Thursday 16 February 2017

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Quetta: Two terrorists killed in FC operation

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QUETTA (Dunya News) – The Frontier Corps cordoned off a terrorist hideout at Darakhshan area at the Satyab Road in Quetta on Thursday on intelligence upon which the terrorists opened fire at the law enforcement agencies.The FC personnel retaliated as a result two terrorists were killed. Two FC officials were also wounded in the exchange of fire.Sources said that the killed terrorists belonged to a banned terrorist outfit.

Hat-tricks for United's Ibrahimovic, Roma's Dzeko

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LONDON (Agencies) - The goals continued to flow for Manchester Uniteds Zlatan Ibrahimovic and AS Romas Edin Dzeko as they bagged hat-tricks to help their teams take commanding leads in the first legs of their Europa League last 32 ties on Thursday.United swept aside St Etienne 3-0 at Old Trafford and Roma made light work of last seasons semi-finalists Villarreal with a 4-0 win in Spain, leaving their sides with little work to do in next weeks return encounters.Tottenham Hotspurs Europa League campaign, however, got off to a frustrating start as they were beaten 1-0 at mid-table Belgian outfit Gent, while Olympique Lyonnais beat AZ Alkmaar 4-1 away and Fiorentina edged Borussia Moenchengladbach 1-0.St Etienne will be totally sick of the sight of Ibrahimovic as the Swede took his tally against the Ligue 1 side to 17 goals in 14 games, having terrorised Les Verts during his four years at Paris St Germain.Every time Ive played against St Etienne, with hard work there has been a couple of goals. Ive scored a couple of goals tonight and hopefully I can do the same next week, Ibrahimovic told BT Sport.He opened the scoring with a deflected free kick in the first half and added two more - a tap-in and a late penalty -after the break as United quelled the visitors early enthusiasm.The match was billed as a battle of the Pogba brothers with younger sibling Paul facing St Etiennes Florentin for the first time in a competitive encounter.It was the 35-year-old Ibrahimovic who stole the show, however, grabbing his first United hat-trick and taking his tally in a remarkable maiden season at Old Trafford to 23.Dzeko is in a similarly rich vein of form at Roma, who swatted aside a Villarreal team who are in freefall having now won just one of their last 10 games in all competitions.Emerson Palmieri gave Roma the lead after 32 minutes and then Dzeko took over after the break, netting for the seventh straight game to double the lead in the 65th minute before adding two more goals to take his tally for the campaign to 28.Spurs, who have dropped into the competition from the Champions League, were off colour throughout in Belgium and were undone in the second half when journeyman French striker Jeremy Perbet stroked home at the second attempt on the hour.Spurs had arrived looking to restore pride in north London football after Arsenal were thrashed 5-1 by Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday but were stifled in a poor performance and were lucky to escape with a one-goal deficit.After Perbet scored, Gent, eighth in the Belgian league, had a golden chance to double their lead but Danijel Milicevics effort was tipped onto the post by keeper Hugo Lloris.Gladbach came into their encounter with Fiorentina on a hot streak having won their last four games and they dominated possession and made several chances against the Italians.The Serie A side were resilient at the back, however, and grabbed the only goal when Federico Bernardeschi fired home a fine free kick in the dying seconds of the first half.Lyon will take a commanding lead into their second leg against AZ Alkmaar after teenager Lucas Tousart scored his first senior goal and Jordan Ferri rounded off the scoring in stoppage time either side of Alexandre Lacazettes double.Alireza Jahanbakhsh had reduced the deficit for AZ with a 68th-minute penalty.Schalke 04s Klaas-Jan Huntelaar netted his 50th European goal to round off a 3-0 win at PAOK Salonika while Anderlecht overcame a sluggish Zenit St Petersburg, playing their first competitive game in 10 weeks, to win 2-0 in Belgium.Elsewhere, Shakhtar Donetsk won 1-0 at Celta Vigo with a 27th-minute goal from Gustavo Blanco Leschuk, while Sparta Prague were thrashed 4-0 at Rostov and FC Krasnodar beat visitors Fenerbahce 1-0.

Spurs lose at Gent, Lyon thrash Alkmaar in Europa League

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LONDON: Tottenham Hotspurs Europa League campaign got off to a frustrating start as they were beaten 1-0 by mid-table Belgian outfit Gent in their last 32, first leg tie on Thursday despite fielding a strong side.Spurs, who have dropped into the competition from the Champions League, were off colour throughout the match and were undone in the second half when journeyman French striker Jeremy Perbet stroked home at the second attempt on the hour.Olympique Lyonnais made light work of AZ Alkmaar in the Netherlands as they began the knockout phase with Alexandre Lacazette scoring twice in a 4-1 victory, while Fiorentina edged Borussia Moenchengladbach 1-0 in Germany.Spurs arrived in Belgium looking to restore pride in north London football after Arsenal were thrashed 5-1 by Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday but were stifled in a poor performance and were lucky to escape with a one-goal deficit.After Perbet scored, Gent, eighth in the Belgian league, had a golden chance to double their lead but Danijel Milicevics effort was tipped onto the post by keeper Hugo Lloris.Spurs made only two changes from the team that were beaten 2-0 by Liverpool in the Premier League on Saturday.Yet apart from a Harry Kane effort that hit the post early in the second half, they had few chances and Gent comfortably held on to take a slender lead into next weeks second leg.Gladbach came into their encounter with Fiorentina on a hot streak having won their last four games and they dominated possession and made several chances against the Italians.The Serie A side were resilient at the back, however, and grabbed the only goal when Federico Bernardeschi fired home a fine free kick in the dying seconds of the first half.Lyon will take a commanding lead into their second leg against AZ Alkmaar after teenager Lucas Tousart scored his first senior goal for the club and Jordan Ferri rounded off the scoring in stoppage time either side of Lacazettes double.Alireza Jahanbakhsh had reduced the deficit for AZ with a 68th-minute penalty.Elsewhere, Shakhtar Donetsk won 1-0 at Celta Vigo with a 27th-minute goal from Gustavo Blanco Leschuk, while Sparta Prague were thrashed 4-0 at Rostov and FC Krasnodar beat visitors Fenerbahce 1-0.

Tennis: Cilic downs Coric to make Rotterdam quarter-finals

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ROTTERDAM (Agencies) - Top seed Marin Cilic reached his first quarter-final of 2017 on Thursday when he overcame Croatian compatriot Borna Coric 6-1, 2-6, 6-4 at the Rotterdam World Tennis event.Cilic, who had just one victory this year going into the Ahoy stadium tournament, improved to a perfect 3-0 over Coric, whose career was sidelined last autumn by injury.Its always tough to play a countryman and Borna has been doing well in his comeback. It was not an easy match, even after winning the first set fast, said former US Open champion Cilic.Borna has proved himself as a next-gen player. Maybe he didnt have the best season due to his knee surgery, but hes playing quite consistently.Following his first-set thrashing, where he trailed 5-0, Coric steadied to square the match at a set each. However, a break in the third by Cilic handed the top seed a crucial 4-3 lead.Tomas Berdych, seeded fourth, hit 10 aces to defeat Frenchman Richard Gasquet 7-6 (7/4), 6-1 and advance into a contest against defending champion Martin Klizan of Slovakia.Belgian third seed Dàvid Goffin earned a comeback win over Robin Haase, the last Dutchman in the field, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4.Its always nice to play these tournaments. They are smaller draws than Masters or Grand Slams, but the matches are always tough, said Goffin.

Tennis: Kerber's rain-hit Qatar Open start ends in defeat

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DOHA (Agencies) - World number two Angelique Kerber finally got to play her first match at the rain-affected Qatar Open on Thursday then promptly crashed out of the tournament.On another wet day in the desert, Kerber lost 6-4, 0-6, 6-4 to Russian teenager Daria Kasatkina in a second round match.The German had received a first round bye. Of course its always tough to play the first matches after a longer break, said the former number one afterwards.But I was not feeling the best today. Im trying to find my rhythm. But she plays good. I think it was, for sure, not my day. I was not feeling the best today.She told German-speaking reporters that she had been suffering from a cold but did not want to make a drama out of this.It was the second time this year that Kerber has lost to the 19-year-old Russian, after being defeated 7-6, 6-2 at the Sydney International last month.The tournament had started on Monday, but Kerber had faced a frustrating wait to get out on court because of the wet conditions.Rain has interrupted every days play so far as Qatar suffers some of its wettest weather in years.Kerbers defeat caps a miserable start to 2017 for the German who lost in the fourth round in Melbourne as she sought to defend her Australian Open title.To make things worse, the eventual winner Serena Williams then reclaimed Kerbers number one world ranking.The defeat also denied Doha a repeat of last years Olympics final, as Kasatkina instead won through to play gold medallist Monica Puig in a last eight clash.That match also began on Thursday.It was tied at one set all - the Russian took the first set 6-4, while Puig hit back to take the second 7-5 - with the Puerto Rican 2-1 up in the decider before the inevitable rain struck again and play was halted for the day.Also suspended because of the weather was Caroline Wozniackis quarter-final clash against American qualifier Lauren Davis.The pair managed only one game on a side court before being stopped for the day.Earlier, the Dane had beaten close friend Agnieszka Radwanska 7-5, 6-3.We always have great matches, said the Dane afterwards. It was a tough match but I was pleased.Only one player, Slovakias Dominika Cibulkova, has so far won through to the semi-finals as rain has decimated the schedule.She beat Australias Samantha Stosur 7-5, 6-4, and will play the winner of the match between the Czech Republics Karolina Pliskova and Chinas Zhang Shuai.Pliskova, the number two seed, had earlier on Thursday beaten Frances Caroline Garcia 7-5, 6-4.

Sehwan: CM Sindh visits blast victims at Taluka Hospital

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SEHWAN SHARIF (Dunya News) - The Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah, visited the Taluka Hospital Sehwan to inquire about the health of injured people in deadly bomb blast at Lala Shahbaz Qalandar shrine on Thursday.At least 76 people, including nine women and 20 children, were killed and over 250 others were wounded when a suicide bomber exploded himself at Lal Shahbaz Qalandar shrine in Sehwan Sharif.Sikandar Mandhro, Sindhs health minister, also visited Taluka Hospital Sehwan to inquire about the health of injured people. Talking to the media he said that the provincial government is making all out efforts to provide treatment to the blast victims.

76 martyred in Lal Shahbaz Qalandar shrine blast

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SEHWAN SHARIF (Dunya News) – At least 76 people were martyred and over 250 others were wounded on Thursday when a suicide bomber blew himself up inside the crowded shrine of Hazrat Lal Shahbaz Qalandar in Sehwan Sharif, Dunya News reported.The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group claimed the responsibility for the attack on their Aamaq news agency, saying a suicide bomber had targeted devotees at the shrine in Sindh.Hundreds of devotees were present inside the premises of the vast mausoleum of the saint at the time of blast. Thousands gather at the shrine every Thursday to pray and participate in the Sufi tradition of dhamaal, a form of devotional percussion and dance.Television footage from the famous Lal Shahbaz Qalandar shrine in the town of Sehwan Sharif showed army and paramilitary medical teams reaching the site and injured people being taken to nearby hospitals in ambulances and a military helicopter.Deputy Inspector General of Police Hyderabad Range Khadim Hussain Rind while talking to media outside Taluka Hospital Sehwan said that the condition of 50 injured persons was critical. He also informed that a team of around 50 doctors had reached from Dadu along with sufficient quantity of medicines and started providing first aid to the injured.The DIG informed that 30 critically injured persons were being shifted to Nawabshah where arrangements were made to provide required medical treatment. The armed forces helicopters also reached Sehwan to airlift the critically injured persons to Karachi, he added.The death toll in the Thursday blast was feared to rise as many wounded persons are in critical condition. At least nine women and 20 children were among the victim. The bomber entered the shrine as crowds massed on Thursday, a statement from the Sindh police spokesman said.Rescue officials said dozens of wounded people were being ferried in private cars to hospitals. The nearest major hospital was nearly an hours drive away in Dadu district.Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif quickly condemned the bombing, decrying the assault on the Sufi religious minority.He vowed to fight Islamist militants, who target the government, judiciary and anyone who does not adhere to their strict interpretation of Sunni Islam.The past few days have been hard, and my heart is with the victims, Sharif said. But we cant let these events divide us, or scare us. We must stand united in this struggle for the Pakistani identity, and universal humanity.Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa vowed to avenge every drop of blood spilled by terrorists in Pakistan.Recent terrorist acts are being executed on directions from hostile powers and from sanctuaries in Afghanistan. We shall defend and respond.Each drop of the nations blood shall be revenged, and revenged immediately. No more restraint for anyone, the Army Chief was quoted as saying by Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director Major General Asif Ghafoor on Twitter.Shortly after the blast, the army announced it was closing the border with Afghanistan with immediate effect for security reasons. Insurgents operate on either side of the neighbors long and porous frontier.While talking to Dunya News, Governor of Sindh, Muhammad Zubair has said that the state is fighting war on terror for 15 years and has garnered numerous successes despite setbacks. The governor called for unity of the nation against banned organisations.Spokesperson for the Government of Sindh, Nasir Shah has condemned the attack and expressed grief over loss of precious lives. While answering a question over lack of security, he said that the provincial government is making all possible efforts to counter terrorism.This is the seventh terror attack in five days in different cities of Pakistan including capitals of Punjab and Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. On Monday, a suicide attacker claimed 14 lives outside Punjab Assembly in Lahore on Shahrah-e-Quaid-e-Azam. The martyred included Chief Traffic Officer, Syed Mobin Ahmad and Senior Superintendent of Police.A terrorist wearing a suicide vest rammed a stolen motorcycle into a van carrying judicial officers yesterday in Hayatabad area of Peshawar killing the driver while injuring the officials.Last year in November, a similar kind of bomb blast was reported at Shah Noorani shrine in Hub area of Balochistan that left over 52 killed and dozens of others wounded.

Huge car bomb kills at least 52 in Baghdad

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BAGHDAD (Agencies) - A massive car bomb ripped through a used car market in the south of Iraqs capital on Thursday, killing more than 50 people in the deadliest such attack this year, security officials said.The Amaq propaganda agency linked to the Islamic State group (IS), which has claimed nearly all such attacks recently, reported the blast and described it as targeting a gathering of Shiites.The explosion, which sent a thick plume of dark grey smoke billowing into the sky above Bayaa neighbourhood, sowed carnage and caused extensive destruction.A terrorist car bomb attack struck near car dealerships in Bayaa and resulted in the deaths of 45 people, a spokesman for the Baghdad Operations Command said in a statement.An interior ministry official gave a death toll of 52 and said that more than 50 other people were also wounded. Hospital officials confirmed the figures.He said the emergency services were struggling to cope with the scope of the attack, which ripped through the busy car market at around 4.15pm (9.15pm Singapore time), and warned that the death toll may yet rise.Security officials could be seen inspecting the site before the sun went down, while some distressed civilians searched for relatives and others took pictures with their mobile phones of the large crater caused by the blast.There are so many victims, not just one or two, said Nasser, a young man wearing blood-stained surgical gloves who was near the site of the explosion and rushed to the scene to help the wounded.There was one here, we carried him, he said, pointing to a spot behind him. We found a hand here, a leg and heart over there, everything.The site of the bombing is an open space used as a second-hand car market where hundreds of private sellers park their vehicles and wait all day to discuss prices with prospective buyers.Just the cars, you can be sure of that, theres always two or three people standing next to each car, Nasser said, explaining the high toll.The explosion occurred in the same neighbourhood where a car bomb blast killed at least four people on Tuesday.At least 11 people were also killed in a suicide car bomb attack claimed by IS on Wednesday on the edge of Sadr City, a northern neighbourhood of the Iraqi capital that has been repeatedly targeted.Baghdad was rocked by a wave of deadly suicide bombings during the first days of 2017 but relatively few explosions had been reported since then until this week.More than 30 people were killed in a suicide car bomb attack on a busy square in Sadr City on Jan 2.Thursdays blast was the deadliest to hit Baghdad since a huge truck bomb attack claimed by IS set two shopping arcades in the Karrada district on fire and killed more than 320 people in July last year.IS militants are currently defending the west bank of the northern city of Mosul, their last major urban stronghold in Iraq, against a huge offensive by the security forces.Four months into the broad military operation, Iraqs largest in years, elite forces have retaken the eastern side of the city and are preparing for an assault on the part of Mosul that lies west of the Tigris River.The militants have carried out diversionary attacks, such as raids in other towns and cities as well as bombings in Baghdad and elsewhere, in an apparent bid to stretch federal security forces and capture headlines.

US pledges nuclear defence for Japan and South Korea

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BONN (Agencies) - US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Thursday pledged that Washington would use the full range of its arsenal, including nuclear weapons, to defend allies Japan and South Korea against North Korea if needed.The United States remains steadfast in its defence commitments to its allies, the Republic of Korea and Japan, including the commitment to provide extended deterrence, backed by the full range of its nuclear and conventional defence capabilities, Tillerson said in a joint statement after meeting the foreign ministers in Bonn.North Korea has carried out repeated missile launches despite UN sanctions and last year conducted two nuclear tests in a bid to develop a weapons system capable of hitting the US mainland.Pyongyang said the latest missile tested on Sunday could carry a nuclear warhead.Seoul said the rocket travelled some 500 kilometres before it came down in the Sea of Japan (East Sea).The joint statement said Tillerson, South Koreas Yun Byung-Se and Japans Fumio Kishida condemned in the strongest terms the test which was carried out in flagrant disregard for multiple UN Security Council resolutions.The three countries would work together to ensure that further violations would be met with an even stronger international response, it said, demanding that Pyongyang abandon its nuclear and missile programmes.Shortly after the missile test, President Donald Trump said North Korea was a a big, big problem ... and we will deal with that very strongly.Earlier this month on a trip to Seoul and Tokyo, US Defence Secretary James Mattis warned that any use of nuclear weapons would be met with a response that would be effective and overwhelming.The United States has had a major military presence in both Japan and South Korea for decades but its defence commitment also complicates relations with China, North Koreas main ally.Washingtons recent decision to install a sophisticated THAAD anti-missile system in South Korea especially angered China which sees it as a potential threat to its own security.

Turkey steps up scrutiny on Muslim migrants from Russia

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ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey has increased scrutiny of Russian-speaking Muslim communities in the past few months following a series of attacks blamed on Islamic State, a concrete example of the renewed relationship between the two countries.Turkish police have raided the homes of Russian-speaking immigrants in Istanbul, detained many and expelled others, according to interviews with Russian Muslims living in the city. At least some of those targeted by Turkish authorities are known to be sympathetic to radical Islamist movements.The security activity indicates that Russia and Turkey are sharing intelligence, part of a newly-forged alliance that has also seen Moscow and Ankara work together on a peace deal for Syria.The cooperation comes as a resurgent Russia, already active in Ukraine and keen to boost its diplomatic influence in the Middle East, has been playing a greater role in Syria in the vacuum left by the United States under Barack Obama.The roundups mark a change for Turkey, which has historically welcomed Muslims fleeing what they say is repression in countries including Russia, among them communities who fought government forces in Russias North Caucasus.Around ten of my acquaintances are in jail now, said Magomed-Said Isayev, a Muslim from the Russian North Caucasus mountains, who moved to Istanbul three years ago.He said for most of his time in Turkey he had no difficulties with the authorities. He said he had done nothing to harm Turkish citizens, but now he felt he was no longer safe from the threat of detention.Turkey has been criticised by some Western allies for being too slow to stop the flow of foreign fighters crossing its borders to join Islamic State in Syria and Iraq in the early years of the jihadist groups rise.Turkey has rejected such suggestions, saying it needed greater intelligence sharing from its allies in order to intercept would-be jihadists. It has tightened its borders and last August launched a military campaign in Syria to push Islamic State away from Turkish territory.Several recent Islamic State attacks in Turkey have been blamed on Russian-speaking attackers.After a gun-and-bomb attack on Istanbuls Ataturk airport that killed 45 people last June, police detained two suspects from the North Caucasus.An Uzbek has been charged with a gun attack on an Istanbul nightclub on New Years Day in which 39 people were killed.Before that, Turkey was very loyal to those who came from ex-Soviet countries, said Russian Muslim activist Abdul-Alim Makhsutov, who has lived in Istanbul for several years.We have a long-established tradition of moving to Turkey for religious reasons and to escape pressure. The terrorist attacks tarnished this reputation.Turkey has provided sanctuary to Muslims from Russia since the 19th century, when the tsars conquered the mainly Muslim North Caucasus region. A new flow of migrants was prompted by two wars in Chechnya in the 1990s and 2000s, and a crackdown on Islamists in the south of Russia that continues today.A Turkish security source said operations had increased following the recent attacks and that raids in areas where foreigners were living had shown that militants were living in and hiding among those communities.Our operations are not limited to specific parts of Istanbul but all across the city. It is about foreigners without the necessary paperwork, passport or ID. We fight crime wherever it may be, a Turkish police official told Reuters.A Russian security official said Moscow has been sharing lists of suspicious Islamists with Ankara for two or three years, but Turkey has only started using the information in the wake of recent attacks, as it has become a clear target for jihadists.Russias foreign ministry and Federal Security Service did not respond to Reuters questions about intelligence-sharing with Turkey. Turkish officials had no immediate comment.One 25-year-old woman from Russias Dagestan region, told Reuters she had lived openly in Turkey for three years. Until last October her family had experienced no problems, she said.She said her family had bought property in Turkey and took care to renew their immigration documents, while her brother competed professionally for a Turkish wrestling team.In October, masked policemen in flak jackets, conducting an anti-terror raid, smashed in the door of the familys apartment, the woman said.She spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity because, she said, she did not want to endanger members of her family. During the interview, she wore a black chador with only her face uncovered and broke off the conversation to pray.The family, including women and four children, as well as a female neighbour and her children, were held for several days in a police station, she said.At first, the police locked them in a room with bars on the windows but after a while police had to leave the door open because the children often went to the toilet, the woman said.The detainees were transferred to Istanbul police headquarters and after two weeks most of the women and children from her family, and the family of her neighbour, were released.But she said her father, brother, sister-in-law and 10-month-old niece were still in detention. They had not been charged with any offence, the woman said, though Reuters was not able to independently verify that. Istanbul police said it could not comment on specific cases.The Dagestani woman said that in detention she had been questioned about Islamic State, and whether her family was affiliated to it. She denied any links to the group.Russians living in Turkey say that some detainees were told by the Turkish police that the action against them was based on information provided by Russia.Ive heard they (Russian authorities) inform the Turks about two kinds of people, who may be involved in terrorist activities or have a shady reputation, said Ali Evteyev, a former Russian mufti and now an Istanbul resident.He said that often there is no prosecution, but it is made clear to them they are no longer welcome. The Turks just dont extend their residence permit. You have to go to jail and try to appeal, or leave.

Plane strike hits Yemen mourners, killing nine women, one child

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SANAA (Reuters) - Warplanes of the Saudi-led coalition struck a house north of Yemens capital where a crowd of mourners was gathered, residents said on Thursday, killing nine women and a child and injuring dozens.The Saudi-led coalition said it was investigating reports of civilian casualties in the area.The air strike hit the house of a local tribal leader in Ashira, a village north of Sanaa, on Wednesday night, a resident told Reuters. Mourners had gathered there to offer condolences after a woman died.People heard the sound of planes and started running from the house but then the bombs hit the house directly. The roof collapsed. Blood was everywhere, a second resident of Ashira, who gave his name as Hamid Ali, told a Reuters cameraman.Pictures published by local media showed tribesmen searching through the rubble of a destroyed house said to belong to Mohammed al-Nakaya, a tribal leader allied with Yemens Houthi movement.One showed a man kneeling in the dust cradling the body of an elderly woman.It was not immediately possible to verify the authenticity of the pictures.We are aware of media reports that Houthi rebels are claiming that Yemeni civilians were killed in an air raid overnight near Sanaa, the coalition said in statement.There has been fighting between Yemeni armed forces and rebels in this area in recent days. We are investigating the reports.In October the alliance of mainly Gulf Arab states was heavily criticised after launching an air strike on a funeral gathering in Sanaa that killed 140 people, according to one U.N. estimate.The death toll from that strike was one of the highest in any single incident since the alliance began military operations in March 2015 to try to restore the administration of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who the Houthis ousted.The White House said at the time it might consider cutting its support to the Saudi-led campaign which has been providing air support for Hadis forces in a civil war that has killed more than 10,000 people and displaced millions.The alliance, which says it does not target civilians, blamed the October funeral attack on incorrect information it said it received from the Yemeni military that armed Houthi leaders were in the area.

Four famines mean 20 million may starve in the next six months

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GENEVA (Reuters) - More than 20 million people - greater than the population of Romania or Florida - risk dying from starvation within six months in four separate famines, UN World Food Programme chief economist Arif Husain says.Wars in Yemen, northeastern Nigeria and South Sudan have devastated households and driven up prices, while a drought in east Africa has ruined the agricultural economy.In my not quite 15 years with the World Food Programme, this is the first time that we are literally talking about famine in four different parts of the world at the same time, he told Reuters in an interview.It’s almost overwhelming to comprehend that in the 21st century people are still experiencing famines of such magnitude. We’re talking about 20 million people, and all this within the next six months, or now. Yemen is now, Nigeria is now, South Sudan is now, he said.Somalia, when I look at the indicators in terms of extremely high food prices, falling livestock prices and agricultural wages, it’s going to come pretty fast.The global humanitarian system is already struggling with a historic surge in migration, huge operations in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, and serious situations in Ukraine, Burundi, Libya and Zimbabwe.Then you have places like DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo), CAR (Central African Republic), Burundi, Mali, Niger, where people are chronically food insecure but ... there’s just not enough resources to go around.”Humanitarian aid is at record high levels but demand is growing even faster, creating a huge gap. In northeast Nigeria we’re feeding more than one million people and just a few months ago we didn’t even have an office there, Husain said.There is a glimmer of hope that Somalias drought will not be as severe as feared, but in the capital Mogadishu food prices have already risen by a quarter since January and forecasts for the rainy season from March to May are not optimistic.In 2011, Somalia suffered a famine that killed 260,000 people. The famine was declared in July, but most people had already died by May.When we declare famine, it means many lives have already been lost, Husain said. If we wait to find that out for sure, people are already dead.Moreover, the 2011 famine followed a good agricultural season. This years drought follows two bad seasons that have already sapped peoples resources.In Yemen and South Sudan, economic collapse means people simply cannot afford the food that is available. Prices in South Sudan have risen two to four times in a year, and traders from Uganda and Kenya consider the local currency valueless.Yemenis, whose family wealth may be stored in gold or silver or weapons, are being forced to sell off those assets.I was in Yemen just a couple of weeks ago. There is food in the markets. But people have not been paid, especially the urban population, which is about a third of the total population, Husain said.Once they’ve lost their economic assets, it’s almost impossible for them to recover, and that just perpetuates long-term poverty.”Yemen is officially still classed as an emergency, but famine could be declared within about three months, Husain said.In Nigerias Borno state, where millions of people have fled Boko Haram militants, there is simply no commerce, no markets and no movement, leaving people dependent on emergency aid.They survive outside in camps, 50 degree Centigrade temperatures, living in huts with metal sheets on top, with one water point, with communal kitchens, with one meal per day, Husain said.And there’s no end in sight.”

Australia's Wade confident back will withstand India test

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MUMBAI (Reuters) - Australia wicketkeeper Matthew Wade is confident his back problem will not flare up during the teams four-test series in India, the 29-year-old said on Thursday.Wade abandoned the recent one-day tour of New Zealand to return home to manage a bulging disc before joining his team mates at a pre-series training camp in Dubai.Its just something that Ill have to manage, Wade told reporters at Mumbais Brabourne Stadium.The disc just bulged a little bit but it just hit one of the nerves, so it took a little while to come right.Ive done it before, touch wood it doesnt happen again but if it does Im confident that I can turn it around pretty quick.Australia will take on world number one India in the first of the four tests at Pune next Thursday and Wade is aware that his keeping techniques will be thoroughly tested in Indias spin-friendly conditions.Its trying to get all that out of your mind and stick to the basics, the Victoria captain said.The ball that turns and bounces, youll react if your techniques good.Its about trying to hone my technique in the next week or two, then when you do get one that spits out of the rough its just trusting your technique.But I quite enjoy keeping over here, the ball beats the bat a lot more up to the stumps so thats probably the challenge.In Australia the ball doesnt beat the bat consistently so its hard to get a consistent rhythm up to the stumps, he said.

Karachi mayor proposes PSL 2017 final in Karachi

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KARACHI (Dunya News) - Mayor of Karachi Waseem Akhtar attended the inter-city sports gala of Pakistan Marine Academy on Thursday. He addressed the gathering and expressed bright future of sports in Pakistan.During his talk, he proposed that the Pakistan Super League (PSL) second edition final should take place in Karachi. It will be a big achievement if PSL 2017 final is held in Karachi, he added.VIDEO: Waseem Akhtar offers PSL final in KarachiMoreover, Waseem Akhtar promised to take full responsibility of the event if his offer is accepted. The call is first of its kind as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is already making efforts for the PSL Lahore final following Lahore blast and new wave of terror.Meanwhile, some on Twitter fully supported the idea, mostly those who belong from Karachi.Now that Lahore has become an unfortunate safety risk, perhaps the PSL final should be moved to Karachi. najamsethi— Saad Shafqat (@_saadshafqat) February 14, 2017 Rashid Latif suggested @najamsethi to hold PSL final in Karachi pic.twitter.com/Mu8jaEm7kb— Raza Mehdi (@SyedRezaMehdi) February 16, 2017 Yes, please... https://t.co/yEQLE2YggX— cyril almeida (@cyalm) February 16, 2017 On the other hand, Balochistan Governor Mohammad Khan Achakzaiwas also present at the occasion and said that these exercises include thirty-seven countries with the message of peace. China Pakistan Economic Corridor is significant for communication with other countries, he added.Governor of Balochistan and Karachi mayor inaugurated the sports gala. Waseem Akhtar promised to promote district level sports. He wished for the PSL 2017 final in Pakistan.

Torkham border sealed after 7 terror attacks rock Pakistan

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CHAMAN (Dunya News) – Torkham border between Pakistan and Afghanistan has been shut for all kinds of movement on Thursday until further order over latest wave of violence being handled from elements in Afghanistan.Inter-Service Public Relations of Pakistan Army reported that the border was shut with ‘immediate effects’ due to security reasons. The action has come in after seven terror attacks hit multiple cities across Pakistan in last five days.After Lahore was targeted on Monday, attacks in Quetta, Peshawar and Sehwan Sharif of Sindh followed this week. Chief Traffic Officer and Senior Superintendent of Police lost their lives among 14 persons in suicide blast outside Punjab Assembly whereas a van of judicial staff was targeted in Peshawar’s Hayatabad claiming a life.Jamaatul Ahrar, splinter group of banned Tehrik-i-Taliban claimed responsibility of Mall Road attack and alleged social media page of the outfit claimed to carry out more attacks in latest series of offensive.Torkham border was last closed in 2016 after Afghan troops resorted to unprovoked fire. Advisor to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs, Sartaj Aziz had then asserted that the porous border would be well-managed with effective policies and no Afghanistan national would be allowed to enter Pakistan without proper documentation.Aziz’s statement had come in as thousands of Pakistanis residing in areas situated along the border travel to Afghanistan everyday for business and vice versa.Mullah Akhtar Mansour, former leader of banned TTP was revealed to have obtained a Computerized National Identity Card, claiming to be a Chaman local, further proving loopholes in Pakistan’s registration and management systems.
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