Tuesday 24 May 2016

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Panama Leaks investigation: Parliamentary committee to meet today

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – The first meeting of the Parliamentary committee, formed for preparing Terms of References (ToRs) on Panama leaks issue, will be held in Islamabad today (Wednesday), Dunya News reported.The 12-member Parliamentary committee comprises six members each from both government and opposition sides. The six members representing government include Ishaq Dar, Khawaja Asif, Saad Rafique, Anusha Rehman, Mir Hasil Bizenjo and Akram Durrani while Aitzaz Ahsan, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Sahibzada Tariq Ullah, Barrister Saif, Tariq Bashir Cheema and Ilyas Bilour would be from opposition side.Sources told that the committee would investigate the matters of Panama leaks, offshore companies, loan waivers and kickbacks against politicians.Earlier, National Assembly (NA) approved formulating a 12-member parliamentary committee after the opposition rejected a 16-member body to form joint Terms of References (ToRs) for Panama leaks issue.The resolution said that the committee will have to finalize ToRs for the judicial commission in two weeks time.Opposition parties rejected any change in the parliamentary committee and demanded the government to stand true to its word by getting approved the motion moved by Minister for Law and Justice Zahid Hamid on Wednesday.Opposition members stressed limiting the number from each side to six.Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif had recommended formation of a parliamentary committee, during his address on Monday, to negotiate ToRs for Panama leaks probe with the opposition.Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly, Khurshid Shah announced accepting the proposal and called off the boycott of the Senate and the National Assembly.

PTI to hold protest outside Hassan Nawaz residence today

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LONDIN (Dunya News) – Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) UK wing will hold a protest outside Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s son Hassan Nawaz’s residence today (Wednesday), Dunya News reported.The protest call was given by PTI (UK wing) in anticipation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s arrival in London. The protest will start at 10:30PM (PST).On the other hand, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) UK wing has also announced to hold a protest outside Jemima Khan’s residence in western London.

Twitter relaxes 140-character limit for tweets

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - Twitter said Tuesday it was easing its 140-character limit for tweets, allowing users to add links, attachments and some other features within the short messages.The move comes as Twitters efforts to increase its user base and engagement have been sputtering, raising questions about its growth trend.Over the past decade, the tweet has evolved from a simple 140-character text message to a rich canvas for creative expression featuring photos, videos, hashtags, Vines and more, Twitter product manager Todd Sherman said in a statement.So, you can already do a lot in a tweet, but we want you to be able to do even more. In the coming months, well make changes to simplify tweets, including what counts toward your 140 characters.Sherman said names in replies, and media attachments such as photos, videos and polls will no longer be counted toward the character limit.He added that updates would be implemented over the coming months and that developer partners would be given the tools to enable the change on sites that use Twitter.Relaxing the 140-character limit, which was set due to mobile phone text messaging constraints in place when Twitter launched in 2006, is expected to encourage more use and sharing of pictures, videos and links.Other tweaks were being made to how Twitter works, the statement said.One new feature will enable users to retweet or quote their own messages when you want to share a new reflection or feel like a really good one went unnoticed.Twitter will also broadcast the reply tweet to all followers of a given user. This will eliminate the need for a sometimes misunderstood technique in which users had to add a character to a reply to allow it to be viewed broadly.The change allowing more room for tweets should be very welcome news for both Twitter users and advertisers, said Matt McGee on the blog Search Engine Land.It means more room for text and conversation in each tweet and less frustration for everyone whos been forced to edit their words in order to fit them inside Twitters constraints.McGee added that because the new rules apply to promoted tweets or ads, the new format gives marketers more room to tell their story or pitch their products and services with both text and media.Debra Aho Williamson at the research firm eMarketer welcomed the long overdue changes.I think Twitter is taking steps in the right direction by removing some of these limitations, she told AFP.That said, much of the social media world is moving toward communicating via video, and Id love to see Twitter make video more of a centerpiece of the service.Jan Dawson at Jackdaw Research said the change was a bonus for existing power users but did not expect the change to drive much user growth.In fact, the sheer complexity of Twitters post about the change today is a great example of how impenetrable Twitter can still be for new users, Dawson said.Greg Sterling of the Local Search Association, a marketing trade group, also played down the change as incremental for Twitters efforts.Its a positive move and will enhance usage, Sterling said.But Sterling said Twitter is struggling because it has not kept pace with other big networks like Facebook and Instagram.Facebook, Instagram and others have sucked some of the engagement out of the room for people to share pictures and other content, and they are preempting Twitter, he said.Last month, Twitter released a quarterly update that showed little change in its user base. In a key metric in the fast-evolving social media world, Twitters trend was flat. The number of monthly active users was 310 million, up three percent from a year ago and only slightly higher than the 305 million in the previous quarter.

US oil price hits 2016 high on hopes of lower inventories

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NEW YORK (AFP) - World oil prices rose Tuesday, with US crude striking a seven month high as traders expect data showing a decline in American commercial inventories and weigh production problems in Nigeria. The price of crude oil snapped a two-day slump on Tuesday ahead of an expected draw in US weekly inventories from API data, said CMC Markets analyst Jasper Lawler.Investors awaited the American Petroleum Institutes report on US crude inventories last week, due later Tuesday, and the official data for that week from the US Department of Energy on Wednesday.Expectations are running unusually high for a decline in US supplies, given the wildfires that have interrupted oil production in Canada, the biggest supplier of crude to the United States.US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for July delivery advanced 54 cents to $48.62 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, the highest closing price since October.In London, Brent North Sea oil, the European benchmark, for July delivery finished at $48.61 a barrel, up 26 cents from Mondays settlement.Bob Yawger of Mizuho Securities USA noted that prices were supported Italian oil company Enis force majeure declaration after attacks over at its Brass Rivers terminal in Nigeria, in essence saying it cannot guarantee production to customers.Crude prices have rebounded since plunging to near 13-year lows below $30 a barrel in February amid abundant global supplies. But they are still well short of peaks of more than $100 reached in June 2014.Overall the market is still in an uptrend, with the thought process that in the longer term things will balance out and tighten up, said Kyle Cooper at IAF Advisors.

Dollar rises in anticipation of Fed rate hike soon

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NEW YORK (AFP) - The dollar mostly strengthened Tuesday as the market increasingly priced in a Federal Reserve interest rate hike in the next couple of months, helped by hawkish comments from Fed officials.The British pound, meanwhile, pushed higher as opinion polls suggest that Britain will vote to remain in the European Union in the June 23 referendum and reject the option to exit the 28-nation bloc.The latest in a series of comments from Fed officials in recent days signaling the central bank could raise rates soon came from Philadelphia Fed President Patrick Harker, who in a speech late Monday said: I can easily see the possibility of two or three rate hikes over the remainder of the year.The dollar jumped to $1.1141 per euro around 2100 GMT from $1.1219 at the same time Monday. It rose to 109.99 yen and 0.9932 Swiss francs.Markets are raising their bets on a rate hike at the July meeting, with odds above 50 percent for the first time in two months, said Kathy Lien of BK Asset Management.After raising the federal funds rate in December from near zero where it was for seven years, the Fed has kept its powder dry so far this year as the economy slowed in the first quarter.Since the data has improved. Official data Tuesday showed new-home sales surged in April to the highest level since January 2008. While that data is known for high volatility, the blockbuster surge prompted analysts to see a strengthening in the housing market, a key sector for US growth.The pound advanced against both the dollar and the euro as British public sentiment seemed to be leaning away from a Brexit.Opinion polls have shown a growing likelihood of the outcome siding with the camp that wants Britain to renew its membership in the club shared by more than two dozen European nations, said Joe Manimbo, senior market analyst at Western Union Business Solutions.

Devastated Stokes has surgery as Topley ruled out for three months

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LONDON (AFP) - England all-rounder Ben Stokes had knee surgery on Tuesday, while fellow international Reece Topley learnt he will be sidelined for three months with a partial stress fracture.Stokes suffered a cartilage tear in his left knee during Englands crushing Test victory against Sri Lanka last week at Headingley.He had already said that he expects to miss the remainder of Sri Lankas tour, but the England and Wales Cricket Board have not offered any prognosis following his operation.Stokes is unlikely to be seen again until the start of the Pakistan series in July, though England are not yet committing to a timescale.The 24-year-old admitted it was a huge blow to be sidelined while England are in action, although he planned to watch his team-mates in the second Test against Sri Lanka in Durham this week.Devastated to be missing the rest of the series, this has been a ongoing issue for 2/3 years which Ive managed to play through until now, Stokes tweeted.All the best to the lads in the rest of the series, see you down at Durham in the crowd.In Stokes absence, Warwickshires Chris Woakes, who took nine wickets on Monday to celebrate his call-up for the second Test against Sri Lanka, and the uncapped Jake Ball will have the chance to impress.Ben Stokes has undergone surgery this afternoon to address a cartilage tear in his left knee. Full details on the length of his rehabilitation will be confirmed in due course, an ECB statement read.Topleys situation is clearer, with a partial stress fracture of the lumbar spine likely to keep him sidelined for most of the season.Hampshire seamer Topley, who was in Englands World Twenty20 squad, has been out since April 16 with a fractured thumb but now has much bigger problems to contend with.Reece Topley has been diagnosed with a partial stress fracture of the lumbar spine and will require a significant period of rehabilitation, the statement added.He will miss the next three months and will aim for a return for Hampshire before the end of the season.There was better news for David Willey, who has a small abdominal tear and is aiming to make his return to action in Yorkshires Twenty20 Blast match at Worcestershire on June 2.

'Superman' De Villiers steers Bangalore into IPL final

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BANGALORE (AFP) - South Africas AB de Villiers hit an unbeaten 79 to single-handedly steer Royal Challengers Bangalore into the Indian Premier League cricket final, beating Gujarat Lions by four wickets in the first Qualifier Tuesday.Chasing 159 for victory at Bangalores M Chinnaswamy Stadium, the Royal Challengers were reduced to 68 for six before De Villiers blitz fired the team home in 18.2 overs.Gujarat medium pacer Dhawal Kulkarni (4-14) hurt Bangalore with early strikes as red-hot openers Virat Kohli (0) and Chris Gayle (9) were back in the dug out early.Coming in at number three De Villiers stayed calm to stitch an unbeaten 91-run partnership with Iqbal Abdullah (33) to stun the opposition in front of a raucous home crowd.Man of the match De Villiers smashed five fours and five sixes during his 47-ball stay as the top-order batsman snatched victory out of the jaws of defeat.Earlier put into bat Gujarat rode on West Indies batsman Dwayne Smiths 41-ball 73 to post a respectable 158 all out in 20 overs.Smith lifted Gujarat from a precarious nine for three to stitch a 85-run fourth wicket partnership with Dinesh Karthik as the duo counter attacked with great effect.The Windies allrounder took charge to teach the Bangalore spinners a bitter lesson as he smashed five boundaries and 6 sixes during his entertaining knock.Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal got the dangerous Smith back in the dug out as Australian allrounder Shane Watson (4-29) wiped out the Gujarat tail.After left-arm spinner Abdullahs double strike to get openers Brendon McCullum and Aaron Finch out early it was Watson who hurt Gujarats bid to score big. The Suresh Raina-led Gujarat though will have another shot at securing a final berth when they meet the winner of the Eliminator in the second Qualifier in New Delhi on Friday.

Twin assaults in Syria, Iraq pile pressure on IS

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BEIRUT, (AFP) - Kurdish-Arab forces launched a major assault against the Islamic State group in Syrias Raqa province Tuesday and Iraqi forces advanced on it in Fallujah, piling pressure on the jihadists in two strongholds.The twin offensives marked some of the most serious ground efforts against IS since the group declared its self-styled caliphate straddling the Syrian-Iraqi border in 2014.Territory under IS control has been steadily shrinking for months but it has carried out a wave of attacks including bombings in the Syrian regimes coastal heartland Monday that killed 177 people.It was the deadliest bomb attack on any regime-held area in Syrias five-year war, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group.The Syrian Democratic Forces on Tuesday announced its largest offensive to date against IS territory north of the IS stronghold of Raqa city.The offensive was aimed at pushing IS from the provinces north and securing other areas, the alliance said in statement on Twitter.Baghdad-based US military spokesman Colonel Steve Warren confirmed the assault, saying it was putting pressure on Raqa.US air strikes would support thousands of SDF fighters, some of whom had been trained and equipped by American forces, he said.If Raqa falls, its the beginning of the end of their caliphate, Warren said.SDF spokesman Talal Sello said an assault on Raqa city is not in our plan now.A source within the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units said US ground forces would take part in the attack, but Sello denied this.Just before the SDF announcement, Russia said it would be ready to coordinate with both Washington and the SDF in an offensive for Raqa.- End to IS myth? -=====================The US rejected a Russian proposal last week for joint air operations against jihadist groups in Syria.The anti-IS coalition headed by Washington has set its sights on Raqa in Syria, as well as Fallujah -- and eventually ISs main bastion of Mosul -- in Iraq.Its clear that if the US wants to eliminate IS, it has to attack it on multiple fronts at the same time, said Washington-based Syria analyst Fabrice Balanche.Cutting the route between Raqa and Mosul isnt difficult today. It will put an end to the myth of a transnational IS, he said.On Tuesday, Iraqi forces closed in on Fallujah after capturing the nearby town of Garma and cutting IS off from one of its last support areas.Federal forces advanced towards the east of Fallujah early today from three directions, said police Lieutenant General Raed Shakir Jawdat.The Hashed al-Shaabi umbrella paramilitary organisation, dominated by Tehran-backed Shiite militias heavily involved in the operation, said ground was also gained south of Fallujah.With forces converging, concerns grew that the estimated 50,000 civilians believed to still be inside had nowhere to go.Families who have been suffering food and medical shortages over the last months now risk being caught in the crossfire, said the Norwegian Refugee Councils country director Nasr Muflahi.It was absolutely vital that they are granted safe routes out of there, he added.Officials from Anbar, the vast western province in which Fallujah is located, said small numbers of civilians had managed to sneak out.- Scramble to save ceasefire -==============================A Fallujah resident reached by telephone said there was heavy shelling on the northern edge of the city.Daesh (IS) is still imposing a curfew, preventing people from coming out on the street, said the man, who gave his name as Abu Mohammed al-Dulaimi.It was unclear what kind of defence IS was prepared to put up in Fallujah, a city that looms large in modern jihadist mythology since 2004 battles that saw US forces suffer some of their worst losses since the Vietnam War.Iraqi and US-led coalition aircraft have been pounding Fallujah and its surroundings to support the operation.The offensives came as Washington and Moscow scrambled to salvage a shaky ceasefire between the regime and non-jihadist rebels intended to pave the way for peace talks.The US envoy for Syria has urged rebels to respect the February 27 ceasefire after they gave its brokers -- Washington and Moscow -- until Tuesday afternoon to stop an advance on rebel strongholds outside Damascus.We recognise that the CoH (Cessation of Hostilities) is under severe stress, but believe that to abandon it now would be strategic error, Michael Ratney said on Twitter.Staunch regime ally Russia also called for a 72-hour local truce in Eastern Ghouta and Daraya near Damascus starting Tuesday.

Karachi: Giant pothole appears at Drig Road flyover, bridge closed for traffic

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – Flyover leading to Rashid Minhas Road from the airport has been closed for traffic after a pothole has surfaced on the bridge while the very flyover had been closed several times in the past for the same reason, reported Dunya News on Tuesday.Municipal government director technical services said that bridge had constantly been crumbled due to poor condition while the bridge has been closed for restoration, he added.Officials stated that the government has planned to build a new bridge in next fiscal budget.

Indian players should be included in PSL: Zaheer Abbas

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – International Cricket Council (ICC) president Zaheer Abbas has suggested that players belonging to India should be included in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), reported Dunya News on Tuesday.While conversing with media, the Asian Bradman said that the Indian Premier League (IPL) would become a joy to watch if Pakistani players are added in it.Zaheer Abbas congratulated Anurag Thakur upon becoming the president of the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) and also made confession that the BCCI president invited him to witness the final of the IPL on May 29, 2016, in India.

Meeting called to discuss SC observation on PEMRA

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Minister for Information and Broadcasting Pervaiz Rashid on Tuesday stated that key officials of information and law ministries would attend an important meeting to be held on Wednesday regarding Supreme Courts observation on Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA), reported Dunya News.In the light of Chief Justice (CJ) Anwar Zaheer Jamalis remarks, PEMRA rules and regulations would be reviewed to make effective laws while new legislation has also been under consideration, added Pervaiz Rashid.

Learning Chinese language would be helpful in near future, advises Punjab CM

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Shehbaz Sharif conveyed a messageon social website and suggested people to prior Chinese language if anyone wanted to learn any foreign language as the Chinese language would be very helpful in coming years, reported Dunya News on Tuesday.In another message through social media website he said that change in weather has been a good feeling and one should enjoy such pleasant changes.

Learning Chinese language would be helpful in near future: Punjab CM

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – Chief Minister (CM) Shehbaz Sharif conveyed a message through a social media website which stated that change in weather has been feeling good and one should enjoy such pleasant changes, reported Dunya News on TuesdayIn another message on the social website suggested people to prior Chinese language if anyone wanted to learn any foreign language as the Chinese language would be very helpful in coming years, he added.

Learning Chinese language would be helpful in near future: Punjab CM

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – Chief Minister (CM) Shehbaz Sharif conveyed a message through a social media website which stated that change in weather has been feeling good and one should enjoy such pleasant changes, reported Dunya News on Tuesday.In another message on the social website suggested people to prior Chinese language if anyone wanted to learn any foreign language as the Chinese language would be very helpful in coming years, he added.

Learning Chinese language would be helpful in near future: Punjab CM

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – Chief Minister (CM) Shehbaz Sharif conveyed a message through a social media website which stated that change in weather has been feeling good and one should enjoy such pleasant changes, reported Dunya News on TuesdayIn another message on the social website suggested people to prior Chinese language if anyone wanted to learn any foreign language as the Chinese language would be very helpful in coming years, he added.
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