3-2 and reach its first Fed Cup final in 11 years.Two-time champion France, which lost to Russia in the 2005 final, will face the Czech Republic in November.The Dutch will have regrets after Bertens beat Mladenovic 7-5, 6-4 in the opening reverse singles to improve her outstanding Fed Cup record to 15-1 in singles.Bertens had 10 aces and broke Mladenovic’s serve five times. Mladenovic briefly rallied from 5-2 down in the second set, but Bertens closed out victory on serve.She was very solid, especially on her serve and she was better than me today, Mladenovic said. I take my hat off to her. Throughout the match she served practically on the line all the time.For the second reverse singles, Dutch captain Paul Haarhuis swapped Hogenkamp and replaced her with Arantxa Rus, who had initially been scheduled to play doubles alongside Cindy Burger.But Rus lost 6-3, 6-4 to Garcia as France leveled at 2-2.Garcia, who lost to Bertens in the opening singles on Saturday, broke Rus twice in the first set.Rus started the second set strongly, breaking twice in succession to lead 3-0 but Garcia pulled back to 3-3 and broke again to level the match.Instead of Rus-Burger in doubles, Haarhuis selected Bertens — his form player — alongside the more rested Hogenkamp.It almost worked as the Dutch took the first set, breaking the French pair twice.The second set was tense, with the French pair saving the only break point they faced and taking the only one they got on the Dutchwomen’s serve.The Dutch pressured strongly in the deciding set of the tie but failed to convert six break-point chances, while the clinical Frenchwomen converted both of theirs.

Barcelona slump to fourth defeat in five, Atletico joint top of La Liga

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MADRID (AFP) - Lionel Messi’s 500th career goal couldn’t prevent Barcelona’s incredible slump in form from continuing with a fourth defeat in five games 2-1 at home to Valencia on Sunday.Atletico Madrid are now level on 76 points with Barca at the top of La Liga with five games remaining as they beat Granada 3-0, but the Catalans retain the lead thanks to their superior head-to-head record.Third-placed Real Madrid are also only a point behind thanks to their 5-1 win at Getafe on Saturday.Valencia were beaten 7-0 by Barca on their last trip to the Camp Nou just two months ago under former boss Gary Neville, but gained revenge thanks to Ivan Rakitic’s own goal and Santi Mina’s classy finish before half-time.Messi ended a five-game goal drought to bring up his 500th for club and country, but couldn’t inspire a Barca fightback as their alarming collapse in recent weeks continued after a 39-game unbeaten run.Having looked well set for a second consecutive treble just two weeks ago, Barca could now miss out on all three major trophies as they were dumped out of the Champions League by Atletico in midweek and have taken just one point from their last four La Liga games.However, in contrast to recent defeats, Barca boss Luis Enrique praised the performance of his side and believes they are capable of winning their last five games to retain the title.Luck didn’t shine on the team. I congratulate my players for how they faced the adversity during the game, said Enrique.We still depend on ourselves. Our margin for error has run out and we are aware of the challenge.Now we have a marvellous challenge, five games in which if we win them all we are championsBarca started brightly, but were repeatedly denied by fine saves from Valencia goalkeeper Diego Alves.The Brazilian blocked Messi’s volley from close range before somehow springing to punch away Neymar’s lob which seemed destined to evade him.However, Valencia amazingly went in at half-time two goals to the good having had just one shot on target.The visitors went in front on 27 minutes when Rakitic turned Guilherme Siqueira’s cross into his own net at the near post and doubled their lead thanks to a brilliant move in first-half stoppage time as Dani Parejo played in Mina to fire into the far corner.Rakitic had a huge chance to make amends for his own goal a minute into the second-half, but pulled his effort tamely wide from Luis Suarez’s fine cut-back.However, Barca were finally given hope when Jordi Alba’s low cross was turned home by Messi to reach another historic landmark.Alves came to Valencia’s rescue once more with his best save of the night low to his right to prevent Rakitic equalising 15 minutes from time.Neymar’s fiercely struck volley was somehow deflected behind by Shkodran Mustafi, but Valencia should also have killed the game off at the other end when Paco Alcacer miscued from point-blank range allowing Sergio Busquets to clear off the line.Gerard Pique then had a glorious chance to salvage at least a point late on, but he pulled his shot wide with just Alves to beat.In contrast to Barca’s collapse, Atletico are flying in the final stages of the season as Fernando Torres struck his fourth goal in as many games in a routine win over Granada.It will be tough (to win the league), but we will play as the schedule demands us to which is to win, win and win again, said Atletico boss Diego Simeone.Koke ensured Atletico would have no hangover from their efforts in dispatching Barca from the Champions League in midweek as he swept home the opener on 15 minutes before teeing up Torres to dink home just before the hour mark.Substitute Angel Correa rounded off the scoring with a cool finish seven minutes from time.

Madrid ease to victory at Getafe to put pressure on Barca

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BARCELONA (Reuters) - Real Madrid moved to within a point of La Liga leaders Barcelona after five of their leading attacking lights got on the scoresheet in a 5-1 thrashing at struggling Getafe.Karim Benzema, Isco, Gareth Bale, James Rodriguez and Cristiano Ronaldo all scored as Madrid moved on to 75 points and provisionally ahead of city rivals Atletico, who play Granada on Sunday, when Barcelona host Valencia.Sporting Gijon remain in the relegation zone, despite ending Las Palmas’s three-game winning streak by coming from behind to draw 1-1, while Real Sociedad failed to build on last week’s win over Barca and lost a controversial Basque derby with Eibar 2-1.Benzema opened the scoring for Real after 29 minutes by tapping home from close range and then laid on the pass for Isco to double the lead in the 40th.Bale got the third five minutes after the restart, taking his league tally to 16 goals this season, his best since moving to Madrid in 2013.Pablo Sarabia pulled one back for Getafe in the 84th when he curled the ball into the top corner from the edge of the area, but Rodriguez added another for Madrid, before Ronaldo tapped in with the final kick of the game.Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane said in February that the title race was over, but after watching his side outclass Getafe he was far more optimistic about their chances.I think we have a better chance of winning the league because we keep on getting closer,” Zidane told reporters.We believe it’s possible and against Getafe we showed from the start that we wanted to do everything right. We played a fantastic game, but now we have to keep going because we still haven’t achieved anything.”Benzema put them ahead, volleying Rodriguezs cross into the bottom corner for his 22nd league goal of the season, which surpassed his previous record of 21 goals in the 2011/12 campaign.The Frenchman, who learned this week that he would not be going to the European Championships with France due to his alleged involvement in a blackmail scandal, played a one-two with Isco to allow the Spanish midfielder to get the second.Bale grabbed his goal by racing into the area from the right and curling the ball left-footed into the far corner.Sarabia’s strike was Getafes first goal under new coach Juan Esnaider, who replaced Fran Escriba this week.James scored after dazzling a Getafe defender, and substitute Jese set up Ronaldo to tap in the fifth in stoppage time.Las Palmas got off to a perfect start against Sporting Gijon when Pedro Bigas headed them in front in the third minute, but Jony levelled for the struggling visitors three minutes after the restart.Paraguayan striker Antonio Sanabria squandered a glorious chance to give Sporting the lead but missed the target with just goalkeeper Javi Varas to beat.Sporting are 18th on 29 points, one behind Granada above them.David Zurutuza gave Real Sociedad the lead at neighbours Eibar after seven minutes with an impressive strike, but Sergi Enrich’s deflected header levelled the scores in the 32nd.Sociedads Markel Bergara had a goal ruled out for offside 13 minutes after the break, but moments later Gonzalo Escalante pounced on an error by goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli to nod into an empty net.Real Sociedad had an appeal for a penalty turned down in stoppage time when David Junca brought down Carlos Vela.Eibar moved level on 41 points with Sociedad.

Golf: South Africa's Grace grabs first US PGA Tour title

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LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Branden Grace fired seven birdies in a five-under par 66 on Sunday to surge to his first US PGA Tour victory at the RBC Heritage in Hilton Head, South Carolina.South Africas Grace, owner of seven European Tour titles, finished with a nine-under total of 275, two strokes ahead of Scotlands Russell Knox and Englands Luke Donald - the 54-hole leader who yet again was pipped at the post on the Harbour Town Golf Links.Donald now has five top-three-finishes in the Heritage but no victories. He began the day seven-under and ended there, too, after a round that included two birdies and two bogeys in a four-hole stretch.Grace, meanwhile, wasted no time in challenging Donalds lead, with birdies at his first two holes. He bounced back from a bogey at the fourth with birdies on the next two holes and another on the ninth to take the lead into the back nine, where he made two birdies and a bogey coming in.It was a good turnaround for the 14th-ranked Grace, after he missed the cut at the Masters last week. He said putting was the difference, but it wasnt until he had rolled in a 10-foot birdie putt at 12 and a nine-footer at 13 that he really felt he had a victory in sight.When I got to 12, 13, when I made a couple of nice putts I knew Im in there with a chance, said Grace, who finished equal fourth at the US Open last year and third at the PGA Championship.That last stretch of five holes you know you cant really force things. As soon as you try to force things there its going to backfire. You just have to stay patient and grind it and thats what I managed to do.Knox claimed his share of second with a final-round 67. He and Donald were two shots in front of Kevin Na, who carded a 69, and Bryson DeChambeau, who closed with a 68 for his share of fourth in his professional debut.World number one Jason Day of Australia, who shot himself out of contention on Saturday with a season-worst 79, finished on a solid note with a three-under par 68. Day finished tied for 23rd and will retain his world number one ranking as he heads into a much needed week off.

Rosberg romps to hat-trick at China Grand Prix

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SHANGHAI (AFP) - Nico Rosberg stormed to victory in a chaotic Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday, methodically completing a hat-trick of wins to extend his perfect start to the 2016 Formula One season.The Germans Mercedes was jumped at the start by Daniel Ricciardo. But after avoiding the first-corner mayhem unfolding behind the front two, he quickly caught the Red Bull and romped home to win by a whopping 38 seconds from Ferraris Sebastian Vettel.Reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton began from the back of the Shanghai grid after a mechanical failure on his Mercedes sabotaged qualifying for the Briton on Saturday. But he roared back to take seventh, despite pitting early to replace a damaged front wing.Its too early to make any premature conclusions, insisted Rosberg after stretching his championship lead to 36 points. Lewis is not many points behind -- 30 points is not much, its a race and a bit and he will never give up.Ferraris wretched fortunes continued after Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen collided at the first turn, allowing Daniil Kvyats Red Bull to slip past into third, which is where the Russian finished.Vettel carved his way back through the field from 15th but blamed Kvyat for driving like a madman in a furious rant over the team radio.Kvyats attack was suicidal, fumed the German, who was still squabbling with Kvyat as Rosberg made his victory speech.You came in like a torpedo Vettel barked at Kvyat before they stepped out to the podium, to which Kvyat shrugged: Thats racing.The four-time world champion admitted he was fortunate even to finish the race.I was very lucky to continue, said Vettel. It was a big hit with Kimi. I feel very sorry for Kimi but I was a bit in a sandwich between Kimi and Daniil and there was nothing I could do.Rosberg rammed home his advantage with a superb drive, becoming only the fourth driver to win six consecutive races -- joining Vettel (nine), Alberto Ascari (seven) and Michael Schumacher (six) -- after winning the last three of 2015.Rosbergs 17th career victory underlined how far momentum has shifted since Hamilton captured his third world title in Texas last October -- the last time he won a grand prix.Hamilton last started a race from the back of the grid in Hungary two years ago when he stormed back to take third.After an engine change, Hamilton made a brave attempt to repeat his 2014 heroics but lightning never looked like striking twice, especially after he mangled his front wing in the early skirmishes.Its not a great feeling, admitted Hamilton. But I can take some positives from the race: I got a good start, finally -- from dead last. I know we will recover from this at some point.Rosberg, though, was unstoppable once he had blown past Ricciardo at the exact moment the Australians left rear tyre shredded off and landed in strips on the track, bringing out the safety car to throw Hamilton and Raikkonen a lifeline after their troubled starts.Ricciardo finished a creditable fourth after recovering from his puncture with a swashbuckling drive, while Raikkonen fought back for fifth with Felipe Massas Williams sixth in front of Hamilton.

CTD In-Charge accused of providing interrogation report to political party

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – Counter Terrorism Departments (CTD) In-Charge of Intelligence wing, Ali Raza, was accused Sunday of providing the interrogation reports of suspects to a political party. High officials have approved the formation of an inquiry committee to probe the matter after Dunya News highlighted the issue.According to the police officials, the inquiry decision was made in light of the interrogation of significant worker of a political party, Umair Siddqui. The inquiry committee will comprise of Deputy Inspector-General (DIG) CTD Arif Hanif and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) CTD Intelligence Amir Farooqi.The inquiry committee has also summoned Ali Raza for clarification over the matter. Police officials have stated that action will be conducted against Raza if the accusations against him are proved.The committee will present the report to Additional Inspector-General (IG) CTD Sanaullah Abbasi once completed.

Lahore: Police crackdown continues against crime, terrorism

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – Police Sunday night continued their crackdown against criminal and terrorist elements in the city after the recent deadly terrorist attacks in Lahore and in light of the security risks in the city. A heavy contingent of police conducted a search operation against suspicious individuals in Data Darbar and its surrounding areas, taking 4 people into custody.According to the details, the 4 suspicious individuals were rounded up after they failed to provide sufficient identification documents and tenancy evidence. Police used biometric device during the search operation for verification of the documents provided by tenants.Police conducted searches of hotels, hostels and houses. The alleged suspects taken into custody were shifted to the police station. According to the police, those taken into custody after providing documents will be released while action will be taken against those who failed to provide any documentary evidence.

Syria opposition threatens to quit peace talks amid Aleppo carnage

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BEIRUT (AFP) - Fighting in Aleppo killed at least 22 civilians as the opposition delegation threatened Sunday to quit Syria peace talks in Geneva if there is no progress on a political transition.The opposition High Negotiations Committee said the indirect negotiations could collapse if Syria’s regime refuses to compromise on political and humanitarian issues.We might suspend (our participation in) the talks if things carry on this way, and then there will be no prospect for any political solution, HNC member Abdulhakim Bashar told AFP.The opposition’s chief negotiator also said there could be no compromise on Bashar al-Assad’s ouster, and called for renewed attacks on regime forces despite a fragile ceasefire.The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the number of civilians killed in flashpoint Aleppo city was one of the highest single tolls since the truce began on February 27.The truce has seen violence drop across parts of Syria, including the northern city, but renewed clashes there in the past 24 hours have seriously strained the truce, the Observatory said.At least six civilians were killed and eight wounded in regime air strikes on rebel-held eastern parts of the city on Saturday.And a barrage of rockets and sniper fire by opposition groups onto government-controlled western districts killed 16 civilians, including 10 children and two women.Rebel groups fired more rockets at western areas of Aleppo city late Sunday, but there was no immediate information on new casualties.There’s a clear escalation. This was the bloodiest incident in Aleppo and its province since the ceasefire began, Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said.This escalation directly threatens the truce.The HNC has questioned the regime’s commitment to a political solution to Syria’s five-year war, particularly in the wake of the renewed violence in Aleppo.The humanitarian situation is continually deteriorating, the issue of the detainees has not seen any progress, the ceasefire has almost collapsed, and now there is an attack on Aleppo from three sides, Bashar said in Switzerland.Given these factors, we are reviewing everything, and we will continue our meetings today (Sunday) so that tomorrow we can decide what to do.A second member of the HNC delegation, speaking anonymously, said the talks were nearly at an impasse.The negotiations have nearly reached an impasse with the intransigent regime’s refusal to negotiate the fate of Assad in the Geneva talks, the member said.This has remained the main sticking point in peace talks, with Syria’s opposition clinging onto its call for Assad’s ouster since the conflict began in 2011.But the regime has ruled out his departure, calling his fate a red line.There can be no compromise on the issue of Bashar al-Assad... For us, it’s a closed book -- you cannot trade an entire people for one man, opposition chief negotiator Mohammed Alloush told AFP in Geneva.Earlier, Alloush called for renewed attacks on regime forces, despite the shaky truce.Don’t trust the regime and don’t wait for their pity, tweeted Alloush, a leading political figure in the Jaish al-Islam (Army of Islam) rebel group.Strike them at their necks (kill them). Strike them everywhere.A fellow opposition figure said Alloush’s hawkish statement did not represent the HNC’s position.Alloush himself later told AFP that he had been calling on rebel groups to defend themselves against regime truce violations.The peace plan outlined by UN envoy Staffan de Mistura and backed by world powers envisions a political transition, a new constitution, and presidential and parliamentary elections by September 2017.But Syria’s government hosted its own regularly-scheduled parliamentary elections last week only in government-held areas, which Assad’s ruling Baath party easily won.The opposition denounced the election as a farce.Brokered by Russia and the United States, the ceasefire deal to cease hostilities excludes the fight against the Islamic State group or Al-Qaeda’s affiliate in Syria.The truce had largely held across parts of Syria, despite frequent mutual accusations of violations.IS has seized fresh territory from rebel groups in the north, threatening the key opposition town of Azaz, just eight kilometres (five miles) south of the Turkish border.The jihadist onslaught has forced 30,000 Syrians to flee, and tens of thousands more are at risk of displacement.Since the conflict erupted in 2011, half of Syria’s population has been displaced -- including five million who have fled to neighbouring states.More than 270,000 people have been killed.
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