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Series of blasts damage railway tracks in Sindh
Lahore: Passengers stage protest on PIA flight cancellation
Safe havens exist in Pakistan, claims Crocker
By-polls on six NA and four PA seats today
Pakistan's right to review relations in national interest: US
Interior ministry wants red warrants for Musharrafs arrest
CNG stations in Sindh to remain shut today
Obama pledges continued pressure on Syria
Clinton blasts Russia and China over Syria
Palestinian dies after West bank shooting: medics
UN atomic agency: Iran rapidly expands nuke work
Wozniacki crashes out of Dubai Open
Tsonga, Del Potro reach semifinals of Open 13
Athletics: Bolt's season start delayed again
Hockey: India, France to clash for Olympics place

Series of blasts damage railway tracks in Sindh

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According to details, two explosions occurred near railway track on Londu Railway Staion near Nawabshah which partially damaged the railway track. Luckily, Millat Express has crossed the blast site just few minutes before. Business Train, travelling from Lahore to Karachi, was staoped at Sarhari Railway Station after the explosions. Two blasts occurred at the main railway track near Sehrish Railway Crossing in Hayderabad while another explosion occurred on track in Latifabad area. Two explosions also occurred near Pad Eiden Railway Station after which Sukkur Express was stoped and Bandi Railway Station while Khyber Mail was stoped at Bharia Railway Station. In Kotri, a blast near Nagina Mills damaged track. In yet another blast the railway track was badly damaged at Garnag Railway Crossing near Dharki. Meanwhile another explosion occurred in Khairpur Miras. All Up and Down trains from Karachi have been stoped on different railway stations due to series of blasts. Large contigents of police reached the blast sites and cordoned off the area.

Lahore: Passengers stage protest on PIA flight cancellation

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The Frankfurt-bound flight from Lahore was scheduled to take off at 12:00 noon on Friday, however the passengers were informed that the fight has been delayed and it will leave Lahore on 3:00am on Saturday morning. When the passengers reached Lahore Airport on night between Friday and Saturday, they were informed that the flight has been cancelled. This infuriated the passengers and they staged a protest and chanted slogans against PIA management. They also demand of the PIA authorities to arrange some alternative flight to carry them to their destination.

Safe havens exist in Pakistan, claims Crocker

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The US ambassador to Afghanistan sent a top secret cable to Washington last month warning that the persistence of enemy havens in Pakistan was placing the success of the US strategy in Afghanistan in jeopardy, said US officials. The cable, written by Ryan C. Crocker, amounted to an admission that years of US efforts to curtail insurgent activity in Pakistan by the lethal Haqqani network, a key Taliban ally, were failing. Because of the intended secrecy of that message, Crocker sent it through CIA channels, rather than normal State Department ones. The cable, which was described by several officials familiar with its contents, could be used as ammunition by senior military officials who favour more aggressive action by the United States against the Haqqani havens in Pakistan. It also could buttress calls from senior military officials for a more-gradual withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan as the 2014 deadline for ending combat operations approaches. These military officials have maintained for months that the current strategy of targeting raids against Taliban leadership and building local Afghan governance is showing impressive results. But they warn that worsening conditions in Pakistan and the ability of insurgent groups to find haven there necessitates a larger American force than many in the Obama administration are advocating. The United States is on course to reduce the size of its force in Afghanistan to about 68,000 troops by the end of this summer and shift away from combat to more of an advisory role to Afghan forces by the middle of next year.

By-polls on six NA and four PA seats today

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Preparations have been finalised for polling in six constituencies of the National Assembly and four constituencies of Provincial Assembly. Polling will start at 8:00am and conclude at 5:00pm in Multan, Rahim Yar Khan, Vehari and Kasur for the NA seats and in Badin, Tando Muhammad Khan, Attock and Mianwali for PA seats. Seven candidates are contesting in NA-9 Mardan-I while the main contenders are Himayatullah, who is joint candidate of PPP and ANP, and Shuja-ul-Mulk of JUI-F. This seat was vacated by Khawaja Muhammad Hoti who has joined PTI. Sardar Sarwar Dogar of PPP and 15 independent candidates are contesting in NA-140 Kasur-III which was vacated by Sardar Asif Ahmad Ali who joined Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. There are 19 candidates in NA-148 Multan-I but the real competition is between Abdul Ghaffar Dogar of PML-N and PM Gilani’s son, Musa Gilani of PPP. The seat was vacated by Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi who resigned and joined PTI. Nine candidates are in the arena in NA-149 Multan-II but the main contestants are Tariq Rashid of PML-N and Liquat Dogar of PPP. The seat was vacated after resignation of Makhdoom Javed Hashmi. Eight candidates are contesting in NA-168 Vehari-II, including Bilal Akbar Bhatti of PML-N and Nitasha Daultana of PPP and six independent candidates. The seat fell vacant after the tragic death of PPP’s MNA Azeem Daultana in a road accident. Meanwhile, bye election is also being held in four provincial constituencies including two in Punjab and two others in Sindh. Eight candidates are contesting in PP-18 Attock-IV but main contenders are Malik Azam Ghaiba of PML-N, Malik Sameen Khan of PPP and independent candidate Malik Amanat Ali Khan. Five candidates are competing in PP-44 Mianwali-II but the main contenders are Adil Abdullah Rokhri of PML-N, Sardar Bahadur Khan of PPP and independent candidate Malik Tariq Mehmood Kand. The Sindh Assembly vacant seats include PS-53 Tando Muhammad Khan-cum-Hyderabad and PS-57 Badin-I (Old Badin-III).

Pakistan's right to review relations in national interest: US

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During a briefing Friday, deputy spokesperson of the US State Department, Mark Toner was asked whether Pakistan was trying to dictate relations with US on its own terms by insisting on an overall parliamentary review. He, however, replied that Pakistanis were within their right to hold such a review.  "This is the Pakistanis exercising their sovereign right to look at this relationship, decide what they want out of this relationship, and make a decision that it’s in their national interest, as is our relationship with the Pakistani government in the US’s national interest," he pointed out. When asked whether the Pakistani parliament was taking a bit too long in completing the review process, he disagreed and said US administration was ready to wait for the recommendations. "We’ve long said that we share the same goals and we face the same challenges, and that’s why this relationship is so important," he argued. If we can go back as far as the Secretary’s meeting with the Pakistani foreign minister in London, Secretary was saying that the US is ready to resume talks and have good back relations with Pakistan. But Pakistani foreign minister and also in Pakistan, they are saying that, wait a minute, we – this time the talks and relations will be on our terms and also we are reviewing – the parliament is reviewing the relations now. What I am asking you really, what if something turns out saying this is like Pakistani dictating the US foreign policy? And second, how long can you wait for the review in order to – isn’t some time too late? On another question asking him to throw some light on the difficulties in engaging with a Pakistani government facing internal crisis, like the indictment of Prime Minister Gilani in the Supreme Court, he said the US administration was unaffected by it. "I don’t believe it’s difficult. This is an internal political process that’s being played out in the courts in Pakistan, but he (Gilani) remains the prime minister," he maintained. On the apology offered by President Obama and other high-ranking US officials on the Quran burning incident in Afghanistan, he said this was offered because the sorry incident was "an affront not only to Afghans but to Muslims worldwide, and it was in that spirit that this apology was offered." He, though, expressed concern over the spate of violent demonstrations in Afghanistan following the incident. "Right now, we’ve seen some ongoing demonstrations today in towns and cities across Afghanistan. We’re obviously very concerned about these pockets of violence and reports of deaths. We’re going to continue to engage with the Afghan political, religious, and civil society in order to call for calm," Mark Toner stated. "We’ve seen Afghan leaders from President Karzai, and others, while recognizing the severity of the incident that took place, calling for calm, and we’re hopeful that the Afghan people will accept our sincerest apologies for what happened and we can move on," he hoped.  - Contributed by Awais Saleem, Dunya News correspondent in Washington, DC

Interior ministry wants red warrants for Musharrafs arrest

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The interior ministry has written to Director General (DG) of FIA regarding contacting Interpol for issuing red warrants of former President Pervez Musharraf, for his trail in Benazir Bhutto murder case. The DG-FIA has been directed to complete all legal formalities regarding ensuring issuance of red alert warrants for Pervez Musharraf within three days. Sources have also informed that Rehman Malik had also specifically stressed on officials to keep him (Rehman Malik) updated about the issue on daily basis. It is pertinent to note that former President Musharraf has been declared as a proclaimed offender, and government has been directed to take adequate steps to ensure Musharraf’s return back home for his trail in Benazir murder case.

CNG stations in Sindh to remain shut today

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According to Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) gas supply to all the CNG stations will remain suspended from 9:00am today (Saturday) till 9am Sunday under gas load management programme. The surveillance teams of Sui Southern Gas Company will monitor the the CNG stations during the period. The supply to those CNG stations will remain suspended for 48 houre who were found violating the gas closure programme.

Obama pledges continued pressure on Syria

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President Barack Obama says the United States will keep up pressure on Syria s leader to stop the "slaughter" of civilians. Obama says it is "imperative" that the world unite in its condemnation of the Syrian military onslaught on civilians. Civilians are under siege in the restive city of Homs, among other places, and thousands have died. Obama says the world cannot be a bystander to the violence, but he did not give specifics about what the U.S. or other countries could really do to help. Obama says "it is time to stop the killing of Syrian citizens by their own government." Obama spoke Friday in Washington shortly after Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton used strong language to denounce Russia and China for protecting Syria.

Clinton blasts Russia and China over Syria

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US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has blasted Russia and China for opposing UN Security Council action on Syria, calling it "despicable." Clinton says she s willing to go back to the U.N. as often as needed "but we need to change the attitude of the Russian and Chinese governments." She spoke Friday at an international conference in Tunisia aimed at persuading Syrian President Bashar Assad and his allies into accepting demands for a democratic transition.

Palestinian dies after West bank shooting: medics

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The hospital sources said that Tareq Arumi, 23, was hit in a clash with troops during the afternoon in protests in the Al-Ram neighbourhood adjacent to Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, which broke out as Palestinian stone-throwers battled police at the flashpoint Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem s Old City. The army said that first reports indicated that a soldier opened fire with live ammunition, hitting him in the shoulder. "An initial investigation suggests that a Palestinian man fired fireworks at soldiers from several metres (yards) away, putting the soldiers  lives in danger," a spokesman said. "The soldier responded by firing, injuring the Palestinian in his shoulder."

UN atomic agency: Iran rapidly expands nuke work

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Iran has rapidly ramped up production of higher-grade enriched uranium over the last four months, the U.N. nuclear agency said Friday, in a confidential report that feeds concerns about how quickly the Islamic republic could produce an atomic bomb. The report by the International Atomic Energy Agency also said Iran had failed to give a convincing explanation about a quantity of missing uranium metal. Diplomats say the amount unaccounted for is large enough to be used for experiments in arming a nuclear missile. Iran insists it is not interested in nuclear weapons and says its activities are meant either to generate energy or to be used for research. But the report contained little assurances the country s activities are purely peaceful. Instead, it also confirmed that two IAEA missions to Tehran within less than a month had failed to dent Iran s refusal to assist an IAEA probe of suspicions that the country has been secretly working on aspects of a nuclear weapons programme. The confidential report obtained by The Associated Press said the agency continues to have "serious concerns regarding possible military dimensions to Iran s nuclear programme." The report was issued to the IAEA s 35-nation board and the U.N. Security Council as the latest update on what the agency knows and what it suspects about Iran s nuclear programme.

Wozniacki crashes out of Dubai Open

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Defending champion Caroline Wozniacki lost in the semifinals of the Dubai Tennis Championships, falling to Julia Goerges 7-6 (3), 7-5 Friday. The former top-ranked Dane led 4-2 in the second set before Goerges regained control to close out the match in just over two hours. Goerges will face Agnieszka Radwanska in the final Saturday after the Polish player defeated Jelena Jankovic of Serbia 6-2, 2-6, 6-0 in the first semifinal. Wozniacki said she struggled with her serve throughout the match, while Goerges never let her find her rhythm once the ball was in play. "I felt I had all the opportunities in the world today and didn t take advantage of them. If you don t take your chances, there is no way to win," Wozniacki said. "It s easy to say I should have done this and could have done that. But, you know, as well for Julia she took her chances. If I came with a weak shot she was there straight away and she punished me." Goerges now has a 3-2 head-to-head record against the former No. 1. "It was a pretty tough match. I mean, it s never easy playing her," Goerges said. "It s always a lot of balls, a lot of rallies. We played over two hours for two sets." Goerges overcame Russia s Svetlana Kuznetsova, Casey Dellacqua of Australia and Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia in the previous rounds. Dellacqua replaced top-ranked Victoria Azarenka, who pulled out of the tournament with an ankle injury on Wednesday before she was to play her opening match against Goerges. "You never expect being in the final when you have seen the draw before," Goerges said. "I mean, it started with a tough first round, expecting another big match in the second round, which unfortunately didn t happen. "But, well, it s nice to be in the final with so many great players in the draw." Radwanska and Goerges last met in Melbourne last month, when the Polish player beat the German 6-1, 6-1 in the quarterfinals. "Well, it s going to be a tough one again," Goerges said of Saturday s final. "I mean, she killed me in Australia. Well, tomorrow is a new day, new match, and starts from zero again." The fifth-seeded Radwanska jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the first set against Jankovic before winning it in 33 minutes. The 22-year-old Polish player faltered in the second when her Serbian opponent broke twice, but then regrouped and wrapped up the win without losing another game. Radwanska said she regained her confidence by breaking early in the third set, causing the eighth-seeded Jankovic to lose focus.

Tsonga, Del Potro reach semifinals of Open 13

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Jo-Wilfried Tsonga beat Edouard Roger-Vasselin 6-4, 7-5 Friday to reach the semifinals of the Open 13. The top-seeded Frenchman will next face Juan Martin Del Potro, who edged Richard Gasquet 7-5, 7-6 (5). Tsonga served 14 aces and saved 10 break points in an all-French match. Tsonga dropped serve in the opening game but broke back in the sixth. He hit 18 winners to 11 for Roger-Vasselin to take the first set when his opponent netted a forehand volley. Roger-Vasselin double-faulted at 6-5 in the next set to give Tsonga two match points. Tsonga converted the first on a forehand error from Roger-Vasselin. Del Potro served 15 aces in a tight match that saw him win just one more point than Gasquet 78 to 77. The fourth-seeded Argentine led 3-1 in the last set but Gasquet, a former top-10 player, broke back in the eighth game. Del Potro then saved a set point at 6-5 to force a tiebreaker before clinching victory with a diving backhand volley. The 2009 U.S. Open champion whipped a forehand winner to take the first set. He saved two set points at 5-4 with a forehand winner and an ace. In the next game, Gasquet missed a smash to drop serve. Tsonga was the player with the most aces on the ATP Tour last season, although France has found another hard-serving player in 20-year-old Albano Olivetti. Olivetti lost to Michael Llodra 7-6 (5), 7-5 in another all-French quarterfinal, but has still left an impression on the home crowd after beating Mardy Fish on Thursday. The 2.03-meter (6-foot-8) Olivetti hit a serve of 254 kph (158 mph) last year on the Challenger Tour. But Ivo Karlovic of Croatia still holds the world record for the fastest serve with 251 kph (156 mph) as only performances on the ATP tour are taken into account for official records. However, Llodra outslugged Olivetti with 14 aces to 13 on Friday, and did not face a break point. Olivetti netted a backhand volley at 5-5 to drop serve and Llodra converted his first match point with an ace. The 388th-ranked Olivetti double-faulted twice in the tiebreaker and Llodra won the first set when Olivetti sent a backhand into the net. "Those two double-faults cost me dearly," Olivetti said. "That s the reason why I lost the tiebreaker." Olivetti made 10 unforced errors in the first set to none for Llodra, the 2010 champion.

Athletics: Bolt's season start delayed again

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Usain Bolt has pulled out of Saturday s Gibson Relays, another delay to the start of a 2012 campaign pointed toward his defence of his Olympic sprint titles in London. "Due to Usain s unscheduled trip (to Europe) which resulted in his training disruption the coach, Glen Mills, has decided that Usain will not take part in the Gibson Relays," Bolt s camp said in a one-line release. It s the second local meeting Bolt will miss this month after he had left the island days prior to his traditional opener, the Camperdown Classic, two weeks ago. Bolt, the reigning 100m and 200m Olympic champion, was slated to race a 400m at the low-key Camperdown meeting, but was seen in Germany where he reportedly went to see renowned sport medicine doctor Hans-Wilhelm Miller-Wohlfahrt. Bolt, however, has downplayed rumors of an injury and reported up to last Sunday that he was fine. Meet organizers in Europe said this month that Bolt will open his pre-Olympic season in Europe competing in the Golden Spike event in the eastern Czech city of Ostrava on May 25. He will then compete in Rome on May 31, and in the Oslo Diamond League meeting on June 7.

Hockey: India, France to clash for Olympics place

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India struck twice in the last five minutes to post a thrilling 4-2 victory over gutsy Poland and move into the men s final of the Olympic qualifying tournament in New Delhi on Friday. The hosts will now clash with France, who drew 1-1 with Canada, with the winners of that match on Sunday qualifying for the London Olympics. India topped the six-team group with 15 points from five matches, followed by France (10), Poland (nine), Canada (seven), Italy (three) and Singapore (nil). South Africa, who topped the six-team group with 13 points, will meet India (10 points) in the women s final on Saturday, with the winners making it to the Olympics.

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Cricket - Sports

Saturday, February 25, 2012

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