Monday 14 November 2016

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

US may have committed war crimes in Afghanistan: ICC prosecutor

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THE HAGUE (AFP) - US forces may have committed war crimes in Afghanistan from 2003-2004 by torturing prisoners in what appeared to be a deliberate policy, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court said Monday.Unveiling the results of a lengthy initial probe into atrocities in Afghanistan, prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said she would decide imminently whether to ask to launch a full-blown investigation -- and take the worlds only permanent war crimes court into uncharted territory.She stressed that the Taliban militia and the affiliated Haqqani network, Afghan government forces and US troops as well as the CIA all appeared to have carried out war crimes since the Islamic militia was ousted by a US-led invasion in 2001.And she blamed the Taliban and its allies for the deaths of some 17,000 civilians since 2007 to December 2015 in a brutal insurgency with numerous attacks on schools, hospitals and mosques.But for the first time, Bensouda highlighted allegations of war crimes of torture and related ill-treatment, by US military forces deployed to Afghanistan and in secret detention facilities operated by the Central Intelligence Agency.There was a reasonable basis to believe that during the interrogation of detainees, members of the US armed forces and the US Central Intelligence Agency resorted to techniques amounting to the commission of the war crimes of torture as well as cruel treatment and rape.If Bensouda does ask judges to authorise a full-scale inquiry, the tribunal would be taking on its most complex and politically controversial investigations to date.But the United States has not ratified the courts founding Rome Statute, and it is unlikely Washington would cooperate in any investigation which would expose US forces for the first time to the glare of an ICC probe. And while the US has been leading calls for those behind atrocities in the Syrian conflict to be brought to justice in The Hague, there is little chance of any US soldiers ending up in the dock here.The former administration of president George W. Bush authorised the use of so-called enhanced interrogation techniques --including waterboarding -- after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.Their use was abolished by President Barack Obama when he took over the White House in January 2009.But the ICC could be set for a collision course with president-elect Donald Trump, who has said he is in favour of such harsh interrogation techniques and may re-authorise their use.War crimes allegedly carried out by US forces were not the abuses of a few isolated individuals, Bensouda insisted in her annual report to the 124 states that belong to the ICC.Rather it appeared these alleged crimes were committed as part of a policy or policies aimed at eliciting information through the use of interrogation techniques involving cruel or violent methods.The aim was to support US objectives in the conflict in Afghanistan.Detailing her offices initial findings, Bensouda said at least 61 detainees were subjected to torture (and) cruel treatment by US armed forces in Afghanistan between May 1, 2003 and December 31, 2014.Members of the CIA also appeared to have subjected at least 27 detained persons to torture, cruel treatment... and/or rape on the territory of Afghanistan as well as in secret detention centres in Poland, Romania and Lithuania between December 2002 and March 2008.Any prosecutions of Afghan forces could also be complicated by a general amnesty law passed by the Afghan parliament which came into force in 2009.The ICC was set up in The Hague in 2002 to try the worlds worst crimes in cases where national courts are unwilling or unable to act.The report was released just ahead of Wednesdays opening of the annual conference of the tribunals state parties, set this year to be dominated by the shock defections of three African nations, with Bensouda under pressure to widen the geographic scope of her investigations.Kabul recognised the courts jurisdiction in February 2003, authorising Bensoudas predecessor Louis Moreno-Ocampo to probe atrocities on its territory. But some African nations have led a chorus to quit the tribunal, accusing it of bias. Of the 10 current full ICC investigations, nine are based in Africa. The other is in Georgia, pitting the ICC against Russia which is also not a signatory.

Obama says Trump soon to face sobering 'reality' check

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - President Barack Obama cautioned against dire predictions for Donald Trumps presidency Monday, saying his Republican successor faces a reality check if he tries to enact his most controversial campaign promises.The outgoing Democratic leader made his comments at a wide-ranging news conference before he embarks on a farewell visit to Europe to reassure worried allies about a man he once warned was unfit to lead the United States.Trumps election win last week over Hillary Clinton has been met with euphoria among his supporters, but also with a wave of protests across the nation that are unusual for the worlds leading democracy.The 70-year-old Republican billionaire -- who takes office in just nine weeks -- was holed up in his home office in Manhattan with his inner circle, working to shape his new administration.While admitting that he had concerns about his successor, the message Obama delivered on Monday was designed to comfort those still ill at ease with Trump -- and a lesson for the billionaire populist in the art of the presidency.Trump, a 70-year-old real estate developer and reality TV star who had never run for political office, has threatened to shake up Americas most important international relationships.But Obama said that deporting millions of immigrants, tearing up mutual defense treaties with NATO and Japan, and unraveling global deals on Irans nuclear program and the environment were not as simple as delivering tub-thumping rhetoric.Regardless of what experience or assumptions he brought to the office, this office has a way of waking you up, Obama said.Reality has a way of asserting itself, he added, offering his view that Trump is pragmatic rather than ideological.Obama said that during a meeting with Trump at the White House last week, he had told the president-elect that his actions can move markets, tanks and public sentiment.I emphasized to him that, look, in an election like this that was so hotly contested and so divided, gestures matter, Obama said.Its really important to try to send some signals of unity, and to reach out to minority groups or women or others that were concerned about the tenor of the campaign.Do I have concerns? Absolutely. Of course, I have concerns. He and I differ on a whole bunch of issues. But the federal government and our democracy is not a speedboat -- its an ocean liner.Amid dire predictions about the end of the republic and the global order, Obama said that Trumps inexperience in politics and lack of intellectual baggage could be an asset.I dont think he is ideological. I think ultimately he is pragmatic in that way, he told reporters at his first news conference since the Republican mogul defeated his Democratic rival Clinton in last weeks presidential election.And that can serve him well as long as hes got good people around him and he has a clear sense of direction, he continued.Trump made his first two key appointments on Sunday -- onetime Republican National Committee chair Reince Priebus will be his White House chief of staff, and anti-establishment media firebrand Steve Bannon his chief strategist.The appointment of Bannon -- the head of ultra-conservative Breitbart News who has championed the so-called alt-right perspective -- has raised hackles, with Jewish and Muslim leaders expressing concerns.Asked about Trumps choice of Bannon, Obama gave a pass. It would not be appropriate for me to comment on every appointment that the president-elect starts making if I want to be consistent with the notion that were going to try to facilitate a smooth transition, he said. More cabinet-level appointments will be rolled out this week, Trumps campaign manager Kellyanne Conway told reporters in New York. The New York mogul has also spent time calling world leaders as he begins to develop ties with Americas allies -- and adversaries.Getting his arms around foreign policy is one of Trumps four top priorities, along with health care, immigration and taxes, as he prepares for his first 100 days as president, Priebus said.I see President-elect Trump being very calm and cool and collected. And prepared to lead the American people, Priebus -- seen as an establishment counter-weight to Bannon -- told ABCs Good Morning America.Obama said that Trump had already conveyed a commitment to NATO that seemed to run against his campaign promises.In my conversation with the president-elect, he expressed a great interest in maintaining our core strategic relationships, Obama said. During a visit this week to Europe, and then Peru for a summit with Asia-Pacific leaders, Obama said he would be able to tell allies there is no weakening of resolve when it comes to Americas commitment to maintaining a strong and robust NATO relationship.This is a time of great change in the world, but Americas always been a pillar of strength and a beacon of hope to peoples around the globe. And thats what it must continue to be, he said.Obama tried to steer clear of giving Democrats advice on how to recover from the brutal loss of the White House and the partys failure to take back both houses of Congress.I think its important for me not to be big-footing, he said. I think we want to see new voices and new ideas emerge.

Hand grenade drone adds to IS arsenal around Mosul

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ARBID (AFP) - The Islamic State group drone hovered in the sky over the advancing Iraqi forces before dropping a grenade, the jihadists latest move to weaponise small off-the-shelf aircraft.Down below, the grenade exploded on the roof of a building where Iraqi police forces were sheltering as they advanced some 10 kilometres (six miles) south of Mosul, the last IS-held Iraqi city.No one was injured, according to an Iraqi officer, but the incident nonetheless represents another escalation in the war of commercially available drones that is playing out as Iraqi forces battle the jihadists.Masters of invention, IS jihadists have booby trapped household appliances and turned cars into armoured suicide bombs as they try to stymy the Iraqi forces.Now they seem to have found another way to try to slow the progress: weaponising the $1,000 drones that they normally use to spy on their foes.We have recorded three incidents, police Lieutenant Colonel Hussein Moayyad told AFP.The jihadists appear to have used an add-on -- similar to those intended to help fisherman drop their hooks farther out at sea -- to release the drones payload, Moayyad said.They rig the grenade so the pin is pulled free when the explosive device is dropped, arming it.While this attack was relatively primitive and -- for now -- pretty ineffective, IS drones have already proved more deadly in other ways. Last month a hobby plane rigged with explosives killed two Iraqi Kurdish peshmerga fighters and injured two French soldiers.According to a US defence official, the incident unfolded on October 2 when a small plane with a styrofoam body was either shot down or crashed in Arbil in northern Iraq.Two Iraqi Kurdish peshmerga fighters grabbed it and took it back to their camp to inspect and photograph it, when it blew up.IS is flying drones to spy on Iraqi forces -- so Iraqi forces are sending up their own devices to spot the enemy as well. Moayyad watched a screen inside a specially converted armoured bank van he has turned into a mobile drone control centre.Now I am entering the dangerous zone, this is where Daesh is, he said, using an Arabic acronym for IS as he manoeuvered the drones remote control to focus on jihadist positions some five kilometres (three miles) away.Like the IS operation, the Iraq police have also cobbled their drone programme together with shop-bought equipment and ingenuity.Moayyad -- who has a masters degree in computing -- modified drones bought in Dubai and Turkey to give them greater range, longer battery life and the ability to film at night. When he spots enemy movement, he coordinates with the Iraqi artillery, air force or sometimes the US-led coalition bombarding IS from the sky. In eastern Mosul, Iraqi special forces soldiers are using drones for the same purpose.There were three car bombs coming out from Al-Bakr toward our positions that we spotted with our drone and hit with our tanks, Staff Lieutenant Colonel Muntadhar Salem recently told AFP, referring to an area in the city.In total, Moayyad said, the Iraqi police force drones -- superior to the ones IS use -- end up costing somewhere around $26,000. But despite having superiority over the jihadists, he said the Iraqi forces could do with equipment that can let you take control of unknown drones, especially now that IS is arming them.Maybe they could get bigger drones, Moayyad said. And if they manage to use chemical weapons on them, then this is more scary, of course.

Hundreds of Los Angeles students in anti-Trump protest

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LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Hundreds of students from a number of Los Angeles-area schools walked out of their classrooms on Monday to take part in a protest against Donald Trumps election to the presidency.The students, some of them carrying signs that read Rise Up and Together We Stand as well as American and Mexican flags, marched peacefully through east Los Angeles to a plaza in Boyle Heights, a predominantly Hispanic neighborhood.The protest took place despite calls by school officials for students not to walk out of classes and to find other ways to express their anger at Trumps shock election last week.Although it has been nearly a week since the presidential election, many students remain concerned about the outcome and want their voices to be heard, said Michelle King, superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District.These are important conversations that need to take place. We want our students to know they are not alone. However, it is critical that students not allow their sentiments to derail their education or for their actions to place them in danger.Mondays protest follows similar demonstrations that have taken place across the country in the wake of Trumps election last Tuesday.Protesters have denounced Trumps often-inflammatory campaign rhetoric about immigrants, Muslims and women.We will not accept Trumps sexism, racism, his put-down of LGBT folks, one student told the ABC7 news channel in Los Angeles on Monday.Evelin Miranda, 16, told the Los Angeles Times that she was scared for her family.I want to tell people that we dont want Donald Trump as our president, she told the paper. Because hes racist and I have immigrant parents and Im afraid that I might lose them.Trump initially denounced the protests against him, saying they were incited by the media but then reversed course on Friday and praised the demonstrators for their passion for our great country.

15 dead in Iraq suicide bombings claimed by IS

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BAGHDAD (AFP) - Suicide bombings claimed by the Islamic State group killed 15 people on Monday in an oasis town south of Baghdad and the city of Fallujah to its west, officials said.The attacks come as Iraqi forces battle IS in the northern city of Mosul, the last major population centre the jihadists hold in the country.IS has carried out a series of attacks in other areas since the operation to retake Mosul was launched on October 17 in an apparent bid to draw attention and possibly troops away from the city.Masum al-Tamimi, a member of the Karbala provincial council, said six suicide bombers armed with light weapons as well as explosives tried to infiltrate Ain al-Tamer early on Monday.But they clashed with security forces before withdrawing to the Al-Jihad area and detonating explosives there, Tamimi said, putting the death toll at eight, a figure confirmed by a doctor.The attack also wounded at least six people, officials said.The interior ministry said security forces killed five of the bombers while the sixth detonated explosives inside a house.But IS issued a statement claiming the attack in which it said that there were only five bombers, identified with noms de guerre indicating two were from Mosul and three from Syria.The jihadist group said the bombers, who were armed with automatic weapons and grenades as well as explosive belts, battled security forces until running out of ammunition and then blew themselves up.Attacks in southern Iraq are rare, especially compared to the frequent bombings that hit Baghdad.But Ain al-Tamer, which is located 50 kilometres (30 miles) from the Shiite shrine city of Karbala, is on the edge of Anbar province, which has long been a haven for jihadists.A similar attack involving militants armed with explosives, rifles and grenades hit Ain al-Tamer in late August, killing 18 people and wounding at least 26.Later in the day, two more bombers detonated explosives-rigged vehicles near police checkpoints in Fallujah, killing seven people and wounding 25, a police captain and a hospital official said.IS also claimed responsibility for the bombings in Fallujah, a city that was retaken from IS at the end of June after two and a half years outside of government control.These two explosions are the first two explosions in Fallujah since its liberation from (IS), Raja Barakat, a member of the provincial council security committee in Anbar province, where Fallujah is located.The jihadist group overran large areas north and west of Baghdad in 2014, but Iraqi forces backed by US-led air strikes have since regained much of the territory they lost to IS two years ago.The jihadists are however still able to strike inside government-held territory with bombings and other attacks even as they lose ground.

World looks up to gaze at extra bright 'supermoon'

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MIAMI (AFP) - Skygazers took to high-rise buildings, tourist landmarks and beaches worldwide on Monday to catch a glimpse of the closest supermoon to Earth in almost seven decades.The unusually big and bright moon happens when the Earths satellite rock is full at the same time as, or very near, perigee -- its closest point to our planet on its monthly ellipsis-shaped orbit.At a distance of 356,509 kilometers (221,524 miles), this is the closest it has been to Earth since 1948, creating what NASA described as an extra-supermoon.The phenomenon was visible first in Asia, sending astronomy enthusiasts and photographers flocking to the best viewing spots, hoping the chronic pollution that blights many of the regions cities would not spoil the fun.Sydneys eastern Bronte suburb became an unexpected magnet as thousands of people armed with picnic mats and cameras packed its small beach after a Facebook invite went viral.Loud cheers went up among the crowd as the moon made brief appearances between heavy, gray clouds before disappearing.Its really nice, Aidan Millar-Powell told AFP of the festive community atmosphere at the beach. People dont usually come together like this in Sydney for a natural phenomenon.Tourists, office workers and couples crowded the Hong Kong waterfront as the supersized moon rose over the skyscrapers of the financial hub, while in the Chinese capital Beijing the moon climbed spectacularly over the citys skyline.The supermoon was visible across much of India although residents of New Delhi, the worlds most polluted capital, struggled to see it clearly through the toxic smog that has been shrouding the city in recent weeks.In Thailand, astrologers were variously predicting the supermoon would bring disaster or great fortune. The supermoon means a stronger high tide, something that gets surfers giddy with excitement, not only at the prospect of riding bigger waves, but doing so at night.In Florida, tides were unusually high and flooding was reported along some beachside streets near Miami and Fort Lauderdale.NASA published a photo of the moon appearing as a giant orange orb behind Russias Soyuz rocket at the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad in Kazakhstan, ready to propel a Russian cosmonaut, a European and an American astronaut to the International Space Station later this week.Supermoon adorns our rocket, tweeted Peggy Whitson, the NASA astronaut who will be on that flight.Incredible perspective of spaceflight. Astronomers say it can be hard to notice that the moon appears brighter than usual. Once it is high in the sky, it can also be hard to tell it is larger.To get the best view, Pascal Descamps of the Paris Observatory advised choosing somewhere with a well-known landmark in the foreground for comparison.Supermoons are actually quite common -- there is one every 14 months on average.But some supermoons are more super than others, said Descamps.After Asia it was the Middle East, Africa, Europe then North and South Americas turn to peer upwards, with eager moongazers on all continents heading to popular landmarks to see the supermoon up close -- with mixed results.In Athens, the hundreds gathered at the ancient Acropolis were treated to the sight of the massive orb rising between the monuments famous columns, bathing the site in its glow.But thick clouds spoiled the show in several European capitals including London, Paris, Berlin and Rome. Amateur photographers took up positions on Londons Waterloo Bridge hoping to see the moon rise above St Pauls Cathedral, but cloud had blanketed the sky all day and mobile apps were the only way to track the moons progress.In Poland, the great rivalry between Warsaw and the old royal capital Krakow reared its head as heavy clouds thwarted moongazers in the former. But in Krakow, further south, the massive moon rose victoriously above the clouds.I think the moon is more golden than usual -- it doesnt have the usual cold silver color, said Roman Kwiatkowski, a Krakow psychotherapist making use of his large balcony to enjoy the spectacle.Parts of east Africa also had an excellent view, from Nairobi to Dar es Salaam.Johannesburg got a storm instead, with one disgruntled Twitter user, @Runningflyhalf, renaming the phenomenon supercloud.But in Cape Town, thousands of people were rewarded for making the hour-long trudge up Lions Head mountain with the sight of the huge moon reflecting off the glimmering bay below.I think its well worth waiting another 34 years to see it, tourist guide Leslie Edgar, 30, told AFP. I will do it again. It was spectacular.

Tennis: Murray marks rise to the top with Tour Finals romp

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LONDON (AFP) - Andy Murray celebrated his rise to the top of the world rankings with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Marin Cilic on Monday as the Scot made a strong start to his bid to win the ATP Tour Finals.Murray was officially confirmed as the first Briton to reach number one last Monday and he marked his first match since that historic moment by dispatching Cilic at the prestigious season-ending event at Londons O2 Arena.The 29-year-old took only 90 minutes to extend his remarkable winning streak to 20 matches as he looks to add to the four consecutive titles he won in Beijing, Shanghai, Vienna and Paris.It was exactly the start Murray needed because to guarantee ending 2016 in pole position, he must win the Tour Finals title for the first time, with anything less than that giving Novak Djokovic the chance to overhaul him depending on the deposed number ones own results.Its a great atmosphere and I think I played one of my best matches here. Im going to keep working hard to give people moments like this, Murray said.I have confidence from winning matches and I was a little bit more solid when I had opportunities.Murray has enjoyed an incredible 11 months in which he has won Wimbledon for the second time, claimed a second Olympic singles gold medal and become a father for the first time.So it was fitting that Murrays first appearance as the worlds best player came within an hours drive of his family home in Surrey.While Murray has amassed a combined seven titles across London at Wimbledon and Queens, he has failed to reach the final of the Tour Finals in six attempts and this was one of his better displays at the O2.Murray emerged to huge cheers from the sell-out 17,000 crowd but, clearly in businesslike mood, he responded only with a shy wave.Life at the top carries the added burden of motivated opponents keen to take down the main man, but Murray has always relished a challenge and he quickly stamped out the threat of an uprising from Cilic.He staved off two break points to hold serve in the first game and then turned the tables to break for a 2-0 lead when Cilic blasted a backhand into the net.Murray was having a few problems locating his serve and Cilic break back in the next game, but the Wimbledon champion responded with another break of his own to remain in charge.Cilic was sporting an extraordinarily lurid pair of shorts that looked more suited to the beach and his error-strewn play suggested he was already thinking of his holiday plans as Murray closed out the set with ease.Murray pressed home his advantage with a pair of sublime winners to break in the fifth game of the second set and another break in the seventh meant it wasnt long before he was soaking up the applause of his fans.In the other match in Murrays group, Kei Nishikori avenged his painful US Open loss to Stan Wawrinka as the Japanese star routed the world number three 6-2, 6-3.Nishikori was denied a second Grand Slam final appearance in September when Wawrinka defeated him in the US Open semi-finals and the world number five got his own back with a dominant display.I was very solid from the first game and very confident. I played a good game today, Nishikori said.Florida-based Nishikori harbours hopes of overhauling Wawrinka in the race to finish the year in third place in the ATP rankings and this victory keeps him on course.That is my goal for this week, to win matches and reach number three. I see the opportunity to go up the rankings and Ive been playing well so I hope to keep it up, Nishikori said.

Tennis: Nishikori routs Wawrinka to avenge US Open woe

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LONDON (AFP) - Kei Nishikori avenged his painful US Open loss to Stan Wawrinka as the Japanese star routed the world number three 6-2, 6-3 in his opening match at the ATP Tour Finals on Monday.Nishikori was denied a second Grand Slam final appearance in September when Wawrinka defeated him in the US Open semi-finals and the world number five got his own back with a dominant display at Londons O2 Arena.Despite being placed in a tricky Tour Finals group that also includes world number one Andy Murray and former US Open champion Marin Cilic, Nishikori hopes to make the final of the prestigious season-ending event for the first time after reaching the last four in 2014.I was very solid from the first game and very confident. It wasnt easy against Stan because he hits a lot of slice and a variety of shots, but I played a good game today, Nishikori said.Florida-based Nishikori also harbours hopes of overhauling Wawrinka in the race to finish the year in third place in the ATP rankings and this victory keeps him on course.That is my goal for this week, to win matches and reach number three. I see the opportunity to go up the rankings and Ive been playing well so I hope to keep it up, Nishikori said.Wawrinka had reached the semi-finals of the Tour Finals for the last three years and held a 4-2 lead in his career head to head with Nishikori.But he was no match for the 26-year-old, who was fired up to make amends for his loss in New York, where he reached his only major final in 2014.After a tight start, Nishikori seized the momentum in the fifth game, punishing some sloppy play from Wawrinka to earn two break points and converting the second with a fizzing forehand that the Swiss star couldnt handle.Nishikori pressed home his advantage with another break for a 5-2 lead before serving out the set with the minimum fuss.Wawrinka had come from a set down to beat Nishikori in their US Open clash but, with a strapping on a left knee injury that has troubled him recently, the 31-year-old was looking tentative this time.Aided by Wawrinkas growing number of unforced errors, Nishikori broke again in the fifth game of the second set when the world number three allowed a return of serve to drift past him and bounce in.Nishikori needed little encouragement to seal the win and turned the screw to induce one more decisive break.

Tennis: French Fed Cup captain Mauresmo quits

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PARIS (AFP) - Amelie Mauresmo stepped down Monday as French Fed Cup captain saying that she was pregnant, a day after the team lost in the final to the Czech Republic.The former world number one took over as team captain in 2012, leading France to promotion from the Fed Cup second division during her term.I am expecting my second child in April and with the Fed Cup programme including matches in February and April, it would be impossible, said the former Wimbledon and Australian Open champion.Mauresmo, 37, who formerly coached world number one Andy Murray, said she had kept the news secret from the team which fell 3-2 to defeat to the Czechs in Strasbourg on Sunday.It was a bit of a shock at first, they werent expecting it, said Mauresmo after telling the players earlier Monday.She said that her decision had nothing to do with tension within the team following the defeat.This has got nothing to do with the results this weekend nor with any so-called disagreement among the girls. It is simply because it would be impossible to continue.Mauresmo gave birth to a son in August 2015 when she was Murrays coach. The partnership with the Scot ended in May this year after almost two years with reports at the time suggesting she wanted to spend more time with her son.

Karachi: Two accused arrested after police encounter

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – Crackdown against criminal elements under the National Action Programme (NAP) in Karachi continues as police arrested two accused after and encounter on Monday, Dunya News reported.According to details, police arrested two accused in injured condition after an encounter in Sector 9-H of New Karachi. The arrested accused were identified as BilaL and Sheik Rehan.Police sources said that arms, one motorcycle and stolen money were also recovered from the arrested accused. Further investigation is underway.

South Africa hammer hapless Australia to win Test series

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HOBART (AFP) - South Africa demolished Australia by an innings and 80 runs after yet another batting collapse to claim their third successive Test series Down Under Tuesday, piling the pressure on coach Darren Lehmann and captain Steve Smith.The Proteas bowled out the home side for 161 before lunch on the fourth day, taking their last eight wickets for 32 in 116 balls after routing Australia for 85 in the first innings.The latest overpowering victory followed a 177-run win against Smiths shattered team in the first Perth Test, with South Africa emulating the intimidating West Indies teams of the 1980-1990s with three straight series wins in Australia.This cricket team is a tough team to get a win against on their home soil, said South African captain Faf du Plessis.So to come here and do it is special for us. To win a series 2-0 with one game to play, I am very proud of the way the team is moving forward.The second innings destruction heaped more pressure on Smith and Lehmann and increased calls for significant team changes for the final day-night Test against the tourists in Adelaide next week.It was Australias fifth consecutive Test defeat this year, after also losing all three Tests in Sri Lanka in August. We have to find a way to be a bit more resilient. It seems at the moment, regardless of what the ball is doing, we need to find a way to hit it better, said Smith. We need to find a way to be successful, because what we are doing at the moment is not working.The Australians fell apart again on Tuesday, losing their last eight wickets with all the apparent weaknesses again exposed by potent South African pace bowling.Kyle Abbott and Kagiso Rabada led the rampage with Abbott taking six for 77 and young gun Rabada four for 34.Once Usman Khawaja was out just 20 minutes into the fourth day, the wickets continued to tumble. Khawaja was twice beaten by Abbotts movement off the pitch before he went for a cut on the last ball of the over and nicked to wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock for 64.It was a body blow for the Australian hopes of salvaging the Test so early into the fourth day and ended a 50-run stand with Smith.It brought Adam Voges to the crease under immense pressure to save his faltering Test career after a highest score of 47 in his last 10 innings.But Voges self-doubt showed through when he tried to withdraw from at attempted pull shot only to glide a deflection to JP Duminy in the gully for two after scoring a duck in the first innings.Voges trudged off the field after scores of 0 and 2, fearing his Test career was over at the age of 37.Callum Ferguson was the victim of another ugly dismissal, bending to evade Rabada only to glove to Dean Elgar at third slip for one after scoring three in the first innings. Wicketkeeper Peter Nevill was the next to go, failing to get out of the way of a Rabada bouncer and gloving to Duminy in the gully for six, while Joe Mennie lasted just two balls before he was leg before to Rabada.The Proteas claimed Smiths prized wicket, caught behind off the rampaging Rabada for 31 after his unbeaten 48 in the first innings shambles.Mitchell Starc came to the crease but became Abbotts fifth victim, caught behind for a duck, with Nathan Lyon the last man out, giving man-of-the-match Abbott his sixth dismissal of the innings.

LG polls on reserved seats in Punjab today

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LAHORE (Dunya News) - Polling for reserved seats of municipal corporations and metropolitan corporation in Punjab province will be held today, Dunya News reported. Polling for reserved seats of Union councils will be held on November 19.Polling for the reserved seats of Metropolitan Corporation Lahore will be held today during which 25 women and 10 minority’s members would be elected. Polling will start at 9:00am and will continue till 4:00pm without any interval.On the other hand, vice chairmen and councilors in Faisalabad staged a protest against the local government system. They demanded that the vice chairmen should also be allowed to cast their votes in the election for reserved seats.

UN urges Pakistan, India to resolve issues through dialogue

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NEW YORK (Dunya News) – The United Nations on Monday has expressed concern over clashes between Pakistan and Indian troops along the Line of Control (LoC) in which seven Pakistani soldiers embraced martyrdom when India forces opened unprovoked fire on the LoC, Dunya News reported.A UN spokesman urged both the Governments of Pakistan and India to exercise restraint and resolve all their issues through dialogue. He said that current situation on the LoC could only be diffused through dialogue.The United Nations on Monday has also denied Pakistan’s involvement in Uri attack in which several Indian soldiers were killed.The UN spokesman further said that tension in Indian-held Kashmir escalated after the martyrdom of Buhan Wani at the Indians forces.

US condemns Shah Noorani shrine attack

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WASHINGTON (Dunya News) - Director, Press Office of the US State Department, Elizabeth Trudeau, while briefing the newsmen in Washington on Monday said that United States condemns in the strongest terms the attack on Saturday on Shah Noorani shrine in Balochistan that killed 52 innocent worshippers and wounded over a hundred more.We extend our condolences to the victims and their families, she said and added that attacks like this only deepen our shared resolve to defeat terrorism and end the targeting of religious minorities.Elizabeth Trudeau said that we stand with the people of Pakistan at this difficult hour and remain committed to supporting religious freedom. “We’ll continue to work with our partners in Pakistan and across the region to combat the threat of terrorism,” she said.

Gujranwala: Three terrorists of banned outfit arrested

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GUJRANWALA (Dunya News) – Counter-Terrorism Department apprehended at least three terrorists of a banned outfit during an operation in More Aimanabad near Gujranwala, Dunya News reported. According to CTD spokesman, the operation was launched on an intelligence report that terrorists are present in the area, The arrested terrorists were identified as Ali Raza, Jawad Humza and Atif Mushtaq.The spokesman further said that the terrorists have revealed during initial investigation that they were planning to target some shrines in Gujranwala.Explosive material, detonators and banned literature was recovered from the arrested terrorists who were shifted to some undisclosed location for further investigation.
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