Dunya TV

Bill introduced for highest US award for Shakeel Afridi
Sindh: CNG stations to be closed for 24 hours
Pakistan condemns resolution on Balochistan in US Congress
20 injured as bus turns turtle in Jhang
US still averse to Pak-Iran gas pipeline project
Man arrested in thwarted US Capitol bomb plot
Taliban deny three-way talks with US, Afghan govt
26 civilians killed in Syria violence: Observatory
US slaps terrorism sanctions on Iran agency
Aisam, Rojer bow out of Rotterdam Open
Federer storms into Rotterdam semis
Azarenka, Stosur reach Qatar Open semis
Cycling: Britain set new women's world team pursuit record
Young, Hernandez score as Man U beats Ajax 2-0
Misbah urges batsmen to show up against England

Bill introduced for highest US award for Shakeel Afridi

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Pakistani doctor, Shakeel Afridi who had a role in the CIA operation to hunt down Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad has been nominated for the US Congressional Gold Medal, the country s highest civilian honour. Dana Rohrabacher chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, has introduced a bill in House of Representatives to recognise Dr. Afridi with the Congressional Gold Medal and declare him a US citizen.

Sindh: CNG stations to be closed for 24 hours

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According to the Sui Southern Gas Company, the decision has been taken by gas load management. The surveillance teams of the Sui Southern Gas Company would examine implementation on the decision made by the company. According to rules and regulation, the CNG stations committing violation to the regulation would have to remain deprive of gas for 48 hours.

Pakistan condemns resolution on Balochistan in US Congress

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The introduction of a resolution in US Congress, calling for self-determination in Baluchistan, has triggered an angry response from Pakistan. "This is a self-serving attempt on the part of those who are driven by arrogance and ignorance. The bill shows utter disrespect for international norms and practices," Pakistani foreign ministry spokesman Abdul Basit said in a statement in Islamabad. Pakistan similarly accused the United States of meddling in its affairs after Rohrabacher, who heads an investigative subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, recently called a hearing on Balochistan.

20 injured as bus turns turtle in Jhang

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According to details, a speeding bus turned turtle while saving a tractor trolley coming from opposite side near Athara Hazari in Jhang. Rescue teams reached the site of the accident and provided medical treatment to injured passengers on the spot while efforts were on till filing of this report to rescue an injured from the wreckage of the bus.

US still averse to Pak-Iran gas pipeline project

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The United States, while once again making its concerns on the proposed Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project known, seems circumspect about the long term viability and success of the project itself, considering the fact that it has had several false starts already. When asked about the views of United States on the proposed pipeline, which was discussed during the trilateral summit (involving Afghnaistan as well) in Islamabad, the spokesperson of the State Department said "we have issues of concern and we’ve been very clear about those with the Government of Pakistan," "We’ve spoken to this many times before, if in fact the pipeline does go forward, and there’ve been a lot of false starts and back and forth on that," she observed. On another question about President Zardari s statement that Pakistan will go ahead with this project despite any pressure and what options could the US administration exercise in such an eventuality, she declined to give a definitive answer. "I’m not going to speculate where this is going to go. We’ve seen this discussion about this proposed pipeline go on for a long time, and there have been many fits and starts. We think it’s a bad idea; we’ve made that clear. But I’m not going to predict where this might go," she reiterated. Ms. Nuland though repeated her comments, made a day earlier, about the summit involving Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran. "The degree to which it helps these countries to do better as neighbours, that’s a good thing. The degree to which it gets everybody supportive of a process of Afghan to Afghan reconciliation, that’s a good thing. The degree to which it allows them to talk about issues that have been difficult among them, including some of the concerns that we have about Iran’s activity in Afghanistan, that’s a good thing," she pointed out. A journalist asked her that many countries including India, Pakistan, Russia, and China are still doing business with Iran, despite US effort to impose sanctions on it, she said that the US administration was engaged in conversations with all such governments with regards to the importance of implementing existing international sanctions, national sanctions, and also doing what they can to increase sanctions, particularly to wean themselves from Iranian crude. "This is a process, it’s still going on. But as the Secretary (Hillary Clinton) said today, we do assess that the pressure, economic and diplomatic, on Iran is beginning to pinch. And you see the fruit of that, and the fact that we – after many months, have Iran suggesting that we go back to the table," she said while explaining her government s position. When reminded by another journalist about President Zardari s statement, during the joint press conference after the summit in Islamabad, that if any country attacked Iran, Pakistan will support Iran in that fight, the spokesperson said that "the goal of the process that we are engaged in, the two-track process of pressure and openness to talks under the right circumstances, is designed to ensure that we can solve this diplomatically and it doesn’t come to the scenario that you reference." Commenting on a resolution passed in the Pakistani parliament a few days ago that the US should not interfere in the country s internal matters on many issues, she categorically denied that American administration was doing any such meddling. "We’re not seeking to interfere in their internal issues," she asserted. - Contributed by Awais Saleem, Dunya News correspondent in Washington, DC

Man arrested in thwarted US Capitol bomb plot

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A Moroccan man was arrested Friday as he tried to carry out an Al Qaeda suicide bombing in the US Capitol, under the watch of the FBI which was conducting a sting, officials said. The FBI said it conducted an undercover operation as part of a longstanding terrorism probe of the suspect, who was arrested blocks from the Capitol building as he allegedly hoped to detonate what he believed to be live explosives. "Explosives the suspect allegedly sought to use in connection with the plot had been rendered inoperable by law enforcement and posed no threat to the public," the Federal Bureau of Investigation said in a statement. The Justice Department identified the man as Amine El Khalifi, a 29-year-old immigrant from Morocco living illegally in the US state of Virginia, which borders the capital Washington. "Amine El Khalifi sought to blow himself up in the US Capitol Building," US Attorney Neil MacBride said in a statement. "El Khalifi allegedly believed he was working with Al Qaeda and devised the plot, the targets and the methods on his own." The Justice Department said Khalifi had originally considered several different targets, including US military offices, a synagogue, and a restaurant frequented by US military officials, but eventually settled on the US Capitol. He spent the better part of a month scoping out the building, venturing inside several times to conduct surveillance, and asking a man the thought was an Al Qaeda operative -- but who was in fact a US undercover agent -- to remotely detonate the bomb should he encounter problems with security officers. The Justice Department said undercover agents were with Khalifi on Friday when they drove to a parking garage, where the suspect took possession of an automatic MAC-10 pistol "and put on a vest containing what he believed to be a functioning bomb." He then walked toward the Capitol "where he intended to shoot people and detonate the bomb," but Khalifi was arrested and taken into custody before exiting the parking garage, the department said. Khalifi made an initial appearance Friday before a federal judge, and was charged with attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction against US property. He faces a maximum penalty of life in prison if convicted. Authorities briefed US lawmakers -- who gather in the Capitol building to debate and vote on legislation -- on the arrest.

Taliban deny three-way talks with US, Afghan govt

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The Taliban say there has been no secret three-way discussion with the U.S. and Afghan governments, countering the Afghan president s claim that such talks have taken place. Afghan President Hamid Karzai told The Wall Street Journal in an interview published Thursday that a three-way session was held in the past month, but gave no details. An Afghan official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive talks, also said the session had taken place. But in a statement, Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid strongly rejected Karzai s comments and said, "the Taliban did not talk with the Kabul government anywhere."

26 civilians killed in Syria violence: Observatory

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At least 26 civilians were killed in Syria on Friday as tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets to demand President Bashar al-Assad s ouster, a watchdog said. "The toll of martyrs from Popular Resistance Friday has reached 26 civilians," the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, adding that protests spread to several previously calm areas of Damascus and of the second-largest city, Aleppo.

US slaps terrorism sanctions on Iran agency

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The United States is slapping sanctions on Iran s ministry of intelligence and security, asserting that it supports global terrorism, commits human rights abuses against Iranians and participates in ongoing repression in Syria. The Treasury Department announced Thursday that it added the ministry to its list of specially designated global terrorists. The step freezes any assets the group may have in U.S. jurisdictions, bars Americans from doing business with it and bans ministry employees from travel to the United States. The effect of the sanctions will be largely symbolic as it is not known to have holdings in the U.S. The announcement said the ministry had helped al-Qaida agents in Iran and provided them with identity cards and passports and had given money and weapons to al-Qaida in Iraq.

Aisam, Rojer bow out of Rotterdam Open

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Second seeds Michael Llodra and Nenad Zimonjic advanced to the semi-finals of the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament on Friday, defeating Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi and Jean-Julien Rojer 7-6(2), 6-4 in Rotterdam. Llodra and Zimonjic, the finalists at the ATP World Tour 500 event last year, won 86 per cent of their first serve points and converted both of their break point opportunities to claim victory in one hour and 32 minutes.

Federer storms into Rotterdam semis

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Top seed Roger Federer reached the Rotterdam Open semi-finals on Friday with a 7-5, 7-6 (7/2) win over Jarkko Nieminen, his 13th win in 13 matches against the Finn. The Swiss star will face either Richard Gasquet of France or Russia s Nikolay Davydenko for a place in the final. Nieminen, who won the Sydney title in January but was hampered at the Australian Open by an abdominal muscle injury, pushed 16-time Grand Slam winner Federer hard. "It was a relief to come through. I played well on my serve but Jarkko made me work," said Federer. "Jarkko did his job well, he s a good friend of mine and a good guy, always very fair. I ve got a good record against him but every time he makes you work. "I m one more match into the tournament and I m playing better as time goes by." In Friday s other quarter-finals, Tomas Berdych, the Czech second seed, beat Andreas Seppi of Italy 6-3, 6-4 and next meets Argentine third seed Juan Martin Del Potro, who eased past Viktor Troicki of Serbia 6-0, 6-1. Berdych completed his 67-minute victory over the 45th-ranked Seppi on a fifth ace of the afternoon at the Ahoy stadium, after breaking the Italian three times to take his indoor record to an unblemished 8-0 this season. But the second-seeded perfectionist was slightly annoyed after losing serve for the only time in the match in the second set, a mistake which he quickly rectified to get the contest back on level-pegging. Berdych next meets Del Potro who has won his last two meetings with the Czech, both played in 2009. "Berdych has been playing well for the last two years, according to the ranking, he would be the favourite in our match," said Del Potro, ranked tenth to his opponent s seventh. "He has confidence and is a danger on this surface, I ll just concentrate on my game."

Azarenka, Stosur reach Qatar Open semis

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World number one Victoria Azarenka won her 15th consecutive match of the season to make the semi-finals of the WTA Qatar Open on Friday. The Belarusian star defeated Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium 6-0, 6-4 to stay on course for a third title this year, after victories at Sydney and the Australian Open. Azarenka was in imperious form in the first set but stuttered a bit in the second when she was broken for the second time in the eighth game by Wickmayer to level the scores at 4-4. But Wickmayer could not hold her serve in the next game, hammering the ball into the net and then sending a backhand wide to concede what proved to be the decisive break for Azarenka. The top seed then closed out the match by winning the final game to love. Earlier, Australian third seed Samantha Stosur overcame a spirited fightback by Romania s Monica Niculescu to advance to her first semi-final of the year. Stosur, the reigning US Open champion, won 6-2, 2-6, 6-3 in a little short of two hours after totally losing her momentum in the second set and surviving a tough spell in the third when Niculescu took three games in a row to level at 3-3. Niculescu had a wonderful opportunity to break Stosur in the seventh game when she was leading 30-0, but sent an easy volley long after a lengthy rally to give the Australian the opening she was looking for. Stosur, the world s fifth-ranked player, latched onto it gratefully to hold her serve, before winning the next two games in a hurry. "It was an up-and-down match for both of us," said Stosur. "I was able to pick up my game at the end of it. I believed in myself."

Cycling: Britain set new women's world team pursuit record

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Great Britain set a new world record in the women s team pursuit at the World Cup meeting here on Friday, just moments after Australia had set a new mark of their own. Joanna Rowsell, Dani King and Laura Trott clocked 3min 18.148sec in the final against Canada to clinch victory. Australia had briefly held the record when they timed 3min 19.164sec in the bronze medal ride-off against the Netherlands.

Young, Hernandez score as Man U beats Ajax 2-0

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Ashley Young and Javier Hernandez scored second-half goals as Manchester United beat Ajax 2-0 in the first leg of their Europa League round of 32 clash on Thursday. After a lackluster first half from both teams, Young profited when he latched onto a cross from Nani, cut inside right back Vurnon Anita and fired a low shot under goalkeeper Kenneth Vermeer in the 59th minute. Hernandez set up a comfortable second leg for United when he played a one-two with Wayne Rooney and fired home five minutes from fulltime. Ajax and United have been crowned European champions seven times between them, but are playing in the continent s second tier cup competition after being eliminated from the Champions League at the group stage.

Misbah urges batsmen to show up against England

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Misbah-ul Haq has called for his batsmen to put up a stronger fight to change Pakistan s fortunes in the third one-day match against England that starts on Saturday. Pakistan failed to chase down targets of 261 and 251 in the first two one-day matches to hand England an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the four-match series. "We have to really improve our batting," the Pakistan captain said on Friday. "In the Tests and one-dayers both the teams were struggling in their batting and most of the time it was the bowling that was saving both." Pakistan won the preceding three-Test series 3-0 but now face their first one-day defeats in seven series. Misbah refused to single out any individual for blame and said everyone had to take shoulder responsibility. "Even in the Sri Lankan series our lower middle order was not contributing," he said of his team s 4-1 win in November last year. Saturday s match sees the return of former captain Shoaib Malik, who was dropped for the second game, with Pakistan looking to add more bowling options as well as a strengthened batting line-up, Misbah added. England have performed well in the one-day series and Misbah said that improvement was vital to avoid another defeat. Misbah said the players also needed to master the weather conditions in the United Arab Emirates, where Pakistan currently play "home" fixtures due to the uncertain security situation at home. Two new balls and day-night matches make the ball move more in the air and skid off the pitch in the evening, he added. "Sometimes it is difficult as an Asian team batting second to chase," he explained. "As professionals we have to discover that and we have to overcome that." Other setbacks include having to play with a stand-in wicketkeeper in Umar Akmal, who dropped Alastair Cook on 28 in the second match. Cook went on to hit his second successive hundred. "It is really a difficult decision for us to keep a talented keeeper Adnan Akmal out of the side. Again it is due to the pressure on our batting line up. It is not clicking. So that is troubling us at the moment." The fourth match in the series will be played on Tuesday. Both teams will also play three Twenty20 internationals in Dubai (February 23 and 25) and in Abu Dhabi (February 27).

PoliticusUSA

Cricket - Sports

Saturday, February 18, 2012

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