Dunya TV

US senators received threatening mail
Peshawar: Two militants killed in clash with police
Two shot dead in Karachi violence
Hina meets Clinton in London today
US informed Pakistan before resuming drone attacks
Plea deal for Pakistani at Guantanamo: report
US looking to put challenges in relations with Pakistan behind
49 dead in Buenos Aires train crash: police
White House regrets Iran 'failure' on UN mission
Iran, Russia leaders oppose foreign action in Syria
Britain summons Syrian envoy over journalists' deaths
Man City into last 16 of Europa League
Marseille beats Inter 1-0 in Champions League
Tsonga reaches Open 13 quarterfinals
Pietersen relishes 'best one-day knock'

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Three members of the US Congress have received threatening mail over the last two days and law enforcement officials on Wednesday warned that more may be coming. At least two of the letters - one to the home-state office of a senator and the other to the district office of a member of the House of Representatives -- contained a suspicious powdery substance. Tests found the substance to be harmless, according to a statement by Senate Sergeant at Arms Terrance Gainer, the chamber s chief law enforcement officer. In a statement to members of the Senate, Gainer did not say what was found in the third letter. Gainer s notice, "Urgent: Suspicious Mail Alert," warned that the unidentified sender of the letters "indicated that additional letters containing a powdery substance will be arriving at more Senate offices and that some of these letters may contain actual harmful material." He warned that special attention should be paid to letters postmarked from Portland, Oregon.

Peshawar: Two militants killed in clash with police

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According to police, SHO of Police station Mithra was on a routine patrol in Dagg Lara area in Mithra when the police vehicle came under miscreants attack. However, police party remained unharmed during militants firing. Police party returned the fire in which two attackers were killed. Police also recovered a hand grenade and a Kalashnikov from the militants. Police cordoned off the area after the incident and started a search operation. However, no arrest was made during the search operation.

Two shot dead in Karachi violence

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Killing spree continues in Karachi as two more people fall prey to incidents to firing in different areas of Karachi, According to details, some unidentified persons shot dead a man in Liaquatabad area. Police have shifted the dead body to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital. In another incident of firing, residents shot dead a dacoit in Nazimabad No 4 near a marriage hall while his accomplice manged to escape from the scene. Police have started investigation of the incident. Meanwhile, some unidentified persons opened fire and injured a man in Zia Colony area of korangi. The injured was shifted to Jinnah Hospital for treatment.

Hina meets Clinton in London today

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Pakistan s Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar will meet US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at Thursday s London meeting on Somalia to discuss the strained ties between Washington and Islamabad. Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States, Sherry Rehman, will also attend the meeting. According to sources, resumption of NATO supplies, US drone strikes and Balochistan resolution in US Congress will come under discussion during today’s talks.

US informed Pakistan before resuming drone attacks

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Shortly before the United States ended a two-month pause in missile strikes on militants in Pakistan last month, senior U.S. officials telephoned their Pakistani counterparts and told them Washington would be resuming its covert drone programme despite mounting objections in Islamabad. Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton were among those who spoke with Pakistani officials shortly before the eight-week pause in the drone programme ended, sources familiar with the issue said. General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, spoke to his Pakistani counterpart General Ashfaq Kayani around the same time, the sources said, but a U.S. defense official said the two men did not discuss drone strikes. The strike that followed on Jan. 10, when U.S. aircraft fired missiles at a home in the North Waziristan tribal area, was the first such attack since U.S. aircraft, in a mishap that plunged bilateral ties into a tailspin, killed 24 Pakistani soldiers along remote border with Afghanistan. The Nov. 26 border incident infuriated a vulnerable government in Islamabad and prompted Pakistani officials to signal, in more emphatic terms than they had previously, that they would no longer accept U.S. drone strikes. That set the Obama administration up for yet another potential collision with Pakistan as it continues a controversial drone program that has become a centerpiece of U.S. efforts to quash militancy there. The Pakistani border deaths, which NATO deemed an accident and a tragedy, prompted Pakistan to shut down an overland supply route that is key for NATO troops in Afghanistan and to force U.S. personnel off an air base in southwest Pakistan that had been used to launch drone strikes in Pakistan s tribal areas.   In public, the U.S. missile strikes are a frequent target of criticism for Pakistani politicians, who decry them as a violation of the country s sovereignty. But in private, Pakistani leaders have long supported and even encouraged the strikes provided they steer clear of certain areas and targets. Yet even as both governments try to put the relationship back together, current and former U.S. officials speaking on condition of anonymity said the Obama administration will not hesitate to continue the aerial strikes when targets and intelligence are sufficiently compelling.

Plea deal for Pakistani at Guantanamo: report

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A Pakistani held at Guantanamo Bay has reached a plea agreement with US prosecutors that will require him to testify at the trials of other terror suspects in return for a reduced sentence, The Washington Post reported Wednesday, citing US officials. Majid Shoukat Khan, 31, who has been detained at the US-run prison for terror suspects in southeast Cuba since 2006, faced charges of conspiring with Al-Qaeda for attacks on the United States and Indonesia as well as plotting to assassinate former Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf. Under the deal with military prosecutors, Khan -- who had previously faced a possible life sentence if convicted -- could eventually be released from the Guantanamo prison, the Post reported, quoting unnamed officials. A Pentagon spokesman would not confirm the plea agreement, only saying that an arraignment hearing was set for next week on February 29. "Mr. Khan has the right to enter into any legal arrangement he chooses," said Lieutenant Colonel Todd Breasseale. Khan s lawyer, Jonathan Dixon, told AFP: "I cannot confirm or deny it, I have no comment on this case." Khan agreed to testify at military commission trials over the next four years, and could then be transferred to Pakistan after that, according to the Post. It was possible Khan could be asked to testify in the trials of Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, the alleged Saudi mastermind of the attack on the USS Cole in October 2000, or in the cases of five other detainees charged with planning the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York and Washington.

US looking to put challenges in relations with Pakistan behind

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The deputy spokesperson of the US State Department, Mark Toner has said that the goal of the administration was "to put this relationship back on track, you know, to try to put some of the problems that we have had in the relationship (with Pakistan)." Answering a question during a briefing Wednesday on the impending meeting between Secretary Clinton and Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar in London on the sidelines of Somalia conference, he agreed that there were issues in the relationship that needed to be discussed. "Obviously we ve got a lot of things to discuss with our Pakistani friends," he said while referring to the meeting in London. "We want to put some of the challenges behind us and move productively forward," he asserted. On another question on President Karzai s meetings with some Taliban sympathizer clerics in Pakistan, he declined having any specific information about those meetings. Speaking more broadly about reconciliation efforts, he said "we want to see Afghan-to-Afghan talks go forward. And so, in that regard, we re supportive of President Karzai s efforts." He also rejected the impression that President Karzai had invited Taliban for direct talks because of his earlier displeasure on being bypassed by the U.S. in these talks. "Numerous visits and meetings between Marc Grossman and President Karzai are a strong indication that we ve been consulting with his government throughout this process. You know, we want to at some point step away from this and have it be an Afghan-to-Afghan reconciliation process," he maintained. When probed about Secretary Clinton s visit to Pakistan last year, in which she made a statement that Pakistan should take action against militant outfits, and whether President Karzai talking to those groups, trying to bring them on board, could result in a compromise on the sort of action US required from Pakistan, Mark again was in disagreement. "We ve been very clear about our red lines and, indeed, the Afghan s government s red lines for those Taliban who would participate in any reconciliation process. And so the groups that we re talking about, that the Secretary raised her concerns about operating in Pakistan, are very clearly not part of this process and not interested. They re carrying out violent attacks against Afghans and also international entities in Afghanistan," he clarified. - Contributed by Awais Saleem, Dunya News correspondent in Washington, DC

49 dead in Buenos Aires train crash: police

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At least 49 people were killed Wednesday when a packed commuter train slammed into a retaining wall at a railway terminus here during rush hour, a police spokesman said. "Unfortunately, we must report that there are 49 dead in the accident," police spokesman Nestor Rodriguez told a news conference. At least 550 people were injured in the crash, which witnesses said occurred after the train s breaks failed as it was arriving at a station on the western outskirts of Buenos Aires. The accident occurred just five months after a morning rush hour crash in the Argentine capital involving two trains and a bus killed 11 people. That accident in September also injured more 200.

White House regrets Iran 'failure' on UN mission

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The White House expressed disappointment Wednesday that Iran had made no progress in its dealings with UN nuclear inspectors, branding the fruitless visit a "failure" on Tehran s part. "We regret the failure of Iran to reach an agreement with the IAEA," White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters. "It s another demonstration of Iran s refusal to abide by its international obligations." The International Atomic Energy Agency said it had gone into the two-day visit to Tehran -- and a previous, inconclusive one last month -- in a "constructive spirit," but said no agreement was reached on efforts to elucidate Iran s nuclear activities. Despite requests, "we could not get access" to Iran s military site in Parchin where suspected nuclear warhead design experiments were conducted, the leader of the IAEA team, chief UN inspector Herman Nackaerts, said on his return to Vienna, while IAEA chief Yukiya Amano described Tehran s refusal to allow the Parchin inspection as "disappointing." The United States and Europe have been ramping up economic sanctions on Iran since November, when the IAEA published a report crystallizing -- though not entirely validating -- Western suspicions it was pursuing nuclear weapons research in Parchin and elsewhere. Iran repeatedly has said the sanctions will not deter it from its nuclear ambitions, and it has threatened to strike back at any military action, possibly by closing the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

Iran, Russia leaders oppose foreign action in Syria

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Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in telephone talks on Wednesday that they reject foreign intervention in the Syria crisis, the Kremlin said. "The sides spoke out in favour of the quickest resolution of the crisis by the Syrian people themselves through exclusively peaceful means and without foreign intervention," the Kremlin said in a statement. The two leaders agreed that the situation in Syria was "dramatic" and required "constructive political dialogue between the authorities and the opposition without precondition," said the statement. "At the same time, the leaders noted the importance of pursuing steady political, social and economic reforms in a calm atmosphere and in the interest of all Syrians," the Kremlin said. Medvedev also held talks on Syria with Saudi Arabia s King Abdullah, and with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, during which the two agreed on the need to prevent foreign intervention in Iraq s neighbour, a statement from the Iraqi premier s office said. The Kremlin said Medvedev sought to explain Russia s decision this month to veto together with China a UN Security Council draft resolution condemning President Bashar al-Assad for 11 months of violence that the opposition says has claimed over 7,600 lives. But Saudi Arabia s official SPA news agency said King Abdullah told Medvedev that his calls for Syrian dialogue were "futile" and that Russia should have "coordinated with the Arabs... before using the veto". Russia and Iran have remained two of the Syrian government s closest international backers throughout the bloodshed. And Iraq has shied away from punitive measures against Assad s regime, abstaining from both a vote to suspend Syria from the Arab League, and another to impose sanctions on Damascus.

Britain summons Syrian envoy over journalists' deaths

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Britain summoned the Syrian ambassador to the foreign ministry on Wednesday to lodge a protest over the deaths of two Western journalists in the rebel city of Homs, the Foreign Office said. "On the foreign secretary s instructions, the Syrian ambassador to London, Sami Khiyami, was summoned to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office this afternoon to see the political director, Geoffrey Adams," a statement said.

Man City into last 16 of Europa League

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Manchester City booked their place in the last 16 of the Europa League with a crushing 4-0 second leg victory over defending champions Porto on Wednesday that gave them a 6-1 aggregate win. Sergio Aguero gave Premier League table-toppers City the lead on the night inside 20 seconds at Eastlands, a three-goal advantage in all, before substitute Edin Dzeko made it 2-0 in the 76th minute to put the result beyond doubt. David Silva and substitute David Pizarro then added two more goals inside the final six minutes of normal time at a rain-lashed Eastlands, with the Portuguese visitors down to 10 men by that stage after the sending off of defender Rolando. Manchester United, 2-0 up from their first leg, can join local rivals City in the last 16 if they see off Ajax at Old Trafford on Thursday.

Marseille beats Inter 1-0 in Champions League

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Andre Ayew rose to head home a corner deep into injury time Wednesday as Marseille beat Inter Milan 1-0 in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 matchup. Inter, the 2010 champion, grew in confidence as the second half wore on, but struggled to carve out clear chances against a well-organized Marseille team that lacked invention and a cutting edge up front. Claudio Ranieri s team looked to have done enough to secure a draw, but Ayew timed his run perfectly to head the ball past goalkeeper Julio Cesar s outstretched hand to condemn Ranieri s side to its sixth defeat in the past seven games. Diego Forlan had Inter s best opportunity early in the match when he forced goalkeeper Steve Mandanda to tip the ball over the crossbar from close range.

Tsonga reaches Open 13 quarterfinals

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Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France and Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia won in straight sets Wednesday to advance to the quarterfinals of the Open 13. The top-seeded Tsonga did not face any break points, winning 36 of his 41 service points to beat Nicolas Mahut 6-3, 6-2. Tsonga took a 3-0 lead in the first set and broke Mahut twice in the second. He will next play Edouard Roger-Vasselin, who cruised past Flavio Cipolla of Italy 6-3, 6-0. Roger-Vasselin won the last eight games and broke Cipolla three times in each set. The third-seeded Tipsarevic saved six break points to oust Belgian qualifier David Goffin 6-4, 6-2. Tipsarevic slammed an ace to take the first set and clinched victory with a forehand pass down the line. In the first round, Alexandr Dolgopolov rallied to beat Lukas Rosol of the Czech Republic 2-6, 7-6 (1), 6-3. The sixth-seeded Ukrainian broke for a 3-1 lead in the final set and will next face Michael Llodra of France, who defeated Swiss qualifier Marco Chiudinelli 7-6 (2), 7-6 (3). Llodra, a 2010 champion, had 12 aces in his victory.

Pietersen relishes 'best one-day knock'

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Swashbuckling England batsman Kevin Pietersen hailed his century on Tuesday as his best in one-day cricket, saying his hard work with spin coach Mushtaq Ahmed helped him overcome batting blues. The 31-year-old hit a match-winning 130 to steer England to a four-wicket win after being set a 239-run target by Pakistan, giving his team a 4-0 clean sweep of the series. Pietersen s knock was a total contrast from his tally of 67 during the 3-0 rout in the preceding three-Tests during which he struggled against Pakistan s spin duo of Saeed Ajmal and Abdul Rehman. But since his transfer to Indian Premier League side Delhi Daredevils for this year s tournament was announced in January, Pietersen has hit back-to-back hundreds in England s wins. Pietersen termed this week s as his best, surpassing his previous highest one-day score of 116 made against South Africa at Centurion in 2005. "I am allowed to say it was probably the best one I ve played," Pietersen said on Tuesday. "The hard work I ve been putting in with Mushy has paid off. I ve spent hours and hours with him. I came in early today, early the other day (to practise)," he said of his work with the former Pakistan leg-spinner. Pietersen said he knew he had to bat through the innings after England lost captain Alastair Cook for four in the first over in their run-chase. "I like to really calm things down and just watch the ball and play it. I thought that the total they had, if I batted for 50 overs and took the game deep and batted with a bit of experience, we could come close. "I just wanted to take the game deep, and I wanted to target bowlers as well. I think that was the key to the success. You need experience, lots of it, in order to keep the situation very simple -- and back your ability." Nevertheless, Pietersen said he still has a lot to learn "You need a lot of confidence in your ability. I am not the finished article by any stretch of the imagination. But wow, I thoroughly enjoyed it (the innings)." Pakistan and England now play three Twenty20 internationals, with the first here on Thursday. The remaining two matches will be played in Dubai (February 25) and Abu Dhabi (February 27).

PoliticusUSA

Cricket - Sports

Thursday, February 23, 2012

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