Dunya TV

'US mobilizes forces along Pak border'
Iran demands access to accused US plotter
CMF rescues 14 Pakistanis from Somali pirates
Woman burnt alive in Nankana Sahib
Libyans bulldoze Gaddafi's Tripoli compound
Arab League stops short of suspending Syria
Nine killed in Syria crackdown: activists
Heavy rains kill at least 66 in Central America
Saudi king hospitalised for new back operation
Gas blast kills 11 miners in north China
Tailenders take SAfrica to unlikely win in 2nd T20
Murray wins Shanghai Masters for title treble
Kvitova claims sixth career title at Linz
Arsenal win, Tottenham held in Premier League
Gameiro's hat trick gives PSG 3-1 win over Ajaccio

Posted:

Reinforced with gunships and heavy weaponry, some 500 of the forces had been stationed near Afghanistan s border with Pakistan s North Waziristan region, a senior Pakistani government official told on condition of anonymity on Sunday. The official went on to explain that the motive behind the move was yet unknown, but that the deployment could be part of a military drill to later launch a ground assault against the Taliban-allied Haqqani network of militants. Tribal sources, meanwhile, said that a curfew had come into force, preventing the Pakistani troops  freedom of movement in the violence-hit region.

Iran demands access to accused US plotter

Posted:

Iran demanded consular access on Sunday to a man held in the United States over a suspected plot to kill the Saudi ambassador and vowed to respond robustly to any "inappropriate measure" by the West. Manssor Arbabsiar, who holds US and Iranian citizenship, was arrested in September over the plot which Tehran called a fabricated "comedy show" but which US lawmakers said was "very real" and showed the need for tougher sanctions on Iran. "Any inappropriate measure against Iran, whether political or security-related, will be strongly confronted by the Iranian nation," Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said, accusing Washington of inventing the plot to divert attention from the "Occupy Wall Street" protests. US authorities announced the plot last Tuesday, saying Arbabsiar, a naturalized US citizen, had paid a US undercover agent posing as a Mexican drug cartel hit man to assassinate Saudi Ambassador Adel al-Jubeir. Many experts, and some Washington officials, expressed doubts over the plot, which even the head of the FBI said sounded like a Hollywood script, but the heads of the intelligence committees in the US Congress appeared on television Sunday to say it should be taken seriously. Senate Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein said she was initially skeptical when first briefed about the plot in September but now believed "it s very real." "Our country should not be looking to go to war," Feinstein told the "Fox News Sunday" program. "We should be looking to stop bad behavior, short of war. President Barack Obama said Thursday that Iran -- already at odds with Western governments over its nuclear program -- would face the toughest possible sanctions and the United States would not take any options off the table, the standard code to refer to possible military action. Iran s Foreign Ministry summoned the Swiss charge d affaires who represents US interests in the country that broke ties with Washington shortly after the 1979 Islamic revolution. "There is no doubt regarding the baselessness of the US allegations," a ministry official told the Swiss representative, according to state broadcaster IRIB. "However, providing personal information about the accused and consular access to him is among the duties of the US government. Any delay in that respect would be in contravention of international law and the US government s responsibilities," the unidentified official said. Iran s diplomatic interests in the United States are handled by an office in the Pakistani embassy. US officials have mooted the possibility of upping sanctions on the Central Bank of Iran -- a move which could make it harder for Tehran to receive payment for its oil exports, a vital source of hard currency.

CMF rescues 14 Pakistanis from Somali pirates

Posted:

A Pakistani fishing trawler which was taken over by about a dozen Somali pirates was rescued by Combined Maritime Forces from Gulf of Aden. The British Royal Navy and CMB also arrest the Somali pirates and recovered arms, walkie talkies and boats from their possession. Combined Maritime Forces have started investigation and also contacted Pakistan authorities in this regard. The Pakistani crew members thanked the British for ending their captivity.

Woman burnt alive in Nankana Sahib

Posted:

The incident occurred at Shahkot area of Nankana Sahib where two families clashed a few days ago over a fight between children. The accused Arshad Papu kept the grudge and overpowered 35-year-old Najma with the help of his accomplices when she was going to her sister’s house. The accused sprinkled kerosene oil on Najam and burnt her. Najma, mother of three, was shifted to hospital where she expired of burn wounds. The accused fled from the scene after the incident. However, Police have arrested the accused after airing of the news on Dunya News.

Libyans bulldoze Gaddafi's Tripoli compound

Posted:

The sprawling, fortress-like compound known as Bab al-Aziziya has long been hated by Libyans who feared to even walk nearby during Gaddafi s more than four decades in power and its capture was seen as a turning point in the civil war as revolutionaries overran the capital in late August. Ahmad Ghargory, commander of a revolutionary brigade, said the area will be turned into a public park accessible to all Libyans. "It s the revolutionary decision to tear down this symbol of tyranny," Ghargory said. "We were busy with the war, but now we have the space to do this." Already, the courtyard in front of Gaddafi s former house, which he used for many fiery speeches trying to rally supporters during the uprising, has been turned into a weekly pet market. Tripoli residents roam the premises as if at a museum, with vendors selling revolutionary flags and other souvenirs. Libyans are eager to move on after decades of repression, even though fighting persists on two fronts and tensions between supporters of the former regime and revolutionary forces remain high even in Tripoli. The continued instability has delayed efforts by the transitional leadership to move forward with efforts to hold elections and establish democracy. The Bab al-Aziziya compound, surrounded by high walls lined with barbed wire, had been a mystery to most Libyans though it is one of the city s largest landmarks. Many Tripoli residents said they wouldn t go near it, fearing security guards on the compound s high green walls would get suspicious and arrest or shoot them. The compound was a main target for NATO airstrikes during the months leading to Gaddafi s ouster in late August. Fighters forced their way into the area on Aug. 23 during the battle for the capital, jubilantly rampaging through the remnants of barracks, personal living quarters and offices seen as the most defining symbol of Gaddafi s nearly 42-year rule. Gaddafi s residence, now gutted and covered with graffiti, was also targeted in a US bombing raid in April 1986, after Washington held Libya responsible for a blast at a Berlin disco that killed two U.S. servicemen. A sculpture of a clenched fist crushing a US fighter jet that had been erected after the strike has been removed. Gaddafi entertained guests in a Bedouin-style tent pitched near two tennis courts about 200 yards (meters) from the family home.

Arab League stops short of suspending Syria

Posted:

Gulf countries seeking to suspend Syria s membership to the Arab League over its bloody crackdown on protesters failed to gain enough support Sunday to push the measure through, reflecting deep divisions among the body s 22 nations. Arab foreign ministers met at the group s Cairo headquarters behind closed doors for an initial 3-hour session without Syria s representative, then took a break and reconvened for talks with Syrian diplomats that lasted late into the night. Just after the meeting with Syrian diplomats, Qatar Foreign Minister Hamad bin Jassim made no mention of a possible suspension and instead gave Syria a 15-day deadline to enact a cease-fire. The Arab League also agreed to create a committee led by Qatar to oversee the situation in Syria and said a national dialogue between Syrian officials and the opposition would take place at the League s headquarters in Cairo. "A national dialogue in 15 days is one of the most important decisions of the day," bin Jassim said. The national dialogue is to include members of the opposition from outside Syria as well as inside. If the meeting and a cease-fire do not take place within the allotted time frame, the Arab League will meet again in an emergency session, participants said. Syrian state TV reported that Damascus was not eager to hold the dialogue in Cairo, suggesting it should be held in Syria instead. The newly formed Syrian National Council, a broad based opposition umbrella group, was also seen unlikely to accept the call for dialogue, though some factions within the fragmented opposition who might be willing to hold talks.

Nine killed in Syria crackdown: activists

Posted:

Nine people were killed as Syrian security forces pressed a crackdown on political dissent in three separate hubs of protest against President Bashar al-Assad s regime, activists said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said in emailed statements received by AFP in Nicosia that four civilians died in the central city of Homs when security forces opened fire on a protest outside the home of a detained activist, Mansur al-Arassi. Two other people were killed outside a mosque in the Khaldiyeh sector of the city by attackers who opened fire from a vehicle, the Britain-based Observatory said. It said 39 people were wounded in the two incidents. In the Damascus region, one person was killed in the town of Zabadani, where security forces earlier arrested 25 people, including three young women. The Observatory said the death occurred when security forces fired on people after they left a mosque and began protesting in the streets calling for the release of detainees. In Idlib province of northwest Syria, two people were killed in Khan Sheikhun near the border with Turkey when security forces fired live rounds to break up a protest, the Observatory said. Earlier in the day, security forces opened fire on a funeral procession for an activist in the oil-rich east. "Syrian security forces in Deir Ezzor fired live bullets at a funeral procession for Ziad al-Obeidi," the rights watchdog said. "Some 7,000 people took part in the funeral which turned into a demonstration calling for the fall of the regime," it said. Obeidi, 42, was killed by security forces who were hunting for him in Deir Ezzor province. He had gone into hiding in August during military operations in the area.

Heavy rains kill at least 66 in Central America

Posted:

Central American authorities said on Sunday that at least 66 people had died in six days of heavy rains that caused landslides, floods and bridge failures throughout the region. Officials ordered evacuations as the rain was expected to continue. El Salvador s director of civil protection, Jorge Melendez, said in a news conference that at least 24 people had died in the country, most of them buried in their houses by landslides. The country is in a state of alert and preparing for "major disasters," Melendez said. Authorities were evacuating people from the area around a volcano near the capital of San Salvador, where hundreds died in landslides in 1982. Melendez said flooding had closed a major highway in the country s west and destroyed a bridge. In the eastern state of San Miguel, water overflowed from the Rio Grande river and had inundated large expanses of farmlands. He said Sunday morning that the rain was expected to remain heavy for 24 hours and possibly continue until Wednesday. He said El Salvador had seen 7.9 inches (200 millimetres) of rain in the previous 12 hours. Guatemalan officials confirmed 28 deaths in their country, adding that two more people were missing and that rain was expected for two more days. Guatemalan President Alvaro Colom declared a state of emergency that would be sent for approval to the congress Monday. In Honduras, officials tallied at least nine deaths and the damaging of 2,500 homes, eight bridges and 29 roads.

Saudi king hospitalised for new back operation

Posted:

Saudi King Abdullah was hospitalised for a new back surgery in Riyadh, following two similar operations last year in the United States, the SPA news agency early Monday. The 87-year-old was operated in November for a debilitating herniated disc complicated by a haematoma that put pressure on his spine and underwent another surgery to repair several vertebrae. The latest operation is aimed at repairing a slackening ligament near the third vertebra, the news agency said. The monarch s advanced age combined with health problems have raised concerns about the future of Saudi Arabia, which has been ruled by the Al-Saud family since 1932. Abdullah s half-brother, Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, who has held the post of defence minister ever since 1962, is 83 and has been slowed by what is believed to be cancer. Prince Nayef, 77, third in line to the Saudi throne, was appointed second deputy prime minister in March 2009.

Gas blast kills 11 miners in north China

Posted:

A gas blast killed 11 people at a coal mine in northern China on Sunday, state media reported, in the latest accident to hit the country s mining industry. A total of 21 miners were working underground when the blast struck at the Tianyu coal mine in Tongchuan City, Shaanxi province, a spokesman for the city government was quoted as saying by the official Xinhua news agency. The bodies of 11 miners were retrieved, while the 10 others were lifted safely above ground, the spokesman said. China s mining industry has a notoriously poor safety record. In 2010, 2,433 people died in coal mine accidents in China, according to official statistics -- a rate of more than six workers per day. Labour rights groups say the actual death toll is likely much higher, partly due to under-reporting of accidents as mine bosses seek to limit their economic losses and avoid punishment.

Tailenders take SAfrica to unlikely win in 2nd T20

Posted:

Tailenders Juan Theron and Wayne Parnell combined for 64 runs in just 27 balls to steal a dramatic three-wicket win for South Africa over Australia in the second Twenty20 international on Sunday. Theron hit 30 not out off 16 balls and Parnell 29 not out off 11 in their game-changing partnership at Wanderers to bring South Africa back from the dead and level the two-match T20 series 1-1. No. 8 Parnell and No. 9 Theron came together with South Africa on 84-7 in the 15th over and way off Australia s total of 147-8. But Theron clubbed three fours and a six and Parnell three fours and two sixes to win the match and save the series for the Proteas. Teenager Mitchell Marsh had made 36 off 21 balls on debut for Australia to drag the tourists to 147 in their innings after South Africa s bowlers made a strong start. Aussie captain Cameron White hit 39 off 26 balls to start the tourists  revival after South Africa seamers Lonwabo Tsotsobe (2-11), Theron (2-28) and Morne Morkel (2-37) dominated the batsmen early on. Australia then appeared to be well on course for a series win when Proteas wicketkeeper Heino Kuhn was caught and bowled by James Pattinson (2-17) off the fourth ball of the 15th over to see South Africa slump to 87-5 in its chase, still needing 64 off 32 balls. But at the Johannesburg ground where South Africa loves to play Australia and the scene of its then world-record run-chase of 438 in a one-dayer five years ago Theron and Parnell turned the game completely in less than five overs. Theron whose best T20 international score before Sunday was 1 not out began the fightback with two fours off Doug Bollinger in the 17th over. Left-hander Parnell hit a four and two sweetly struck sixes off spinner Steve O Keefe as the pair plundered 18 runs off the 18th over. Theron won the game with a slog-sweep for six over midwicket off David Hussey s first ball of the final over. The countries will also contest three ODIS and two Tests, with the one-day series starting on Wednesday.

Murray wins Shanghai Masters for title treble

Posted:

Awesome Andy Murray sealed an Asian title treble at the Shanghai Masters Sunday with a 7-5, 6-4 win over David Ferrer, guaranteeing he will leapfrog Roger Federer in the rankings for the first time, to number three. Defending champion Murray, 24, was tested by the Spaniard but ultimately had too much for the world number five, wrapping up his eighth Masters title in one hour and 45 minutes. It is the third ATP tour title in as many weeks for Murray, who was victorious in Bangkok and Tokyo during a perfect Asian swing and has now won 15 matches in succession. Murray admitted that topping Swiss 16-time Grand Slam winner Federer in the rankings was a boost, even though he was aiming higher than number three, adding he was not yet guaranteed to finish the year in third place. The first game of the match at the Qi Zhong stadium lasted 10 minutes with a succession of lengthy baseline rallies before Murray broke to seize an early advantage -- only for Ferrer to immediately break back. Serve then dominated until the 11th game, which proved to be the turning point of the set and the match, Ferrer double-faulting to lose the game after looking comfortable at 30-0. The second set followed the same pattern at the start, with Murray grabbing the early break only for Ferrer to pull level at 1-1 as the Scot smashed a ball into the ground in frustration. But a horrendous missed overhead from third seed Ferrer handed the British player two break points in the following game and he made no mistake, hoisting a lob from behind the baseline to win the game, and going on to take the match with few alarms. Ferrer, 29, who was disappointed with his serving, said: "Today it was impossible to beat Andy." Murray has won 25 of 26 matches since mid-August, his only defeat coming in the US Open semi-finals to Rafael Nadal, whom he beat in the Japan Open final. When the new rankings are issued on Monday, Murray will have just Novak Djokovic and Nadal ahead of him as he targets finishing the year as the number three player in the world, something he has never achieved before.

Kvitova claims sixth career title at Linz

Posted:

Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova claimed her sixth career title Sunday with a 6-4, 6-1 win over Slovakian seventh seed Dominika Cibulkova in the Linz Open. The Czech Republic 21-year-old had failed to win a tournament since her surprise victory on grass in London last July. However Kvitova lived up to her top seed billing as she took just one hour and 29 minutes to secure victory against the 22-year-old Cibulkova, who was competing in her first final since Montreal in 2008. It is Kvitova s fifth victory this year, putting her just behind Denmark s world number one Caroline Wozniacki, who with six win has won the most tournaments so far in 2011. On Saturday Kvitova, ranked fourth in the world, had eliminated Serbian Jelena Jankovic in the semi-finals, after already beating Daniela Hantuchova in the quarters. "It was great preparation for me... it s great for the confidence," Kvitova told Austrian television ORF after her win, ahead of the WTA championships in Istanbul on October 25-30. Kvitova claimed her first Grand Slam title in July when she upset Russian favourite Maria Sharapova to win Wimbledon. The WTA Linz Open awards a prize money of 220,000 US dollars (159,000 euros).

Arsenal win, Tottenham held in Premier League

Posted:

Robin van Persie fired Arsenal into the top half of the Premier League table with a classy double in a 2-1 victory over Sunderland while Newcastle denied Tottenham a fifth straight win with a late equalizer in a 2-2 draw on Sunday. Van Persie again showed his importance to Arsenal by opening the scoring after just 29 seconds at the Emirates and then curling home a free kick seven minutes from time, sandwiching Sebastian Larsson s sublime equalizer for Sunderland in the 31st. Shola Amoebi was fourth-place Newcastle s savior, coming off the bench to drill in a low shot in the 86th minute and maintain his team s unbeaten record after eight games. Newcastle needed to rally twice at St. James  Park, with Amoebi canceling out Jermain Defoe s goal in the 68th after Demba Ba leveled in the 48th following Rafael van der Vaart s opener from the penalty spot before the break. In the day s other match, Chris Brunt and Peter Odemwingie scored for West Bromwich Albion in a 2-0 victory over struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers, which has now lost five matches in a row to slip to fifth from bottom. Having lost playmakers Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri in the offseason, Arsenal is increasingly turning to Van Persie for inspiration this season and the Netherlands striker delivered against Sunderland to take his tally in the league to five goals. Van Persie s first goal, which came when he ran onto Gervinho s through-ball and fired a low shot into the corner, was the quickest in the Premier League in nearly four years. Sunderland recovered from its slow start and Larsson equalized when he winger whipped home a free kick into the top corner from 25 yards (metres). Van Persie matched that effort with seven minutes remaining, breathing new life into Arsenal s campaign after a number of damaging early results, including an 8-2 hammering at Manchester United. Arsenal is still 12 points behind league leader Manchester City, which beat Aston Villa 4-1 on Saturday, and 10 behind second-place United, held 1-1 by Liverpool on the same day. Newcastle is the season s surprise package and it checked Tottenham s momentum to remain one of only three teams along with the two Manchester clubs yet to be defeated. Like north London rival Arsenal, Tottenham is also returning to form after a poor start to the season and went ahead Van der Vaart slotted away his penalty after Emmanuel Adebayor was tripped by Taylor. Ba equalized from close range for his fifth goal of the season but Defoe regained the lead for the visitors by spinning his marker to lash a low shot into the corner from just outside the box, five minutes after coming on as a substitute.

Gameiro's hat trick gives PSG 3-1 win over Ajaccio

Posted:

Kevin Gameiro s hat trick guided Paris Saint-Germain to a 3-1 victory over Ajaccio to maintain the French club s three-point lead atop league standings. The France international opened in the second minute by flicking home Nene s corner after it was redirected to him at the far post by Sylvain Armand. Carl Medjani equalized from Arnaud Maire s cross in the 24th before PSG went ahead for good in the 50th when midfielder Mohamed Sissoko set up Gameiro to score his second. Three minutes later, Clement Chantome cut back to feed Gameiro for the third to complete his impressive day. PSG leads Lyon and Montpellier as it chases its first league title since 1994. Also on Sunday, Vincent Aboubakar scored twice to help Valenciennes beat mid-table Sochaux 3-0 to move out of the relegation zone. Aboubakar controlled a throw-in from Gaetan Bong and spun to fire home in the 43rd. Algeria midfielder Foued Kadir added a second goal on a counterattack in the 71st before Aboubakar sealed the win with a close-range effort in the 75th. On Saturday, it was: Lyon 3, Nancy 1; Montpellier 5, Dijon 3; Toulouse 0, Marseille 0; Auxerre 1, Lille 3; Brest 1, Caen 1; Evian 1, Saint-Etienne 2; Nice 3, Bordeaux 0.

PoliticusUSA

Cricket - Sports

Monday, October 17, 2011

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

0 comments:

Reuters News Agency

World EYE