Dunya TV

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• Rebels seize Jordan-Syria border area: watchdog
• Arab League gives Syrian seat to opposition
• String of attacks kills 6 in Iraq
• President flees as Central African rebels seize capital
• UN: At least 35 people killed by Congo fighters
• Djokovic cruises into Key Biscayne 4th round
• Sharapova reaches 4th round at Key Biscayne
• Golf: Storm forces Tiger into Monday finish at Bay Hill
• Motorcycling: Rossi edges Lorenzo in Jerez
• Formula One: Becker backs Vettel in Malaysia row
• Garcia plays a shot from up in a tree at Bay Hill
• Scientists unravel genetic code of oesophageal cancer
• Skydiving instructor, student killed in US jumps
• 430m cubic metres of Qatari gas on way to UK
• Thousand in Paris protest against gay marriages

Rebels seize Jordan-Syria border area: watchdog Posted: BEIRUT (AFP) - Rebels fighting President Bashar al-Assads regime have seized a 25-kilometre (15-mile) strip of land stretching from the Jordan border to the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, a watchdog said on Sunday.In the northern province of Aleppo, at least 10 civilians were killed in an air strike, while mortar rounds crashed int the building housing state television and radio offices in Damascus, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.Fighters loyal to Al-Nusra Front, Al-Yarmuk Brigade, Al-Mutaz Billah Brigade and others took control of Al-Rai military checkpoint, east of Sahem al-Golan town in the southern province of Daraa, the Observatory also reported.The fighters seized the site after regime forces retreated. The 25-kilometre area located between the towns of Muzrib (near the Jordanian border) and Abdin (in the Golan) is now out of regime control.The Britain-based Observatory said the rebels had on Saturday seized a key air base in Daraa after two weeks of fierce battles with loyalist troops.The reports came as Israels new Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon vowed an immediate answer to all Syrian gunfire onto the Golan Heights.Yaalon issued the warning shortly after Israeli troops on the strategic plateau shot at an Syrian army post after coming under fire for the second time in 12 hours, according to the Israeli army.We see the Syrian regime as responsible for every breach of sovereignty. We shall not allow the Syrian army or any other body to violate Israeli sovereignty firing into our territory, Yaalon said in a statement.It was not immediately clear whether the shooting was from the Syrian army or rebel forces in the area.The rebel advances came days after insurgents seized a border crossing on the frontier with Jordan, said the Observatory.Also on Sunday, at least 10 civilians, among them four children aged under 16 and a woman, were killed in an air strike on the village of Akhtarin, said the Observatory.Amateur video filmed by activists and distributed by the Observatory showed a crowd of people running towards the site of the air strike, as a tower of smoke rose up into the sky.Guys, help us, we need to get them out of there, said one resident in the footage.In the heart of Damascus, several mortars hit the building housing the General Television and Radio Authority, behind the ministry of education, said the Observatory.State news agency SANA blamed terrorists, the regimes term for rebels, for the mortar attack, reporting that 10 civilians were wounded in the new attack on Syrian media.The United Nations estimates that violence across Syria has killed at least 70,000 people since the conflict erupted in March 2011. The Observatory said at least 104 people were killed on Sunday alone, among them 61 civilians.

Arab League gives Syrian seat to opposition Posted: DOHA (AP) - In a symbolic blow to embattled Syrian President Bashah Assad, senior Arab diplomats say the Arab League has decided to transfer Syrias seat to opposition forces.The decision is unlikely to mean much in practical terms to Assads regime, which has already been abandoned by manyArab states that are siding with rebel forces. But it reflects pressure by key rebel backers Qatar and Saudi Arabia for a show of Arab solidarity against Assad at a two-day Arab League Summit beginning Tuesday in Doha.Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohammed Amr Kamel said Sunday that Syrian opposition can now send an envoy to the summit.Earlier, Qatars prime minister, Hamad bin Jassim Al Thani, urged the new head of the Syrian oppositions interim government, Ghassan Hitto, to attend.

String of attacks kills 6 in Iraq Posted: BAGHDAD (AP) - Iraqi authorities say a string of attacks have left at least six people dead, including a candidate in the upcoming provincial elections.Police officials say gunmen attacked two military posts in the northern city of Mosul, killing a total of five soldiers and wounding three others. Mosul is 360 kilometers (225 miles) northwest of Baghdad.In Baghdad, gunmen killed Salah Khabat, a candidate in provincial council elections, in a drive-by-shooting.Hospital officials confirmed Sundays death toll. All of the officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they werent authorized to release the information.Violence has ebbed in Iraq, but insurgent attacks are still frequent.

President flees as Central African rebels seize capital Posted: BANGUI (AFP) - Looters and armed gangs roamed the streets of the Central African Republics capital Sunday after rebels captured Bangui and the coup-prone countrys president disappeared.The fighters from the Seleka rebel coalition fought running battles with government troops in the riverside capital before capturing the presidential palace and declaring victory.They had resumed hostilities this week in the former French colony and moved rapidly south towards Bangui with the aim of ousting President Francois Bozize, whom they accuse of reneging on promises made in a January peace deal.A high-ranking military source confirmed that Bangui was in rebel hands: What is certain is that they have taken the city.Homes, shops, restaurants and offices -- including the premises of the UN childrens agency UNICEF -- were looted as armed men roamed the city where electricity supplies have been cut off.They break down the doors and loot and then, afterwards, the people come and help themselves too, said Nicaise Kabissou, who lives in the city centre.Theres looting all over town, said a diplomat in the city that lies in the mineral-rich heart of Africa.South Africa troops in Bangui -- who number around 250 and were supporting government forces -- suffered casualties in clashes with rebels, Brigadier General Xolani Mabanga told the SAPA news agency, but he was unable to provide any figures.The International Committee of the Red Cross said injured people were flooding hospitals and medical centres in Bangui, and asked for secure access to the capital.The whereabouts of Bozize, who seized power in a coup in 2003, remained a mystery.A well-placed source told AFP he had left the country in a helicopter, but did not disclose his destination, while French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius confirmed only that he had fled Bangui.Officials from neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo and Congo-Brazzaville said he was not on their soil, although it would be easy to cross the river Oubangui to reach the DR Congo.A security source in Kinshasa said 25 members of Bozizes family had made that short trip to seek refuge in the Congolese town of Zongo.But he could not say whether Bozize himself was also there.French President Francois Hollande called on all parties in the conflict to form a government in accordance with the peace deal reached in January, and asked the armed groups to respect the population.

UN: At least 35 people killed by Congo fighters Posted: KINSHASA, Congo (AP) - The United Nations mission in Congo says at least 35 people were killed after hundreds of militia fighters attacked the southeast mining center of Lubumbashi, before surrendering.The U.N. says at least 54 people had also been injured and were transferred to hospitals, among them the Mai Mai fighters.The statement by the U.N. on Sunday welcomes the surrender of 245 Mai Mai fighters.U.N.-run Radio Okapi on Saturday reported that fighters armed with bows and arrows and machetes had surrendered to the U.N. peacekeeping force. Children were reportedly among the militia when it attacked the city.The Mai Mai militiamen are seeking to secede from Katanga province. Eastern Congo is home to a myriad of rebel groups who terrorize civilians, though most attacks are further north.

Djokovic cruises into Key Biscayne 4th round Posted: MIAMI (AFP) - World No. 1 Novak Djokovic cruised into the fourth round of the Miami ATP Masters and WTA tournament on Sunday with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Indias Somdev Devvarman.Djokovic remained on course for a third straight title on the hard courts of Key Biscayne -- a fourth overall -- and will battle German veteran Tommy Haas for a place in the quarter-finals.The 25-year-old Serbian, who won the title in 2007, 2011 and 2012, had little trouble against Devvarman, who has fallen to 254th in the world after a near-seven month absence last season with a shoulder injury.Djokovic, who saw a 22-match winning streak halted in the semi-finals at Indian Wells last week, hasnt lost to a player outside the top 100 since 2010.Devvarman never looked like reversing that trend against the Serbian, who has reached the final in Miami every time he has made it past the second round.Considering the wind, it was a nice day, Djokovic said.Conditions not so great. It was very difficult to kind of get into the rhythm because you couldnt really serve at your 100 percent and you had to go more for precision and you had to put twice as much effort in the step adjustments.All in all, Im just happy to get through the rough day.In other mens action, third-seeded David Ferrer of Spain continued his dominance of Italian Fabio Fognini with a 6-1, 7-5 victory.Ferrer broke Fognini four times en route to the victory in 79 minutes. It was his third win over the Italian this season and his sixth in six career meetings.Ferrer, winner of two titles already this season, was playing his first match of the tournament after advancing to the third round on a walkover when his scheduled opponent Dmitry Tursunov of Russia withdrew.The 30-year-old Spaniard will battle for a quarter-final berth against 13th-seeded Nishikori, a 6-2, 7-5 winner over Belgian Xavier Malisse.The two have split their four prior encounters 2-2. Ferrer triumphed in their last meeting, notching a straight-sets victory over the Japanese in the fourth round of the Australian Open.Its going to be a very difficult match, Ferrer said. The last time I played him at the Australian Open I beat him in three sets, but I will have to run a lot. We will play a lot of rallies on the baseline. Nishikori has unbelievable shots. He plays with a lot of power.Haas, the 15th seed, set up his shot at Djokovic with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov.Seventh-seeded Serbian Janko Tipsarevic also advanced, beating Kevin Anderson of South Africa 4-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-0.Tipsarevic will face Frances 11th-seeded Gilles Simon, a 6-4, 6-4 winner over Slovenias Grega Zemlja, for a quarter-final slot.

Sharapova reaches 4th round at Key Biscayne Posted: KEY BISCAYNE (AP) - Mired in a marathon game midway through the opening set, Maria Sharapova wore down her opponent with characteristic resolve and relentlessness, then won the last point without hitting a shot.That put Sharapova ahead to stay, and she beat fellow Russian Elena Vesnina on a muggy, 85-degree Fahrenheit afternoon at the Sony Open, 6-4, 6-2.The No. 3-seeded Sharapova moved into the fourth round, eager to fill one of the few holes in her resume. While she completed a career Grand Slam last year, she has never won Key Biscayne, losing the finals in 2005, 06, 11 and 12.Her pivotal moment Sunday against Vesnina came at 3-all in the first set. The next game went to deuce seven times, with Sharapova repeatedly erasing a deficit, until Vesnina dumped a weary second serve into the net on break point.All told, Sharapova benefited from eight double-faults by Vesnina, and erased eight of the nine break points she faced.Two seeded women were eliminated No. 6 Angelique Kerber and No. 11 Nadia Petrova. Kerber lost to No. 28 Sorana Cirstea 6-4, 6-0, while Petrova was ousted by No. 22 Jelena Jankovic 7-6 (7), 6-4.Lucky loser Lauren Davis of the United States was beaten by No. 32 Alize Cornet, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Golf: Storm forces Tiger into Monday finish at Bay Hill Posted: ORLANDO (AFP) - Tiger Woods pursuit of an eighth victory at Bay Hill and the world No. 1 ranking will have to wait until Monday after a thunder storm led to the suspension of Sundays final round.Spectators were evacuated from the Bay Hill course as rain driven by high winds and lightning swept into the area, where a tornado warning was issued.Woods had just stretched his lead to three shots with a birdie on the par-three second hole.The driving rain led to some washed-out bunkers and standing water on the course, with the repairs needed eventually prompting officials to call off play for the day.The round was to resume on Monday morning.If Woods can capture his eighth Arnold Palmer Invitational title hell supplant Northern Irelands Rory McIlroy atop the world rankings.The 14-time major champion has spent a record 623 weeks on top of the world.But he has not paced the rankings since October of 2010 after injuries and an infamous sex scandal saw him tumble from the top 50.

Motorcycling: Rossi edges Lorenzo in Jerez Posted: JEREZ (AFP) - Nine-time world champion Valentino Rossi capitalised on a drying track to top the time charts on the second day of MotoGP testing at Jerez on Sunday, edging Yamaha factory teammate Jorge Lorenzo.Rossi put in 39 laps with a best time of 1min 39.525sec with reigning world champion Lorenzo, who was fastest Saturday, just 0.015sec behind.Yamaha Tech3s Cal Crutchlow filled out the top three.Todays test session was very positive for us. Im so happy, especially because we used a different style of setting, said Rossi.It is very important for us to understand this setting, which can help and effect my riding style to ride the bike in a better way and stay more constant, especially with good lap times on old tyres.To make the first position with a time of 39.5 is good and also being as fast as Jorge.Lorenzo complained that the wet-dry conditions in Jerez made handling difficult.The track was dry but not in perfect condition. There was not so much grip and we had some problems in some corners, where the bike was not very stable, he said.The track is not in the best condition, its dry but its not perfect because of the rain. I think we have to focus on getting more stability on acceleration and get more comfortable with the race pace.The third and final day of testing is on Monday with the 2013 season getting underway in Qatar on April 13.

Formula One: Becker backs Vettel in Malaysia row Posted: PARIS (AFP) - Under-fire Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel found an ally in fellow German Boris Becker on Sunday with the tennis legend defending his compatriots controversial Malaysian Grand Prix win.Vettel defied team orders by over-taking Red Bull teammate Mark Webber to snatch victory at Sepang in a move widely-condemned from within and outside the sport.But Becker sprang to Vettels defence, describing his actions as the mark of a true champion.Just watched the highlights of Malaysian Grand Prix Vettel did what a 3times champ is supposed to do....take matters in ur own hand , Becker wrote on Twitter.

Garcia plays a shot from up in a tree at Bay Hill Posted: ORLANDO, Florida (AP) - Sergio Garcia might want to change his name to Tarzan.Garcia provided an amazing highlight Sunday at the Arnold Palmer Invitational when he climbed some 15 feet into an oak tree and played a shot back out to the fairway.The Spaniard already was having a rough time at Bay Hill he made a 9 on the par-5 sixth hole when his tee shot at No. 10 sailed right into the trees. Not only did it get stuck in the tree, it came to rest at the base of two large limbs.Garcia looked up in the tree, stood on a cart and leapt to pull himself up into the tree.He was playing with William McGirt, who was having a hard time believing what he was seeing.I knew they were looking around the tree, McGirt said. I didnt know they were looking in the tree. I looked over and Sergio is up in the air, and Im trying to figure out what in the hell hes going to do. He called for a club. Hes hugging the tree. And the ball comes flying out.Are you kidding me?The small crowd cheered when Garcias caddie handed him a club. Maybe it was a tree-iron.Garcia was so high up in the tree that he had to stoop to grab the head of the club as his caddie reached high holding the end of the club. Garcia studied his options before playing a one-handed, back-handed shot out to the fairway.More stunning was that he jumped from about 8 feet up in the tree to get down, a landing that would have made a gymnast proud. Garcia showed little emotion other than to wipe off his hands and prepare to play the next shot.It was just unbelievable, McGirt said, who stood in the fairway with arms crossed watching all this unfold.Sadly for Garcia, he chunked his next shot and wound up with a double bogey. Two holes later, the horn sounded to suspend play because of a violent thunderstorm that canceled play for the rest of the round. Garcia already was 5-over par for his round, and 3 over for the tournament.McGirt said when they climbed into a van to be taken back to the clubhouse, Garcia handed him the scorecard and said, Im out of here.He officially withdrew.Garcia had said earlier in the week that he was low on energy and enthusiasm and I just want to go home. He plans to return at the Masters.

Scientists unravel genetic code of oesophageal cancer Posted: PARIS (AFP) - Scientists said Sunday they had found mutations in 26 genes that may cause oesophageal cancer, a breakthrough they hope will lead to new drugs for the deadly and increasingly frequent disease.A team of experts in the United States unravelled the genetic code of tumour cells from 149 patients, which they compared to healthy cells to identify a mutation signature for oesophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC).This type of cancer of the oesophagus or gullet, the muscular tube that moves food from the mouth to the stomach, has a five-year survival rate of only about 15-20 percent.EAC often originates from a disease called Barrett's oesophagus, which in turn is caused by chronic acid reflux.Incidence of the cancer has increased by 600 percent over the last 30 years -- particularly in Western countries, according to the study.Oesophageal cancer kills about 15,000 people in the United States alone every year -- and a total 400,000 worldwide.Now, the biggest genetic analysis yet of this type of cancer has revealed common mutations that may be specifically targeted by new drugs.Finding the mutations helps us understand what makes the cancer tick, study co-author Adam Bass of the Harvard Medical School told AFP.It can also help us find new therapies.Cancer develops when a human cell's DNA is mutated so that its normal function is disrupted and it starts growing and spreading out of control.There are different causes, including obesity, smoking, exposure to the sun's UV rays or environmental pollution.Mutations of different genes have been implicated in different cancers, but there are also vast differences even among people with the same form of the disease.We looked at which genes were mutated more frequently than would be expected by chance, said Bass.Doing so, we found 26 genes that may be contributing to this cancer type.Genes are segments of DNA that carry the instruction manuals for cells.The team found a frequent repetition of one particular type of mutation, suggesting it may be caused by some sort of exposure -- perhaps linked to acid reflux disease.Why this is especially interesting is that the rates of oesophageal adenocarcinoma have risen greatly in the last several decades, said Bass. We suspect that there may be some factor in the reflux which is causing this specific type of DNA damage.If this is so and we can pin down what type of specific factor is responsible for these mutations, we may be able to develop new approaches to prevent these cancers or at least to diagnose them at an earlier point.

Skydiving instructor, student killed in US jumps Posted: ZEPHYRHILLS - Florida (AP) - Deputies found the bodies of a skydiving instructor and a student, both from Iceland, after the two didnt return from a weekend jump with a group, setting off an hours-long air and ground search in southwest Florida, authorities said.The two men had successfully completed two other skydiving jumps Saturday morning with 20 others from a plane in Zephyrhills, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) northeast of Tampa.But when they didnt return from their third jump, their disappearance tipped off a lengthy search as teams were instructed to look for the men and their chutes, said Pasco County sheriffs spokeswoman Melanie Snow.The bodies were discovered by spotters from the air early Saturday evening in woods south of the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport, Snow said.Authorities would not comment on whether the skydivers parachutes had opened. Snow said that was part of the investigation.Snow identified the victims as 41-year-old instructor Orvar Arnarson and 25-year-old student Andrimar Pordarson. No hometowns were given. The men jumped separately, not in tandem.Authorities said the skydivers were part of a jump outing through Skydive City in Zephyrhills. A message left at the company was not immediately returned Sunday.The area is a popular destination for skydivers. Skydive City is a 14-acre (5.7-hectare) property that includes recreational vehicle campgrounds, a tiki bar, cafe and regular shows by a reggae band, according to its website.Meanwhile, Icelandic officials said they were still contacting family and friends of the victims.We will assist the families if they request our assistance. Im not aware of them contacting us, Urdur Gunnarsdottir, press officer for the Foreign Ministry of Iceland, said Sunday.Skydive City co-owner T.K. Hayes told The Tampa Tribune there have been 10 or 12 deaths in Skydive Citys 20-year history.Last year, Dr. T. Elaine McLaughlin died on a jump at Skydive City on New Years Day after her chute failed to open properly. She was a resident of the Tampa Bay area and practiced family medicine in St. Petersburg.Last month, near Seattle, dozens of volunteers spent four days searching through snowy weather and fog after a 29-year-old Florida man didnt return from a skydiving jump above Washingtons Cascade foothills. Kurt Ruppert, of Lake City, was wearing a special wing suit with fabric under the arms to allow him to glide like a flying squirrel.

430m cubic metres of Qatari gas on way to UK Posted: DUBAI (Reuters) - Three big Qatari liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers are set to deliver gas to snow-covered Britain this week, with another shipment from Trinidad due to arrive at the start of April, according to ship tracking data on Reuters received on Sunday.A late blast of winter weather has drained Britains already modest gas stocks to around a tenth of their capacity, sparking fears of supply restrictions with the cold weather forecast to continue into early April.Three Qatari tankers delivering LNG over the next few days could supply a total of around 430 million cubic metres (mcm) of gas, compared with current daily gas demand of around 370 mcm.The first docked at the Isle of Grain terminal near London on Sunday, with a second due to deliver fuel from the worlds largest LNG exporter on Monday and another expected by Friday, AIS live tracking data showed.A fourth LNG cargo set sail for Britain from Trinidad the day after UK wholesale gas prices surged towards record highs on Friday, and could arrive around Apr. 3, according to voyage calculations using the (www.searates.com) website.The Trinidad delivery could add another 80 mcm of gas to UK supply in the first week of April, but there are mounting concerns that more will be needed to supplement supply from the North Sea if gas stocks dry up completely as winter drags on.According to Reuters analysis of AIS data transmitted by the worlds fleet of LNG tankers on Sunday, there were no other ships indicating that they are heading to Britain.It is possible that tankers currently sailing to the Americas from African or Middle Eastern producers could be diverted to Britain to cash in on the surge in UK gas prices at the end of last week.There is no sign of any more Qatari LNG ships heading to Britain in the Mediterranean.Two vessels sailing from Qatar towards the Suez canal are not indicating their final destination, but even if they do head to Britain, the Al Hamla is at least 12 days sail away while the Al Areesh is 15 days from boosting Britains gas supplies.Britains gas stocks stood at around 10 percent of their capacity, or around 446 mcm on Saturday, according to the latest data available from National Grid.But Britain also has an additional 358 mcm of gas - almost a day of its total gas needs - still held as LNG in storage tanks at UK import terminals.The UK was a net gas exporter until 2004 but has becomeincreasingly dependent on imports as its own production from theNorth Sea has declined rapidly over the last decade.In a bid to diversify supply sources, it built some of Europes largest LNG terminals in the middle of the last decade.

Thousand in Paris protest against gay marriages Posted: PARIS (AFP) - Tens of thousands opposed to French legislation allowing gay marriage protested Sunday on a route leading to the Champs Elysees after police banned them marching on the famed Paris avenue.The hugely controversial bill to legalise same-sex marriage and adoption has been comfortably adopted by the lower chamber of parliament and will go to the Senate for examination and approval in April.The upper house is unlikely to prevent the groundbreaking reform from becoming law by the summer. The protestors want the government to withdraw the project and put it to a referendum.The demonstrators highlighted Frances flagging economy, beset by mass layoffs and spiralling unemployment, attacking Socialist President Francois Hollandes government of ignoring pressing issues while pushing ahead with his election pledge of Marriage for All.Banners held up from balconies read: We want work not gay marriage, and No to gayxtremism.The Paris police had turned down a request from the protest organisers to march on the Champs-Elysees on the ground it would be a threat to public order, partly because it borders the French presidential palace.The demonstrators lined a five-kilometre route from the Paris business district of La Defence to the roundabout where the Arc de Triomphe is located.Police sprayed teargas to keep up to 200 protestors from trying to march on the Champs Elysees, AFP photographers said.The movement against gay marriage has given France a new celebrity in the form of its public face, Virginie Tellenne, a Parisian socialite who goes by the name of Frigide Barjot.Her assumed name -- a play on the name of French film star Brigitte Bardot, a sex symbol in the 1960s -- translates as Frigid Loony.We want the president to deal with the economy and leave the family alone, Tellenne said Sunday.Somewhere between 340,000 and 800,000 demonstrators flooded into the capital for an anti-gay marriage march in January, and Tellenne said she hoped the latest protest will at least match that.As the demonstrators gathered under chilly, grey skies, an organiser exhorted them on a megaphone to periodically lift their arms and legs to keep warm.We understand your frustration but please remain in the same place, he said.A campaign orchestrated by the Catholic Church and belatedly backed by the mainstream centre-right opposition has steadily gathered momentum.But Hollandes support for the legislation has not wavered and his partner, Valerie Trierweiler, has revealed that the president will be attending the marriages of gay friends once the legislation is on the statute books.Gay men and women can already adopt as individuals in France if approved by social services.A separate law on providing medically assisted conception to gay couples, already extended to heterosexual couples unable to conceive, will be debated later in the year.

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