Wednesday 18 May 2016

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Oil retreats as dollar gains on Fed rate speculation

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NEW YORK (AFP) - Oil prices hit a fresh multi-month high Wednesday before retreating after hawkish US Federal Reserve meeting minutes strengthened the dollar.Oil prices were in the black for much of the session, due in part to production outages resulting from Canadian wildfires, which have worsened again over the last 48 hours.However, oil prices plunged into negative territory after the Feds minutes from its April policy meeting kept open the door to raising interest rates in June. That lifted the dollar, creating downward pressure on oil, which is traded in the US currency.US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for delivery in June ended down 12 cents at $48.19 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.Brent North Sea oil for July delivery dropped 35 cents to $48.93 a barrel in London.US government data showed another drop in American oil production and higher consumption of gasoline and other refined products. However, the data also showed US inventories rose 1.3 million barrels in the week ending May 13.In Canada, hopes of soon restoring 1.2 million barrels of oil production per day from the Alberta oil sands region were dashed when 8,000 workers were ordered out late Monday after fires spread and intensified.The blaze on Tuesday destroyed a 665-room lodge housing oil workers north of Fort McMurray, while two others on the same road with a total of 4,000 rooms were at risk.Tradition Energys Gene McGillian still does not expect Canadian production to be curtailed for an extremely long period.A push above $50 a barrel could also trigger some oil operators to restore production, he said.The market is getting pretty frothy, McGillian added.

Dollar surges on bullish Fed minutes

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NEW YORK (AFP) - The dollar jumped Wednesday after the minutes to the Federal Reserves end-April meeting showed the central bank far more bullish about a possible June rate hike than markets had understood.Markets had dismissed a June rate hike as a 5 percent possibility just last week, but rate derivatives indicated that chance jumped to about 34 percent after the minutes were released.Short-term Treasury bond yields surged and the dollar jumped 0.8 percent to $1.1218 against the euro, and 1.0 percent to 110.20 yen.The release was significantly more hawkish than many had expected, notably stressing that a June interest rate hike would be likely if economic growth data continues to progress as expected, James Chen of Forex.com said.The British pound meanwhile continued its climb, rising 1.1 percent on the dollar before the Fed report and then giving back only a little to end the day up 0.9 percent at $1.4599.

Mathews puts Headingley history to one side

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LEEDS (AFP) - Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews said returning to the scene of one his greatest successes would have little bearing come Thursdays first Test against England at Headingley.Two years ago at Yorkshires headquarters ground, Mathews made his Test-best score of 160 as Sri Lanka beat England by 100 runs.Victory, achieved off the penultimate ball of the match, also sealed Sri Lankas first Test series win in England after they had clung on for a draw at Lords in the first of a two-match campaign.Thursdays match will be the start of a three-Test series and Mathews, speaking at Headingley on Wednesday, said: Its certainly an inspiration, but its history for us.We will cherish it for the rest of our lives, but we have to move on ... and look forward to the challenge starting tomorrow, added Mathews, whose eighth-wicket stand of 149 with Rangana Herath in Sri Lankas second innings at Headingley in 2014 helped turn the match the tourists way.But with cold and damp weather forecast for this weeks series opener, Mathews said: Well have to play our best cricket over the next five days to beat England, because we know they are a very competitive team.Especially in this kind of weather, playing against England in England, its a very tough ask.Sri Lanka will be without retired batting greats Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, who between them amassed over 24,000 Test runs.We dont have the two legends now -- weve got to move on, Mathews said.But theyve shared their experience, and its just a matter of our guys getting used to the conditions -- theyve got the skill, theyve got the talent.The ball will tend to swing and seam quite a lot, but dont get intimidated by the conditions -- watch the ball and hit it.He added: Experience counts. You have to win those little moments in a Test match. (But) weve got a fearless set of players who are willing to take the English on.Sri Lanka paceman Dhammika Prasad, whose five second-innings wickets at Headingley two years ago played a key role in their victory, has been ruled out of the upcoming Test following a shoulder injury sustained in last weeks warm-up match against Essex.That is a setback for us, said Mathews. Hes our premier fast bowler, and performed really well against England here.Its going to be a big loss. We hope he can be ready for the second Test.

'Stubborn' Cook reveals depths of Headingley horror show

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LEEDS (AFP) - Alastair Cook will lead England in the first Test against Sri Lanka at Headingley on Thursday two years after the same opponents almost ended his captaincy reign at Yorkshires headquarters.In 2014, Sri Lanka won the second Test at Headingley by 100 runs to secure their first series win in England after home No 11 James Andersons resistance was ended off the penultimate ball of the match.Cooks captaincy during that match was the subject of widespread criticism, with Sri Lanka skipper Angelo Mathews, who made a Test-best 160, and Rangana Herath taking the game away from England with an eighth-wicket partnership of 149 on the fourth day in Leeds.Asked how close he had come to quitting the England captaincy following that loss, Cook told a news conference at Headingley on Wednesday: Close enough, I think. Close enough that you wouldnt want to get any closer.But the 31-year-old opener said the same stubborn streak that has helped take him to the brink of becoming the first England batsman to score 10,000 Test runs persuaded him to carry on as captain. Ive never really quit on anything. I probably had about two percent left in me saying if you walk out now you still have a bit more to offer that side really, he explained. So I suppose me being stubborn, probably, and not quitting. I dont really want to be known as a quitter.Victory over Sri Lanka and Pakistan, the second international side touring England later this year, would mean Cooks men held trophies for series wins against all the other nine Test-playing nations. People have spoken about it over the last couple of weeks and I dont think theres any harm in that if it inspires us to do it, said Cook.Finding a reliable partner for Cook at the top of Englands order has proved a problem since former skipper Andrew Strauss retired in 2012.In all eight batsmen -- Nick Compton, Michael Carberry, Sam Robson, Adam Lyth, Joe Root, Jonathan Trott, Moeen Ali and Alex Hales -- have been tried in the role.Hales is the man in possession but both he and Compton, now batting at number three, are under pressure for their places after relatively modest returns during the series win in South Africa -- Englands last Test campaign.Until someone really grabs that opportunity and nails it then theres always going to be questions asked, said Cook.Alex is the man in possession at the moment.As always with these things you want to get a big score to try and prove that to people and do it consistently. Thats his challenge and its the same for Nick as well. He got a really good 80 at Durban and that was only four games ago and that helped set up in tricky conditions a score that we were able to push on and win. The guys a fighter and hes just got to relax and play.England will give a debut to Hampshire batsman James Vince following the enforced retirement of James Taylor with a heart condition.I did see him play a few years ago when I was standing at first slip for Essex and hes one of those players who had a lot of time and he timed the ball really well, said Cook of Vince.They are two things that made him stand out then and over the years I think hes matured a lot.To watch him go about his business, mentally he looks ready for Test cricket.

Sri Lanka to honour landslide victims with black armbands

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LEEDS (AFP) - Sri Lanka will pay tribute to all those who have lost their lives in landslides that have rocked the nation when they face England in the first Test at Headingley starting Thursday.Rescue workers on Wednesday recovered the bodies of 17 villagers buried in landslides in Sri Lanka after three days of torrential rain.The disaster hit two small villages in Kegalle, a mountainous area northeast of Colombo, and takes the overall death toll from flooding and landslides in recent days to 36.We are so sad to hear about all the casualties and those who are affected, said Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews, speaking at Headingley in Leeds, northern England, on Wednesday.There are hundreds and thousands of people who are affected and we want to show our love and support.We will wear black armbands.Mathews added the squad had a personal connection to the disaster, adding: One of our support staff members, his brother has passed away yesterday (Tuesday).We are (focused on playing England) but at the same time our hearts will always be with them (the people of Sri Lanka). Our thoughts and prayers are with them.Its very sad to hear. There have been landslides and floods in Sri Lanka for the past couple of weeks and people are really affected by it.

Strauss says Super Series can develop international game

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LEEDS (AFP) - England and Wales Cricket Board director Andrew Strauss said the sport could not afford to have its head stuck in the sand as he confirmed a new multi-format Super Series will be in place for Englands home series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan this season.Thursdays first Test between England and Sri Lanka at Headingley will break fresh ground by being the first in mens cricket where a new points system, modelled on the one used by England and Australia for the womens Ashes, will be employed.Four points will be allocated to a Test win and two for a draw, with two points for a win in white-ball cricket and one for a tie in any of the limited overs matches, with the ECB backing their own plan by putting up an additional prize of 25,000 pound ($36,495) to the overall Super Series winner.The rationale is that the game of cricket is evolving unbelievably quickly, and I think we feel responsibility to ensure the international game develops, said Strauss.Central to that is context and relevance for every game of cricket you play, the former England captain added.We believe the Super Series will provide that by connecting the formats and ensuring every game counts for something more than just itself.One-day matches in England have been regarded as something of an after-thought and Strauss sees the new system as a way of keeping fans engrossed throughout the season. We feel this is a good way of ensuring the game remains relevant in both fans and players minds, the former opening batsman explained.Had the same points formula had been applied to Englands last two tours, the outcome would have been decided in the last match -- with a different winner to the Test series.If you look at the last two series we played -- against South Africa we would have lost the Super Series in the final Twenty20, and against Pakistan in the UAE we would have won the Super Series in the super over in the final Twenty20, said Strauss.With franchise Twenty20 competitions such as the Indian Premier League increasingly popular, Strauss said the international game had to evolve.Anyone out there who doesnt see the need for international cricket to keep moving forwards really does have his head stuck in the sand, said Strauss.What I worry about is people just sitting there saying Its going to be all right and not doing anything about it.I think we have to be on the front foot on this and say Look, we have a very vibrant Test support in this country ... and weve seen some fantastic Test matches over the last 12-18 months, but there are some worrying signs there -- so lets act before its too late.England Test captain Alastair Cook said nothing would be lost by introducing a points system. If it doesnt work, it doesnt work, he told reporters at Headingley on Wednesday. But I think in this day and age ... weve got to be open to new ideas.Former England captain Mike Atherton, however, writing in Wednesdays edition of The Times said he felt profound indifference towards the plan.In 2009, for example, England won the Ashes 2-1 and lost the ODI (one-day international) series 6-1, which means that Australia would have run out the clear overall winners, he wrote.The reality was that England proved to be a better Test team over five games and Australia were a better one-day team. Sometimes it is fine to leave it at that.

Taylor engaged after early retirement

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LONDON (AFP) - Former England batsman James Taylor has announced his engagement just weeks after being forced to retire at the age of 26 because of a serious heart condition.Taylor, who played county cricket for Leicestershire and then Nottinghamshire, was forced to retire with immediate effect last month after scans revealed the condition.The 26-year-olds diagnosis is similar to that of former Bolton footballer Fabrice Muamba, who collapsed on the field after suffering a cardiac arrest in an FA Cup tie against Tottenham in 2012.Despite his career ending prematurely, Taylor is getting on with the rest of his life and proposed to girlfriend Josie Naylor last week. Luckily for Josies sake, it wasnt just a knee jerk reaction (to his condition). Id had the ring for a few months, actually, Taylor told the Good Morning Britain television programme on Wednesday.We went for a nice picnic where we actually had our first picnic together, so it was pretty simple. I couldnt get my heart racing too much. I handed her the ring and kept it pretty simple.Ms Naylor added: It is nice to have something to smile about after all of this.Taylor scored more than 9,000 first-class runs at an average above 46 and hit 20 centuries.He won his seventh Test cap for England against South Africa at Centurion earlier this year.Taylor now wears a life vest or an external defibrillator, which could deliver an electric shock if he were to keel over and is having further tests, with surgery set for June.

Brazil activists occupy buildings in culture ministry protest

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RIO DE JANEIRO (AFP) - Protesters against the new Brazilian governments decision to ax the culture ministry occupied buildings linked to the ministry in 11 regional capitals on Wednesday, Brazilian media reported.Acting President Michel Temer, who took over last week after president Dilma Rousseffs suspension for an impeachment trial, has cut the number of ministries from 32 to 23 in a measure he says will help streamline a bloated government.However merging the culture portfolio into the education ministry has provoked a storm of protest led by the countrys cultural elite.Activists occupied several buildings in the capital Brasilia, Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Belo Horizonte, as well as seven other state capitals, G1 news site reported.Temer named a new culture secretary, Marcelo Calero, on Wednesday. He had promised to name a woman to the post after coming under fire for forming an all-male cabinet, but five female candidates refused the post, Brazilian media reported.The issue grabbed headlines at the Cannes film festival in France, where the Brazilian director of the movie Aquarius hit out at the new government for extinguishing the culture ministry and for its lack of women.Kleber Mendonca Filho said the political turmoil had caused a dramatic divide in the country.Rousseff was forced aside by the Senate on May 12 to face trial on charges of illegally manipulating government accounts. She would be removed from power if the Senate trial ends with a two-thirds majority vote against her.Her suspension ends 13 straight years of rule by the leftist Workers Party. Temer, a market-oriented centrist, is from the center-right PMDB party.

Football: Coke breaks Liverpool hearts in Europa League triumph

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BASEL (AFP) - Sevilla midfielder Coke broke Liverpool hearts with a second-half brace in a controversy-filled 3-1 victory that secured a record third consecutive Europa League title on Wednesday.Liverpool travelled to St Jakob-Park confident in their chances of a first Europa League trophy since 2001 after an impressive campaign in Europes second tier competition.But Jurgen Klopps men failed to build on Daniel Sturridges superb 35th minute opener, and when Kevin Gameiro found Liverpool asleep to level seconds after the restart, it opened the floodgates.Liverpools heads went down and, as they began to sit back, Coke struck in six second-half minutes to give Unai Emerys men a 3-1 lead by the 70th minute.Coke looked offside, but after angry scenes that saw Klopp sprint down the touchline to confront the linesman, Swedish referee Jonas Eriksson pointed to the centre circle after consulting with his official.An emotional Klopp, losing his fifth consecutive final, admitted Gameiros leveller had taken the wind out of Liverpools sails -- although the German hopes defeat will serve as a lesson in the long run.Their first goal was a big influence on our game. We lost faith in our style of play, we lost our formation, (we were) not compact any more, but weve had this problem before, said Klopp.With victory rewarding the winners with a place in next seasons Champions League, and the losers nothing, Klopp added: We are disappointed, we are frustrated.Now its clear, were not in an international tournament next year. It means we have time to train, to work harder.The boys showed what they are capable of, many of them are still young and this was the first big final, and we will use this experience together.Some day everybody will say defeat to Sevilla was the turning point in the success of Liverpool FC.Emery had demanded a last push from some of the experienced players who had helped the Spaniards to four Europa League crowns since 2006, and they came good in a stunning second half.Yet Klopp looked to have made the correct choice when he left Jordan Henderson and Divock Origi on the bench as both recently recovered from respective injuries.Sturridge stepped in for Origi to play in front of Coutinho, Roberto Firmino and Adam Lallana and spurned two half-chances before beating David Soria with a delightful shot with the outside of his left boot on 35 minutes.It sent St. Jakob-Park into raptures, although the massive army of Reds supporters -- some of whom got into scuffles with Sevilla fans inside the stadium prior to kick-off -- were conspicuously quiet after the interval.Penalty appealsSevilla had got off lightly when Liverpool twice saw penalty appeals waved away - defender Daniel Carrico handling twice in the area - while Dejan Lovren saw his header from Sturridges corner ruled offside.UEFA made history by using Hawk-Eye goalline technology in a Europa League final for the first time, but the organisers could have done with it around the penalty area as well.Everybody told me about the two handballs in the first half, added Klopp.Sevilla were kept on a tight rein in the opening half although Gameiro, with 28 goals this season including seven in eight Europa League games, had his first sniff with an ambitious overhead kick after Cokes cross on the right following a corner.But Liverpool were beginning to fire, and when Coutinho found Sturridge unmarked to his left the England striker coolly beat Soria at his far post.Neither Firmino nor Sturridge could get to the ball when Lallana released Nathaniel Clyne down the right for the right-back to deliver an inviting ball across the face of goal just before half-time.It would prove costly, because whatever Emery said at half-time worked wonders.When right-back Mariano Ferreiro pounced on a poor clearance from Alberto Moreno seconds after the restart, the Sevilla right-back was allowed to power unchallenged down the right to deliver for Gameiro, who tapped home from yards out.Liverpools confidence sunk and Coke got his first after a great combination with Banega, who dribbled through the Reds defence before seeing Coke ram the ball past Mignolet from 20 yards.It took several minutes for officials to finally decide whether Cokes second was valid, but it will take Liverpools fans much longer to get over what was a poor second half display.

Football: Turan, Calhanoglu spearhead Turkey's Euro challenge

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ISTANBUL (AFP) - Turkey coach Fatih Terim on Wednesday announced his squad for the Euro 2016 finals spearheaded by foreign-based star midfielders Arda Turan and Hakan Calhanoglu, saying the team was aiming for the highest possible outcome.Announcing the squad on state-run TRT Sport television, Terim said he was expecting great things from his side despite being drawn in a challenging Group D.Eight players will be cut from the provisional 31-man squad on May 31, when the final line-up of 23 going to France will be announced.Talismanic captain Arda Turan, who joined Barcelona this season after a glorious spell at Atletico Madrid, will be hungry for success after spending much of a frustrating time so far with the Catalan giants on the bench.He will be joined in the midfield by Calhanoglu of Bayer Leverkusen, one of few Turkish-origin players born in Germany to opt for their ancestral country.Terim has reshuffled the goalkeeping contingent with Volkan Babacan, who enjoyed a sparkling season with Istanbuls Basaksehir, the clear number one out of four keepers in line to go to France.There is no longer a place for Turkeys longstanding keeper Volkan Demirel of Fenerbahce, whose international career may now be over.In attack, much will depend on striker Cenk Tosun who helped his Istanbul side Besiktas to their first Turkish league title since 2009 earlier this month.Terim has also called up experienced striker Burak Yilmaz despite concerns he may have lost his sharpness since joining Beijing Guoan from Galatasaray earlier this season.The managers most intriguing choice is young winger Emre Mor, aged just 18, who was born in Denmark, plays for Nordsjaelland but has opted to play for Turkey after representing his country of birth at youth level.I think he is a player out of the ordinary, said Terim. I decided to give him a chance and Turkey can gain a very interesting player.Terim, by far the most respected coach in Turkey and known to his admirers at the Emperor, implied his team had the simple aim of winning the tournament.Playing in the final is not for me a criterion of success, he said. If possible, we have the very highest aim.But he acknowledged that Turkeys Group D -- also including reigning champions Spain, Croatia and the Czech Republic -- could be termed a group of death.I think that we have fallen into one of the two strongest groups, he said.But had said Turkey would be a real obstacle for any side at the tournament.Terim batted away speculation he could be returning to club management at Galatasaray after their disastrous season saying there is nothing else on my mind now other than the national team.A key test of the strength of Terims team comes at the weekend when they face England in Manchester.Turkey squad for Euro 2016:Goalkeepers: Volkan Babacan (Medipol Basaksehir), Onur Recep Kivrak (Trabzonspor), Ali Sasal Vural (Eskisehirspor), Harun Tekin (Bursaspor)Defence: Gokhan Gonul, Sener Ozbayrakli, Caner Erkin, Mehmet Topal (Fenerbahce), Caglar Soyuncu (Altinordu), Hakan Kadir Balta, Semih Kaya (Galatasaray), Serdar Aziz (Bursaspor), Ismail Koybasi (Besiktas), Ahmet Yilmaz Calik (Genclerbirligi)Midfield: Selcuk Inan, Yasin Oztekin (Galatasaray), Emre Mor (Nordsjaelland), Ozan Tufan, Alper Potuk, Volkan Sen (Fenerbahce), Oguzhan Ozyakup, Olcay Sahan, Gokhan Tore (Besiktas), Hakan Calhanoglu (Bayer Leverkusen), Nuri Sahin (Borussia Dortmund), Mahmut Tekdemir (Medipol Basaksehir), Arda Turan (Barcelona)Forwards: Burak Yilmaz (Beijing Guoan), Cenk Tosun (Besiktas), Yunus Malli (Mainz 05), Mevlut Erdinc (Guingamp).

Turkey summons EU envoy over comments on refugee deal

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ANKARA (AFP) - Turkey has summoned the top European Union diplomat in Ankara to protest against comments in which he reportedly criticised the conduct of Turkish officials in implementing a landmark refugee deal, diplomatic sources said Wednesday.Hansjoerg Haber, a German diplomat who heads the EU delegation to Ankara, was summoned to the Turkish foreign ministry on Tuesday, the sources said.He was told that his comments had caused indignation and were condemned by Turkey.According to Turkish reports, Haber was bitterly critical of Turkeys conduct in the deal to reduce the number of refugees crossing the Aegean to EU territory at a meeting with some reporters on May 13.Turkey was to have been given visa-free travel for its citizens to most of the bloc but this is now in doubt amid accusations on both sides, raising questions over the entire accord.According to Turkeys state-run Anatolia news agency, Haber is said to have said: We have a saying Start like a Turk and end like a German. But here it is the other way round.His comments have not been confirmed by the EU delegation.The deal has also been thrown into doubt by the departure in the coming days of Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu who had championed the accord.

Govt imports 2 bullet-proof BMWs for President, CJP's security

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – Government imported two new bullet-proof BMW cars for the security of President Mamnoon Hussain and Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Anwar Zaheer Jamali, which arrived late Wednesday night.The cars have been imported from Europe and have been brought in to assure the security of both the President and the CJP during travel.Both cars have been dispatched to Islamabad for their use.

Multan: 8 terrorists shot dead, 6 escape during operation

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MULTAN (Dunya News) – Law enforcement agencies thwarted a terrorism plot late Wednesday. Eight terrorists including those involved in the killing of an intelligence officer and the master mind of Rawalpindi’s Parade Line blast were shot dead while six managed to escape during an operation conducted by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) and the Intelligence department in Multan.According to sources, action was conducted by CTD on a tip-off by the intelligence department, at the bank of Chenab River, during a secret meeting of Al-Qaeda operatives.Terrorists opened fire upon seeing the officials. 8 terrorists were gunned down during the retaliatory fire.The terrorists were planning to target the universities of Multan. Those killed include Tayyab, Abdul MAteen, Muneeb, Razzaq, Abdur Rehman, Abudu Jana and Zeeshan.A suicide jacket, 2 rifles, 3 grenades and 2 pistols were recovered from the killed terrorists.Meanwhile a hunt is underway for those that fled the scene.

Pakistanis in South Africa protest over RAW's activities in country

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JOHANNESBURG (Dunya News) – Pakistani nationals in South Africa organised a protest outside the Indian conciliate over the activities of the Indian intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) in the country, reported Dunya News on Wednesday.A peace march was arranged outside Johannesburgs Park Town area where the Indian conciliate is located. The demonstrators were of the view that RAW is making attempts to destabilise the country through its activities.The demonstrators also carried posters having pictures of apprehended RAW agent Kulbhushan Yadav that had slogans against him written on them.

Bone of contention: India, Pakistan in legal skirmishes over Kashmir

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LAHORE (Web Desk) – Pakistan has reached out to the United Nations Organisation (UNO) to interfere and prevent its neighbour India from showing the disputed Kashmir region as its part in maps through a law that is expected to be discussed in the Indian parliament latter in the ongoing year.According to a statement issued by Pakistan s Foreign Ministry, the showing of Jammu and Kashmir as a part of India in maps is factually incorrect and legally untenable as the area is disputed between both neighbours.However, India argues that the matter is an internal one and Pakistan or any other party has no right to interfere. Once the bill gets passed, anyone found violating the map will be fined a billion (Indian) rupees along with imprisonment up-to seven years.India and Pakistan have fought three wars over the Kashmir issue. Both neighbours have expressed their feelings of dissatisfaction with other countries and media organisations for not showing their version of their countries maps at various instances.
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