| Karachi: Abducted youth recovered during search operation Posted: <p> </p><p>According to Dunya News sources, 18-year-old Huzaifa was kidnapped five days ago from Bahadurabad and the abductors have demaned Rs 20 million as ransom.</p><p> </p><p>On a tip-off Citizen Police Liaison Committee and Anti-violence Crime Cell (AVCC) launched an operation and raided the hideout of the kidnapers in Liaquatabad. Rangers were also called in after kidnapers offered resistance and the joint operation of recovered the youth safely. Police have also arrested two accused from the scene.<br /> </p> 
 |
| PPP, allies to win next elections: PM Posted: <p> </p><p>Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Saturday said Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and its allied parties besides retrieving the country out of various challenges would also win the next general elections on the basis of their performance.</p><p> </p><p>The Prime Minister while addressing the elders and notables of the area here at the Circuit House said with the successful holding of Senate elections, in which the PPP has emerged as the largest party in the Upper House of Parliament, all conspiracies to derail the government before Senate elections have been foiled.<br /> </p> 
 |
| Karachi: Four injured in explosion, cracker attack Posted: <p> </p><p>According to police, two unidentified persons tried to hurl a home-made cracker on the residents in Kamaila Stop area of Lyari which accidently fell on the ground and exploded, injuring both the attackers. However, both the attackers managed to flee from the scene despite injuries.</p><p> </p><p>In another incident, two pedestrians, 30-year-old Amir and 23-year-old Nauman, were injured when an occurred near Lee Market. Both the injured were shifted to the Civil hospital.</p><p> </p><p>Police have registered two separate cases and started investigation.<br /> </p> 
 |
| 14 dead in Polish train crash Posted: <p> </p><p>At least fourteen people were killed and dozens more injured in a head-on train crash in Szczekociny, southern Poland, late Saturday, regional governor Zymunt Lukaszczyk said.</p><p> </p><p>"We can confirm fourteen people have died. It s difficult to give an accurate toll," he said.</p><p> </p><p>Local police told AFP that about fifty people had been injured in the crash. Polish media reports spoke of sixty injured, including thirty seriously.</p><p> </p><p>The collision took place at 9:00 pm (2000 GMT) between two trains travelling on the same track, a Polish railways official said. One was en route to the southern city of Krakow from the capital Warsaw, while the other was travelling to the capital from the south-eastern city of Przemysl.</p><p> </p><p>Initial images of the crash broadcast by the TVN24 commercial news channel showed mangled wreckage.</p><p> </p><p>One survivor told the channel they had seen dead bodies as well as people still alive but pinned down inside the train wrecks.</p><p> </p><p>Injured survivors were being evacuated to hospitals in the region. Firemen were trying to reach those still inside the wreckage in the early hours of Sunday.</p><p> </p><p>"We are trying to reach several people inside the wagons with whom we have established contact," Jaroslaw Wojtasik, a fireman on the scene told TVN24.</p><p> </p><p>Poland s Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Transport Minister Slawomir Nowak as well as the interior minister were travelling to the site of the accident late Saturday night, according to a government statement.<br /> </p> 
 |
| Death toll at 37 after tornadoes rage across US Posted: <p> </p><p>Rescuers and residents searched house to house Saturday a day after tornadoes killed at least 37 people and injured hundreds, tearing across the US heartland and virtually wiping out communities.</p><p> </p><p>Even as stunned Americans grappled with the magnitude of the destruction brought by Friday s twisters, the National Weather Service (NWS) issued new tornado warnings for parts of Georgia and Florida, in the country s southeast.</p><p> </p><p>Trucks and trees were upended as deadly funnel clouds ravaged parts of eight states in the US Midwest and South.</p><p> </p><p>The devastating images included a school bus smashed through the wall of a house, trucks thrown into lakes, solid brick homes reduced to rubble and wooden ones smashed into kindling, as well as mobile homes flipped like tin cans.</p><p> </p><p>President Barack Obama called the governors of Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio to offer condolences for the dead and said the federal emergency management agency stood ready to help, the White House said.</p><p> </p><p>Deaths were reported in Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Alabama and Georgia as the storm system moved eastward.<br />In Kentucky, where Governor Steve Beshear s office confirmed 18 fatalities, a total of 13 tornadoes roared across the state, causing damage in 40 counties and knocking out power to 22,000 people.</p><p> </p><p>At least 14 people were killed in Indiana, according to Governor Mitch Daniels, who inspected the devastation in Henryville.</p><p> </p><p>The hardest hit was Marysville, where the small town has nearly ceased to exist, officials said. "That s the information we have, that Marysville is no longer," US Senator Dan Coats of Indiana told CNN.</p><p> </p><p>Indiana activated 250 members of its National Guard, who used Black Hawk helicopters to reach hard-hit regions. Indiana and Kentucky declared states of emergency.</p><p> </p><p>There were three deaths in neighboring Ohio, including a city councilwoman from the town of Moscow, an Emergency Management Agency official said.</p><p> </p><p>The Gulf Coast state of Alabama reported one death after tornadoes trapped people in rubble, destroyed houses and uprooted trees.</p><p> </p><p>In Georgia, a woman was killed in the city of Alpharetta, north of Atlanta, and tornadoes inflicted severe damage on at least 40 homes and a regional airport west of the city in Paulding County, a spokeswoman for the state s emergency management agency said.</p><p> </p><p>The latest wave of storms comes as people were picking through rubble left behind by a string of twisters across six states that killed 13 people earlier in the week.</p><p> </p><p>The NWS received 83 reports of tornadoes in eight states by Friday evening, bringing the week s total to 133.</p><p> </p><p>More could be on their way as a "particularly dangerous" tornado watch continued into Saturday in four states in a massive storm that also carried golf-ball sized hail.</p><p> </p><p>Some 545 people were killed by tornadoes in 2011, the deadliest season since 1936 and the third worst on record.</p><p> </p><p>This year tornadoes have come early with the mild winter creating the conditions for cold fronts to slam into warmer air.<br /> </p> 
 |
| Boxing: Klitschko stops Mormeck to claim 50th KO Posted: <p> </p><p>Undisputed world heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko claimed the 50th knock-out and 60th victory of his career on Saturday when he ended hapless Frenchman Jean-Marc Mormeck s hopes in the fourth round.</p><p> </p><p>Klitschko, 35, defended his IBF, IBO, WBO and WBA titles against Mormeck, who stepped up from cruiserweight just over two years ago, in Dusseldorf and made good on his promise to knock the Frenchman out.</p><p> </p><p>Mormeck, who turns 40 in June, was lucky to finish the second round after Klitschko put him on the canvas with 80 seconds left in the round with a firm right to the chin and then pinned him in a corner with a rapid combination.</p><p> </p><p>The challenger was offering only token resistance and made a mockery of his pre-fight promises to smash Klitschko s "glass jaw" which was as ineffective as the handful of punches he threw in the opening rounds.</p><p> </p><p>The pair both ended on the canvas in the third after a slip, but it was all over in the fourth when a swift combination from the champion saw the Frenchman drop his guard and a final head shot left Mormeck on the canvas.</p><p> </p><p>Puerto Rico referee Luis Pabon stepped in quickly to count out the fight at one minute and 12 seconds as the Frenchman lost his fourth fight in the heavyweight division.</p><p> </p><p>The pair were scheduled to meet last December, but kidney stones forced Klitschko to postpone the original fight and the ease of the champion s win will have done little answer the critics who said he had picked an easy fight.<br /> </p> 
 |
| 50 dead, 27 injured in Guniea road accident Posted: <p> </p><p>Fifty people travelling to a weekly market were on Saturday killed and 27 injured when the lorry they were travelling in crashed in eastern Guinea, a government statement said.</p><p> </p><p>"It was a lorry... (carrying passengers) that was the cause of this serious accident which has plunged numerous families into mourning," Territorial Administration Minister Alhassane Conde was quoted as saying in the statement.</p><p> </p><p>A witness told AFP by telephone that the lorry travelling from Moribadou to Beyla for the weekly market "was travelling downhill at high speed when its brakes failed" and it plunged into a ravine.</p><p> </p><p>The injured had been taken to hospital in Beyla, the witness added.<br /> </p> 
 |
| Presidency, ISPR denials based on assumptions: Mansoor Posted: <p> </p><p>The central figure in memo scandal, Mansoor Ijaz, said that telephonic conversation between President Asif Ali Zardari and Chief of Army Staff Ashfaq Pervez Kayani regarding US Navy SEALs raid on Osama Bin Laden compound in Abbottabad on May 2, 2011 based on assumptions that now require complete clarification.</p><p> </p><p>In his email sent to Dunya News, Mansoor Ijaz clarified that he himself was not sure of the authenticity of the transcript he entered into evidence during Thursday’s Judicial Commission hearing, and had presented it to the court with a disclaimer to view it on its own merit.</p><p> </p><p>He said that denials by Presidency and ISPR are based on a set of assumptions that now require complete clarification.</p><p> </p><p>“Nowhere in the transcript is there any mention of a direct call between President Asif Ali Zardari and Gen Ashfaq Pervez Kayani. There is repeated mention of calls between the offices of the two men, but none that took place directly between them,” he said.</p><p> </p><p>“I asked that the transcript be sealed during Thursday’s hearing for precisely this purpose — that I myself was not certain of its authenticity or accuracy, but since it was one factor of many in my decision to ask Gen James Jones to forward the message to Adm Mike Mullen which had been dictated to me by Husain Haqqani on May 9, 2011, it was a relevant fact to the Commission’s search for truth about the purpose of the Memorandum, he said.</p><p> </p><p>“I asked Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa to evaluate the document on its merit with both his esteemed colleagues before making a judgment about its value to the proceedings,” he said.</p><p> </p><p>“ISPR and the Presidency picking up on one specific point based on media reports of what is contained in the transcript demonstrates continuing distortions in the search for truth about the alleged complicity of President Zardari in the Memorandum affair and the events of May 2nd. What about the other 40 or so entries in the logs of what happened on that night? Why has ISPR and the Presidency not yet commented on the veracity — or not — of those points as well,” he asked.<br /> </p> 
 |
| Federer beats Murray for fifth Dubai title Posted: <p> </p><p>It was second-seeded Federer s second title of the year and 72nd of his career.</p><p> </p><p>Murray had defeated world number one Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals and had been bidding for a 23rd title in his 32nd final.</p><p> </p><p>The second-seeded Swiss s win over the third-seeded Scot carried his recent fine form to 33 wins in 35 matches and suggested that even though he is well into his 31st year Federer may still remain a front line contender.</p><p> </p><p>He lost only one serve game throughout the entire tournament - in the fifth game of the second set against Murray - moved well, and attacked smoothly in the fast conditions.</p><p> </p><p>Murray had a chance to break serve in the sixth game of the first set, and broke back from 1-3 to 3-3 in the second, but was eventually beaten by a Federer who was playing close to his best.</p><p> </p><p>"Winning is always the best, it solves everything. It s been a special week for me," said Federer, the record 16-time Grand Slam title winner.</p><p> </p><p>Murray added: "The atmosphere was fantastic. I think most of the crowd wanted Roger to win"<br /> </p> 
 |
| Tennis: Jankovic gets free ride into semis Posted: <p> </p><p>Second seed Jelena Jankovic reached the semi-finals of the BMW Malaysian Open Saturday without having to pick up her racquet after Ayumi Morita pulled out injured, the second withdrawal in two days.</p><p> </p><p>Top seed and world number five Agnieszka Radwanska pulled out Friday due to injury after a string of rain delays caused a schedule pile-up that forced her to face two opponents the day before.</p><p> </p><p>Morita, who survived a tough second round match against compatriot Misaki Doi on Thursday, said: "My shoulder had been giving me a problem since two days ago when I played Misaki."</p><p> </p><p>"I don t know much about the injury, except that it s painful. I will take a few days off before deciding if I will enter the next tournament," she added.</p><p> </p><p>"I enjoy playing in Malaysia as there are many Japanese fans and I hope to be back for the fourth time next year."</p><p> </p><p>Jankovic will now take on fifth seed Petra Martic of Croatia, who recovered from losing the opening set on Friday to upset third seed Peng Shuai of China 4-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-4.</p><p> </p><p>The other semi-final will be between Taiwanese qualifier Hsieh Su-wei, who benefited from Radwanska s withdrawal, and Eleni Daniilidou, who beat Olivia Rogowska 6-2, 3-6, 6-2.</p><p> </p><p>Daniilidou was in action earlier Saturday as her match with Rogowska was suspended on Friday with Daniilidou leading 6-2, 3-2.</p><p> </p><p>The long break helped Rogowska as she took the first four games of the day to level the match 6-3 but Daniilidou fought back to take the third set 6-2.</p><p> </p><p>The $220,000 BMW Malaysian Open ends on Sunday.<br /> </p> 
 |
| Formula One: Perez sets pace in rainy Barcelona Posted: <p> </p><p>Mexico s Sergio Perez, in a Sauber, set the fastest time on the third day of Formula One testing on Saturday as rain brought an early finish to proceedings at Montmelo.</p><p> </p><p>Perez clocked 1min 22.094sec after completing 114 laps, with McLaren s Jenson Button in second place after just 44 laps while Australia s Daniel Ricciardo, in a Toro Rosso, was third.</p><p> </p><p>Even though bright sunshine returned after the mid-afternoon rain, the 10 teams taking part in the session opted not to return on a slippery surface.</p><p> </p><p>The four-day session in Barcelona ends on Sunday with the 2012 season set to kick-off in Melbourne on March 18.</p><p> </p><p>"I am very happy with how my final test day went. We did an intensive programme with qualifying and race preparation, which was important to do," said Perez.</p><p> </p><p>"I think we have demonstrated that the car has developed well over the testing period. I feel ready for Melbourne."</p><p> </p><p>Former world champion Button said it had been a frustrating day with the team testing new parts in the morning before the rain disrupted the afternoon plans.</p><p> </p><p>"When you get new parts, you want to go out and put lots of laps on it in order to compare it to what you had previously, but we weren t able to do that today. We had a hydraulics issue in the morning, which meant we didn t do much running," said Button.</p><p> </p><p>"So it wasn t the easiest morning and then we didn t do much running in the afternoon either because of the rain. We put a couple of good laps in but didn t get any set-up work done because of the rain.</p><p> </p><p>"Hopefully, (teammate) Lewis (Hamilton) will put some more laps on the car tomorrow."<br /> </p> 
 |
| Football: Man City five clear as Bolton woe continues Posted: <p> </p><p>Leaders Manchester City coasted to an 18th straight home league win after Gretar Steinsson s own goal and a Mario Balotelli effort helped them to a 2-0 success over Bolton Wanderers on Saturday.</p><p> </p><p>City move five points clear at the top of the Premier League table, with second-placed Manchester United facing Tottenham Hotspur, who sit third, on Sunday.</p><p> </p><p>Roberto Mancini s team were a long way from their best but their win was never in doubt after Gael Clichy s drive flew in off Steinsson mid-way through the first half.</p><p> </p><p>They had to wait another 46 minutes to double their advantage when Balotelli, who was left out of the Italy squad for the mid-week friendly with the United States, slammed in from close range.</p><p> </p><p>Mancini s side now entertain Chelsea and head to Arsenal in the next run of seven games before they host United, who have a simple run after Sunday s game at Spurs.<br /> </p> 
 |
| Football: Goal-line technology edges closer Posted: <p> </p><p>Football chiefs edged closer to bringing in goal-line technology after the idea was approved in principle by the sport s law-makers on Saturday.</p><p> </p><p>Calls for technology to help officials decide if the ball has crossed the line have increased in volume since England midfielder Frank Lampard had a goal ruled out against Germany in the 2010 World Cup even though television replays showed his shot had clearly gone in.</p><p> </p><p>Now the International FA Board (IFAB) have announced they will go forward with final tests on two goal-line systems - British company Hawkeye s and GoalRef, a German-Danish firm - ahead of a final decision in July.</p><p> </p><p>FA general secretary Alex Horne admits it is unlikely there would be time to install a system in time for the next Premier League season, but world governing body FIFA have plans to use it at the Club World Cup in Japan in December if either of the two systems gets the green-light.</p><p> </p><p>Horne said: "We decided that if there is a system working then we will do it.</p><p> </p><p>"The reality is that asking 20 clubs to put something in place in five weeks, all tested and calibrated, is unlikely, and the Premier League would probably not want to introduce it midway through the competition.</p><p> </p><p>"It s an important step forward for us but it is important that we do test it for failure."</p><p> </p><p>Meanwhile, the IFAB will also push ahead with allowing Muslim women to wear headscarves - but a safe variety which comes off straight away if pulled.</p><p> </p><p>FIFA member Prince Ali of Jordan - with the support of FA chairman David Bernstein - made a proposal to overturn the ban on the scarves, which had been taken on safety grounds, and the IFAB are likely to give it the final go-ahead in July.<br /> </p> 
 |
| Sri Lanka drop herath for Asia Cup Posted: <p> </p><p>Sri Lanka s cricket selectors on Saturday left out left-arm spinner Rangana Herath for the upcoming four-nation Asia Cup tournament in Bangladesh.</p><p> </p><p>Herath, part of the Sri Lankan squad for the ongoing triangular one-day series in Australia, was replaced by leg-spinner Seekkuge Prasanna, who played his last one-day international in November.</p><p> </p><p>The 14-man squad will be led by Mahela Jayawardene, with all-rounder Angelo Mathews as his deputy.</p><p> </p><p>Sri Lanka will join defending champions India, Pakistan and Bangladesh in the 50-overs-a-side tournament, to be played at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium in Dhaka from March 11 to 22.</p><p> </p><p>Sri Lanka, who meet India in their opening match on March 13, also recalled fit-again fast bowler Suranga Lakmal who played his last one-dayer against Pakistan in November.</p><p> </p><p>Pacemen Dhammika Prasad and Chanaka Welegedara, currently in Australia, also failed to find a place in the Asia Cup squad.</p><p> </p><p>Sri Lanka will clash with Australia in the first of best-of-three finals in Brisbane on Sunday.</p><p> </p><p>World Cup winners India, the third team, were knocked out of the competition following Sri Lanka s victory over Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday.</p><p> </p><p>Sri Lanka squad: Mahela Jayawardene (capt), Angelo Mathews (vice-capt), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Upul Tharanga, Kumar Sangakkara, Dinesh Chandimal, Lahiru Thirimanne, Thisara Perera, Farveez Maharoof, Sachithra Senanayake, Nuwan Kulasekara, Lasith Malinga, Seekkuge Prasanna, Suranga Lakmal.<br /> </p> 
 |
| Kenya, Uganda meet in WCT20 warm-ups Posted: <p> </p><p>Kenya are to host regional rivals Uganda in five matches in their build up for this month s ICC World Twenty20 qualifiers in the United Arab Emirates, cricket officials said.</p><p> </p><p>Both Kenya and Uganda will play in Group B at the March 13-24 tournament, which will also involve 14 other Associate and Affliate sides, after which only two teams will advance to the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka in September.</p><p> </p><p>Kenya played and lost all three T20 matches against Ireland, who will also compete in the same group in Dubai, when the two teams met in Mombasa last month and the hosts are keen for some victory ahead of the global qualifiers.</p><p> </p><p>"We look forward to competitive matches against a strong Ugandan team that has performed well recently to help our team prepare for the qualifiers," said Cricket Kenya chief Tom Sears.<br /> </p> 
 |
![[Valid Atom 1.0]](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iaJ2fWzrtk4/Thh_SYIn5ZI/AAAAAAAAAPk/KCFcLp73Nmo/s1600/valid-atom.png "Validate my Atom 1.0 feed")