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Asia Cup: Pakistan will face UAE today
At last second, SpaceX delays satellite launch again
Asian shares mixed as traders weigh G20 growth pledge
Football: Man City beat Liverpool in League Cup final
Football: Man Utd starlet Rashford leaves Arsenal reeling
Football: Barca equal unbeaten record in Sevilla win
Golf: Scott snaps win drought with Honda Classic victory
Blame-trading tests Syria's fragile truce
At least 33 killed in IS-claimed Baghdad bombings
Migrants protest at Greece-Macedonia border as bottleneck builds
Russian mine disaster toll climbs to 36
Indian man kills 14 family members with knife
Football: Morata strike sees Juve clear with win over hapless Inter
'Thunder of the North' military exercise begins in Saudi
Lahore: Woman abducts 2-day old newborn girl from Jinnah hospital

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DHAKA (Dunya News) – Pakistan will take on the United Arab Emirates in the sixth match of the Asia Cup Twenty20 tournament today (Monday) at Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka. The match will start at 6:30pm PST.Pakistan is looking to get back to their winning ways after losing their first match of the tournament against India by five wickets on Saturday night.Pakistans batsmen struggled against Indian pacers and spinners and failed to put on partnerships as most of the batsmen fell due to lose shots. As usual, it was the bowling that was the bright spot during their loss to India. Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Sami bowled beautifully and were ably supported by Irfan and Wahab Riaz.UAE on the other hand have lost both their games in the Asia Cup, and will need a win here if they are to remain in the competition.Squads:Pakistan possible XI: Mohammad Hafeez, Sharjeel Khan, Khurram Manzoor, Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal, Sarfraz Ahmed (WK), Shahid Afridi (C), Wahab Riaz ,Mohammad Sami, Mohammad Amir, Irfan.UAE possible XI: Muhammad Kaleem, Rohan Mustafa, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammad Shahzad, Mohammad Usman, Amjad Javed (C), Saqlain Haider, Swapnil Patel (WK), Qadeer Ahmed, Ahmed Raza, Mohammad Naveed.

At last second, SpaceX delays satellite launch again

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MIAMI (AFP) - In the very last second before liftoff Sunday, SpaceX scrubbed the launch of its Falcon 9 rocket to send a communications satellite into orbit, marking the third delay since last week.A fuel problem forced the sudden delay, following a postponement -- known as a hold -- earlier in the evening due to a ship that ventured into the waters off Cape Canaveral, Florida, said SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.Launch aborted on low thrust alarm. Rising oxygen temps due to hold for boat and helium bubble triggered alarm, Musk said on Twitter.The Falcon 9s engines are powered by liquid oxygen and kerosene. In June 2015, the Falcon 9 exploded some two minutes after launch, a failure that was blamed on a faulty strut that held helium bottles in place.The ship moved away in time for a launch attempt, and the countdown went almost to ignition before it was cut off suddenly.We were counting down, we got to just about T-0 when we had an abort, at 7:21 pm (0021 GMT) said SpaceX spokesman John Insprucker on the California-based companys live webcast.Another launch date has not been set, and the vehicle is safe, he added.The launch aims to propel a communications satellite, known as SES-9, that was built by Boeing for the Luxembourg-based company SES.The satellite must reach a geostationary orbit, more than 22,000 miles (35,000 kilometers) above Earth, where it will deliver broadband and television channels to southeast Asia.We will be dropping SES-9 off 100 times as high as the International Space Station, said Lauren Lyons, mission integrator for SpaceX.After the launch, SpaceX had planned to try to land the first stage of its rocket on a platform floating in the Atlantic.SpaceX has managed to land its Falcon 9 upright on solid ground once -- in December 2015 -- but several attempts at ocean touchdowns have failed.SpaceX has cautioned it does not expect a successful landing this time either once the launch finally takes place, but is trying to perfect its technique of recycling rocket parts in order to make spaceflight cheaper and more sustainable.

Asian shares mixed as traders weigh G20 growth pledge

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HONG KONG (AFP) - Asian stocks were mixed on Monday, with most bourses taking heart from a G20 pledge to boost global growth while Chinese shares slumped to a 15-month low after the meeting wrapped up in Shanghai.European and Asian equities rose in the previous session, as hopes grew the worlds top 20 economies would agree to unleash their monetary firepower to stimulate the sagging world economy at the two-day meeting.But optimism fizzled by the end of US trading, with stocks and oil finishing on a hesitant note after better than expected GDP data raised questions over the Federal Reserves approach to interest rates.Sentiment was mixed in Asia on Monday, with Tokyo rising led by carmaker Nissan, which surged the most in seven years after it pledged to buy back $3.5 billion of its shares this year.Oil rose in early trading, with the US benchmark adding 8 cents, or 0.24 percent, to $32.86 and Brent crude up 24 cents, or 0.68 percent, to $35.34 at around 0130 GMT.Chinese shares tumbled more than three percent, however, to their lowest point since November 2014 as traders remained unconvinced the G20 had promised enough to boost stalling global growth.News the yuan currency weakened for a seventh day added to concerns, after the head of the central bank briefly soothed markets by saying there was no basis for it to keep falling.The G20 is saying all the right things, so the comments may be seen as soothing by financial markets, Shane Oliver, head of investment strategy at fund manager AMP Capital Investors, told Bloomberg News.But I am not convinced that it means a lot more coordinated policy stimulus is about to follow.- US GDP in focus -===================Pressure has been mounting for central bankers to do more to stimulate growth and reassure investors after financial markets posted one of the worst starts to the year in living memory.Equities, commodities and emerging market currencies have been hit hard as concerns about slowing growth in number two economy China and a slide in oil prices hurt sentiment around the world.G20 ministers on Saturday said the group will use all policy tools -- monetary, fiscal and structural -- individually and collectively to build confidence and strengthen the recovery.But analysts were unimpressed they had failed to agree a group-wide strategy to tackle the growth at the meeting in Shanghai, after divisions emerged over the best way to stimulate their economies.News the US economy grew faster than expected in the fourth quarter of 2015, despite the turmoil gripping world financial markets, boosted the dollar which held on to most of its gains in Asian trading.The economy expanded by one percent in the final quarter of the year, the Commerce Department said Friday, surprising analysts by revising up its previous estimate of 0.7 percent.Analysts said the strong data could provide more support for the US central bank to hike interest rates again this year, despite the global slowdown.Markets look set for a volatile week as a raft of data releases globally set markets up for a dramatic reweighting of growth expectations, said Angus Nicholson, a market analyst at IG in Melbourne.The biggest story of the moment has been the far better performance of US data than the market had expected, which is seeing US dollar strength return.

Football: Man City beat Liverpool in League Cup final

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LONDON (AFP) - Willy Caballero proved an unlikely hero with three penalty saves as Manchester City beat Liverpool 3-1 in a Wembley Stadium shootout on Sunday to win the English League Cup.The game finished 1-1 following extra time, Philippe Coutinho equalising for Liverpool in the 83rd minute after Fernandinho had put City ahead early in the second half, and Caballero took centre-stage in the shootout.The 34-year-old Argentine, who deputises for Joe Hart in cup competitions, saved penalties from Lucas Leiva, Coutinho and substitute Adam Lallana and although Fernandinho hit the post with his spot-kick, Yaya Toure stroked home the decisive penalty to give City victory.On his decision to keep faith with Caballero, City manager Manuel Pellegrini said: Id rather lose the title than lose my word.A lot of media were waiting to criticise me if Willy Caballero makes a mistake. I had a lot of trust in Caballero. I am very pleased for all the players and staff, but more for him because he deserved it.A tearful Caballero said: Its amazing to win this cup. It is fantastic for the blue (City) people.Its important, emotional for me, my family, to be in this great team.It was Citys second League Cup triumph in three seasons, and fourth in total, and ensures that Pellegrini will sign off with at least one trophy before handing over the reins to Pep Guardiola.His Liverpool counterpart Jurgen Klopp, meanwhile, met with disappointment in his first attempt to win a trophy following his appointment as the successor to Brendan Rodgers in October.Liverpool, who lost Mamadou Sakho to a first-half head injury, have gone four years without a trophy since winning the last of their eight League Cups in 2012, raising the stakes yet further ahead of their Europa League clash with arch rivals Manchester United.It is unlucky, but it is one way to lose a cup final, said Klopp, whose side host City in the league on Wednesday.We all have to feel it now. It is what it is. You can fall, but it is how you stand up.Klopp elected to pick midfielder Lucas and Sakho at centre-back, but Sakho hurt himself in an early clash of heads with team-mate Emre Can and looked wobbly as Sergio Aguero slipped past him to curl in a shot that Simon Mignolet brilliantly touched onto the left-hand past.The French international left the fray moments later, Kolo Toure entering the fray, but had to be convinced of the need for his withdrawal by Klopp and flung a water bottle to the ground in disgust as he walked off.Fernandinho was playing wide on the right for City, as he had in the mid-week Champions League win at Dynamo Kiev, and four minutes into the second half he provided the breakthrough.Aguero waited for him to make an overlapping run and the Brazilian duly obliged before drilling in a shot that seemed to go straight through Mignolet.It was the latest in a succession of blunders by the Belgium international and replays of the goal on the big screens drew groans from the Liverpool end.Two City old boys almost combined to forge an equaliser, James Milner shooting wide from Daniel Sturridges through-ball, before Raheem Sterling -- roundly booed by fans of his former club -- squandered a gilt-edged chance to make it 2-0 by shooting wide from David Silvas pass.He also miscued from an Aguero cut-back and they were to prove costly misses as, with seven minutes to go, Liverpool levelled.Sturridge played a low cross into the box from the right and although Lallana contrived to hit the post from close range, Coutinho followed in to side-foot home. It was Liverpools first shot on target.Mignolet partly redeemed himself by saving sharply from Fernando and, in extra time, Aguero before Caballero repelled a header from substitute Divock Origi at the other end.It was the first save he had had to make, but there were three more to come.Can settled Liverpools nerves with a classy Panenka penalty before Fernandinho hit the post, but with Caballero thwarting Lucas, Coutinho and Lallana, penalties from Jesus Navas, Aguero and Yaya Toure saw City home.

Football: Man Utd starlet Rashford leaves Arsenal reeling

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MANCHESTER (AFP) - Teenage forward Marcus Rashfords dream start to life at Manchester United continued on Sunday as he scored two goals in his teams 3-2 victory over Arsenal at Old Trafford.The win represented Louis van Gaals third victory, in three competitions, over the past six days, but more signficantly, damaged Arsene Wengers hopes of winning Arsenals first league title in 12 years.The 18-year-old forward, who scored twice in the mid-week Europa League victory over FC Midtjylland, was on the mark again in an astonishing first half in which he beat Petr Cech on two occasions.To make his impact all the more stunning, the goals came within three minutes of each other as United delivered a serious blow to Wengers aim of narrowing the five-point advantage that leaders Leicester City held before kick-off.After 29 minutes, Ander Herrera started a move with a telling tackle on Theo Walcott, sparking a counter-attack that ended with Guillermo Varela crossing from the right and Gabriel hacking a poor clearance directly to Rashford.The teenager did the rest with a composed finish from a dozen yards, the first shot of his Premier League career resulting in his first goal.Arsenals poor defending was badly exposed in that attack and worse was to follow from the next serious foray into their territory with Varela again influential, making an important header that kept the ball in play.Jesse Lingard received the ball and picked out Rashford, who had again slipped his marker Gabriel, and the youngster planted a perfect header past the diving Cech.Wenger looked stunned on the Arsenal bench, a mood reflected by his players, although his side were able to pull an important goal back before the interval, predictably through the former United striker Danny Welbeck.Mesut Ozil was the architect with an inch-perfect free-kick from midway inside the United half and Welbeck, who eluded his marker Marcos Rojo too easily, guided a header past David de Gea from 10 yards.The goals were the highlight of a thrilling first half in which Nacho Monreal should have given the visitors the lead after just seven minutes when he chased Ozils through-ball into the area and was denied well by De Gea.Rashford won a free-kick inches outside the area after a trip by Gabriel, with Memphis Depays low set-piece being well held by Cech, while Alexis Sanchez replied for Arsenal with a snapshot that flew narrowly wide.The entertainment continued after the restart as United sought to continue a remarkable run of close to 250 Premier League home games in which they have led at half-time and not lost.Morgan Schneiderlin saw a shot blocked from a home corner and Cech needed two attempts to keep out Depays long-range shot as Arsenal toiled, prompting Wenger to bring on Olivier Giroud just after the hour in place of the ineffective Walcott.But the next attack brought United a precious third goal, in the 65th minute, with Rashford again involved as he held up Juan Matas through ball before laying it back to Herrera just outside the area.The Spanish midfielders crisp shot might have been saved by Cech, but a strong deflection off Laurent Koscielny gave the diving Arsenal goalkeeper no chance.Again, Arsenal responded, from Sanchezs right-wing cross on 69 minutes, which found Welbeck on the six-yard line for a shot that was blocked by De Gea.The rebound fell kindly for Ozil, who showed predictably superb technique in keeping a bouncing ball down and driving it past the diving De Gea from 15 yards.Herrera and Aaron Ramsey were cautioned for a scuffle as tempers became frayed and Van Gaal argued with the fourth official, throwing himself to the ground theatrically to make a point.But apart from half-chances for Giroud and Kolscielny, both of whom missed with headers, there was little further goalmouth action.

Football: Barca equal unbeaten record in Sevilla win

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MADRID (AFP) - Barcelona came from behind to equal a Spanish record of 34 games unbeaten in all competitions by moving eight points clear at the top of La Liga with a 2-1 win over Sevilla.Sevilla were the last side to beat Barca back in October and deservedly struck first through Vitolo.However, as so often of late, Barca recovered from a slow start thanks to Lionel Messis brilliant free-kick and Gerard Piques winner early in the second-half.Luis Enriques men have now matched Real Madrids record run from the 1988-89 season and in doing so moved 12 points clear of third-placed Madrid.Atletico Madrid remain Barcas closest challengers after beating Madrid 1-0 on Saturday.We are in great form, but records dont mean anything. At the end of the day everything is judged by titles, Pique told Movistar.Our season is well on track, but we need to finish it off.Sevilla were a constant threat on the counter-attack, but should have taken the lead from a set-piece when Timothee Kolodziejczak somehow blazed over from point-blank range.Barca nearly went in front in spectacular fashion as Messis audacious attempt from a corner hit the post and Luis Suarez then blasted the rebound off the crossbar.Sevilla did eventually make the breakthrough 20 minutes in thanks to a fine breakaway as Benoit Tremoulinass cross from the left was slotted home at the back post by Vitolo.However, as ever Messi came to the fore when Barca needed him most and the five-time World Player of the Year levelled with a stunning free-kick high into the far corner 11 minutes later.Sergio Rico prevented Messi turning the game around single-handedly before the break with a great save low to his left.Barca upped the pace after the break and were rewarded when brilliant link-up play between Messi and Suarez teed up Pique to tap home from close range.Sevilla still had the chance to take something from the game when Claudio Bravo flew from his line to block Kevin Gameiro as the Frenchman bore down on goal.Earlier, Valencias four-game winning run came to a sudden halt as Gary Nevilles men were beaten 3-0 by Athletic Bilbao in a dress rehearsal of their Europa League last-16 tie.The Basques moved up to seventh in La Liga with three goals in seven second-half minutes at Mestalla.However, Neville was furious at two strong Valencia penalty appeals that were waived away before the opener.I thought the referee was a joke, said the former Manchester United captain.Ive not blamed refs in every game, but his management of the game was awful. Some of the things he did were incredible.Sabin Merino headed the visitors in front before Iker Muniain then doubled the lead to register his first goal in 18 months.And Aritz Aduriz compounded a miserable afternoon for Neville by rising highest to head home Benat Extebarrias corner for his 27th goal of the season.Villarreal moved to within two points of Real Madrid by stretching their unbeaten league run to 13 games with a comfortable 3-0 win over Levante thanks to goals from Leo Baptistao, Samu Castillejo and Adrian Lopez.Marcelinos men should at least be assured a place in the Champions League qualifiers next season as they now lead Sevilla by 11 points in the fight for fourth place.

Golf: Scott snaps win drought with Honda Classic victory

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MIAMI (AFP) - Australias Adam Scott won his first title in nearly two years on Sunday, firing a level-par 70 to capture the US PGA Honda Classic by one stroke over Sergio Garcia.The 2013 Masters champion had not claimed a trophy since the Colonial in May of 2014, when Scott was ranked number one in the world.It feels very good, Scott said. It was nice to hit some quality shots coming in. Luckily for me, it was just enough.Scott finished 72 holes on nine-under 271 with Spains Garcia firing a final-round 71 to settle for second by a shot. Americans Justin Thomas and Blayne Barber shared a distant third on 275.Scott captured his 28th professional title and his 12th on the US PGA Tour, the most by any active player under 40.Ranked 13th this week, Scott won for the first time since the anchored-style long putter he used for years was banned by changes in the rules of golf.My game has come into a really good spot, Scott said. Weve worked really hard to get it there, made some nice progress in all areas, especially the greens. It paid off this week.Scott opened with a 15-foot birdie putt and added 10-footer for birdie at the par-3 fifth, but bogeys at the ninth and 10th left him where he started and level for the lead with Garcia, who opened with 10 pars.But Garcia made bogey at 11 and Scott dropped his approach inches from the cup at 12 to set up a birdie that put him back ahead by two strokes.Garcia birdied 14 to pull within one as they reached the par-3 15th where Scott had taken a quadruple bogey the day before.But on this day, both would par the hole and Scott would stay on top as both made bogeys at 16.Garcia made another bogey at 17 and a birdie at 18 only trimmed the final margin as Scott made a tap-in par putt for the victory.I got off to a good start, made one at the first, that definitely relaxed me, Scott said. Made a lot of good putts. Fortunately it was enough in the end.Scott became the first winner of a PGA event with a quadruple bogey in his 72 holes since Phil Mickelson at the 2009 PGA Tour Championship.For Garcia, it was another disappointing defeat.It was tough, really difficult golf course, Garcia said. He deserved it. I dont feel my swing is anywhere near where I would like it. I scored well. He played better than me. I fought hard. I stayed quite calm. Its never easy. A couple bad shots on a couple of difficult holes and it wasnt good enough.

Blame-trading tests Syria's fragile truce

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DAMASCUS (AFP) - Key players in Syrias war traded accusations Sunday over violations of the first major ceasefire in the five-year conflict, but the truce remained largely intact on its second day.Aid groups hope to use the lull in fighting that has claimed 270,000 lives and displaced more than half the population to deliver desperately-needed supplies.A successful truce would also create a more favourable backdrop for peace talks that collapsed in acrimony in early February as a Russia-backed regime offensive in northern Syria caused tens of thousands to flee.The main opposition grouping Sunday described the ceasefire as positive but lodged a formal complaint with the United Nations and foreign governments about first day breaches.We have violations here and there, but in general it is a lot better than before and people are comfortable, said Salem al-Meslet, spokesman for the Saudi-backed High Negotiations Committee.Meslet said the opposition would like to see the truce last for ever and that it was the responsibility of the United States to stop any violations.An HNC letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon accused Syrias regime and its allies of committing 24 violations with artillery shelling and five ground operations... in 26 areas held by the moderate opposition.The letter, signed by HNC head Riad Hijab, also attacked Russia for conducting 26 air strikes on areas falling within the ceasefire.Hijab said the breaches had killed 29 people and wounded dozens.He also warned it would be impossible to restart the negotiations process in such coercive conditions.The HNC has said it did not receive any maps of areas included in the ceasefire or documents explaining the monitoring mechanism.Syrias Al-Watan newspaper, which is close to the government, said Sunday that those maps were still being kept secret.The ceasefire does not apply to territory held by the Islamic State group and Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra Front.Saudi Arabia, a staunch opponent of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, also accused Russia of flouting the ceasefire and targeting moderate opposition groups.Things will become clearer in the coming days on whether the regime and Russia are serious or not about the ceasefire, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Jubeir said.Russia, which has waged a five-month bombing campaign to support Assad, blamed moderate rebels and jihadists for nine ceasefire violations, including from Turkish territory.But on the whole, the ceasefire regime in Syria is being implemented, Lieutenant General Sergei Kuralenko, head of Moscows coordination centre in Syria, was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies. In Damascus, student Mehdi al-Ani spent Sunday at his universitys cafe with friends.Yesterday, we only heard two or three shells -- but I pretended like I didnt hear anything. The ceasefire will continue, God willing, he said. In second city Aleppo, children strolled to school without hugging walls for fear of rocket attacks, an AFP correspondent said. Theres something strange in this silence. We used to go to sleep and wake up with the sound of raids and artillery, said Abu Omar, 45, who runs a bakery in rebel-held east Aleppo.Yacoub El Hillo, the UNs humanitarian coordinator for Syria, said the ceasefire would allow aid to be delivered to an extra 154,000 people living in besieged areas over the next five days.It is the best opportunity that the Syrian people have had over the last five years for lasting peace and stability, he added.The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based monitor, reported air strikes -- believed to be either Syrian or Russian -- on seven villages in Hama and Aleppo provinces.It was unclear if the raids hit areas covered by the ceasefire. Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said only one of the villages, Kafr Hamra in Aleppo, is controlled by Al-Nusra and the others are held by non-jihadist rebels.As recriminations flew, Washington urged patience.Setbacks are inevitable, a senior US administration official said.Even under the best of circumstances, we dont expect the violence to end immediately. In fact, we are certain that there will continue to be fighting, in part because of organisations like ISIL and Al-Nusra.UN envoy Staffan de Mistura aims to relaunch peace talks on March 7 if the ceasefire lasts and more aid is delivered.Israel welcomed the ceasefire but warned it would not accept Iranian aggression or the supply of advanced weapons to Hezbollah, the pro-regime Lebanese Shiite militia.Its important it remains clear any agreement in Syria must include an end to Iranian aggression aimed at Israel from Syrias territory, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.

At least 33 killed in IS-claimed Baghdad bombings

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BAGHDAD (AFP) - Bombings claimed by the Islamic State group killed at least 33 people in Baghdad Sunday, officials said, the deadliest attacks in the Iraqi capital this year.IS also attacked an army position in an area west of Baghdad, seizing it and killing at least eight security personnel over the course of the day.The two blasts near a market in the Sadr City area of northern Baghdad, at least one of which was a suicide bombing, also wounded at least 79 people, security and medical officials said.IS, which overran swathes of territory north and west of Baghdad in 2014, claimed the attacks in a statement online that said two suicide bombers had detonated explosive belts in Sadr City.IS considers Shiite Muslims, who make up the majority of Iraqs population, to be heretics and frequently targets them with bombings and other attacks.Suicide bombings are a tactic almost exclusively used in Iraq by IS.The jihadist group claimed twin suicide bombings targeting Shiite worshippers on Thursday that killed at least nine people in Shuala, another Shiite-majority area in northern Baghdad.IS also launched an attack on an army position in the Abu Ghraib area west of the city on Sunday, security officials said.The jihadists attacked the position early in the morning and held it until government reinforcements arrived and took it back later in the day, the officials said.The Abu Ghraib violence killed at least eight people, including both members of the security forces and allied paramilitaries, and wounded at least 22, while IS members were also killed, officials said.While attacks are still common in Baghdad, violence in the city has decreased significantly since IS launched a sweeping offensive in June 2014, after which many of its militants became occupied with fighting elsewhere.In early 2015, the Iraqi government ended a long-running curfew that kept most Iraqis off the streets between midnight and 5:00 am (1800 to 0200 GMT), a move that expanded freedom of movement and has not negatively impacted security.The Iraqi government is now building a series of walls and trenches at various points surrounding the capital with the aim of restricting the movement of militants and curbing other illegal activity.Security spokesman Brigadier General Saad Maan has said that after the completion of the first phase of construction, half of the checkpoints in the capital will be removed, though such proposals have been made before but not implemented.The city is littered with checkpoints manned by forces who often wave cars through or at most perform cursory searches, adding little to security while causing major traffic jams.Security personnel at many Baghdad checkpoints, including those leading to the heavily-fortified Green Zone, still employ bomb detectors that have long since been proven to be fake.

Migrants protest at Greece-Macedonia border as bottleneck builds

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IDOMENI (AFP) - Stranded migrants lay with their children on rail tracks at Greeces northern border Sunday, demanding to be allowed to continue their journey, as Athens warned the number of people trapped on its soil could more than triple next month.Tensions between European countries worst affected by the migrant crisis were still running high, with Austrias Chancellor Werner Faymann accusing Greece of behaving like a travel agency.We estimate that in our country the number of those trapped will be from 50,000-70,000 people next month, Greek Migration Minister Yiannis Mouzalas said, after countries along the Balkan route introduced limits on migrant crossings.Today, there are 22,000 refugees and migrants, Mouzalas added in an interview with Mega TV.Several women suffering health problems were allowed to cross the border into Macedonia at the Idomeni crossing on Sunday night, a police officer told AFP -- but some 6,500 people remained stuck at the camp there.Earlier in the day, several hundred refugees and migrants had protested by sitting and lying with their children on the rail tracks at Idomeni.Some held up handwritten posters that read Open the borders, no food and We are humans, not animals.They later moved towards the border fence, chanting slogans to demand to be allowed into Macedonia so they can continue their journey to elsewhere in Europe.Macedonian authorities let just 300 migrants through on Saturday, with the bottleneck growing.Im 17 days on the road with my family and my two children. I dont know what to do, one Syrian man lying on the rail tracks with his children told Athens News Agency. The build-up at the Idomeni camp, which can hold up to 1,500 people, began in earnest last week after Macedonia began refusing entry to Afghans and imposed stricter controls on Syrians and Iraqis.The bottleneck was expected to worsen after EU members Slovenia and Croatia, as well as Serbia and Macedonia, imposed a daily limit of 580 migrants.Those measures came on the heels of a clampdown by Austria, which lies further up the migrant trail to Germany and Scandinavia.Austria introduced a daily cap of 80 asylum seekers and said it would allow just 3,200 migrants to transit the country per day.The controls have had a knock-on effect in Greece, where migrants have continued to arrive en masse from neighbouring Turkey.The tension has resulted in a public spat, with Austria accusing Greece of failing to adequately police its borders under its duty as the southeastern flank of Europes Schengen passport-free zone.Chancellor Faymann compared Greece to a travel agency for migrants, adding in remarks to Austrian media: Last year, Greece took in 11,000 asylum seekers, we took in 90,000. That cant be allowed to happen again.But Mouzalas said Austrias politicians were talking with one eye on the electoral calendar: a presidential poll is due in April.Austria is a friendly country. They have reacted this way because of course they have accepted many migrants but also because elections are on the way, he told Mega TV.Mouzalas said he expected the influx to slow when the information about closed borders spread in Turkey, where more than two million people fleeing the war in Syria have taken refuge.He also said the campaign alongside NATOs presence in the Aegean Sea, which is helping to police Greek waters, was expected to reduce arrivals by 70 percent.Pope Francis used his weekly address on Sunday to hail the generous help offered by Greece to migrants and to urge European countries to work together to share the burden fairly.In Italy, authorities are making preparations in case the border closures redirect the migrant flow towards the southeastern province of Puglia, which lies across the Adriatic Sea from Albania.Coastguards and customs officials are patrolling the 300-kilometre (180-mile) coastline, which has numerous secluded beaches where boats can land discreetly.Meanwhile, German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said he wants to speed up repatriations of rejected asylum seekers from North Africa.Modern technology such as biometric identity papers could help, he said, adding that we could imagine offering our support in the area.Our goal is to make the procedures more efficient and faster, he said in emailed responses to written questions from AFP.De Maiziere was to begin Sunday a visit to Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia -- nations that would be declared safe countries of origin under a law that Germany wants to introduce, thus making it easier to send back rejected asylum applicants.

Russian mine disaster toll climbs to 36

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MOSCOW (AFP) - The death toll in Russias worst mining disaster in years climbed to 36 on Sunday as officials said 26 workers missing following methane explosions at the pit in the countrys frozen Arctic north could not have survived.Two blasts ripped through the Severnaya coal mine on Thursday at a depth of 748 metres (2,450 feet), killing four miners and trapping 26 others.Six more people were killed on Sunday as a fresh explosion hit the mine in the city of Vorkuta in the Komi region, once home to one of the most feared Soviet-era Gulag labour camps.According to the expert technical council, 26 (missing) people who were in the mine had no chances of surviving, Tatyana Bushkova, a spokeswoman for the mines operator Vorkutaugol, told AFP on Sunday.The rescue operation has been halted, she added in an emailed statement.Anton Kovalishin, a spokesman for the emergencies ministry in the Komi region, told AFP a new explosion in the early hours of Sunday killed five rescue workers and a miner.This is a difficult emergency situation, a difficult catastrophe for Russia, for our mining industry, said Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich, who is heading a special commission established to deal with the tragedy.He said the families of the victims would each receive one million rubles ($13,000) in compensation.Vorkutaugol is operated by Severstal, the Russian steelmaker controlled by billionaire Alexey Mordashov.The company was considering whether to flood the mine but now apparently decided to pump it with nitrogen to stop the fire burning at the pit, said Bushkova.The chairman of Severstals board of directors Alexei Mordashov said that he expects the Severnaya mine to continue its work after the consequences of the disaster have been liquidated, she said.This is the companys largest mine that produces about a fourth of Vorkutaugols output.Authorities launched a massive search operation involving hundreds of rescue workers who had been trying to track down the missing despite almost zero visibility, smoke, gas-polluted air and rubble.Both the company and the authorities had until now refused to declare the missing dead even though rescuers had apparently failed to make contact with them over the past few days.But the latest explosion forced officials to admit that no one could have survived.Unfortunately, we are forced to acknowledge that all the conditions at that section of the mine would not allow a person to survive, Emergencies Minister Vladimir Puchkov said in comments broadcast by LifeNews television channel.Seventy-seven people were in the mine during the rescue operation when the new explosion hit on Sunday, the emergencies ministry said. Of these, 71 were rescued and brought to the surface. Eleven of them were injured.According to experts, there is a high risk of new explosions, the ministry said.Sunday, Monday and Tuesday have been declared days of mourning in the region.We are unable to bring people from the dead but we will do everything to support their families at this difficult hour, acting head of the Komi region, Sergei Gaplikov, told families of the victims, in remarks released by his office.Earlier this week President Vladimir Putin tasked the government with setting up a special panel to look into the accident.The Investigative Committee has opened a criminal probe into the violation of safety rules and dispatched investigators and forensic experts to the scene.Mine accidents are fairly common in Russia and other former Soviet countries, where much of the infrastructure has not been modernised since the Communist era.The explosions at the Severnaya mine took place despite the fact that the company has over the past years invested heavily in safety, Vorkutaugol said.We are constantly spending lots of money -- and we will spend it in the future -- to perfect the technical systems that ensure safety and prevent violations, Mordashov was quoted as saying.In 2010, 91 people -- both miners and rescuers -- died after a methane explosion at the Raspadskaya mine in the Siberian region of Kemerovo.In 2007, 110 people died at the Ulyanovskaya mine, in the same region, the countrys worst mining accident since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Indian man kills 14 family members with knife

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MUMBAI (AFP) - A 35-year-old man killed 14 members of his family including six children with a butchers knife before committing suicide in India, with police baffled Sunday about a motive for the attack.The grisly murders occurred after Hasnin Anwar Warekar and his extended family gathered late on Saturday at a home north of Indias financial capital of Mumbai for a family function, police officers said.The attacker, Hasnin Anwar Warekar, hung himself after slitting the throats of all other family members including his parents, Gajanan Laxman Kabdule, a police spokesman in Thane, some 32 kilometres (20 miles) from Mumbai, said.The sole survivor of the attack -- Warekars sister -- was taken to hospital after neighbours heard her screaming for help after midnight and alerted police.Neighbours were forced to open a window to rescue the woman after the assailant allegedly locked all escape routes from the house before carrying out the attacks, according to local media reports.We still havent been able to speak with the attackers 21-year-old sister, the lone survivor of the attack, who is in deep trauma at a city hospital, Kabdule told AFP.Warekar, who reportedly worked for a private firm in Mumbai, was able to carry out the attacks after lacing the food at the gathering with a sedative, according to several local media reports.But the Indian Express newspaper said he stabbed his victims after they went to bed, having all decided to spend the night at the house in Thane.Prima facie evidence suggests that the accused bolted all the doors of the house and murdered his family while they were asleep with a knife that we found near his body, Ashutosh Dumbre, joint commissioner of Thane police, was quoted saying.Kabdule said he could not confirm whether the victims had been sedated, saying investigators were awaiting medical test results.Footage showed men carrying bodies wrapped in sheets from the house to a waiting ambulance, as crowds and police gathered outside the white-walled home.Kabdule said details of the attack are still sketchy along with the motive.According to the Press Trust of India news agency, a property dispute was behind the killings, but Dumbre said initial investigations have so far found no trigger for such an extreme step.In our inquiry so far, no one has yet been able to give the reason for this, Dumbre told the ABP news channel.He worked with a private company in Mumbai. There were no known financial troubles or disputes and now we are hoping that the lone survivor can tell us something about the trigger, he said.

Football: Morata strike sees Juve clear with win over hapless Inter

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TURIN (AFP) - Alvaro Morata came off the bench to earn then score a late penalty as champions Juventus went four points clear at the top of Serie A on Sunday with a 2-0 win over hapless Inter Milan.Days after rescuing their Champions League hopes with a 2-2 home draw with Bayern Munich, Juventus welcomed Roberto Mancinis visitors looking to steal a march on title challengers Napoli.After a dominant first half, the hosts broke the deadlock two minutes after the restart when Leonardo Bonucci fired Inter midfielder Danilo DAmbrosios header past Samir Handanovic on the volley.Morata replaced Juve striker Paulo Dybala with eight minutes remaining, and two minutes later stepped up to send Handanovic the wrong way after winning a penalty when he was chopped down in the box by Joao Miranda.Juves 19th win of the season leaves Massimiliano Allegris men four points clear of Napoli, who will be hoping striker Gonzalo Higuain finds his scoring boots again for a difficult trip to fourth-placed Fiorentina on Monday.Inter remain in fifth place at 13 points behind Juve, but their seventh loss of the campaign has given hope to their direct rivals for the third and last Champions League qualifying spot.Former Inter midfielder Hernanes, handed a rare start by Allegri after a sterling performance as a second-half substitute against Bayern in midweek, announced the hostilities after just five minutes.Taking a pass from fellow Brazilian Alex Sandro, Hernanes sidestepped his marker to hit a sweet left-foot drive that sailed over Handanovic and cannoned off the crossbar.It also shook Inter, who were just as relieved to see Miranda block Paulo Dybalas drive after the Argentine had been set up by Mario Mandzukic moments later.Juve were in command and soon after Mandzukic flashed an angled drive wide of the target after pouncing when Jeison Murillo failed to control Stephan Lichsteiners cross-field delivery.Dybala showed some great footwork to escape his marker and set up Lichsteiner on the right, but Handanovic was quickly down to collect Mandzukics header.It took until 25 minutes for Inter to get a sniff of goal, but Sandro produced a great saving header at the back post as DAmbrosio waited to pounce and then Giorgio Chiellini made a timely interception on Mauro Icardi to thwart the Argentine striker.Juve spurned two chances to break the deadlock on the stroke of half-time, Paul Pogbas delivery across goal finding no takers and then Mandzukic narrowly missing the Frenchmans inviting through ball that forced Handanovic out to parry.The first half fizzled out, but the second started with a bang when, after just two minues, Bonucci broke the deadlock.Dybala floated in a free-kick from the right that was met by DAmbrosio, whose header towards the back post provided the perfect assist for Bonucci to smash into the roof of the net.Juve almost doubled their lead minutes later, Dybalas first-timer from Sandros cross on the left trickling past the right post.Juves fans were up in arms when Juan Jesus chopped Dybala down from behind, and it was similar indiscipline that led to Juves second six minutes from time.Morata appeared to irk Miranda as they tussled for possession on the edge of the box, the Brazilian retaliating with a challenge that saw the referee point to the spot.Morata made no mistake, sending Handanovic the wrong way to send a virtually packed stadium delirious.

'Thunder of the North' military exercise begins in Saudi

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RIYADH (AFP) - Armed forces from 20 countries have begun manoeuvres in northeastern Saudi Arabia that the official Saudi Press Agency described as one of the worlds biggest military exercises.Troops from Pakistan, Malaysia, Turkey, Egypt, Morocco, Jordan and Sudan are among those participating in the Thunder of the North exercise, which began on Saturday and involves ground, air and naval forces, SPA reported.Forces from the other five Gulf Arab states are also taking part in one of the worlds most important military exercises based on the number of forces participating and the area of territory used, the news agency added.It said a major goal of the exercise was to improve training in responding to the threat posed by terrorist groups.Saudi Arabia has carried out air strikes against the Islamic State group in Syria as part of a US-led coalition fighting the jihadists.Last December, it also formed a new 35-member alliance to fight terrorism in Islamic countries.Since last March, it has been leading a military campaign against Iran-backed rebels in its southern neighbour Yemen.

Lahore: Woman abducts 2-day old newborn girl from Jinnah hospital

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – An unidentified woman abducted a 2-day old newborn girl from the labour ward of Jinnah hospital and fled. Police has obtained the CCTV footage of the incident and started an investigation into the matter.According to the details, Shazia, a resident of Raiwind, had given birth to the girl 2 days ago. The baby’s grandmother stated that she had to go for something important so she handed over the baby to a woman sitting on a bed near her., but upon her return neither the woman nor the baby could be found.Superintendent of Police (SP) Model Town stated that the newborn baby was kidnapped due to the carelessness of the family.He stated that a hunt for the kidnapper of the newborn was underway with help of the CCTV footage.

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