Sunday 1 January 2017

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Pranksters change iconic Hollywood sign to 'Hollyweed'

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - The famed Hollywood sign high in the hills over Los Angeles got a little higher on Sunday, when someone altered two of its letters to make it read Hollyweed.Police said unidentified thrill-seekers had climbed up and arranged tarps over the two letter Os to make them look like Es, CBS affiliate KCAL reported. Each letter is 45 feet (13.7 meters) high, so the feat would have required not just bravado but considerable athleticism. The daring act may have been taken in celebration of a measure approved in November, when California voters passed an amendment legalizing recreational use of marijuana.A police spokesman said surveillance cameras might help them identify the culprit or culprits; the act was being treated as a case of misdemeanor trespassing.It was not the first such incident since the sign was first erected in 1923 -- at the time as Hollywoodland -- to advertise a local real estate development. Perhaps not coincidentally, the same lettering change to the sign was made exactly 41 years ago, when a California law relaxing penalties for marijuana use took effect.That alteration turned out to be the work of a college art student, one Danny Finegood. Along with friends, he later returned to the sign on Easter Day 1976 to make it read Holywood, and they changed it again in 1990 to read Oil War in protest of the Persian Gulf conflict.Finegoods original handiwork, which he considered an act of environmental sculpture, was done for an art class project, the Los Angeles Times reported.Using $50 in sheets and ropes, he and three friends made the change -- and Finegood received an A from his art teacher.But while he might have inspired the latest act of hillside mischief, Finegood cannot be blamed for it. He died in 2007, aged 52.Largely because of his work, however, Los Angeles officials increased security around the sign, installing a fence, alarms and eventually a closed-circuit surveillance system.It is not clear how someone made it through those barriers Sunday, but Danny Finegood might well have admired their work.

Syria clashes test fragile truce brokered by Russia, Turkey

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BEIRUT (AFP) - Fighting in parts of Syria on Sunday threatened a shaky ceasefire brokered by Russia and Turkey, whose efforts to kickstart talks towards ending the conflict won backing from world powers.The nationwide truce between the regime and non-jihadist rebels aims to smooth the way for peace talks in Kazakhstan later this month orchestrated by Damascuss allies Moscow and Tehran and rebel backer Ankara.The UN Security Council on Saturday unanimously approved a resolution supporting the Russian and Turkish initiative aimed at ending the nearly six-year-old war that has killed more than 310,000 people and displaced millions.Air raids and clashes have continued to shake parts of the country since the ceasefire started at midnight on Thursday, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group.Four civilians, two of them children, and nine rebels have been killed since the truce took effect, said the Britain-based Observatory, which relies on a network of sources in Syria for its information.In northern Syria, regime air strikes on Sunday targeted the rebel-held town of Atareb, the monitor said.Regime air strikes also hit the Wadi Barada region near Damascus, where the government says rebels last week deliberately targeted water infrastructure that supplies the capital.On Saturday night, rebels shelled Fuaa and Kafraya, two besieged Shiite-majority villages in northwestern Syria.In the rebel bastion of Eastern Ghouta east of Damascus, which the government has waged a months-long offensive to retake, opposition fighters exchanged fire with regime forces.The truce excludes the Islamic State group and former Al-Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Sham Front.Saturdays UN resolution welcomes and supports the efforts by Russia and Turkey to end violence in Syria and jumpstart a political process, and hails the planned talks in the Kazakh capital Astana as an important step.The measure also calls for the rapid, safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid in Syria.In Eastern Ghoutas Hammuriyeh area, Syrian activists marked the New Year by decorating a tree with lights and pictures of war victims, an AFP photographer said.The Observatory says a total of 60,000 people lost their lives in violence across Syria in 2016, more than 13,000 of them civilians.Syrias conflict began in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests and has since spiralled into a multi-front war involving various sides and international players.Russia and Turkey say the Astana talks in late January will supplement, not replace, UN-backed peace efforts, including negotiations set to resume on February 8 in Geneva.Moscow and Ankara have been working increasingly closely on Syria, including on a deal to allow the evacuation of civilians and rebels from the besieged northern city of Aleppo last month.The fighting in Syria has occasionally spilled over into neighbouring Turkey, with several attacks blamed on IS or Kurdish militants.In the latest violence, 39 people, including many foreigners, were killed Sunday when a gunman went on a rampage at an exclusive nightclub in Istanbul where revellers were celebrating the New Year.No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.Turkey has waged a four-month incursion in Syria that it says is to expel IS and Kurdish fighters from the border area.Washington has been noticeably absent from the new process to end Syrias conflict, but has called the truce positive.Moscow -- which has been supporting Damascus with air strikes since 2015 -- has said it hopes to bring US President-elect Donald Trumps administration on board once he takes office later this month.On Saturday, in the coastal regime stronghold of Tartus, two suicide bombers blew themselves up at a security roadblock, killing two members of the regime forces.

Frightened civilians flee as Iraq forces battle IS in Mosul

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MOSUL (AFP) - Frightened Iraqi civilians hurry down a muddy street in Mosul as gunshots echo through the neighbourhood and a helicopter wheels overhead, firing a barrage of bullets towards jihadists below.Others choose to stay, hanging white flags from their homes and periodically peering out as Iraqi forces battle the Islamic State group for control of the countrys second city.Children, some of them carrying plastic bags of belongings slung over their shoulders, are among those fleeing, as is a woman who weeps as she walks along the street.Dozens more people move along the road leading away from the southeastern edge of the city, heading to a place where they pile into buses painted in police camouflage to be driven to safety.There was more movement of families (Friday), says Lieutenant Colonel Hisham Abdulkadhim of Iraqs elite Rapid Response Division, a special forces unit that directed civilians to shelter as it advanced.While the worst-case scenario of a million-plus people fleeing their homes during the battle to retake Mosul has yet to materialise, more than 120,000 people have been displaced since the operation was launched on October 17.Mosul crackles with gunfire and explosions as the Rapid Response forces fight their way north alongside contingents from other units.The advance is quick but careful, with an Iraqi army Humvee mounted with an anti-tank missile launcher on hand to target car bombs and a bulldozer that erects dirt barricades to block their approach.Humvees provide cover for those on foot, who move alongside, weapons at the ready.Helicopters prowl over the city firing bursts of gunfire and rockets, while the jihadists take aim at their aerial tormentors with small arms.Some civilians open their doors to see what is happening, but the warning from Iraqi forces is always the same: go inside, close the door.There are myriad dangers: a running infantry battle, jihadists with no qualms about endangering civilians, and air strikes, artillery fire and large, unguided rockets targeting IS.Some of those who stayed in their homes in Mosul assist the advancing Iraqi forces.A car bomb is behind the mosque, a federal policeman says, attributing the information to residents.A mosque is visible over the rooftops less than 200 metres (yards) away.A soldier looks for the car bomb through the sight of the Humvee-mounted missile launcher, but it does not appear, and a bulldozer builds a dirt berm across the street.More civilians pour out of a nearby area, most on foot, though an old woman and several young children ride on a cart.IS forced us out, says Karama Attiyah, a distraught, black-robed woman carrying a blanket.They are hiding in front of us in our houses, she says.Members of the Rapid Response forces direct the civilians into a building that has a white flag hanging from a wooden pole over its entrance.After the quick advance and near-constant gunfire, the end seems to come suddenly as Iraqi forces reach their objective at the northern edge of the neighbourhood.For civilians, hours if not days of fear turn to relief, and they begin to emerge from their homes without being told to remain inside.Some boys jump up and down while flashing the victory sign, possibly imitating nearby security forces.One little girl wearing a pink coat holds up a hand-drawn Iraqi flag, though it does bear the since-eliminated stars of the Baathist era of Saddam Hussein.Mosuls inhabitants still reside in a broken, battleground city, and investigation into possible IS ties likely lies ahead for some of the men, but in this area, the immediate danger is over.This is the first time we went out in three days, says Hasna Yassin, a woman standing at the gate of one house.Asked how she feels, Yassin says: I was just reborn.

New UN chief aims to make 2017 'a year for peace'

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UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - The new United Nations chief Antonio Guterres said Sunday he would like to make 2017 a year to put peace first, in a message heralding the new year and marking his first day as the world bodys chief.The Portuguese former prime minister, 67, took over as UN Secretary-general from South Koreas Ban Ki-moon, inheriting complex crises in Syria, South Sudan, Yemen, Burundi, North Korea and elsewhere.How can we help the millions of people caught up in conflict, suffering massively in wars with no end in sight? Guterres said.Civilians are pounded with deadly force. Women, children and men are killed and injured, forced from their homes, dispossessed and destitute.No one wins these wars; everyone loses.Ushering in 2017, Guterres asked the world to make one shared New Years resolution: Let us resolve to put peace first.Let us make 2017 a year in which we all -- citizens, governments, leaders -- strive to overcome our differences.The unanimous election of Guterres -- who fought for migrants rights as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees for a decade -- has energized UN diplomats who see him as a skilled politician who may be able to overcome the divisions crippling the international organization.Peace must be our goal and our guide, he said. All that we strive for as a human family -- dignity and hope, progress and prosperity -- depends on peace.But peace depends on us.

Indonesian tourist boat blaze kills 23

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JAKARTA (AFP) - A massive fire erupted in a boat carrying hundreds of local tourists to an island north of the Indonesian capital Jakarta Sunday, leaving at least 23 dead and 17 injured, officials said.Passengers panicked and jumped into the sea as flames and smoke rapidly engulfed the Zahro Express shortly after it left port to head to the popular holiday island of Tidung, the national disaster agency said. Another 17 people were missing and 194 were rescued following the blaze which started with an explosion in the engine room that the transport ministry said was accidental and could have been caused by an electrical fault.Fifteen minutes after the boat set sail, people at the back of the boat started making noise, a female passenger Evi, who gave only one name, told local station Metro TV. Then I saw smoke, there was more and more, the boat was crowded and people were fighting for life jackets.Another survivor, Juju Rukminingsih, told how someone took her sons life jacket just as he was about to jump from the boat.When we wanted to go, I panicked because I saw my son jump off the boat without a (life jacket) because somebody else had taken it, she told a local TV station.Passing fisherman plucked many of the passengers, all of whom were believed to be Indonesians, to safety and firefighting boats were deployed to put out the blaze. It was just the latest fatal maritime accident in the vast Indonesian archipelago, which relies heavily on boats to ferry people round its 17,000 islands but has a patchy safety record.After the blaze was extinguished, the boat returned to port and rescuers searched through the fire-blackened vessel, which had been heading to the island 50 kilometres (30 miles) from the capital and part of the Thousand Islands archipelago.Vessels from several government agencies scoured the sea in the hunt for survivors while the Jakarta governor visited the injured at a local hospital.A manifest had indicated there were around 100 passengers on the vessel but as rescuers plucked passengers from the stricken vessel it became apparent the figure was far higher in a country where overcrowding on boats is common.The boats manifest says there are around 100 people on board, but obviously thats wrong, so we are still searching, national disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho told AFP. The agency said that the tourists were likely heading to Tidung to celebrate the New Year. The Thousand Islands, many of which are just a couple of hours by boat from Jakarta, are a popular weekend getaway for residents of the teeming, overcrowded capital of more than 10 million inhabitants.Fatal boat accidents are common in Indonesia.In September a tourist boat on the resort island of Bali exploded, killing two foreigners and injuring about 20 others.At least 54 people died in November when an overcrowded speedboat carrying three crew and 98 passengers -- mostly Indonesian migrant workers -- struck a reef and sank on its way from Malaysia to Batam.

Aussies to prepare in Dubai for India

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SYDNEY (AFP) - Australia plan to prepare for their Indian Test series in Dubai as team officials seek more control over the state of practice pitches, reports said Monday.The tour to face the worlds number one side next month has been tagged the closest thing to mission impossible for Australia, who have not won a Test in India since 2004.The staging camp at Dubais state-of-the-art International Cricket Council (ICC) Academy has been devised to help avoid a repeat of Australias disastrous 2013 series in India where they lost all four Tests. India is not going to be the same everywhere, Cricket Australias high performance general manager Pat Howard told Fairfax Media.What they can do in Dubai is do a lot of different preparation with different types of pitches.The Dubai academy -- in which recently departed Australia national selector Rod Marsh took a lead design and development role -- has two full-sized floodlit ovals and more than 30 grass pitches constructed on different soils from around the cricket world.The ICC have done a really good job where theyll have different pitches of the cities... so its not just spin pitches, there are different types, said Howard.We cannot copy what we are going to get. Its all about the mindset that were going to adapt. We cant get practice against (Ravichandran) Ashwin and (Ravindra) Jadeja either. Australias team for Tuesdays final Sydney Test against Pakistan has been chosen with an eye on the four-Test India campaign and includes two spinners in Nathan Lyon and Steve OKeefe. Third spinner Ashton Agar was also in the 13-man squad but did not make the staring eleven.England enjoyed similar preparations in the Gulf state ahead of their landmark 2-1 series win in India in 2012, while the West Indies also spent time at the academy before winning the World Twenty20 championship in India last year.Australia will play two intra-squad matches in Dubai, with the numbers made up by young players from the Pakistan Super League T20 competition being held there at the same time, the reports said.The first Test begins in Pune on February 23.

Multan: Fire gutted three shops

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MULTAN (Dunya News) – According to details, fire broke out in Landa Bazar near Ghanta Ghar in Multan on Sunday night which spread to three shops very quickly.Rescue and fire brigade teams reached the spot and brought the fire under control after a hectic effort of one hour. The fire completely destroyed three shops causing loss of thousands of rupees to the owners.Rescue sources said that a security guard of the market was sitting by the fire when a spark fell on clothes which resulted in huge fire. Further investigation is ongoing.

Cartwright, O'Keefe in Australia third Test team

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SYDNEY (AFP) - All-rounder Hilton Cartwright will make his Test debut as Australia make two changes for the final Test against Pakistan in Sydney, captain Steve Smith said Monday.Zimbabwe-born Cartwright and left-arm spinner Steve OKeefe replace Nic Maddinson and Jackson Bird in the team that demolished Pakistan in Melbourne last week to clinch the three-match series.Hes improved (his bowling) a lot over the last year or so. Hes gained 10 kph, Smith said of Cartwright.The 24-year-old Cartwright is a batting all-rounder who bowls medium pace and is expected to support front-line fast bowlers Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood. The need for a second spinner in Sydney had been flagged by selectors, with OKeefe getting the final nod over Ashton Agar.Were playing the two spinners, traditionally out here it does take some spin, Smith said.OKeefe will partner veteran spinner Nathan Lyon, who cemented his place in the team with a crucial three-wicket spell on the final day of the Melbourne Test.OKeefe has played three Tests, including in Sydney against the West Indies last season, and partnered Lyon in the first Test in Sri Lanka earlier this year before injury ruled him out for the remainder of the series.Australia are chasing a 3-0 whitewash in the Test that starts in Sydney on Tuesday.Australia: David Warner, Matthew Renshaw, Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith (capt), Peter Handscomb, Hilton Cartwright, Matthew Wade, Mitchell Starc, Steve OKeefe, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon.

Change won't come by raising of finger, Chandio tells Imran

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HYDERABAD (Dunya News) - Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Maula Bux Chandio said on Sunday that change would not come by raising of finger, reported Dunya News.Chandio was talking to media in Hyderabad as he said that change will only come with the support of people and political unity.He also said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan does not want to join hands with PPP because someone from Rawalpindi has told him not to do it. He also said that Imran Khan is the hurdle between unity of opposition.On the other hand PPP welcomed Imran Khans decision of making a PTI candidate contest election against Asif Ali Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. He also said that he hopes Imran Khan would not take a u-turn on this decision.

Kandhkot: 7 killed, 20 injured in road accident

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KANDHKOT (Dunya News) – At least seven people were killed and 20 other were wounded when four vehicles collided at a tool plaza near Kandhkot on Sunday night, Dunya News reported.According to details, two passenger coaches collided head-on at a tool plaza near Kandhkot after which a car and a truck which were coming behind also collided with the coaches, killing seven people.Rescue teams said that six women were among the dead. At least 20 people were also wounded who were shifted to Civil Hospital from where six critically wounded persons were referred to hospital in Rahim Yar Khan.Most of the dead and injured passengers were from Peshawar a one coach was coming to Karachi from Peshawar while the other to the opposite destination.

Hearing of Punjab land scam case to begin in LHC today

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – Chief Justice (CJ) of Lahore High Court (LHC), Mansoor Ali Shah is to begin hearing of Punjab land scam case today (Monday), reported Dunya News.Primary suspect, Chaudhry Arshad among others, used forged orders of courts to grab pieces of land expanding over 1.93 lac canals across the province.Once the scam was exposed by Dunya News, LHC CJ ordered session judge to immediately file a report. The report submitted by the judge within 15 days held the claim of Dunya News correct.

Pakistan is silent despite atrocities on muslims: Siraj

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KARACHI (Dunya News) - Jamaat Islami (JI) chief Sirajul Haq said on Sunday that Pakistan is quite even though muslims are going through atrocities in Burma and Syria, reported Dunya News.Siraj was addressing in Ummat-e-Rasool (PBUH) conference in Karachi as he said that rulers of Islamic countries are not raising their voice for Syria and Burma because USA does not call them atrocities. He added that JI raises the voice for muslims in Kashmir, Burma, Syria and Palestine.Siraj also said that if India stopped Pakistans water, it would be considered a war declaration. He also said that Pakistan should talk to Narendra Modi in the language he understands and if Security Council (SC) does not ensure rights of Pakistan, then Pakistan should leave SC.

Gujranwala: Toxic liquor claims 4 lives

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GUJRANWALA (Dunya News) – Four people died after consuming poisonous liquor in Thairi Sansi area of Gujranwala while condition of two other is stated to be critical, Dunya News reported. According to the heirs, six persons including Shahbaz, Wakeel, Kaif, Munir, Muhammad Riaz and Tanveer consumed toxic liquor three days ago after which their condition deteriorated.The affected persons were shifted to Lahore hospital where Shahbaz, Wakeel, Kaif and Munir died while condition of Muhammad Riaz and Tanveer is stated to be critical.

Karachi: 3 terrorists of banned outfit arrested

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – Crackdown against criminal elements under National Action Plan (NAP) continues in Karachi as three terrorists were apprehended during police and intelligence agencies joint operation in the city on Sunday, Dunya News reported.According to details, police and intelligence agencies conducted a joint operation in SITE area of Karachi on a tip-off and arrested three terrorists of a banned outfit during house-to-house search.Police sources said that the arrested terrorists were planning to carry out terrorist attacks in the city. Police have also recovered explosive material, detonators, ball bearings and awan bombs from their possession. Further investigation is ongoing.

US condemns Pyongyang missile plan, warns against 'provocative' actions

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States on Sunday sharply condemned a North Korean plan to test-fire an intercontinental ballistic missile and warned Pyongyang against provocative actions.The toughly worded US statement called on all states to show the North that any unlawful actions would have consequences.It was issued by the Pentagon at a sensitive time -- just weeks before President Barack Obama is due to hand power over to his successor, Donald Trump.The statement came hours after Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader, said his country was close to testing such a missile, which would be capable of reaching American shores.We are in the final stages of test-launching the intercontinental ballistic missile, Kim said in a televised New Years speech, pointing to a string of nuclear and missile tests last year.He said Pyongyang was now a military power of the East that cannot be touched by even the strongest enemy.The Pentagon statement noted that multiple UN Security Council resolutions explicitly prohibit North Koreas launches using ballistic missile technology.It urged Pyongyang to refrain from provocative actions and inflammatory rhetoric that threaten international peace and stability.The statement reaffirmed Washingtons ironclad commitment to defend its allies, using the full spectrum of US extended deterrence capabilities.Pyongyang has never successfully test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), and analysts are divided over how close it is to doing so.But all agree it has made enormous strides in that direction since Kim took over as leader from his father Kim Jong-Il, who died in December 2011.
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