| Series of blasts rock Karachi, 15 injured Posted: KARACHI (Dunyna News) – According to details, the blasts occurred outside the residents of ANP leader Muhammad Ali in Qasba Colony in Katti Pahari area on early Thursday morning, injuring at least 15 people.The injured were rushed to Abbasi Shaheed Hospita, where condition of three injured is stated to be critical.Police and rescue teams have reached the spot and started rescue operation.  |
| UK seeks Pakistan help to trace suspects in Imran Farooq case Posted: LONDON (Agencies) - UK prosecutors have asked Pakistan to trace two suspects believed to have been involved in the 2010 murder of Imran Farooq, a senior leader of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM).He was stabbed outside his home in Edgware, London, close to the Pakistani political partys international HQ.Documents obtained by BBC Newsnight name the suspects as Mohsin Ali Syed and Mohammed Kashif Khan Kamran.They are believed to be in Pakistani custody but not under formal arrest.The investigation into Mr Farooqs murder has seen more than 4,000 people interviewed, but so far the only person arrested in the case has been Iftikhar Hussain, the nephew of MQMs London-based leader Altaf Hussain.Iftikhar Hussain was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder, but is now on police bail. It is an arrest the party says was based on wrong information.MQM senator Farogh Naseem has described Iftikhar Hussain as not a person who is really with himself mentally. He said Iftikhar Hussain had suffered at the hands of the Pakistani authorities.In November 2011 - 14 months after the murder - Metropolitan Police chief Bernard Hogan-Howe said his force was liaising with Pakistani authorities over two arrests believed to have been made in Karachi.Since then, however, the force has refused to confirm or deny that it is seeking Pakistani assistance.The Pakistani government has denied anyone has been arrested and officials have failed to respond to questions about the request from the UKs Crown Prosecution Service.The documents, obtained by Newsnight from official sources in Pakistan, suggest Mohsin Ali Syed and Mohammed Kashif Khan Kamran secured UK visas on the basis of being granted admission to the London Academy of Management Sciences (LAMS), in east London.The documents name two other men. One is Karachi-based businessman Muazzam Ali Khan, of Comnet Enterprises, who is believed to have endorsed the suspects UK visa applications and was in regular contact with Iftikhar Hussain throughout 2010.The other is Atif Siddique, an educational consultant in Karachi, who is believed to have processed them.Atif Siddique said he was not the agent of LAMS and did not know the two suspects.Mr Ali Khan has not responded to e-mails and phone calls offering him the chance to respond.A director of the college, Asif Siddique - Atif Siddiques brother - has confirmed the two students were meant to study there. One of them registered, but failed to attend.LAMS is designated as a highly trusted partner of the UK Border Agency, which means it is supposed to report the non-attendance of students within 10 days of the 10th missed student encounter with staff. Asif Siddique said the college had reported one of the students non-attendance to the UK authorities in May 2012.The Home Office has refused to say whether or not it believes LAMS broke the rules for reporting non-attendance, but has said it is not currently investigating the college.Mohsin Ali Syed, in his late 20s, arrived in the UK in February 2010. He moved between a number of London addresses, including bedsits in Tooting, in south London, and Whitchurch Lane, in Edgware.Mohammed Kashif Khan Kamran arrived in the UK in early September 2010. Phone records indicate the two moved around together and it is believed they kept Mr Farooq under surveillance.The murder weapons were left at the scene of the crime and the documents seen by Newsnight state that the British authorities are seeking DNA samples as evidence that could be used in a British court.Records show that both men left the UK on 16 September 2010, a few hours after the murder had happened, and flew to Sri Lanka, and then on to Karachi on the 19 September.According to immigration officials in Pakistan, security officials picked them up on the tarmac before they left Karachi airport. Pakistani security sources deny that the men were picked up as a result of a British tip-off.  |
| 'Ice is breaking' in Syria talks: UN mediator Posted: GENEVA (AFP) - The ice is slowly breaking in peace talks between Syria's warring sides, UN mediator Lakhdar Brahimi said Wednesday, warning though that no substantive results were expected during this round. The ice is breaking, slowly, but it is breaking, Brahimi told reporters after a fifth day of talks in Geneva, which both sides described as positive.He acknowledged he did not expect anything substantive to come out of the initial round, which is set to conclude Friday.But he stressed that simply getting the parties talking for the first time since the conflict erupted in March 2011 was an important step forward.These people have not sat together for three years. They do not expect that there'll be a magic wand, Brahimi said, insisting he was not disappointed.The delegations from President Bashar al-Assad's regime and the opposition National Coalition are set to determine Friday when they will return to Geneva, likely after a week, Brahimi said.I hope that the second session will be more structured and hopefully more productive than the first session, he said.Opposition delegation spokesman Louay Safi told reporters the future talks would need to show substantial progress.We're not going to stay here month after month just talking without progress, he said. Yet after days of total deadlock, both sides voiced a grain of optimism Wednesday, saying the talks had been positive.The discussions had finally focused on the Geneva I communique -- the never-implemented roadmap to peace put out by global powers during talks here in 2012 -- but the two sides disagree sharply on what part of the text the talks should focus on.Today we had a positive step forward because for the first time now we are talking about the transitional governing body, Safi said.The opposition says creating the transitional government called for in the Geneva I communique must be the first step towards a political solution, and insists this will require Assad to leave power.The regime denies the text requires Assad to step down and says his role is not up for debate at this conference.Regime delegation member Buthaina Shaaban also said talks Wednesday had been positive, but said this was because they spoke about (fighting) terrorism. She stressed that the first item in the Geneva text was related to ending the violence in Syria, something the regime largely equates to rooting out the terrorism it claims the opposition and its foreign backers are supporting.We want to discuss Geneva I item by item, starting from the first item, she said, accusing the opposition of focusing on the transitional government in a bid to grab power.  |
| Rain likely in various parts of country: Met Office Posted: ISLAMABAD (APP): Pakistan Meteorological Deartment (PMD) on Wednesday indicated chances of rain with snowfall over the hills at isolated places in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Malakand, Hazara divisions and Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan during next 24 hours. According to the synoptic situation, a westerly wave is affecting upper parts of the country and likely to persist during next 18 hours. The weather would remain cold and dry in most parts of Sindh and Balochistan during the next 24 hours.The lowest minimum temperatures recorded during the last 24 hours were Gupis, Kalat, Parachinar -07 C, Skardu -06 C, Astore, Kalam -04 C, Hunza, Drosh, Quetta -03 C.The minimum temperatures recorded in the other cities were Islamabad 05 C, Lahore 08 C, Karachi 11 C, Peshawar 05 C, Quetta -03 C, Murree 01 C, Muzaffarabad 04 C, Gilgit 02 C, Faisalabad 07 C, Multan 08 C and Hyderabad 12 C. The rainfall recorded during last 24 hours was Sialkot 23 mm, Gujrat 13, Rawalakot 12, Garidupatta 09, Mangla and Muzaffarabad 07, Gujranwala 06, Murree and Kotli 05. The snowfall recorded was Astore 06 and Skardu 03 inches.  |
| Dense fog blankets Lahore Posted: LAHORE Dunya News) - According to Motorway officials, entry to Motorway from Kala Shah Kaku and Kot Abdul Malik has been shut down as visibility was down to zero due to dense fog.The flight operations at the Allama Iqbal International Airport, Lahore were also suspended due to dense fog at the airport.The Motorway police have appealed the drivers to use GT Road for travel. The Motorway police have urged the drivers to drive slowly and switch on fog lights. They also requested people to stay home and avoid unnecessary traveling.  |
| Tennis: Sharapova cruises into Paris quarter-finals Posted: PARIS (AFP) - Russian top seed Maria Sharapova dished out a 6-0, 6-1 defeat to Slovakia's Daniela Hantuchova in the second round to cruise into the WTA Paris Open quarter-finals on Wednesday.A shock fourth-round loser at the season-opening Grand Slam the Australian Open in Melbourne earlier this month Sharapova regained the winning thread at the Stade Coubertin, serving 10 aces with just two double faults.Sharapova's Melbourne campaign was just her second event since a shoulder injury ended the 26-year-old world number five's 2013 season in August, a setback which also ruled her out of the US Open.However, Sharapova, the 2012 French Open champion, said that her early exit from the Australian Open -- beaten by Hantuchova's compatriot Dominika Cibulkova who went on to lose in the final to China's Li Na -- had had its positive side to it with regard to the indoor tournament.It's quite an adjustment coming here, she said.I lost quite early in Australia, so it gave me a little bit more time to get ready for this event, to catch up on jet lag and get through that.I've had some good practices on centre court here. It's a pretty small venue so you want to get as much centre court time as you can, and just take it a step at a time and focus on each match.I like playing on all types of different surfaces though, and a smaller venue is a bit more intimate too. I have enjoyed playing on these types of courts in the past.Hantuchova had a disastrous start, picking up just one point in the first two games, then none in the fourth and fifth games to trail 5-0 after a mere 15 minutes.She failed to convert her first three set points, clinching it on the fourth attempt to claim the opening set after 25 minutes.It was more of the same in the second set with Sharapova racing to a 2-0 lead before, after 39 minutes play and to the delight of the crowd Hantuchova claimed her one and only game.I had a tough first opponent who can play extremely good tennis, said Sharapova, who was taken to three sets by Hantuchova in the 2011 Stanford WTA tournament the last time they played each other.I wanted to start the match off well. It was extremely important to put that pressure on her from the beginning.I think I did that really well today.Sharapova next faces the winner of the second round clash between Austria's Yvonne Meusburger and Kirsten Flipkens, the eighth-seeded Belgian who knocked out defending champion Mona Barthel in three sets in the first round.Sharapova's chances of winning the title got a boostlater on Wednesday as fifth seed Simona Halep of Romania went down to a shock defeat at the hands of France's Kristina Mladenovic.Mladenovic, who is fresh from winning the Australian Open mixed doubles title with Canada's Daniel Nestor, progressed to the second round with a 7-6 (7/1), 6-4 triumph over Halep, ranked 10th in the world.Halep is one of the hottest players at the moment (Halep was beaten in the Australian Open quarter-finals by Cibulkova), said Mladenovic, who is just coming to terms with the professional circuit after being a top junior player.This is a huge performance by me. I only got back from Australia on Monday and I am suffering from jetlag, added the 20-year-old, who is ranked 65 in the world.  |
| Football: Man City go top, West Ham frustrate Chelsea Posted: LONDON (AFP) - Free-scoring Manchester City swept to the Premier League summit with a 5-1 victory at Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday, but Chelsea lost momentum after being held by West Ham United.Arsenal's 2-2 draw at Southampton on Tuesday had given their two closest rivals a glimpse of top spot, but while City seized the opportunity, Chelsea were left in third place after a 0-0 draw at Stamford Bridge.City had crushed Tottenham 6-0 in the reverse fixture in November and they wasted little time asserting themselves again amid pouring rain at White Hart Lane.Having already struck the post, Sergio Aguero broke the deadlock in the 15th minute when he scuttled onto David Silva's pass and slipped a delicate shot past goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.Michael Dawson thought he had equalised in the 36th minute when he volleyed home from Christian Eriksen's fierce free-kick, only to be adjudged offside.City lost Aguero to an apparent hamstring injury on the stroke of half-time, but they extended their lead in the 51st minute when Yaya Toure tucked away a penalty after Danny Rose was sent off for sliding in on Edin Dzeko.Dzeko made it 3-0 six minutes later, slamming a shot into the roof of the net after Silva's shot came back off the post, before Etienne Capoue reduced the arrears from a corner.It gave the hosts a flicker of hope, but Stevan Jovetic, Aguero's replacement, made the game safe in the 78th minute with his first Premier League goal before captain Vincent Kompany added a fifth at the death.It was an eighth successive league win for Manuel Pellegrini's side, who lead Arsenal by a point and Chelsea by three after Jose Mourinho's team were unable to break down Sam Allardyce's obdurate West Ham.Brazilian playmaker Oscar came closest to scoring in the first half for Chelsea, who visit City on Monday, with a shot that was touched onto the crossbar by West Ham goalkeeper Adrian.Adrian also saved well from John Terry and Samuel Eto'o, while Demba Ba hit the post deep into stoppage time as Chelsea laid siege to the visitors' goal in vain.Aston Villa edged an extraordinary Midlands derby against West Bromwich Albion, coming from two goals down to win 4-3 in a madcap encounter at Villa Park.A 25-yard Chris Brunt half-volley and a Fabian Delph own goal put West Brom 2-0 up inside only nine minutes, but, just as they did in the reverse fixture, Villa fought back to level.Goals from Andreas Weimann and Leandro Bacuna gave Paul Lambert's side parity and Delph then atoned for his earlier error by putting the hosts ahead with a vicious rising shot in the 37th minute.Youssouf Mulumbu equalised for West Brom just before the interval, but Christian Benteke secured victory for Villa in the 64th minute when he converted a penalty after being brought down by Diego Lugano.Elsewhere, Adam Johnson scored his sixth goal in six games as Sunderland climbed out of the relegation zone with a 1-0 win at home to Stoke City, who had Steven Nzonzi sent off for two bookable offences.  |
| Football: Ghana, Libya through to CHAN final Posted: BLOEMFONTEIN (AFP) - Ghana and Libya reached the final of the African Nations Championship on Wednesday by winning their respective semi-finals on penalties when their matches ended 0-0 after extra-time.The Ghanaians will seek to go one better tha the 2009 tournament where they lost in the final to the Democratic Republic of Congo.The Black Stars stunned Nigeria as their players held their nerve better than their opponents to win the penalty shootout 4-1.The Ghanaians had done well to hold the Nigerians scoreless as they pounded Ghana's goal.Nigeria's star player Christantus Ejike scored his side's solitary penalty, despite suffering from concussion after crashing into Kwabena Adusei early in the first half.Ghana hope to have better luck than the last final, when they lost 0-2 against the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2009 in Ivory Coast.Libya booked their spot for Saturday's match by beating Zimbabwe 5-4 in penalties.Libya keeper Mohamed Abdaula was the hero for his side, saving Zimbabwe's final penalty before converting a spot kick of his own in the shootout, which saw 16 penalties taken.  |
| Football: Brazil prosecutors probe Neymar transfer details Posted: RIO DE JANEIRO (AFP) - Brazil's state prosecution service said Wednesday it has called on tax authorities to probe the controversial transfer of star striker Neymar to Barcelona.The details surrounding the deal have already led to the resignation of former Barca chairman Sandro Rosell and sparked a judicial wrangle in Spain.The transfer cost an initial reported 57.1 million euros ($78million), plus a 2-million-euro bonus if the 21-year-old star makes the finals of the FIFA World Player of Year award.But various add-ons take the deal to a total 86 million euros -- including a reported 40 million for N&N, Neymar's family firm run by his father.Neymar senior on Tuesday denied signing a pre-contract with Barcelona until his son had left Santos for the Liga giants-- but did admit to receiving 10 million euros in 2011 to guarantee a move by 2014.In the event, the player moved a year early, joining the Catalan club in the Spanish close-season.The Brazilian authorities are now putting the case under the microscope.Following new information on the true value of the sale of the player, the prosecution service has asked for elements from the treasury, the prosecutor's office said in a statement.It added it was also studying the possibility of requesting information from the Spanish judicial system after the Spaniards began an investigation of their own.Brazilian prosecutors want to ascertain if potential tax fraud may have taken place. Barca last week unveiled details of the deal after a member of the club made a legal complaint and Spanish lawyers are now poring over the terms of the agreement.According to the Spanish court submission released last week, Barca paid 40 million euros to N&N for breaking an initial agreement to sign Neymar in 2014 and sign him a year earlier.Barcelona said the entire deal cost 86.2 million euros: 57.1 million euros for the transfer -- including 10 for N&N in 2011 and 30 million more last May -- 10 million euros in a signing bonus, 2.7 million euros in commissions, 4.0 million in marketing, 2.5 million for Neymar's foundation and 9.9 million euros in scouting and collaborative deals.Brazil's prosecution service said a first investigation into N&N's tax affairs had proved inconclusive but had shown up undetermined fiscal debts.  |
| Golf: Harrington seeks to end title drought in 2014 Posted: PHOENIX (AFP) - Three-time major champion Padraig Harrington is optimistic that 2014 could see him end a lengthy victory drought, preferably in time to secure his Masters berth.Win, win, win, Harrington said of his aims for his first outing of the season, the US PGA Tours Phoenix Open that starts on Thursday. Thats pretty straight forward for me.Harrington, 42, hasnt won on the US tour since his PGA Championship triumph in 2008, and his last victory worldwide was the 2010 Iskander Johor Open in Asia.The five-year exemption to the Masters that he earned with two major titles in 2008 has expired, and he must climb from his current 130th in the world into the top 50 or win a tournament to gain an invitation to Augusta National in April.Its a longshot, you know, to get into the Masters, he admitted, but even so he was feeling the enthusiasm of tackling a new season.First tournament of the year is always a great tournament, he said. You never know what youre going to get. Its always nice your first week out.Harrington acknowledged that hes had difficulty adapting to the rules on club face grooves that went into effect in 2010, which made it harder for him to put spin on the ball.Hes hoping a new, softer Titleist ball will help him with that issue this season.Id be happy if I hit the golf ball like I did last year and putting it and chipping it a little better, he said. And I seem to be doing that.Im in a good place, no doubt about it -- but I do need results.Harrington made his Phoenix debut last year and finished equal ninth at 17-under par.He says he likes the raucous atmosphere of the tournament, epitomized by the massive galleries that cheer like football fans at the par-three 16th.Its nice to see something different, he said. I really do enjoy that ... golf should be more fun, and this week they certainly do fun in a big way.He said he hadnt so far offered any advice to fellow European and Phoenix newcomer Lee Westwood on coping with the 16th -- where thousands of fans fill grandstands surrounding the hole and pay little heed to traditions of reserved golf-fan etiquette.I dont think you can describe it to people, Harrington said. And I do believe that every person reacts a little bit different to it ... For golf, there is nothing like it.  |
| US oil prices edge lower on higher supplies Posted: NEW YORK (AFP) - US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for delivery in March fell five cents to close at $97.36 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.European benchmark Brent oil for March delivery rose 44 cents to $107.85 a barrel in London.The US Department of Energy said US crude inventories rose by 6.4 million barrels in the week ending January 24. Analysts consensus forecast had been for an increase of 2.2 million barrels.Analysts were surprised by a big increase in crude imports to the US and increased supplies at the closely watched Cushing, Oklahoma trading hub.But John Kilduff, founding partner at Again Capital, noted that distillate stocks, which include heating oil and diesel, fell by 4.6 million barrels, more than the 2.6 million projected by analysts.Consumers are using more heating oil due to a bout of cold wintry weather affecting much of the United States.Kilduff said the cold weather will set a floor price under oil.Distillate inventories are going to stay under pressure, which is going to give support to the whole petroleum complex, Kilduff said.Traders were also eyeing news out of the US Federal Reserve, which trimmed its bond-buying stimulus program by $10 billion, as expected, to $65 billion. It was the second month in a row the Fed has reduced the asset purchases by $10 billion as it sees continued improvement in the worlds largest economy.  |
| Using peanuts to cure allergy Posted: PARIS (AFP) - Doctors said Thursday they could treat peanut allergy by feeding children the very thing their bodies reject, so building tolerance that could save a life in case of accidential ingestion.Small doses of peanut powder taken over several months seemed to induce tolerance in children with the potentially deadly allergy, a research team wrote Wednesday in The Lancet medical journal.After six months of treatment, dubbed oral immunotherapy or OIT, 84-91 percent of the children in a trial could safely tolerate daily doses of 800 mg (0.03 ounces) of peanut powder -- the equivalent of about five peanuts, wrote the team.This was 25 times the amount they could tolerate before the therapy, and much larger than any accidental dose is likely to ever be.The treatment allowed children with all severities of peanut allergy to eat large quantities of peanuts, well above the levels found in contaminated snacks and meals, freeing them and their parents from the fear of a potentially life threatening allergic reaction, said study leader Andrew Clark from Cambridge University Hospitals.The families involved in this study say that it has changed their lives dramatically.The trial involved 99 allergic children aged seven to sixteen.One in five of the kids receiving OIT reported adverse events -- mostly mild itching of the mouth, the authors said.They stressed that people should not try the treatment at home as more research was needed.Peanut allergy affects about one in fifty children and is the most common cause of fatal food allergy reactions, said a press statement. About 10 million people around the world are allergic to peanuts.Symptoms vary from mild to severe, from swollen lips or shortness of breath to anaphylactic shock, which can be fatal.While exceptionally promising, the method remains experimental, Matthew Greenhawt from the University of Michigan Food Allergy Center wrote in a comment also carried by The Lancet.It is unknown if OIT can produce lasting tolerance, he wrote.  |
| Australian assistant coach Rixon departs Posted: SYDNEY (AFP) - Australian head coach Darren Lehmann has ended the tenure of assistant coach Steve Rixon, saying he no longer fits into his plans for the team.Lehmann is keen to use more specialist consultants, with Shane Warne last week named as spin coach ahead of Australias World Twenty20 campaign in Bangladesh.Ive taken the opportunity to look at our current coaching structure and the levels of support I feel we need moving into the future, Lehmann said in a statement late Wednesday.Ive mentioned previously that I believe our players can really benefit from more dedicated skill-based training, which means more regular support from technical experts to help work on specific areas of performance.Lehmann, who took over as coach for the Ashes series in England last year, said he wants various specialist coaches and experts working with the team when needed.In recent times, thats included people like Mike Young to work on fielding while Shane Warne is going to work with our spinners in a short-term capacity ahead of the ICC World Twenty 20, he said.These changes to how we support our players means it is no longer necessary to have a full-time assistant coach travelling with the team.Steve has made an outstanding contribution to Australian cricket over a long period of time and played an important role with the national team since 2011.Former wicket-keeper Rixon, who played 13 Tests for Australia and later coached New Zealand, said the plan was always for him to depart after the World Twenty20, which takes place in March-April.The 59-year-old told The Australian newspaper he was keen to take on a new role with a national Twenty20 side, possibly the West Indies or Sri Lanka.  |
| Kohistan Video Case: All five girls murdered, claims rights activist Posted: ISLAMABAD (Dunya News): Human Rights activist Farzana Bari has claimed that five girls shown in a leaked dancing video have been murdered.Bari demanded the Chief Justice of Pakistan to reopen the case.It is to mention here that the top court had taken up the case following reports that five girls were killed in Kohistan for dancing at a marriage ceremony. It was ruled that girls were alive and that the case will be reopened if anything changed.In the video, five girls were allegedly shown dancing at a wedding and reports of the murder of the women had surfaced.  |
| PML-N's Umer Ayub wins NA-19 in Haripur after re-polling: unofficial results Posted: HARIPUR (Web Desk) – Omer Ayub of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) won after re-polling in seven polling stations of NA-19 Wednesday.According to unofficial results, Umar Ayub of PML-N got 2829 votes while his opponent candidate Raja Amir Zaman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) received 2263 votes.The overall ratio of votes cast in the constituency remained 117588 and 116 996 respectively.It is worth mentioning here that NA 19 Haripur seat was won Raja Amir Zaman of PTI on May 11 2013, by a thin margin of less than two thousand votes against PML-N candidate Umar Ayub Khan. Raja Amir Zaman bagged 116979 votes while Umar Ayub Khan had got 114807 votes.PML-N candidate Umar Ayub Khan challenged the victory of PTI candidate and accused him of rigging in the election.Later, the election tribunal ordered re-polling in seven polling stations of the constituency. Raja Amir Zaman challenged tribunal decision in the court but his petition got rejected.After the announcement of results, supporters of PML-N shouted slogans and celebrated victory of their candidate with aerial firing.  |
