Monday 14 August 2017

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Football: Ronaldo handed five-match ban for ref push

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MADRID (AFP) - Cristiano Ronaldo was hit with a five-match ban by the Spanish football federation (RFEF) on Monday for pushing the referee after being sent off in Real Madrids 3-1 Spanish Super Cup, first leg win over Barcelona.The World Player of the Year received an automatic one-match ban for his dismissal on Sunday and an extra four games for his reaction towards referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea.Ronaldo was also fined 3,805 euros ($4,500) and has 10 days to appeal the ban.Should any appeal fail, Ronaldo will miss Wednesdays Super Cup, second leg and Madrids first four La Liga games of the season against Deportivo la Coruna, Valencia, Levante and Real Sociedad.However, Ronaldo will be free to feature when Madrid start their defence of the Champions League on September 12 or 13.Madrid had already signalled their intent to appeal Ronaldos second yellow card shown for diving eight minutes from time when he went down inside the area under pressure from Samuel Umtiti.Ronaldos sending-off annoys me because even if it is not a penalty, the card is harsh, said Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane after the game.We will see if we can do something so that he is available on Wednesday.Ronaldo was only on the field for 24 minutes after he was introduced as a second-half substitute and fired into the top corner 10 minutes from time to give Madrid a 2-1 lead.He received his first yellow card for removing his shirt in celebration before being shown the 10th red card of his career two minutes later.Once shown the red card, said player (Ronaldo) pushed me lightly as a sign of his disapproval, De Burgos Bengoetxea wrote in his referees report.According to the RFEFs rules, such offences are met with a suspension of anything between four and 12 games, but previous cases also resulted in four-game bans.Despite Madrids claims Ronaldo had reacted in the heat of the moment, the RFEF judged the push was an unjustified and disproportionate reaction.

Tennis: Pliskova, Halep lead five-woman fight for No. 1

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CINCINNATI (AFP) - With sidelined Serena Williams about to have a baby, five players have a chance to grab the world number one ranking at this weeks US Open tuneup event in Cincinnati.Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam champion who announced her pregnancy and the end of her season in April, owned the top spot for 186 consecutive weeks through last September, matching Steffi Graf for an Open Era record, and traded the spot with Germanys Angelique Kerber earlier this year.Defending Cincinnati champion Karolina Pliskova took over the top spot five weeks ago but will lose points from her title run, opening the door for rivals to overtake her.Romanias second-ranked Simona Halep, world number three Kerber, Ukraines fourth-rated Elina Svitolina and fifth-ranked Dane Caroline Wozniacki could claim the top spot.Nothing has changed. I have a big responsibility. Ill do everything as I have before, Pliskova said. I do think its a huge thing but I dont want to do anything just because of the rankings.I dont try to behave differently. I try not to see the pressure.Pliskova has won titles this year at Brisbane, Doha and Eastbourne but anything short of a repeat gives Halep a chance to reach number one by winning the title.To be number one in the world is a big thing. It shows you have been consistent. You have won the place. If I deserve the place, for sure I will win it, Halep said.The Romanian however remains haunted by a French Open finals loss to Jelena Ostapenko in which she was up a set and a break before squandering a chance at her first Grand Slam title and number one.I still have bad dreams about that, Halep said. I still suffer.Shes also trying to forget a 6-1, 6-1 loss to Svitolina in the Toronto semi-finals, one for which she apologized to spectators on Monday.I was really disappointed. It was a horror match for me, Halep said. I couldnt feel the ball. I cant say I wasnt ready to play. It never happened to me before, not like that.Svitolina, 22, has won titles this year in Taiwan, Dubai, Istanbul, Rome and Toronto.She credits Dubai with inspiration but improved in her Canada title run last week.The title in Dubai really gave me that push. I played great, Svitolina said. But this tournament in Toronto showed me I can go there not playing my best and fight back and still be able to win the title.Its one more step in a good direction.Svitolinas hot season has inspired her to aim big.Its very special. It gives me more energy to go for more, Svitolina said.She needs a title and Pliskova out before the semi-finals to reach number one.I know this but I try not to put so much pressure on myself. Of course to be number one is a goal of mine. The important thing is to play well, Svitolina said.I know its very close for everyone. Id prefer to play well at big tournaments. Then the ranking will be there.Kerber and Wozniacki need Pliskova to crash out in her opening match to have a chance at number one this week.And while Spains sixth-ranked Garbine Muguruza, cant overtake now, she would be a threat to do so at the US Open.Its going to be a battle, she said. I like that Im part of it and its going to be a big thing. Now I feel like Ive got to play. I cant miss a tournament. If I do Im gone.

Mattis warns of risk of war, pushes N. Korea diplomacy

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - Defense Secretary Jim Mattis warned Monday that an attack by North Korea against the United States could quickly escalate into war, as he and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson moved to dial down tensions.North Korea last week threatened to test-fire four missiles that would fly toward the small US Pacific island territory of Guam, following a promise from President Donald Trump to meet ongoing threats from Pyongyang with fire and fury.If they fire at the United States, it could escalate into war very quickly, Mattis told Pentagon reporters.Mattiss comments came after he and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in an opinion piece in The Wall Street Journal that America has no interest in regime change in Pyongyang or the accelerated reunification of the two Koreas, and stressed the importance of a diplomatic solution to the crisis.The two statesmen decided to write the piece a couple of weeks ago, and it had not been in response to last weeks heated rhetoric, Mattis said.We were thinking it would be wise to put out something that shows how the State Department and the Defense Department work together, its not one or the other, its the two working together, he said.Mattis and Tillerson said the United States favors a diplomatic solution to the nuclear stand-off, especially with help from China, though they stressed diplomacy is backed by military options.The US has no interest in regime change or accelerated reunification of Korea, Mattis and Tillerson wrote.We do not seek an excuse to garrison US troops north of the Demilitarized Zone. We have no desire to inflict harm on the long-suffering North Korean people, who are distinct from the hostile regime in Pyongyang.Mattis and Tillerson called on China, which is North Koreas main trading partner and ally, to take advantage of an unparalleled opportunity to assert its influence on Pyongyang.If China wishes to play a more active role in securing regional peace and stability -- from which all of us, especially China, derive such great benefit -- it must make the decision to exercise its decisive diplomatic and economic leverage over North Korea, the US officials wrote.Mattis and Tillerson also credited UN efforts and said the United States was willing to negotiate with North Korea, but said Pyongyang should indicate a desire to show good faith by halting weapons and nuclear tests.General Joseph Dunford, who chairs the US Joint Chiefs of Staff and is the nations top uniformed military officer, met Monday with South Koreas defense minister Song Young-Moo and defense chief General Lee Sun-Jin.He conveyed Americas readiness to use the full range of military capabilities to defend our allies and the US homeland, said spokesman Captain Darryn James.

North Korea leader briefed on Guam missile plan: KCNA

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SEOUL (AFP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has been briefed on a plan to fire missiles near Guam but hinted that he would hold off on the launch, Pyongyangs state media said Tuesday.Kim examined the plan for a long time and discussed it with commanding officers on Monday during his inspection of the command of the Strategic Force in charge of the Norths missile units, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).He said that the US imperialists caught the noose around their necks due to their reckless military confrontation racket.But Kim hinted he would hold off on the plan to test-fire missiles towards the US Pacific island territory, saying he would watch a little more the foolish and stupid conduct of the Yankees spending a hard time of every minute of their miserable lot.In order to defuse the tensions and prevent the dangerous military conflict on the Korean peninsula, it is necessary for the US to make a proper option first and show it through action, as it committed provocations after introducing huge nuclear strategic equipment into the vicinity of the peninsula, he was quoted as saying by KCNA.He urged the US to stop at once arrogant provocations against the North and not provoke it any longer.North Koreas military said last week that it would finalise by mid-August its detailed plan to test-fire four intermediate-range ballistic missiles in an enveloping fire around Guam and report it to its leader for approval.Tensions have been mounting since the North tested two intercontinental ballistic missile tests last month, which appeared to bring much of the US within range.Responding to the tests, US President Donald Trump warned Pyongyang of fire and fury like the world has never seen.The North in turn threatened to test-fire its missiles towards the US Pacific island of Guam. The war of words has sparked global alarm, with world leaders including Chinese President Xi Jinping urging calm on both sides.South Korean President Moon Jae-In also waded in on Monday, calling for calm in the standoff with North Korea, saying there should never be another war on the peninsula.US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis warned Monday that an attack against the United States could quickly escalate into war, as he and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson moved to dial down tensions.Mattiss comments came after they said in an opinion piece in The Wall Street Journal that America has no interest in regime change in Pyongyang or the accelerated reunification of the two Koreas, and stressed the importance of a diplomatic solution to the crisis.The two statesmen decided to write the piece a couple of weeks ago, and it had not been in response to last weeks heated rhetoric, Mattis said.Mattis and Tillerson said the United States favors a diplomatic solution to the nuclear stand-off, especially with help from China, though they stressed diplomacy is backed by military options.

Erdogan urges 'sweeping change' in Turkey ruling party ahead of polls

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ANKARA (AFP) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday urged sweeping change in the upper echelons of the ruling party ahead of 2019 elections, after it showed signs of weakness at the ballot box.Turkeys ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) was celebrating the 16th anniversary of its founding in 2001, for the first time since Erdogan returned to the job of party boss this year.Change is natural for the AKP, which was established to respond to Turkeys need for change. But now what we need is a sweeping change, Erdogan said in a speech outside Ankara marking the anniversary.He said that successful colleagues -- including MPs, mayors and regional party officials -- would be able to stay in their jobs but those who were showing tiredness and weariness would have to move on.He said the new process was beginning in the regions and would be finished by the end of February. Erdogan denied it was a liquidation campaign but said: We need to be ready for 2019.Erdogan co-founded the AKP as an Islamic-rooted party that would also strive to modernise the economy and push ahead with Turkeys EU membership bid.It has never been defeated at the ballot box since first winning power in 2002 but there have been signs its grip on power has grown slightly less tight in the last years.In June 2015 parliamentary elections, the party lost its overall majority for the first time, although clawed it back in snap November polls that year.And most alarmingly, Erdogan won the April 16, 2017 referendum on expanding his powers by a much narrower margin than expected, with 51.4 percent of the vote.Erdogan said that in the 2019 elections, the ruling partys contract with the Turkish people would be renewed and, God willing, in the most powerful way.The November 2019 elections will see presidential and parliamentary polls held on the same day.Afterwards, most of the changes agreed in the constitutional referendum will be implemented, including the liquidation of the office of prime minister.One change implemented immediately was allowing the president to lead a political party. Erdogan had to leave the AKP when he moved from the office of premier to president in 2014 but swiftly took the job back after the referendum.Supporters say the changes will streamline government in Turkey but critics fear that they will lead the way to one-man rule.Turkey remains under a state of emergency imposed after the July 15, 2016 failed coup which led to the biggest crackdown in the countrys history.In a show of solidarity, key party old guard members like ex premier Ahmet Davutoglu and former parliament speaker Bulent Arinc were present at the ceremony.However Erdogans predecessor as president and AKP co-founder Abdullah Gul was again conspicuous by his absence.

Car ramming east of Paris kills girl, terrorism ruled out

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PARIS (AFP) - A car smashed into a pizza restaurant east of Paris late Monday, killing a girl, but investigators said the young driver had tried to commit suicide and the incident was not terror-related.The episode came just five days after a terror-linked car attack on soldiers, the latest assault in France since early 2015.Investigators have ruled out the terrorist hypothesis behind the latest incident, which took place in the town of Sept-Sorts, 55 kilometres (34 miles) east of Paris, a source close to the inquiry said.The man, who was arrested, said he had tried to kill himself yesterday (Sunday) without success and decided to try again this way, the source said.The public prosecutors office in the town of Meaux also ruled out terrorism. There is no doubt he did this voluntarily, said deputy prosecutor Eric de Valroger, adding it was highly likely the driver was under the influence.In Paris, interior ministry spokesman Pierre-Henry Brandet said the fatality was a girl aged 13, and not aged eight as initially reported.Four people were seriously hurt, after a preliminary figure had been given of six.The driver, born in 1985, is not known to the intelligence services and has no criminal record, Brandet said.One of the four injured was the girls younger brother, police said.French President Emmanuel Macron sent his condolences, tweeting with the hashtag SeptSorts that his thoughts were with the victims and their loved ones.France is on edge after suffering a series terror-related attacks, including the use of cars as weapons.On August 9, six soldiers were injured after they were hit by a rented BMW in the western Paris suburb of Levallois-Perret. The suspect, a 36-year-old Algerian man, was later shot and wounded after a dramatic motorway chase.A BMW was also involved in Mondays incident.The death toll from jihadist attacks in France has exceeded 230 since January 2015. The country has been under a state of emergency since the Islamic State group attacked in Paris in November 2015, leaving 130 people dead.

Karachi: Two terrorists killed in encounter with CTD

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KARACHI (Dunya News) - At least two terrorists of a banned outfit were killed in encounter with Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) personnel in Karachi on Monday, Dunya News reported.According to details, Counter-Terrorism Department conducted an operation in Manghopir area of Karachi on intelligence report during which the terrorists present in the area opened fire. The CTD personnel returned the fire due to which two terrorists were killed while one managed to escape.According to SSP Umar Shahid, the dead terrorists belonged Mufti Shakir group of a banned organization. He further said that one of the dead terrorists was identified as Danial.On the other hand, two persons were wounded while resisting a robbery bid in Baldia Musharraf Colony. The victims were identified as Imran and Irfan and were shifted to Civil Hospital.

Independence Day: COAS hosted dinner of retired servicemen

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RAWALPINDI (Dunya News) - Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa hosted a dinner for retired armed forces officers and jawans on Monday. According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the dinner is hosted every year on the occasion of Pakistan Independence Day.A large number of serving and retired officers and jawans of armed forces attended the annual dinner. The army chief congratulated the participants on the occasion of 70th Independence Day.Earlier, Pakistan Army Museum was opened for general public on eve of 14 August azadi celebrations. A large number of people from all walks of life visited the museum and took keen interest while visiting various galleries of the museum.Army Museum besides preserving history of Pakistan Army also serves as source of inspiration and information for the visitors. Galleries depicted diverse facets including Fight Against Terrorism, Shuhada Corner, Nishan-e-Haider Gallery, Kashmir Corner, Indo-Pak War Story, Galleries of various Arms and Services of Pakistan Army and Army contributions to United Nation for peace keeping efforts.

Need to bury differences to work for countrys progress: CM Balochistan

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QUETTA (Dunya News) - Chief Minister (CM) Balochistan Nawab Sana Ullah Khan Zehri while addressing Excellence Award ceremony at the Bugti Stadium in Quetta on Monday said that we need to set aside our differences and have to join hands for development and prosperity of the country.The Chief Minister Balochistan was the chief guest on the occasion. Those people who showed excellent performance in various fields were awarded in the ceremony.Commander Southern Command, Lieutenant General Amir Riaz, Baloshistan Home Minister Sarfraz Bugti, provincial ministers and members of the assembly also attended the ceremony.Nawab Sana Ullah Khan Zehri further said that knowledge and awareness can put Balochistan on the way of development within limited resources and short time.Renowned singers Ali Zafar and Shazia Khushk also enthralled the participants of the Excellence Award with their hit songs. The ceremony ended with a colourful display of fireworks.

Broad backs Anderson to fire in Ashes

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LONDON (AFP) - Stuart Broad is very confident longstanding new-ball partner James Anderson will play a big part in Englands upcoming Ashes defence in Australia.Anderson recently turned 35 and there are concerns a five-Test series Down Under, which starts in November, could be a tour too far for Englands all-time leading Test wicket-taker.The Lancashire paceman has taken 487 wickets at 27.90 apiece in 126 Tests but his 43 on Australian soil have come at a more expensive average of 38.44, although Anderson was a key member of the England touring side that won the 2010/11 Ashes.And Broad, speaking ahead of Englands home three-Test series against the West Indies, had no doubt the swing specialist could be a central figure once again, whatever the conditions.Im very confident, said Broad at an event staged by England-West Indies series sponsors Investec on Monday. The last couple of years hes averaging 14 or 15 with the ball in England, so we know how dangerous he is when the balls moving around like that.But when we go to Australia, the wobble seam he bowls is a great weapon to have in Australia -- take (Australias) Stuart Clark as an example.Were certainly fortunate to have him going strong and I certainly expect him to play a big part in Australia.There was even talk Anderson could double up as England bowling coach if the current incumbent, Ottis Gibson, takes over as head coach of South Africa.That was suggested really sarcastically by Jimmy in the changing room, said Broad. It would be a tough one for him because hed have to mit to himself in the mornings which wouldnt be easy Jimmy is almost a bit of a bowling coach anyway with his great experience.Anderson and Broad are already established as one of Englands greatest new-ball pairings, having taken a combined 720 wickets in 94 Tests together.Asked about the possibility of extending that figure to 1,000 wickets, Broad said: Itd be pretty special, but wed have to see how long the old bloke (Anderson) wants to go on for.Ive been lucky to bowl at the other end to him and I know if I hadnt done, I wouldnt have as many wickets as I have got.Broad himself is now just five away from surpassing Bothams mark of 383 Test wickets and so becoming Englands second-most successful Test bowler.Obviously he (Botham) is the biggest player English cricket has ever had probably, said Broad.Anyone whos done what he has against Australia Ive got a lot of respect for, added the 31-year-old, whose father Chris, an opening batsman, starred alongside Botham during Englands victorious Ashes tour of Australia in 1986/87.He (Botham) has been an inspiration to me in how to take on Australia, said Stuart Broad, whose childhood years coincided with a prolonged English Ashes drought.I grew up in our era from 86/87 to 2005 when it was horrible watching the Ashes.That was an influence on me because it made me very determined that if ever I got the chance to play against them (Australia) wed have to win.While Broad stressed he wasnt motivated by statistical landmarks, West Indies fast-bowling great Joel Garner -- who played alongside Botham at Somerset -- was not convinced.Hes modest when he says he isnt thinking as far as getting past the record but I can tell you hes looking at it, said Garner, now the West Indies team manager.Garner, whose 259 Test wickets cost just 20.97 apiece, added: To get past the landmark is a good thing and it sets the standard for the next person coming up.

Don't write West Indies off yet, warns Garner

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LONDON (AFP) - Joel Garner has warned against writing the West Indies off too early ahead of their upcoming Test series against England.A three-match campaign starts with the first day/night Test ever staged in England, at Birminghams Edgbaston ground on Thursday.England, fresh from a 3-1 win over South Africa in a four-Test home series, will start as huge favourites.Not only have the West Indies lost their last six Test series, they have been beaten in 14 of their most recent Tests in England and drawn the other three.But fast-bowling great Garner, now the West Indies team manager, said Monday: Its going to be some interesting times. I think people are writing the West Indies off too early and it could be at their own peril.And with a fast-bowling attack led by Kemar Roach and Shannon Gabriel, allied to a new work ethic being installed by Australian coach Stuart Law, Garner believes his side, who have played a day/night Test -- a hard-fought defeat by Pakistan in Dubai in October -- could yet upset the odds.Cricket is played in the middle at the end of the day, Garner added at an event staged by series sponsors Investec in London on Monday. I think the fellas have got talent.Its who makes the greatest adjustment in the day/night game. Games between England and the West Indies are competitive. I wouldnt completely write them off.West Indies, however, have arrived in England without several star players including Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, Marlon Samuels and Darren Sammy -- the legacy of a bitter dispute with West Indies cricket officials and the fact that the Caribbean Premier League Twenty20 tournament is going on at home at the same time as the Test series.While Cricket West Indies, as the West Indies Cricket Board is now known, recently granted an amnesty in a bid to get senior players back on board ahead of the 2019 World Cup in England, it has come too late to alter the squad for the Test series.We will welcome them back because they are our better players but at the present moment we are here to play cricket, said the 64-year-old Garner. Weve got to work with what weve got. We still have fight.We cant keep looking and saying well wait and see if the other players come back as well.Garner, who stood for election as WICB president two years ago but lost to incumbent Whycliffe Dave Cameron, said he felt relations between players and officials were improving.Theres a lot more communication going on between the players and the officials, he said. It can only get better.But the 64-year-old Garner accepted the timing of the CPL was far from ideal.That is the biggest challenge because that is where most of the money is being aimed at, said Garner.I think you have to work around it and get the tours organised in such a way theres no competition from the shorter version of the game.The giant Garner, who took 259 wickets in 58 Tests at an average of just 20.97, said he felt standards had slipped since the day when he was a key member of the West Indies side that dominated world cricket in the late 1970s and 1980s.If you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail...Some of our players have become accustomed to the CPL way of doing things.Players are being encouraged to train harder and get fitter. Weve always had players with ability, players with style and flair, but the lack of preparation at the top could have been part of the problem.

India drubbing worst of career, says Chandimal

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PALLEKELE (AFP) - Sri Lankan skipper Dinesh Chandimal declared the Test series which ended Monday in a whitewash by India to be the worst of his career, after the hosts were brushed aside by an innings and 171 runs.India defeated Sri Lanka inside three days in the third and final Test, dismissing the beleaguered islanders for 181 during their follow-on in an extended second session in Pallekele.For Sri Lanka it was their second successive innings defeat and another blow for a side beset by injury woes and leadership changes.Chandimal, 27, was appointed Test captain after Angelo Mathews stood down last month in the wake of a humiliating one-day series loss to Zimbabwe.But the thrashing by India on home soil was a low for the veteran of 39 Test matches.Toughest series no doubt in my career, he told reporters.We were not able to take the games to five days. There have been four-day Tests and three-day Tests. Worst series ever.Credit goes to India. They have played outstandingly well in the series... losing within two and half days you cannot give any excuses.Sri Lanka replied with just 135 in their first innings to Indias 487, putting the worlds top Test team in firm control as early as day two.All-rounder Hardik Pandya set up the win with his blistering 96-ball 108, cracking his maiden century in just his third Test appearance.Sri Lanka, who swept Australia 3-0 at home last year, struggled during this series as key players were ruled out with injuries.Bowling mainstay Rangana Herath was absent in the final Test, while injuries kept all-rounder Asela Gunaratne and paceman Nuwan Pradeep on the bench.Chandimal said injuries dogged some of his best players, including Pradeep, Suranga Lakmal, Herath and Gunaratne.I would say the main concern is injuries. The Australia series, we had everyone fit, he said.I dont want to give excuses. We have to perform better than this, he said, apologising to home fans.

Tobacco exports increase 35% in one year

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ISLAMABAD, Aug 13 (APP): The tobacco exports from the country witnessed sharp increase of 34.93 percent during the Fiscal Year2017 as compared to the corresponding period of last year.According to figures of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), the tobacco exports earned $14.807 million for the country in July-June (2016-17) as compared to the earnings of $10.974 million during July-June (2015-16).In terms of quantity, the country exports 3,976 metric ton of tobacco during the period under review as compared to the exports of 3,194 metric ton, showing positive growth of 24.48 percent.The overall food exports from the country during the fiscal year (2016-17) decreased by 6.94 percent when compared to the lastyear.The overall food exports from the country were recorded at $3,712 million in July-June (2016-17) as compared to the exports of$3,989 million in July-June (2015-16).However, on year-on-year basis, the tobacco exports declined by 27.88 percent in June 2017 as compared to the same month of lastyear.The tobacco exports in June 2017 stood at $0.401 million as compared to the exports of $0.556 million.On month-on-month basis, the tobacco exports witnessed sharp decline of 66.13 percent in June 2017 when compared to the exportsof $1.184 million in May 2017.

312 dead as mudslides, flooding sweep through Sierra Leone capital

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FREETOWN (AFP) - At least 312 people were killed and more than 2,000 left homeless on Monday when heavy flooding hit Sierra Leones capital of Freetown, leaving excavators to pull bodies from rubble and overwhelming the citys morgues.An AFP journalist saw several homes submerged in Regent village, a hilltop community, and corpses floating in the water in the Lumley West area of the city, as the government held an emergency meeting to plan its response to one of the worst natural disasters ever to hit the city.Red Cross spokesman Patrick Massaquoi told AFP the death toll was 312 but could rise further as his team continued to survey disaster areas in Freetown and tally the number of dead.Sierra Leone is one of the poorest countries in the world, according to UN indicators.I counted over 300 bodies and more are coming, Mohamed Sinneh, a morgue technician at Freetowns Connaught Hospital, told AFP, having earlier described an overwhelming number of dead at the facility leaving no space to lay out every body.Many more of the dead were taken to private morgues, Sinneh said.Sierra Leones military, police and Red Cross volunteers were meanwhile deployed in an all out effort to locate and rescue citizens trapped in their homes or under rubble.Images obtained by AFP showed ferocious, churning dark-orange mud coursing down a steep street in the capital, while videos posted by local residents showed people waist- or chest-deep in water trying to cross the road.The Sierra Leone meteorological department did not issue any warning ahead of the torrential rains to hasten evacuation from the disaster zones, AFPs correspondent based in Freetown said.Lost everythingFatmata Sesay, who lives on the hilltop area of Juba, said she, her three children and husband were awoken at 4:30 am by rain pounding on the mud house they occupy, which was by then submerged by water.I only managed to escape by climbing to the roof of the house when neighbours came in to rescue me, she said.We have lost everything and we do not have a place to sleep, she told AFP in tears.Deputy Information Minister Cornelius Deveaux confirmed President Ernest Bai Koroma had called a national emergency, and said his own boss, Information Minister Mohamed Bangura, was in hospital after being injured in the flooding.Deveaux said hundreds of people had lost their lives and had properties damaged, and promised food and other assistance for the victims.He called on the public to remain calm with rescue efforts underway.Piles of corpsesThe scale of the human cost of the floods was only becoming clear on Monday afternoon, as images of battered corpses piled on top of each other circulated and residents spoke of their struggles to cope with the destruction and find their loved ones.Meanwhile disaster management official Vandy Rogers said that over 2,000 people are homeless, hinting at the huge humanitarian effort that will be required to deal with the fallout of the flooding in one of Africas poorest nations.Freetown, an overcrowded coastal city of 1.2 million, is hit each year by flooding during several months of rain that destroys makeshift settlements and raises the risk of waterborne diseases such as cholera.Sasha Ekanayake, Save the Childrens Sierra Leone Country Director, said the immediate priority was to provide shelter and protect residents, especially children, from the spread of deadly waterborne diseases.We are still in the rainy season and must be prepared to respond in the event of further emergencies to come, she said in a statement.Flooding in the capital in 2015 killed 10 people and left thousands homeless.Sierra Leone was one of the west African nations hit by an outbreak of the Ebola virus in 2014 that left more than 4,000 people dead in the country, and it has struggled to revive its economy since the crisis.About 60 percent of people in Sierra Leone live below the national poverty line, according to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).The country ranked 179th out of 188 countries on the UNDPs 2016 Human Development Index, a basket of data combining life expectancy, education and income and other factors.

Erdogan congratulates Pakistan on 70 years of independence

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – Turkish president Erdogan has congratulated Pakistan on 70 years of independence this August.In a message posted on Twitter, he stated: “My heartfelt congratulations to the people of Pakistan for Pakistans independence day.”My heartfelt congratulations to the people of Pakistan for Pakistans independence day. PakistanZindabad— Recep Tayyip (@RT_Erdogan) August 14, 2017 Pakistan celebrated 70 years of independence today after partition of the subcontinent in 1947.The first couple of Turkey paid a historic visit to Pakistan last year and was hosted a dinner by then premier Nawaz Sharif in Lahore.
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