Dunya TV

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• 2 dacoits killed in alleged police encounter in Lahore
• London: Shahbaz meets UK minister
• President Zardari arrives in Karachi
• Kayani to leave for Russia today
• Early Afghan pullout possible: Rasmussen
• Peru: 22 killed as bus plunges into ravine
• Former big leaguer Gathright suspended for drugs
• New Zealand cancels Mike Tyson's visa
• Ahmadinejad vows not to back down nuclear programme
• Iranians blame their leaders for deprivation: US
• Netanyahu to visit Europe, discuss Iran
• US judge halts tough new voter ID requirement
• Facebook redesigns its help center
• Five including woman killed in Karachi firing
• Obama, Romney preparing for televised debate

2 dacoits killed in alleged police encounter in Lahore Posted: According to police, the dacoits attacked a police team when cops tried to stop them at a picket point.After an exchange of firing, two dacoits were shot dead, while their companion managed to flee from the scene. The police have shifted the bodies for autopsy.

London: Shahbaz meets UK minister Posted: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif met British Minister of State for International Development Alan Duncan and visited King Solomon Academy.The chief minister also offered cooperation for starting new Punjab Schools Education Department during his visit to King Solomon Academy.The academy council expressed agreement to work on Public-Private partnership-like model.

President Zardari arrives in Karachi Posted: President Zardari participated in United Nations (UN) General Assembly session in New York besides meeting with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, British PM David Cameron and leaders and officials of others countries.

Kayani to leave for Russia today Posted: Army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani will be in Russia from October 3-6 to give a push to Islamabad s efforts to improve relations with Moscow ahead of the pull out of foreign troops from Afghanistan.Gen Kayani’s visit was in the planning for months, but got additional focus because of cancellation of Putin’s visit to Pakistan, which would have been a landmark trip because he would have been the first Russian president to visit Pakistan.Kayani is expected to meet President Vladimir Putin. This will be the Pakistan Army chief s first visit to Russia since 2009.On the other hand, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will visit Pakistan during October 3-4 amid efforts by Islamabad to step up contacts with the political and military leadership in Moscow ahead of the withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan.

Early Afghan pullout possible: Rasmussen Posted: NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said that Afghan security forces step forward and take more and more responsibility, foreign troops can take a step backwards. He said that the NATO forces can gradually change from mainly combat to mainly support.Rasmussen stated that it was part of the strategy of the enemies of Afghanistan to undermine trust and confidence between the Afghan security forces and the foreign troops, adding that it was also part of a strategy to undermine public and political support for NATO mission in Afghanistan.

Peru: 22 killed as bus plunges into ravine Posted: A bus riding along a foggy road in Peru plunged into a ravine, killing 22 people and leaving 16 injured, a news agency reported Tuesday.Two foreigners were among the dead: a Spanish engineer working in Peru and a Venezuelan tourist, the Andina agency said.The accident happened Monday near the city of Huarmaca, about 850 kilometers (530 miles) north of Lima.The agency said the fog was apparently the cause of the tragedy.Perus roads are among the most dangerous in Latin America, with 2,900 people killed in accidents in 2010 and 2,583 in 2011, according to government figures.Perilous mountain roads and the shoddy condition of Peruvians cars and trucks are the cause of most of the accidents.Last month 14 people died in an accident on a secondary road in the southeast Cuzco region.

Former big leaguer Gathright suspended for drugs Posted: Former major league outfielder Joey Gathright has been suspended for 50 games after testing positive for an amphetamine.The baseball commissioners office issued the penalty Tuesday for violating the minor league drug program. It will take effect if the free agent signs with another big league organization.The 31-year-old Gathright played seven seasons with Tampa Bay, Kansas City, the Chicago Cubs and Boston. He was in the majors with the Red Sox last year.Gathright played this year for Triple-A Louisville in the Cincinnati system and with Bridgeport in the independent Atlantic League. He struck out leading off the game against Roger Clemens in late August during the seven-time Cy Young Award winners comeback at age 50.

New Zealand cancels Mike Tyson's visa Posted: In a reversal, Mike Tyson has been denied entry to the country whose indigenous Maori people he says inspired his facial tattoo.New Zealand authorities on cancelled an entry visa for the former heavyweight boxing champion and convicted rapist, days after the prime minister spoke out against his planned visit.The Las Vegas celebrity had earlier been granted an exemption to New Zealand immigration rules to speak at a November charitable event, Day of the Champions. Tysons 1992 rape conviction would have normally made him ineligible to enter the country.Speaking to the APNZ news agency this week before his visa was cancelled, Tyson said his tattoo was inspired by New Zealands indigenous Maori culture. In pre-European times, many Maori wore elaborate facial tattoos as a sign of their status in their tribe. Some Maori today who identify strongly with their traditional culture get similar tattoos.Other than that Ive never heard of Maori people, so Im looking forward to come down there and see them, he told the agency.Associate Immigration Minister Kate Wilkinson said in a statement Wednesday that the original decision to let Tyson enter was a finely balanced call and that the charity that would have benefited from his visit had now withdrawn its support.Prime Minister John Key spoke out against the planned visit this week, questioning the decision by immigration authorities and saying he personally disapproved.Before his visa was cancelled, Tyson told APNZ: Fortunately, I am coming to New Zealand and theres nothing they can do about it and Im so sorry, Im sorry they feel disappointed and Im just living my life.

Ahmadinejad vows not to back down nuclear programme Posted: Iran will not back down on its nuclear programme despite the problems caused by Western sanctions, including a dramatic slide in the value of its currency, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Tuesday.If somebody thinks they can pressure Iran, they are certainly wrong and they must correct their behaviour, he said. Ahmadinejads comments came amid an accelerated slide in Irans currency, which has now lost more than 80 percent of its value compared with a year ago -- with 17 percent of its value shed on Monday alone.The currency, the rial, slipped another four percent on Tuesday to close at 36,100 to the dollar, according to exchange tracking websites.Ahmadinejad said the plunge was part of an economic war waged by the West on the Islamic republic and a psychological war on the exchange market.Iran, he said, had sufficient foreign currency reserves. Those reserves were estimated at around $100 billion at the end of last year, thanks to surging oil exports. But the US Treasury, which is monitoring the sanctions, believes Irans foreign earnings have been cut by $5 billion a month under the Western economic measures.These are the most punishing sanctions we have ever been able to amass as an international community and they are very important for trying to get Irans attention on the important denuclearisation work, US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said in Washington on Monday.In his media conference, Ahmadinejad backtracked on hints he had made during a visit to New York last week to attend a UN General Assembly that Iran could consider direct negotiations with the United States on the nuclear issue.Direct negotiation is possible, but needs conditions, and I do not think the conditions are there for talks. Dialogue should be based on fairness and mutual respect, he said. But he also said: I think that this situation cannot last in the relations between Iran and the United States.Ahmadinejad on his return was criticised by hardliners in Iran for opening the door to the possibility of negotiations with America. That also fuelled criticism that his government is mismanaging the economy.The chairman of Tehrans chamber of commerce, Yahya Ale-Eshagh, was quoted as saying by the Mehr news agency that part of this (currency) tumult is due to sanctions. But he also said the person who is not able to manage in a time of crisis should not continue working in his post.Mohammad Bayatian, a member of parliament on an industry and mines commission, said, according to the parliamentary website icana.ir, that a petition has been prepared to question the president. He said the petition was due to the government not paying attention to the parliaments remarks over its management of the forex market.The parliaments presiding board was to decide whether to admit the petition. If it goes ahead, it would only be to hear Ahmadinejad speak on the issue, and it would not involve a confidence vote or other serious procedure.Mehdi Mohammadi, a figure close to Irans Supreme National Security Council, wrote in a piece for the Vatan Emrouz newspaper on Tuesday: Is the currency situation in the market due to sanctions? No... The problem is not a lack of (foreign) currency. He put blame on the government, and on unidentified mafias he said were profiting from the currency volatility.Mohammadi also said holding talks with the United States was not an option. Past experience shows that speaking of negotiations in these conditions only sends a signal of weakness. The enemy only makes concessions and takes you serious when youre strong, he wrote.On the prospect of a military conflict breaking out over the nuclear issue, Ahmadinejad reaffirmed that he was not very concerned about persistent threats from Israel. Iran is not a country to be shaken by, lets say, a few firecrackers, he said.

Iranians blame their leaders for deprivation: US Posted: The White House said Tuesday that Iranians blame their leaders for rising deprivation caused by US and international sanctions stemming from Tehrans nuclear programme.Recent days have seen an accelerated slide in Irans currency, the rial, which has now lost more than 80 percent of its value compared with a year ago -- with 17 percent of its value shed on Monday alone.White House spokesman Jay Carney said the fast deteriorating economic situation in Iran, which has sparked price hikes in basic foods, was a sign that the government in Tehran was under enormous pressure.There is no doubt, as we have seen in the last 36 hours ... that the sanctions regime that has been put in place ... has had a significant negative impact on the Iranian economy as was intended. The president believes and our partners believe that the sanctions regime is the right approach.The Iranian people are aware of who is responsible for the circumstances that have befallen the Iranian economy as a result of the regimes intransigence in its refusal to abide by its obligations.Earlier, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad vowed that Iran would not back down on its nuclear programme, despite the pain being caused by the sanctions.We are not a people to retreat on the nuclear issue, he told a news conference in Tehran. If somebody thinks they can pressure Iran, they are certainly wrong and they must correct their behavior, he said.The rial slipped another four percent on Tuesday to close at 36,100 to the dollar, according to exchange tracking websites.Ahmadinejad said the plunge was part of an economic war waged by the West on the Islamic republic and a psychological war on the exchange market.

Netanyahu to visit Europe, discuss Iran Posted: An Israeli official says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will visit Europe in a few months to persuade leaders to step up sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program.The official spoke anonymously Tuesday because he was not authorized to discuss the issue with reporters.Netanyahu told the U.N. last week that Iran will likely have the bomb by next summer. He has said he does not rule out a military strike.An Israeli Foreign Ministry report that day concluded that sanctions are hitting Iran hard, and more should be imposed.Another Israeli official, Foreign Ministry spokesman Paul Hirschson, said, If we want to avoid military conflict, then upping economic sanctions is called for.The emphasis on economic measures has drawn speculation that Israel is opting for sanctions over military action.

US judge halts tough new voter ID requirement Posted: One of the toughest of a new wave of U.S. state laws requiring voters to show photo identification to cast ballots was put on hold Tuesday, as a judge postponed Pennsylvanias controversial voter ID law in a decision that could help President Barack Obama in a key battleground state.Pennsylvanias 6-month-old law has sparked a divisive debate over voting rights ahead of the presidential election. About a dozen primarily Republican-controlled states have toughened voter ID laws since the 2008 presidential election. But states with the toughest rules going into effect including Kansas and Tennessee arent battleground states, making their impact on the presidential election unclear.Commonwealth Court Judge Robert Simpson delayed Pennsylvanias voter ID requirement from taking effect this election, saying he wasnt sure the state had made it possible for voters to easily get IDs before Nov. 6. I am still not convinced ... that there will be no voter disenfranchisement if the law took effect immediately, Simpson wrote.Independent polls show a persistent lead for Obama over Republican nominee Mitt Romney in the state, but pollsters have said the requirement for voters to show a valid ID could mean that fewer people, especially young adults, blacks and Hispanics, the elderly, poor and disabled, end up voting. In the past, lower turnouts in Pennsylvania have benefited Republicans.A top state lawmaker boasted to a Republican dinner in June that the ID requirement is going to allow Gov. Romney to win the state of Pennsylvania. Publicly, Republicans have justified the law as a protection against potential voter fraud.The law had faced protests, warnings of Election Day chaos and voter education drives as the laws opponents including Democrats, civil rights groups and labor unions began collecting stories of people who had no valid photo ID and faced stiff barriers in their efforts to get one.The judges decision Tuesday could be appealed to the state Supreme Court, but it could easily be the final word on the law before the Nov. 6 election. The ruling also allows the law to go into full effect next year.Republican Gov. Tom Corbett, who had championed the law, said he was leaning against an appeal of the decision. Democrats have used opposition to the law as a rallying cry to motivate volunteers and campaign contributions. They accused Republicans of trying to steal the White House from Obama by making it harder for young adults, the poor, minorities and the disabled to vote.In a statement, the Obama campaign said the decision means that eligible voters can vote on Election Day, just like they have in previous elections in the state. The states Republican Party chairman, Rob Gleason, said he was disappointed.Despite the empty rhetoric to the contrary, this legislation is still about ensuring one person, one vote, Gleason said.The plaintiffs a group of registered voters, plus the Homeless Advocacy Project, the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People had sought to block the law from taking effect in this years election as part of a wider challenge to its constitutionality.The constitutionality of the law, however, was not a question before the judge, who was under orders from a higher court to postpone the law if he thought anyone eligible would be unable to cast a ballot because of it. Simpson ruled after listening to two days of testimony about the states efforts to ease requirements, as well as accounts of long lines and ill-informed clerks at drivers license centers.On Nov. 6, election workers will still be allowed to ask voters for a valid photo ID, but people without it can vote on a regular voting machine and will not have to cast a provisional ballot or prove their identity to election officials after the election.Lawyers for the plaintiffs called the judges decision a win, but they said they would ask the state to end or change a multimillion-dollar ad campaign about the voter ID requirement to reflect the judges ruling.Otherwise there is a possibility of confusion by voters, and folks without ID may just stay home because they wrongly believe they need ID, said Witold J. Walczak of the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania. It could create confusion among poll workers, and any time you have confusion on Election Day, its not good for democracy. Other states face similar debates over voting.

Facebook redesigns its help center Posted: Facebook has redesigned its help center to make it easier to navigate and find what you need help with on the site or its mobile applications.Though its only fully accessible on Facebooks website, the new help center was designed to look and feel more like a mobile app, says Terry Guo, product manager at the Menlo Park, California-based social media company.Instead of loading individual Web pages for new topics, for example, topics and answers to questions slide in and out when you click on them, which is faster.The new help center will appear on users pages Tuesday. Users will see large icons representing six main topics, such as privacy basics, reporting problems or learning more about Timeline, the new profile page on Facebook.

Five including woman killed in Karachi firing Posted: The spate of target killing and torturing innocent people could not be stopped despite tall claims of the government.At Firdous Chali in the area of Landhi, a woman was killed in firing incident while two others were injured and shifted to hospital where their situation is reportedly out of danger.In the same way, Waqqas was killed by the firing of unidentified men in Ram Swami while Inayatullah fell victim to firing in PIB colony.Besides, unidentified armed men on motor bike gunned down a passerby at Musa Lane in Lyari.In Sirjani Town, an activist of a religious party Abdussatar was injured with firing while two other citizens got injured in different incidents of firing in Lyari and Liaqat Abad.

Obama, Romney preparing for televised debate Posted: With the days public schedules wiped clean and the protagonists behind closed -- Obama at a resort in the Nevada desert and the Republican nominee in Denver, Colorado -- their running mates filled the campaign void.ith barely five weeks to go before the November 6 vote, both Obama and Romney were preparing intensely for perhaps the most high-profile moment of the 2012 campaign: a prime-time, face-to-face debate watched by tens of millions.Each made only brief appearances on Monday night. Romney addressed a rally shortly after arriving in Colorado, while the president delivered freshly baked pizzas to one of his Nevada campaign offices.Nevadas going to be close. Its going to be close all across the country, said Obama, who hugged volunteers and called others on the phone to talk about honing his debate technique.Its very nice. Although basically theyre keeping me indoors all the time. Its a drag. Theyre making me do my homework, Obama said. This is my last campaign so we want to leave it all on the table and work as hard as we can.A day earlier, Obama set the stage for the debate, saying the clash would be about looking after hard-working Americans, not who could fire off the best zingers.Romney, a multimillionaire investor and former governor of Massachusetts, on Monday mocked the punditry surrounding the debates and how people want to know whos going to score the punches.In my view its not so much winning and losing (but) an opportunity for each of us to describe the pathway forward for America that we would choose.Former New Hampshire governor John Sununu, a Romney supporter who often plays the role of attack dog on the campaign trail, also dismissed the point-scoring that tends to bubble up during the debates.With Obama and Romney laying low, their running mates seized the spotlight.Vice President Joe Biden hit the trail in the battleground of North Carolina, where he was to deliver remarks in Charlotte and then Asheville.Romneys running mate Paul Ryan kicked off day two of a bus tour through Iowa, where he outlined the importance of the election.He said a victory would give him and Romney the mandate and the moral authority to make things right, to run at our countrys problems and fix them instead of running away from the problems and blaming other people.Obama currently leads the national race by five points in the latest Gallup daily tracking poll and in most key battlegrounds.A Washington Post-ABC News poll out Monday gave Obama a slimmer 49 to 47 percent lead, but, tellingly, likely voters in swing states sided with the president by 52 to 41 percent.The stakes are high for both candidates, but the debates may be the last chance for Romney to make a dramatic impression on undecided voters and perhaps melt the narrative that has built up around him as a multimillionaire plutocrat who is out of touch with everyday Americans.Romney has been practicing for the debates for weeks.He has plenty of experience under his belt, having taken the debate stage about 20 times with Republican rivals during the primaries, but a one-on-one face-off with the president is a more intense affair.Ohio Senator Rob Portman, who is playing Obama in practice sessions, is in Colorado with the Republican nominee, while Romney stand-in Senator John Kerry, the Massachusetts Democrat, is in Nevada with Obama.

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