Monday 20 February 2017

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Funny debate between Wahab Riaz, his wife on Twitter

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LAHORE (Dunya News) - There was a funny debate between cricketer Wahab Riaz and his wife Zainab Wahab on Twitter when Zainab congratulated Lahore on winning against Islamabad, reported Dunya News.Lahore Qalandars defeated Islamabad United and being a Lahori, Zainab tweeted her wishes for Lahore. Wahab replied that she should not be supporting Lahore as Wahab plays for Peshawar Zalmi.Wahab told her that if she supported Lahore again, she could be sent back to Lahore as it is only 3 hours away. Zainab told him that her loyalty is with Peshawar.But Zainab also reminded Wahab that if Peshawar did not win next two matches, his team could be out of the Pakistan Super League and he could be back to Lahore before her.

Spanish court rejects Neymar, Barca appeal

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Madrid (AFP) – A Spanish court on Monday dismissed appeals from Neymar and Barcelona over alleged fraud and corruption in the Brazilian star’s transfer from Santos in 2013.The decision brings the possibility of the player and club facing trial a step closer.Neymar’s arrival from Brazil’s Santos has been a huge success for the Spanish champions on the pitch but a judicial nightmare off it.The 25-year-old Brazilian striker is being investigated in Brazil and Spain over his headline move to La Liga.Barcelona originally published the transfer figure as 57.1 million euros ($60.6 million), with 40 million euros of that given to the player’s family.But Spanish authorities believe the true transfer figure was at least 83 million euros.In November, prosecutors recommended that the striker be handed a two-year jail sentence and a fine of 10 million euros for alleged corrupt practices.Sentences of two years or less are habitually suspended for first time offenders in Spain.The case initiated with a complaint from Brazilian investment company DIS, which owned 40 percent of Neymar’s sporting rights at the time of his transfer.DIS received just 6.8 million euros, 40 percent of the fee paid to Santos, with the company claiming it was cheated out of its real share because part of the transfer fee was concealed by Barcelona, Santos and the Neymar family.

Man Citys Guardiola keen to keep peace with Aguero

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Manchester (AFP) – Pep Guardiola insists his relationship with Sergio Aguero remains strong despite mounting speculation over the Manchester City striker’s future since the arrival of Gabriel Jesus.Teenage sensation Jesus took Aguero’s place in Guardiola’s starting line-up before breaking a bone in his foot, an injury that may rule the Brazilian out for the remainder of the season.That forced Guardiola to recall Aguero for an FA Cup fifth round draw at second tier Huddersfield on Sunday.But it was an uninspired performance by Aguero in the goalless draw and the rapport between forward and manager looked strained.With just two goals to his name since the end of November, recent events have fuelled the speculation that Aguero, 28, could end his six-year stay with City once the current campaign is over.But, as Guardiola prepared for the first game of a two-legged tie with Monaco in the Champions League last 16 on Tuesday, the City boss insisted he is handling Aguero no differently to at any time in the past.“Sergio has enough experience. He knows, everyone knows,” Guardiola told reporters on Monday.“We are going to talk with him like with all of his team-mates to convince him in these two games, 180 minutes, that we are not going to be able to do our best performance because in this level it is so demanding in the Champions League.“It is one of the most beautiful competitions to play, maybe not the most important, but the most beautiful and we have to do our best.“But the guys who score goals, it is talent, instinct. How they have to move, create spaces. He does not need to be controlled like a TV remote control. He is going to do it himself.”Guardiola confirmed City captain Vincent Kompany’s injury problems are still continuing after he missed the Huddersfield game and he will sit out the first leg against Monaco.The City manager, however, hopes Kompany’s leg injury will have recovered in time for the FA Cup replay against Huddersfield next week.Meanwhile, City’s forward Kevin De Bruyne insists he is happy with his form despite a dramatic drop off in his goalscoring output this season.Having scored 16 times last season, De Bruyne has netted just five this term, and hit the net twice in the last 18 games dating back to the start of November.“No, not at all. I never look at my stats,” said De Bruyne when asked if he was worried by his slump.“I know it is very important for other people. Because I play deeper and not everyone sees that, I am comparing that.“I can see very good how well I am playing for the team, even without me scoring. If we can win a title I will be very happy.“I am playing very consistently. I played a little more defensively than at the start of the season but we changed a lot of positions for me personally.“I know people are looking at a lot of statistics, for me I am playing better than last year but maybe statistically a bit worse.”

Anti-Trump rallies crop up again on 'Not My President's Day'

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NEW YORK (Reuters) - Renewed protests against US President Donald Trump flared on the Presidents Day holiday on Monday, with grassroots activists vowing to take to the streets in dozens of cities in Not My Presidents Day rallies.Protest leaders had said they expected thousands to rally in about 28 cities ranging from Los Angeles and Chicago to Grand Rapids, Michigan, in the latest round of demonstrations to express displeasure with Trumps policies and pronouncements.In New York, hundreds of protesters stretching at least eight blocks chanted He cheats, he lies, open up your eyes near the Trump International Hotel on the edge of Central Park.I think hes got a mean personality, said marcher Edith Cresmer, a 78-year-old urban planner. But the worst thing about him is how he incited peoples fears and pits them against each other.Luis Llobera, 38, and his wife and baby took a train from Westchester County north of the city attend the Trump protest.We are not American citizens but our son is, he said as his wife cradled their 7-month-old, Atlas. We want to make sure our son has a government that is right and good.Organizers of the New York rally said they opposed the Trump agenda, including proposed cuts in federal spending and construction of a wall along the border with Mexico.Donald Trump is literally our president, but figuratively, he has attacked every value New Yorkers embody and does not represent our interests, organizers said on Facebook.The idea for the Presidents Day protests originated in Los Angeles, where about 4,300 people had said on Facebook they would attend a City Hall rally, according to organizers, and it spread to other locales via social media.In downtown Chicago, about 1,200 people gathered across the Chicago River from the Trump International Hotel and Tower. Signs spotted in the crowd included “My body My Choice” and “Jesus was a refugee,” references to Trumps anti-abortion stance and his efforts to stop admission of refugees.As people gathered, a group of 25 local musicians called themselves SAHBRA, “Sousaphones Against Hate, Baritones Resisting Aggression,” played songs to lighten the mood.With Monday being a day off for many schools, many parents brought their children to the protest.Eileen Molony, a photographer from Oak Park, had her 12-year-old son and 9-year old daughter in tow.“As an immigrant family we feel strongly against the ban, she said. We feel America is about inclusion, but everything Trump has shown is that he’s about division.Chicago police reported no arrests in the protest, the latest in a series since Trumps Jan. 20 inauguration.Recent anti-Trump protests have included a general strike on Friday, a day after thousands of immigrants across the United States stayed away from work and school to highlight the contributions of foreign-born residents to the US economy.On Saturday, Trump staged a rally for supporters in Florida at a Melbourne aircraft hangar to attack the media and tout his accomplishments in office.Presidents Day is the unofficial name of the holiday honoring the birthdays of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, the first and 16th US presidents, respectively.

Ton-up Walcott ends Sutton's FA Cup dream

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LONDON (Dunya News) - Theo Walcott scored his 100th Arsenal goal as Arsene Wengers side ended non-league minnows Sutton Uniteds FA Cup fairytale with a 2-0 victory in the FA Cup on Monday.The England forward added to Lucas Perezs opener as Arsenal returned to winning ways following their 5-1 drubbing by Bayern Munich last week and set up a home quarter-final with another non-league team, Lincoln City.But the narrow margin of victory belied the 105 places that separate the two teams in Englands football pyramid, with Sutton currently 17th in the fifth-tier National League.We did the job, Arsenal manager Wenger told BBC Sport.It was not an easy game at all. We have to give them credit because every error we made they took advantage of on this pitch. They played very well.South London club Sutton had hoped to emulate their famous 1989 win over Coventry City, FA Cup winners 19 months previously, but there was no disgrace in defeat in their first ever fifth-round game.Arsenal were given several uncomfortable moments on the 3G pitch at Suttons 5,000-capacity Gander Green Lane ground, which was full to bursting with fans in yellow Sutton T-shirts, hats and scarves.The home supporters almost had a goal to cheer as well, but Roarie Deacon, who began his career at Arsenal, saw his 25-yard effort cannon back off the bar in the second half.It was a dream to watch my team play against Arsenal. Im very, very proud, said Sutton manager Paul Doswell.This was our cup final and these players will go down in history at the end of the day.Wenger will continue to face questions about his future but, for now at least, his dream of winning a record seventh FA Cup remains intact.

Iraqi forces battling Islamic State about to reach Mosul airport

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SOUTH OF MOSUL/BAGHDAD (Reuters) - US-backed Iraqi forces battling Islamic State fighters have fought their way close to Mosuls airport on the second day of a ground offensive on the jihadists remaining stronghold in the western side of the city, military statements said on Monday.Federal police and elite interior ministry units known as Rapid Response are leading the charge towards the airport on the southern outskirts of Mosul and plan to turn it into a close support base for the push into western Mosul, commanders have said.They dislodged Islamic State fighters from the hilltop village of Albu Saif which overlooks the airport, reaching its vicinity, an Iraqi military statement said.The militants are essentially under siege in western Mosul, along with an estimated 750,000 civilians, after they were forced out of the eastern part of the city in the first phase of the campaign that ended last month, after 100 days of fighting.They are striking and engaging our forces and pulling back towards Mosul, Major Mortada Ali Abd of the Rapid Response units told a Reuters correspondent south of Mosul. God willing Albu Saif will be fully liberated today.Elite Counter-Terrorism Service units headed to frontlines around the western side of Mosul, a city divided in two by the Tigris River.Helicopters were seen strafing the Albu Saif hill during the day to clear it of snipers, while machinegun fire and rocket propelled grenades could be heard. The advancing forces also disabled a car bomb, used by militants to obstruct attacking forces.The Iraqi forces have been advancing so far in sparsely populated areas and there were no families seen escaping. The fighting will get tougher as they get nearer to the city itself and the risk greater for civilians.Up to 400,000 civilians could be displaced by the offensive as residents of western Mosul suffer food and fuel shortages and markets are closed, United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq Lise Grande told Reuters on Saturday.Commanders expect the battle to be more difficult than in the east of the city, which Iraqi forces took control of last month after three months of fighting. Tanks and armoured vehicles cannot pass through its narrow alleyways.The militants have developed a network of passageways and tunnels to enable them to hide and fight among civilians, disappear after hit-and-run operations and track government troop movements, according to residents.Western Mosul contains the old city centre, with its ancient souks, government administrative buildings, and the mosque from which Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared his self-styled caliphate over parts of Syria and Iraq in 2014.The city is the largest urban centre captured by Islamic State in both countries.The US commander in Iraq, Army Lieutenant General Stephen Townsend, told a news conference in Baghdad on Monday he had been putting US military advisers closer to front lines in Mosul.We adjusted our posture during the east Mosul fight and we embedded advisers a bit further down into the formation, he said, speaking during an unannounced visit of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis to Baghdad.Townsend has said he believes US-backed forces will recapture both of Islamic States major strongholds - Mosul and the city of Raqqa in Syria - within the next six months.Islamic State was thought to have up to 6,000 fighters in Mosul when the governments offensive started in mid-October. Of those, more than 1,000 have been killed, according to Iraqi estimates.The remainder now face a 100,000-strong force made up of Iraqi armed forces, including elite paratroopers and police, Kurdish forces and Iranian-trained Shiite paramilitary groups.The westward road that links the city to Syria was cut in November by the Shiite paramilitary known as Popular Mobilization forces. The militants are in charge of the road that links Mosul to Tal Afar, a town they control 60 km (40 miles) to the west.Coalition aircraft and artillery have continued to bombard targets in the west during the break that followed the taking of eastern Mosul.The United States, which has deployed more than 5,000 troops in the fighting, leads an international coalition providing air and ground support to the Iraqi and Kurdish forces.Mattis told reporters before arriving in Baghdad the US military was not in Iraq to seize the countrys oil, distancing himself from remarks by President Donald Trump.A US serviceman died on Monday in a non-combat related incident outside the Iraqi city of Ramadi, west of Baghdad, the US-led coalition said, giving no further details.Islamic State imposed a radical version of Islam in Mosul, banning cigarettes, televisions and radios, and forcing men to grow beards and women to cover from head to toe. Citizens who failed to comply risked death.Capturing Mosul would effectively end the Sunni groups ambitions for territorial rule in Iraq. The militants are expected to continue to wage an insurgency, however, carrying out suicide bombings and inspiring lone-wolf actions abroad.About 160,000 civilians have been displaced since the start of the offensive in October, U.N. officials say. Medical and humanitarian agencies estimate the total number of dead and wounded - both civilian and military - at several thousand.This is the grim choice for children in western Mosul right now: bombs, crossfire and hunger if they stay – or execution and snipers if they try to run, Save the Children said, adding children make up about half the population trapped in the city.The involvement of many local and foreign players with diverging interests in the war heightens the risk that they could clash between themselves after Islamic State is defeated.Influential Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, who is openly hostile to Washingtons policies in the Middle East, on Monday said US troops should leave as soon as Mosul is captured.Mattis declined to address Sadrs remarks directly, describing them as an internal political matter, but he said he was reassured after his talks in Baghdad that Iraqs leaders recognised the value of its relationship with the United States.I imagine we’ll be in this fight for a while and we’ll stand by each other, he said.

Turkish soldiers accused of trying to kill Erdogan go on trial

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MUGLA (Reuters) - Prosecutors called for life sentences for more than 40 Turkish soldiers on Monday at the start of their trial for attempting to assassinate President Tayyip Erdogan during last years failed coup, according to the indictment obtained by Reuters.Under tight security, the defendants were bussed in to a courthouse in the southwestern city of Mugla, not far from the luxury resort where Erdogan and his family narrowly escaped the soldiers, fleeing in a helicopter shortly before their hotel was attacked.More than 240 people were killed during the failed coup on July 15, when a group of rogue soldiers commandeered tanks, warplanes and helicopters, attacking parliament and attempting to overthrow the government.On Monday, prosecutors in Mugla charged 47 suspects, almost all of them soldiers, with offences including attempting to assassinate the president, breaching the constitution and belonging to an armed terrorist organisation.It was not immediately clear how all the suspects would plead. Erdogan, named as a co-plaintiff in the case, was represented by lawyer Huseyin Aydin, who told Reuters he expected the heaviest sentences to be handed down.One of the first defendants to testify admitted to accepting a mission to seize, but not kill, Erdogan.My mission was to take the president and bring him to Akinci air base safe and sound, Gokhan Sonmezates told the court, referring to a base outside Ankara that briefly functioned as a command centre for the coup plotters.Turkey says the coup was orchestrated by a US-based Muslim cleric, Fethullah Gulen. The cleric, who has lived in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania since 1999, has denied the charges and condemned the coup.Since the failed coup, more than 40,000 people have been arrested and more than 100,000 have been sacked or suspended from the military, civil service and private sector.Turkey launched its first criminal trial related to the coup in December, and more trials are expected.Sonmezates, a former brigadier general, was described in the indictment as a leader of the mission, something he denied in court. He also denied charges that he was a member of Gulens network.It was for the country, for the nation, to stop the decay domestically, to put an end to the bribery, to protect my country from the PKK, he told the court, referring to the militant Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).Another defendant, Sukru Seymen, also denied a link to Gulen, but showed no remorse about playing a role in the coup. Yes I carried out a coup. I followed the order I was given and I am not going to sit and cry like a child over that, the former major told the court.The suspects, who include Erdogans former aide-de-camp, were wearing suits when they were brought from prison to the courthouse. They were met by a crowd of some 200 people waving flags and calling for their execution.We want the death penalty. Let the hand that tried to harm our chief be broken, said one of the protesters, 61-year-old Zuhal Ayhan, referring to Erdogan. Id give my life for him.Turkey formally abolished the death penalty as part of its 2002 European Union accession talks. Since the coup, crowds have repeatedly called for it to be restored, a move that would likely spell the end of Turkeys bid to join the EU.The area around the courthouse was cordoned off and patrolled by dozens of security force members, including police and special forces. Snipers stood on nearby rooftops.Forty-four defendants were brought in, while three remain at large and are being tried in absentia. The courthouse in Mugla was too small to handle the number of defendants and authorities said the trial was being heard at the conference room of the chamber of commerce next door.According to the indictment, 37 soldiers were charged with a having a direct role in the storming of the luxury Grand Yazici Club Turban, where Erdogan had been staying, while others were accused of providing assistance to the operation.The soldiers descended on the hotel in Marmaris on ropes thrown from helicopters, firing shots, just after Erdogan had left.In an interview with Reuters after the coup, Erdogan said his faith as a Muslim helped him and his family escape unscathed.

Trump names McMaster as national security advisor

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - US President Donald Trump on Monday named Lieutenant General Herbert Raymond McMaster as his new national security adviser, choosing a military officer known for speaking his mind and challenging his superiors.McMaster is a highly regarded military tactician and strategic thinker, but his selection surprised some observers who wondered how the officer, whose Army career stalled at times for his questioning of authority, would deal with a White House that has not welcomed criticism.He is highly respected by everybody in the military and were very honored to have him, Trump told reporters in West Palm Beach where he spent the weekend. Hes a man of tremendous talent and tremendous experience.One subject on which Trump and McMaster could soon differ is Russia. McMaster shares the consensus view among the US national security establishment that Russia is a threat and an antagonist to the United States, while the man whom McMaster is replacing, retired Lieutenant General Michael Flynn, appeared to view it more as a potential geopolitical partner.Trump in the past has expressed a willingness to engage with Russia more than his predecessor, Barack Obama.Flynn was fired as national security adviser on Feb. 13 after reports emerged he had misled Vice President Mike Pence about speaking to Russias ambassador to the United States about US sanctions before Trumps inauguration.The ouster, coming so early in Trumps administration, was another upset for a White House that has been hit by miscues, including the controversial rollout of a travel ban on people from seven Muslim-majority countries, since the Republican president took office on Jan. 20.The national security adviser is an independent aide to the president and does not require confirmation by the US Senate. The role has varied from administration to administration, but the adviser attends National Security Council meetings along with the heads of the State Department, the Department of Defense and key security agencies.Republican Senator John McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee and a frequent Trump critic, praised McMaster as an outstanding choice.I give President Trump great credit for this decision, McCain said in a statement.A former US ambassador to Russia under Obama, Michael McFaul, a Democrat, praised McMaster on Twitter as terrific and said McMaster will not be afraid to question his boss.Trump also named Keith Kellogg, a retired US Army general who has been serving as the acting national security adviser, as chief of staff to the National Security Council. John Bolton, a former US ambassador to the United Nations, will serve the administration in another capacity, Trump said.Kellogg and Bolton were among those in contention as Trump spent the long Presidents Day weekend considering his options for replacing Flynn. His first choice, retired Vice Admiral Robert Harward, turned down the job last week.McMaster, 54, is a West Point graduate known as H.R., with a Ph.D. in US history from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He was listed as one of Time magazines 100 most influential people in 2014, partly because of his willingness to buck the system.A combat veteran, he gained renown in the first Gulf War - and was awarded a Silver Star - after he commanded a small troop of the US 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment that destroyed a much larger Iraqi Republican Guard force in 1991 in a place called 73 Easting, for its map coordinates, in what many consider the biggest tank battle since World War Two.As one fellow officer put it, referring to Trumps inner circle of aides and speaking on condition of anonymity, the Trump White House has its own Republican Guard, which may be harder for him to deal with than the Iraqis were. The Iraqi Republican Guard was the elite military force of ousted dictator Saddam Hussein.Trump relies on a tight, insular group of advisers, many of whom zealously guard access to the president, and at times appear to have competing political agendas. Senior adviser Steve Bannon has asserted his influence by taking a seat on the National Security Council.McMasters fame grew after his 1997 book Dereliction of Duty criticized the countrys military and political leadership for poor leadership during the Vietnam War.Trumps pick was praised by one of the presidents strongest backers in the US Congress, Republican Senator Tom Cotton, who called McMaster one of the finest combat leaders of our generation and also a great strategic mind. He is a true warrior scholar, and Im confident he will serve both the president and the country well.In a July 14, 2014, interview with the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer in Columbus, Georgia, where Fort Benning is located, McMaster, then the base commander, said: Some people have a misunderstanding about the Army.Some people think, hey, you’re in the military and everything is super-hierarchical and you’re in an environment that is intolerable of criticism and people don’t want frank assessments.I think the opposite is the case. ... And the commanders that I’ve worked for, they want frank assessments, they want criticism and feedback.That attitude was not always shared by his superiors, and it led to his being passed over for promotion to brigadier general twice, in 2006 and 2007.On McMasters third and last try, General David Petraeus – who took himself off the list last week for Trumps national security adviser – returned from Iraq to head the promotion board that finally gave McMaster his first generals star.Then a colonel, McMaster was commander of the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment that in the spring of 2005 captured, held and began to stabilize Tal Afar on the Iraqi-Syrian border.The city was held by Sunni extremists, a crossing point between Syria and Iraq for jihadists who started as al-Qaeda in Mesopotamia under Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and morphed into Islamic State after he was killed.McMasters preparation of the regiment is legendary: He trained his soldiers in Iraqi culture, the differences among Sunnis, Shiites and Turkomen, and had them read books on the history of the region and counterinsurgency strategy.It was a sharp change from the kill and capture tactics the United States had used in Iraq since the invasion in March 2003, and to which the Obama administration returned in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria.The strategy was largely a success, although McMasters use of it and especially his willingness to acknowledge that Iraqis had some legitimate grievances against one another and the occupying coalition forces, did not endear him to his superiors and helped delay his promotion to brigadier general.The strategy did not survive the departure of McMasters troops, with Tal Afar falling into the hands of Sunni militants. Along with the west part of Mosul, it is now a key objective in the battle to rid Iraq of Islamic State.

Global arms trade highest since Cold War: Study

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STOCKHOLM (Agencies) - Worldwide arms trade has risen to its highest level since the Cold War in the last five years, driven by a demand from the Middle East and Asia, a study said on Monday (Feb 19).Between 2012-2016, arms imports in terms of volume by countries in Asia and Oceania accounted for 43 per cent of global imports, a 7.7 per cent rise compared to the previous 2007-2011 period, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).Transfer of major weapons in 2012-16 reached their highest volume for any five-year period since the end of the Cold War, the independent institute said in a statement.The share of Asia and Oceania in international imports was slightly higher (44 per cent) between 2007 and 2011.The share of countries in the Middle East and the Gulf monarchies jumped from 17 per cent to 29 per cent, far ahead of Europe (11 per cent, down seven points), the Americas (8.6 per cent, down 2.4 percentage points) and Africa (8.1 per cent, down 1.3 points).Over the past five years, most states in the Middle East have turned primarily to the USA and Europe in their accelerated pursuit of advanced military capabilities, said Pieter Wezeman, Senior Researcher with the SIPRI Arms and Military Expenditure Programme.Despite low oil prices, countries in the region continued to order more weapons in 2016, perceiving them as crucial tools for dealing with conflicts and regional tensions, he added.Sipri said worldwide arms imports and exports over the last five years have reached a record level since 1950.Saudi Arabia was the second largest importer of weapons in the world (up 212 per cent), behind India, which unlike China, does not have a production at national level yet.The United States remains the top weapons exporter with a 33 per cent market share (up 3 point), ahead of Russia (23 per cent, down 1 point), China (6.2 per cent, up 2.4 points) and France (6.0 per cent, down 0.9 points) passing Germany (5.6 per cent, down 3.8 points).These five countries account for almost 75 per cent of global exports of heavy weapons.Frances boost in the export ranking is a result of important contracts signed with Egypt, which acquired Mistral-style warships and Rafale combat aircraft.Aude Fleurant, head of the armaments program at Sipri, told AFP that competition is fierce among European producers with France, Germany and Britain in the lead.The United States and France are the main weapons providers for the Middle East while Russia and China are the main exporters to Asia.

Ski resort razed by the Taliban lifts Pakistan's domestic tourism

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MALAM JABBA (Reuters) - Atop the piste of Malam Jabba in Pakistans once dangerous Swat Valley skiers schuss downhill, a new Chinese-built chairlift ferries tourists to the peak, and a luxury hotel is under construction to replace one torched by the Taliban.The Taliban declared skiing un-Islamic during their 2007-2009 reign of terror over Swat, but improved security in recent years has allowed ski tourism to re-emerge on Malam Jabba, a hill station in the Hindu Kush mountain range.Locals tout Swat as the Switzerland of Pakistan, with an international ski tournament held there in January.But the experience is uniquely Pakistani. Army checkpoints abound, while gun-toting policemen riding up the mountain flout chairlift signs warning: No Smoking, No Weapons.There is no apres-ski boozing as alcohol is banned, nor Swiss Raclette cheese, but lentil curry and deep-fried kebab patties make ample fuel for skiers.I have never seen snow before. I am very excited, said Usman Shaukat, a 22-year-old student from the sweltering Punjab in the south after his first ski lesson.Shaukat, who travelled some 600 km (373 miles) and braved pot-holed mountain roads by public bus to reach the ski slopes, is part of a new wave of domestic tourists emerging as security improves, the middle-class prospers and social media sites like Facebook reveal a Pakistan many never knew existed.It is also easier for Pakistanis to explore their own country than holiday abroad.Regional road trips are difficult, with war-torn Afghanistan and arch-foe India next door, while the United States and many European countries have tightened visa restrictions as part of tougher security measures.Part-time travel blogger Saira Ali, 27, began exploring her own nation after the United States denied her a visa in 2013.If my visa had not been rejected, I wouldnt have seen Pakistan, said Ali, who charts her travels on Instagram.Growing car ownership and freshly-paved roads have cut journey times to remote holiday destinations, swelling the number of adventure seekers in a nation of 200 million people.Hotel owners say Pakistans isolation has been a blessing for business. Last summer, visitors to cool northern areas slept in cars as budget hotels sold out, say tourist guides.Guesthouses are now popping up along roads to Pakistans northern mountains, which until 1970s were a stop-off for Westerners on the Hippie Trail.Outside Swats main city of Mingora, where the Taliban once hanged opponents from electricity pylons, one businessman is ploughing US$1.5 million into a 13-floor hotel with 60 rooms and a miniature zoo.In the future, Swat will prosper, as security here is now very good, said Khan, sitting near two caged monkeys.Islamist militants have lost a lot of territory, but the Taliban and others, including Islamic State, still carry out periodic large-scale bombings.A series of attacks last week hit all four of Pakistans provinces and two major cities, killing nearly 100 people and shaking a nascent sense that the worst of the countrys militant violence may be in the past.Before the 9/11 attacks in the United States foreigners accounted for the majority of Pakistan’s tourists. Today, Western embassies advise against visiting much of Pakistan.The actual scale of domestic tourism is hard to judge, as scant nationwide data exists since the government dissolved the federal tourism ministry in 2011.In Gilgit-Baltistan province, home to the Himalayas and the worlds second highest mountain K2, domestic tourist numbers rocketed to nearly 700,000 last year, from 250,000 in 2014. Foreign tourists accounted for less than 2 percent of all visitors, the Gilgit-Baltistan tourism department said.Because of the larger numbers of local tourists, no one is really feeling the pinch of not having the foreigners, said Siraj Ulmulk, a hotel owner in Chitral, a region bordering Swat.But the surge in tourists has a price. In Pakistans southwestern Baluchistan province, visitors to mud volcanoes dotting the lunar landscape of Hingol National Park are welcomed by a carpet of plastic bottles and cigarette wrappers.The downside of local tourists is that they throw thrash everywhere and have no respect for nature, said Muqeem Baig, owner of tour company Climax Adventure Pakistan.At Swats Malam Jabba, which originally opened in 2000, locals remember well-heeled businessmen and Western diplomats sojourning on weekends.That changed when the Pakistani Taliban overran Swat in 2007, imposing their harsh interpretation of Islamic law for two years before the army drove them out.Samsons, a private company that acquired the state-owned resort in 2013, hopes Pakistanis will now return, seeking a taste of the Alps on a shoestring budget.Returning to the resort for the first time since 2010, retired Malam Jabba engineer Akbar Ali had thought he would never ski again.Clad in traditional shalwar-kameez robes, Ali, 67, eyed the piste and wedged his feet into ski boots.Im very happy, he said, and headed up the powdery slope.

No Samuels in Windies ODI squad for England series

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ANTIGUA (Reuters) - West Indies all-rounder Marlon Samuels has been left out of their 15-man squad for the upcoming One Day International (ODI) series against England.The batsman last played for West Indies against Pakistan late last year but was then left out of the squad for the tri-series in Zimbabwe that followed.Samuels, who also bowls part-time off-spin, was cleared by the International Cricket Council to bowl again last week after serving a 12-month ban for an illegal action.He received the ban in December 2015 after picking up two suspensions in two years for the same offence.The 36-year old has played 71 tests and 187 ODIs for West Indies.The teams will play two ODIs on Antigua (March 3/5) followed by a third contest in Barbados (March 9).West Indies squad: Jason Holder (Captain), Devendra Bishoo, Carlos Brathwaite, Kraigg Brathwaite, Jonathan Carter, Miguel Cummins, Shane Dowrich, Shannon Gabriel, Shai Hope, Alzarri Joseph, Evin Lewis, Jason Mohammed, Ashley Nurse, Kieran Powell, Rovman Powell.

Newcastle on top again after adding to Villa pain

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NEWCASTLE (Reuters) - Newcastle United moved back to the top of the English Championship with a 2-0 victory over Aston Villa at St James Park on Monday that heaped more pressure on the ailing former European champions.Yoan Gouffran opened the scoring from close range just before halftime and another scramble in the area ended with Henri Lansbury giving away an own goal as the ball rebounded against him off the post he was defending and into the net.The result saw Rafa Benitezs side climb back to the summit on 69 points, leapfrogging Brighton & Hove Albion, who are one point adrift after winning 2-0 at Barnsley on Saturday.The only cloud for Newcastle, now unbeaten in seven league games, was the loss of the Championships top scorer Dwight Gayle, who had to limp off injured after just over half an hour.For Villa, the news always seems bad these days with striker Scott Hogan carried off on a stretcher near the end of their 10th successive match in all competitions without a win.Steve Bruces team are 17th, six points above the drop zone, after failing to register a victory in 2017 and increasingly look in danger of being sucked into the relegation melee.

Karachi: Three accused killed in police encounter

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – Crackdown against criminal elements under National Action Plan (NAP) continues in Karachi as three accused were killed in encounter with police in the city on Monday night, Dunya News reported.According to details, three accused were fleeing after looting the residents in Sherpao Colony area of Quaidabad when police was informed about the incident. A police mobile reached the spot and followed the fleeing accused to arrest them. The accused opened fire at the police party who in retaliation also opened fire due to which all the accused were killed.Police have recovered arms, a motorcycle and stolen goods from the dead accused. Police sources said that the identity of the dead accused is not yet known.

Minor girl drowned in nullah in Karachi

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – According to details, a four-year-old girl fell into nullah near Industrial Area Police Station in New Karachi area in Karachi on Monday.The heirs of the girl along with the help of local residents launched a search as rescue teams failed to reach the site in time. Rescue teams also reached the spot after some delay and participated in search operation but could not recover the body.Sources said that the rescue operation was halted due to darkness and will be restarted in the morning.

YDA shuts down Services Hospitals emergency ward

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LAHORE (Dunya News) - The emergency ward of Lahore’s Services Hospital was shut down after a clash between Young Doctors Association (YDA) and anti-corruption officials on Monday, Dunya News reported.According to a YDA spokesman, the anti-corruption officials tortured vice-president of the association, Dr Atif, at the emergency ward of the Services Hospital. The spokesman further said that the YDA shut down the emergency ward in protest after the incident.The young doctors have also blamed that the anti-corruption officials were carrying no arrest warrant or any identity card with them. They also blamed that the anti-corruption officials also tried to take Dr Atif with them.On the other hand, an anti-corruption department spokesman informed that there are cases against Dr Atif and Dr Salman under Anti-Corruption Act and they went to the hospital to perform their legal duty.Talking to the media after the clash, the YDA spokesman said that they would announce their future line of action on Tuesday evening. However, they announced that OPD (Out Patient Department) at all government hospitals across the province will remain close on Tuesday.
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