Dunya TV

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• 5 security officials killed in suicide blast in Quetta
• Bike enthusiasts gather for world bike polo championships
• Karachi: Ruet-e-Hilal Committee to meet today
• Target killing a conspiracy against countrys integrity: Altaf
• Gas supply to Sindh industries will remain shut
• New Syria envoy says all conflicts can be solved
• Syria fighting rages as refugee numbers soar
• Bairstow rescues England against Proteas
• Del Potro, Djokovic reach Cincinnati semis
• Oil rises; US considers release from reserves
• 6 fall prey to Karachi killing spree
• Countrywide rallies mark Al-Quds Day
• Paris: We are all hooligans' protesters for Pussy Riot say
• Underwear-clad David Beckham statues appear in NYC
• 'Astore tragedy,Karachi blast planned conspiracy'

5 security officials killed in suicide blast in Quetta Posted: According to details, security officials signaled a suspected car to stop near Sharifabad check post on Qumbrani Road but the driver sped away from the spot.The security personnel chased the car upon which the car driver opened fire. The security officials returned the fire upon which the car driver blew himself up, killing five security officials.The blast was so severe that its bang was heard several kilometers away.The security forces reached the spot and cordoned off the area. The dead body of suicide was taken into custody by security forces.

Bike enthusiasts gather for world bike polo championships Posted: Nearly a week after the end of the prestigious London Olympics, bike enthusiasts from all over the planet are meeting far from media spotlight in Geneva to compete in the 4th edition of the World Championship of Polo -- on bikes.Two teams of three players each play a game of the maximum duration of ten minutes with the first team scoring five goals and winning the game. The rules are borrowed from well-known sports such as polo and hockey, crossed with with highly pimped up handmade bikes, made by the participants of this years World Championships who have travelled from places like Japan, Australia and the United States.Bike polo, an urban sport, saw the light of the day in the American city of Seattle in 1998, when members of the citys bike messenger community initiated the activity. Today, the sport attracts youngsters from other communities as well who are inspired by the do-it-yourself approach.Though some players would eventually like to see bike polo become an official Olympic discipline, Australian player Stephen Chamont thinks the community and activities that are taking place outside of the bike polo courts are what makes bike polo attractive.

Karachi: Ruet-e-Hilal Committee to meet today Posted: The meeting of Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee for sighting of Shawal moon (Eid ul Fitr) will be held today (29th of Ramazan, August 18, Saturday) in Karachi.Chairman Ruet-e-Hilal Committee, Mufti Munib-ur-Rehman will preside over the meeting.The Zonal and District Ruet e Hilal Committees will hold their meetings at their respective places after Asr prayers.

Target killing a conspiracy against countrys integrity: Altaf Posted: Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) leader Altaf Hussain strongly condemned target killing and termed it a conspiracy against integrity of the country.In his statement issued from London, MQM chief said that gunning down of innocent people belonging to a particular segment of society in the country after being pulled out from three passenger buses by armed terrorists and ascertaining their identities was blatant terrorism.Altaf Hussain said that killing of the innocent people belonging to a particular segment of society is a conspiracy to fan sectarian violence in the country.

Gas supply to Sindh industries will remain shut Posted: The supply of gas to industries in Sindh, including Karachi, will remain shut for 48 hours from 7:00am today due to shortage of gas in the country.According to a spokesman of Sui Southern Gas Company, the supply of gas to the industries will resume from 7:00am on Monday.

New Syria envoy says all conflicts can be solved Posted: After two decades as a diplomatic troubleshooter in hotspots from Afghanistan to Iraq, Lakhdar Brahimi firmly believes that every conflict can be solved.That conviction will be put to the test in his new job as the joint United Nations-Arab League special envoy charged with trying to succeed where his former boss Kofi Annan failed bringing an end to the 18-month conflict in Syria.I think his biggest challenge is convincing the international community to intervene and end this whatever it takes, because non-intervention has a much higher cost than intervention, Nadim Shehadi, a Middle East expert at Londons Chatham House think tank, said in a telephone interview Friday. Leaving this to go on is going to create more sectarianism, more extremism and more spillover to the region, and the Assad regime is capable of anything to stay in power.Brahimi brings a unique background and a wealth of experience to a task that many leaders and pundits have written off as impossible.He was a freedom fighter in his native Algeria, drifted into diplomacy after his countrys independence from France in 1962, became undersecretary-general of the Arab League from 1984-1991, and returned to Algeria as foreign minister from 1991-1993.In 1994, Brahimi took his diplomatic skills to the United Nations, taking on key assignments in South Africa, Haiti, Afghanistan during and after the Taliban rule, and Iraq after Saddam Husseins ouster. He chaired a panel that examined U.N. failures in Rwandas genocide and the massacre at Srebrenica during the Bosnian war, and recommended a major overhaul of U.N. peacemaking efforts and peacekeeping operations.Reflecting on his 20 years spent trying to make peace, Brahimi acknowledged in a speech in 2010 that conflicts are terrible and difficult and the cause or the result of problems that need to be solved.Nonetheless, he added, I still believe very, very strongly that there is no conflict that cannot be solved.We, people, make these problems, Brahimi told the Skoll World Forum on Social Entrepreneurship in Oxford, England. And we should be able to solve them. We can solve them.Brahimi said he also learned that in dealing with conflicts obviously you see a lot of wickedness, a lot of cruelty, a lot of injustice, but you also come across a lot of kindness, a lot of courage, and a lot of forgiveness, and that makes up for it.He recalled that when former U.S. Senator George Mitchell accepted the job as President Barack Obamas special envoy to the Middle East in 2009, Mitchell said, you live 800 days of frustration for one day of satisfaction.During his years at the Arab League, Brahimi served as the organizations special envoy trying to mediate an end to Lebanons civil war.There were several failed attempts to end the fighting, he said, but finally on Sept. 24, 1989, we clinched a cease-fire that looked like it would hold and it did, leading to the Taif agreement that ended the 15-year conflict.These kinds of satisfactions are the things that one works for, Brahimi said.Brahimi officially retired in 2005, though he remains active as a lecturer and participant in several non-profit organizations focusing on global affairs. He has taken on special assignments including heading a U.N. panel that investigated the December 2007 bombing of U.N. headquarters in Algiers. He is also a member of The Elders, the international group of prominent statesmen founded by Nelson Mandela that has been speaking out on major issues.

Syria fighting rages as refugee numbers soar Posted: Syrian forces pounded rebel hubs in the northern city of Aleppo and battled opposition fighters around Damascus on Friday, activists said, as the UN reported a surge in the number of people fleeing.And despite the imminent departure of the observers, the United Nations announced that veteran Algerian diplomat Lakhdar Brahimi will take over as international envoy from Kofi Annan, who quit earlier this month.On the ground, violence was also reported in other towns and villages across the country, with the bloodletting showing no signs of any let-up a day after the United Nations formally called time on its observer mission.The violence and the suffering in Syria must come to an end, UN chief Ban Ki-moon said in a statement announcing the appointment of Brahimi.Ban called on the international community to give strong, clear and unified support to the new envoy, after Annan complained that his mission had been mission had been hamstrung by the deep rift on the UN Security Council between the West and traditional Damascus allies Beijing and Moscow.But in sign that the divisions remain as large as ever, Washington called for clarifications on Brahimis mandate and Moscow called off a meeting on the conflict that had been planned for Friday after Western and Arab governments said they would not attend.On the ground, at least 72 people were killed as the regime continued its onslaught on Friday, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human rights, a watchdog which has a network of activists on the ground.The army clashed with rebels near the main military airport in Damascus and shelled southern parts of the capital as well as areas of the commercial city of Aleppo and the eastern province of Deir Ezzor, the Observatory said.Deadly violence was also reported in the provinces of Homs and Daraa, the cradle of the uprising that began with peaceful protests in March 2011 but has escalated into an increasingly vicious battle between armed rebels and government forces.Opposition factions reported that 65 bodies had been found dumped on a rubbish tip in a town near Damascus, claiming the victims had been bound, executed and set on fire by pro-government forces.The Syrian Revolutionary Command Council issued a poor quality video which showed, some of the bodies were in just underwear or half-dressed, their limbs splayed apart, and hands tied behind their backs. Many were charred beyond recognition.The victims were handcuffed, extrajudicially executed and burned by Assad forces, the SRGC said in a statement.It is impossible to independently verify such claims as journalists are unable to report freely in Syria.With the international community still deeply divided over how to end the conflict, the UN said the number of Syrians seeking refuge in neighbouring countries had now soared to at least 170,000.There has been a further sharp rise in the number of Syrians fleeing to Turkey, the UN refugee agency said.

Bairstow rescues England against Proteas Posted: Jonathan Bairstow rewarded Englands decision to recall him in place of Kevin Pietersen with a maiden Test fifty as they fought back on the second day of their series finale with South Africa at Lords.Bairstow came in Friday when England, just as the tourists had done in their first innings, had collapsed to 54 for four.But by stumps England were 208 for five.Bairstow was 72 not out, having added 124 for the fifth wicket with Ian Bell (58). Matt Prior was unbeaten on 22.However, that left England still 101 runs adrift of South Africas 309, with the Proteas, 1-0 up in the three-match series, only needing to avoid defeat to replace their hosts as the worlds top-ranked Test side.Bairstow, dropped by England after making a mere 38 runs during his first three Tests against the West Indies earlier this season, was under severe pressure -- especially following Pietersens 149 in the drawn second Test at Headingley.Despite that brilliant innings, England axed the South Africa-born Pietersen after he sent provocative texts, believed to be critical of his team-mates, to Proteas players.Bell though insisted Bairstow was not under extra pressure after coming in for the controversial Pietersen.When the 22-year-old Bairstow walked out, Dale Steyn had taken two wickets for one run in four balls and fellow fast bowler Morne Morkel two for three in 11.Morkel struck first when, off the last ball before lunch, he bowled England captain Andrew Strauss, playing his 100th Test and 50th as skipper on his Middlesex home ground, between bat and pad with a well-directed delivery from around the wicket.Steyn then removed Jonathan Trott, lbw on review, and Alastair Cook, well caught by Jacques Kallis at second slip, for single figure scores.Bairstow struggled with the short ball against the West Indies and South Africa tried to work the Yorkshireman over.However, Bell said of Bairstow: He handled himself brilliantly. He probably committed to one thing (more than he did against the West Indies).Bairstow, despite taking 13 balls to get off the mark and looking decidedly uncomfortable, eventually pulled the tall Morkel for four before Bell drove Steyn to the boundary.Both batsmen got away with some streaky edges but there was no doubt about Bairstows on-driven four off leg-spinner Imran Tahir.A fortunate steer through the slips off Morkel saw Bairstow, who last week made a hundred for the second-string England Lions against Australia A, to fifty off 86 balls including eight fours.It was not long before Bell, on a sunny day, followed Bairstow to fifty by steering Kallis behind point for a sixth four in 133 balls.But all-rounder Vernon Philander, whose maiden Test fifty had earlier helped the Proteas past 300, broke the fifth-wicket partnership when he had Bell edging a good length ball to third slip Alviro Petersen.Steyn, Morkel and Kallis all then beat the bat but no more wickets fell Friday.South Africa resumed on 262 for seven, with Philander 46 not out.He went on to make 61, joint top score in the innings, as South Africa recovered from seeing Middlesex fast bowler Steven Finn, who finished with four for 75, rip through their star-studded top order.Philander shared several useful lower order partnerships before his more than three hours of resistance ended when he was last man out, stumped trying to slog off-spinner Graeme Swann.It was satisfying to bail the team out, said Philander. Having been 54 for four on day one, 309 well take that.

Del Potro, Djokovic reach Cincinnati semis Posted: Novak Djokovic and Juan Martin del Potro have advanced to the semifinals of the Western & Southern Open, setting up a rematch of the Olympic bronze medal match.Del Potro beat Djokovic for the bronze on Wimbledons grass in London.Del Potro defeated Frances Jeremy Chardy 6-1, 6-3 in the opening match Friday. His biggest concern has been a sore left wrist that hell have examined before the US Open, which he won in 2009.Djokovic knocked off Marin Cilic 6-3, 6-2, reaching a Masters semifinal for the second straight week. He won the Rogers Cup in Toronto last Sunday. Top-ranked Roger Federer was scheduled for the night match.On the womens side, Serena and Venus Williams also had quarterfinal matches later on.

Oil rises; US considers release from reserves Posted: The price of oil headed higher for a fourth straight day Friday on fresh signs US consumers are gaining some confidence in the economy.Benchmark oil rose 34 cents to $95.94 per barrel in afternoon trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It has gained three percent this week on positive economic data and a drop in US oil supplies. Its up 23 percent since late June.The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan preliminary August index of consumer sentiment released Friday showed its highest level since May. Most economists had been expecting a decline.Word that the Obama administration is considering a release of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to stem the rising cost of crude appeared to have more impact on Brent crude, which is used to price international varieties of oil. Brent fell $1.28 to $113.99 a barrel in London. Before Friday, Brent had climbed more than $13 per barrel this month on concerns about production outages in the North Sea. Its also influenced more by developments in the Middle East.A senior administration official, who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly, told The Associated Press Friday the US is monitoring gas prices to see whether they fall before making a decision to tap strategic reserves.White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters Friday morning that the move is an option, but he didnt elaborate.Gas prices in the US have risen an average of 39 cents a gallon (3.8 liters) since early July, because of an increase in oil prices and refinery and pipeline problems in some regions.The US released oil from its Strategic Petroleum Reserve last summer with only limited success. Oil prices dropped nearly 5 percent when the government announced the release of 30 million barrels from the SPR on July 23. Prices rebounded over the next eight days. Oil ended the year higher than it started.

6 fall prey to Karachi killing spree Posted: According to details, some unidentified persons opened fire and killed a man in Nazimabad. The deceased was identified as Abbas.In another incident of violence, an MQM activist Adil was shot dead in firing by some unidentified miscreants.In Baldia Yousuf Goth, a man was gunned down by miscreants while some unidentified gunmen opened fire and killed a police official in Pak Colony.At least four people were wounded in firing incidents in Orangi Town, Kimari and Gulbahar areas.Meanwhile, two victims of Federal B Area firing incident succumbed to their wounds in hospital while some angry protesters opened indiscriminate firing near Shahra-e-Pakistan. Panic gripped the area after the firing.

Countrywide rallies mark Al-Quds Day Posted: Participants condemned Israeli occupation on Palestinian territories and appealed the world community to play their role for liberation of wretched of the earth.A large number of people participated in the rally held in Islamabad where speakers said that the US and Israel were main forces which were igniting fire of hate and sectarian riots in Pakistan for their vested interests.In the same way, a big rally was arranged in Lahore which commenced from Islampura and culminated at Karbala Gamay Shah. Scholars threw light on the historical background of Palestine and suggested strategy for freedom of the ruled.Likewise, big rallies were taken out in different cities particularly in Quetta, Peshawar, Multan, DG Khan, Tobatek Singh, Jhang, Chichwatni, Bhalwal and Nawabshah.Participants were holding banners and placards inscribed with anti US and Israel slogans. They also set national flags of both countries on fire and raised voice for liberty of Palestine.On the other hand, the United States on Friday condemned Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejads comment that Israel was a tumor that needed to be wiped out, as hateful and divisive.National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor told AFP that if Iran was as concerned about human rights as Ahmadinejad said, it should stop supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assads brutal assault on his people.We strongly condemn the latest series of offensive and reprehensible comments by senior Iranian officials that are aimed at Israel, Vietor said.The entire international community should condemn this hateful and divisive rhetoric.If Iranian officials are truly concerned about protecting the rights and dignity of all human beings, then Iran should stop supporting Assads brutal assault on the Syrian people, Vietor said.Iran and Syrias blatant disregard for basic human rights is the real insult to humanity.Ahmadinejad earlier delivered his latest explosive remarks about Israel in a speech in Tehran marking Quds Day.The Zionist regime and the Zionists are a cancerous tumor. Even if one cell of them is left in one inch of (Palestinian) land, in the future this story (of Israels existence) will repeat, he said.The nations of the region will soon finish off the usurper Zionists in the Palestinian land.... A new Middle East will definitely be formed. With the grace of God and help of the nations, in the new Middle East there will be no trace of the Americans and Zionists, he said.The diatribe took place amid heightened tensions between Israel and Iran over Tehrans disputed nuclear program.The Jewish state has in recent weeks intensified its threats to possibly bomb Irans nuclear facilities to prevent it having the capability to produce atomic weapons.

Paris: We are all hooligans' protesters for Pussy Riot say Posted: In a Paris square, supporters followed the trial by phone and shouted in unison with protesters in Moscow. In Kiev, Ukraine, four women, one who was topless, used a chainsaw to cut down a cross. And in cities across Europe and the U.S., young people donned the neon-colored balaclavas that have become symbols of the band.The three women, who have been in jail for more than five months because of a guerrilla performance denouncing President Vladimir Putin in Moscows main cathedral, were convicted on charges of hooliganism driven by religious hatred and each sentenced to two years in prison.The trial has been seen as a symbol of Russias intolerance of dissent, especially under the reign of Putin, and a series of colorful and raucous protests have attracted worldwide attention to the feminist rockers fate. Celebrities including Paul McCartney, Madonna and Bjork have called for the band members to be freed.Governments including the United States, Britain, France and Germany joined the chorus Friday, denouncing the sentences as disproportionate.But Fridays demonstrations none of which attracted more than a few hundred people seemed unlikely to gain the momentum needed to exert any real pressure on Russias government.Still, one protester in Berlin who used to be an East German dissident underscored the importance of continuing even seemingly futile calls for changes.I remember the times when we were in opposition ... the signs from other countries were very, very important, said Marianne Birthler, who also served as head of a post-reunification commission that investigated the East German intelligence service. So we knew what we are doing is recognized and there are people who are willing to support us and who follow what happens to us. Thats the reason we are here now.Protesters from New York to London to Copenhagen donned colorful balaclavas like those the women were wearing when they performed in the cathedral and some men at the gathering in the British capital even wore dresses in solidarity.These three girls are just the tip of the iceberg, said Adam Adamson, a 26-year-old who set up the Facebook page for the London protest. Many have been arrested because they were opposing Putin.In New York, about 40 protesters gathered, holding up banners that read: We are all hooligans.In Barcelona, Spain, more than 50 colorfully garbed demonstrators sang and danced to Pussy Riot songs as they protested outside the large Sagrada Familia church.Russia may be a mixture of Europe and Asia which means it has a unique approach to religion, but we know this is not really a religious issue, said Andrei Viachenko, a 28-year-old Russian doctoral student studying in Spain.A protest in Washington was more subdued, with 11 people marching in a loose circle in front of the Russian Embassy.In Serbia, while anti-Putin activists plan protests in Belgrade, a Serbian far-right group has taken Putins side. The group Nasi has launched an online game targeting the Pussy Riot members, and says on its website that the women should be sent to a hospital for psychiatric treatment.

Underwear-clad David Beckham statues appear in NYC Posted: The massive sculptures have gone up as part of a promotion for the soccer players new underwear line for H&M.The Daily News says three of the larger-than-life statues have been placed inside H&Ms midtown-Manhattan store. Theres also one in Central Park and another at the South Street Seaport.There are also two statues in Los Angeles and one in San Francisco.Theyll remain on display until Aug. 31.

'Astore tragedy,Karachi blast planned conspiracy' Posted: According to statement issued by the MQM’s Coordination Committee, innocent people are mercilessly being killed without any reason which is clear cut terrorism.Committee further said that the people involved in such activities want to hurt unity among the Muslim World.The body also appealed to the religious scholars and masses to remain patient and foil all kinds of conspiracies while expressing an ideal unity unwavering faith among their lines as they had been defeating anarchy and schism in days have gone.The committee members also demanded the government to take notice of assassination of innocent people and bring the miscreants to justice.

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