Dunya TV

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• Serena Williams advances to Key Biscayne semis
• Myanmar sets curfews to curb spread of violence
• Corp Commanders meeting today
• Police foil terror bid in Quetta
• Nomination forms submitted by candidates open to all: ECP
• ECP imposes ban on transfers, postings
• SHC to hear Karachi delimitation plea today
• Najam Sethi to take oath as Punjab caretaker CM today
• Egypt beats Zimbabwe 2-1 as fans return
• Asian Cup final to be at Sydney's Olympic stadium
• China rejects Vietnam boat shooting accusations
• Obama gives Secret Service its 1st female director
• Italy foreign minister quits over India case
• Committee finalises Najam Sethi as Punjab caretaker CM
• Family, PPP reject Zardari-Bilawal tiff reports

Serena Williams advances to Key Biscayne semis Posted: KEY BISCAYNE, Florida (AP) - Five-time champion Serena Williams advanced Tuesday to the Sony Open semifinals and equaled the women's record for career victories in the tournament by beating No. 5-seeded Li Na 6-3, 7-6 (5).The top-ranked Williams overcame six double-faults and rallied in the second set from a 5-2 deficit. She hit six winners in the tiebreaker, including a forehand passing shot cross-court on the final point.Williams, who won her most recent Key Biscayne title in 2008, improved to 59-7 in the tournament. Steffi Graf, another five-time champion, went 59-6. I hope to get more, Williams said.No. 2 Andy Murray, the champion in 2009 and runner-up last year, returned to the quarterfinals by beating No. 16 Andreas Seppi 6-2, 6-4. No. 8 Richard Gasquet hit 17 aces, including three in the final tiebreaker, and advanced to his first Key Biscayne quarterfinal by beating No. 10 Nicolas Almagro 6-7 (3), 7-5, 7-6 (3).No. 3 David Ferrer beat No. 13 Kei Nishikori 6-4, 6-2, while No. 11 Gilles Simon came back to beat No. 7 Janko Tipsarevic 5-7, 6-2, 6-2.Ferrer's next opponent will be unseeded Jurgen Melzer, who rallied past Albert Ramos 2-6, 6-3, 6-3. Sam Querrey lost his fourth-round match, and for the first time the tournament will have no American in the men's quarterfinals.Querrey, playing his first tournament as the top-ranked American on the ATP Tour, lost to Tomas Berdych 6-1, 6-1 in 50 minutes.On a breezy, sun-splashed afternoon, Williams and Li both struggled with their second serve. It was like, 'Look, I just can't hit any more double-faults,' Williams said. It's embarrassing and unprofessional. I hit about 50 in one game, and it was just outrageous.Li had seven double-faults, with three giving Williams her only break points. In the tiebreaker, Williams didn't need a second serve. She hit consecutive service winners for a 4-3 lead, then two more to go up 6-5.When Williams smacked a winner on match point she jumped for joy cannonball-style, knees high and fist raised. I don't usually leap like that in the quarterfinal, she said. But it was just a good shot.Williams, who is assured of remaining No. 1 next week, will next play defending champion Agnieszka Radwanska, who hit a desperation shot behind her back for a winner en route to a victory over No. 30 Kirsten Flipkens, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.

Myanmar sets curfews to curb spread of violence Posted: YANGON, Myanmar (AP) - Authorities in Myanmar imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew in three townships after anti-Muslim religious violence touched new parts of the country, edging closer to the main city of Yangon.State television Tuesday reported incidents in the three townships in Bago region, all within 150 kilometers (100 miles) of Yangon. The latest attack Monday night was in Gyobingauk, where it said troublemakers damaged a religious building, shops and some houses.The report said similar attacks on religious buildings, shops and houses occurred in nearby Otepho and Min Hla on Sunday night. Official reports use the term religious buildings in an apparent attempt to dampen passion, though in most cases the targets were reportedly mosques.The announcement said an emergency law known as Section 144 would be applied in the three townships which will ban public assemblies, marches and speeches, and impose a 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew.The religious unrest began with rioting a week ago in the central city of Meikhtila that was sparked by a dispute between a Muslim gold shop owner and his Buddhist customers.The New Light of Myanmar newspaper said Tuesday that eight more bodies were found in Meikhtila as soldiers cleared devastated areas set ablaze by anti-Muslim mobs during three days of rioting, bringing the death toll to 40. State TV said Tuesday that although calm had been restored in Meikhtila, a 7 p.m. to 4 a.m. curfew has been imposed to prevent any new violence.Amid fears of spreading violence, shop owners in Yangon, about 550 kilometers (340 miles) south of Meikhtila, were told to close Monday evening by 8:30 p.m. or 9 p.m. The fears appeared unfounded, but most Yangon shops were closed Tuesday for a national holiday.The upsurge in sectarian unrest casts a shadow over President Thein Sein's administration as it struggles to make democratic changes after a half-century of military rule. Hundreds of people were killed last year and more than 100,000 made homeless in sectarian violence in western Myanmar between ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and Muslim Rohingyas.

Corp Commanders meeting today Posted: RAWALPINDI (Dunya News) - Army Chief General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani will chair the Corps Commanders meeting at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpidi.The meeting would review the professional activities of the army and plan strategies for the future. Situation of internal and external security would also be discussed during the meeting.

Police foil terror bid in Quetta Posted: QUETTA (Dunya News) - Police foiled a massive plan of terrorism in Quetta and recovered a huge quantity of explosives material.According to DIG Investigation Mobeen Ahmed, on a tip-off given by the secret agencies, police searched a truck at Nawabi Gate near Kuchlak and recovered at least 80 sacks filled with potassium chloride, adding the explosive is two thousands kilograms in weight. He said it is a great success on the part of police team to have seized the explosives ahead of elections.The truck-driver is said to belong to Qila Abdullah, while the other terrorist belongs to Balochistan area of Gulistan. A case has been lodged against the terrorists, who are currently being interrogated.

Nomination forms submitted by candidates open to all: ECP Posted: ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) - The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said the nomination forms submitted by the candidates are open to all.ECP spokesman has said under the law anyone in a constituency can acquire a copy of the nomination papers‚ accompanying declarations and statements filed by a candidate from that constituency.The person desiring to have copies of the nomination papers would have to pay a fee of 10 rupees per page in the shape of Court Fee Stamp. The spokesman also rejected a news item that ECP is refusing to give copies of nomination forms to people.He said sufficient numbers of nomination forms were sent to all returning officers appointed for conducting elections. He said there is no administrative legal bar to obtain nomination form from concerned returning officers.

ECP imposes ban on transfers, postings Posted: ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) - Election Commission on Tuesday imposed a ban on the posting and transfers of the government officials before the next general elections and now there will be no transfer and posting of even a single government official in individual capacity and that action would be taken against violations.The Election Commission of Pakistan has also imposed ban on the visits of the president‚ prime minister‚ federal ministers‚ governors‚ chief ministers‚ and other high ranking officials to any constituency before and during the election. The commission also barred these officials from announcing development projects in the constituencies.

SHC to hear Karachi delimitation plea today Posted: KARACHI (Dunya News) - Sindh High Court (SHC) will hear a petition filed by the Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) against the delimitations of three national and eight provincial assembly constituencies in Karachi.MQM stated that delimitation of constituencies in Karachi is a conspiracy to divide MQM’s vote bank.It is pertinent to note here that Pakistan People’s Party Sindh President Qadir Patel also moved the SHC against the change in his constituency NA239.

Najam Sethi to take oath as Punjab caretaker CM today Posted: LAHORE (Dunya News) – Nominated as caretaker Chief Minister of Punjab, Najam Sethi will take oath on Wednesday (today) at 11am. Punjab governor will administrate oath.On Tuesday evening, the parliamentary committee of the Punjab Assembly has agreed on veteran journalist Najam Sethi as the caretaker chief minister of Punjab province.Talking to the media after his nomination Tuesday evening‚ Najam Sethi said there was no need to have a big provincial cabinet as the caretaker set up only has to fulfill a limited mandate.He said he will be in close contact with the media and won't be doing his TV talk show while he is in office.

Egypt beats Zimbabwe 2-1 as fans return Posted: ALEXANDRIA, Egypt (AP) - Egypt beat Zimbabwe 2-1 in World Cup qualifying on Tuesday, with Mohamed Aboutrika's 88th-minute winner from the penalty spot rewarding the 10,000 fans allowed in to watch an Egyptian home game for the first time in over a year.Aboutrika delivered Egypt's third win in three games in qualifying to allow the supporters to celebrate amid heavy security at Borg El Arab Stadium.Soldiers patrolled the stadium while riot police surrounded the outer edges of the field, watching over the crowd. It was the first time fans were let in to watch the Egyptian national team since riots at Port Said stadium over a year ago.Midfielder Hosny Abd Rabo gave Egypt the lead with a free kick on 65 minutes. Knowledge Musona equalized for Zimbabwe in the 75th.

Asian Cup final to be at Sydney's Olympic stadium Posted: SYDNEY (AP) - The former Olympic stadium in Sydney will host the 2015 Asian Cup final and six other matches while Melbourne will hold the events opening ceremony and Australias first group match on Jan. 9 of that year.The Asian Football Confederation said Wednesday that Melbourne, Brisbane and Canberra will each host six group games and a quarterfinal. Newcastle, north of Sydney, will host one semifinal in the 33,000-seat Hunter Stadium as well as the third-place playoff and four group matches.The other matches at Sydney include the Socceroos second group game, a quarterfinal and a semifinal.The competition includes 32 matches over three weeks concluding on Jan. 31, 2015.Australia, Japan, North Korea and South Korea have qualified for the 2015 Asian Cup, with the remaining spots to be determined.

China rejects Vietnam boat shooting accusations Posted: BEIJING (AFP) - China has said it was legitimate and necessary for it to take action against Vietnamese vessels that entered its waters illegally, after Hanoi accused it of attacking a fishing boat.A Vietnamese boat was fishing near the contested Paracel Islands last week when it was chased and shot at by a Chinese vessel setting the cabin on fire, Hanoi's foreign ministry said Monday.It strongly protested over the incident it called a serious violation of its sovereignty. But, using the islands' Chinese name, Beijing's foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei told reporters Tuesday at a regular briefing: The Xisha islands are China's inherent territory, China has indisputable sovereignty over the Xisha islands.It is necessary and legitimate for China to take action against a Vietnamese shipping boat that has entered China's waters for illegal activity.According to verification with the relevant party, no damage was caused to the fishing boat from Vietnam at the time.Hong declined to confirm whether the Chinese vessel had shot at the Vietnamese boat when asked about the incident by AFP.Vietnam and its giant neighbour have long-standing territorial disputes over the Spratly and Paracel Islands, which both countries claim, and often trade diplomatic barbs over oil exploration and fishing rights.US State Department acting deputy spokesman Patrick Ventrell told reporters in Washington that the United States was concerned by reports of the incident, and was seeking more information from both Beijing and Hanoi.As a Pacific nation, the US has a national interest in the maintenance of peace and stability, respect for international law, freedom of navigation and unimpeded lawful commerce in the South China Sea, he said.So we strongly oppose the threat or use of force or coercion by any claimant to advance its claims in the South China Sea.Beijing claims virtually all of the South China Sea, which includes both island groups and is believed could sit atop huge oil and gas reserves as well as being home to important fishing grounds.Hanoi says hundreds of fishing boat crews have been arrested by Chinese authorities in recent years.

Obama gives Secret Service its 1st female director Posted: WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama on Tuesday named the first female director of the Secret Service, signaling his desire to change the culture at the male-dominated agency, which has been marred by a recent prostitution scandal.The Secret Service, charged with protecting the president and his family, has faced intense criticism for the scandal during preparations for Obama's trip to Cartagena, Colombia, last year.Veteran Secret Service agent Julia Pierson, who most recently served as the agency's chief of staff, will take over from Mark Sullivan, who announced his retirement last month.She joins a notably male team around Obama, who had been criticized for bringing in several men advisers for his second term, which started in January.Over her 30 years of experience with the Secret Service, Julia has consistently exemplified the spirit and dedication the men and women of the service demonstrate every day, Obama said in a statement announcing Pierson's appointment, which does not require Senate confirmation.The Colombia incident raised questions about the agency's culture, particularly during foreign travel. In addition to protecting the president, the Secret Service also investigates financial crimes.Thirteen Secret Service employees were caught up in the prostitution scandal. After a night of partying in the resort city of Cartagena, the employees brought women, including prostitutes, to the hotel where they were staying.The incident became public after one agent refused to pay a prostitute and the pair argued about payment in a hotel hallway. Eight employees were forced out of the agency, and three were cleared of serious misconduct.The incident took place before Obama arrived in Colombia, and the service said the president's safety was never compromised. But news of the scandal broke during his trip, overshadowing the summit and embarrassing the U.S. delegation.Sullivan issued a new code of conduct that bans employees from drinking within 10 hours of starting a shift or bringing foreign nationals back to their hotel rooms. Sullivan also apologized for the incident.At the Secret Service, Pierson has served as deputy assistant director of the office of protective operations, assistant director of human resources and training and chief of staff. She started in 1983 as a special agent in Miami.

Italy foreign minister quits over India case Posted: ROME (AP) - Italy's foreign minister resigned Tuesday to protest his government's decision to send two marines back to India to face trial in the deaths of two fishermen.Minister Giulio Terzi made the surprise announcement to Parliament after offering a report on the Italian marines case to lawmakers. He denied the government had no knowledge of his March 11 decision not to send the two sailors back to face trial in Italy.I can no longer be part of this government, Terzi declared.A career diplomat, Terzi said he was quitting in solidarity with the marines and because he disagreed with the government's decision to send them back but his voice was not listened to. He also said wanted to safeguard Italy's image abroad.Caretaker Premier Mario Monti expressed astonishment at the decision and said in a statement that he had not been informed ahead of time, even though they had met earlier in the day to discuss Terzi's report to lawmakers. Monti said he would address the case in both houses of Parliament on Wednesday.President Giorgio Napolitano, in the meantime, gave Monti the foreign ministry portfolio. Monti's caretaker government remains in place until a new government can be formed following inconclusive national elections last month. Center-left leader Pier Luigi Bersani, who is in consultations on forming a new government, declined comment on the case.The sailors, Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone, were part of a military security team on a cargo ship when they fired at a fishing boat in 2012, killing two Indian fishermen. The marines said they mistook them for pirates.The marines had been allowed to return to Italy to vote in the Feb. 24-25 national election and were scheduled to return to India on March 22, as they had after being allowed to spend Christmas with the families in Italy.Terzi announced on March 11 that they would not return to India, expressing concern that their rights were not being respected there. Italy has insisted that the shooting happened in international waters and that Rome should have jurisdiction.Italy, however, sent them back last week, saying it had received written assurances that India would not impose the death penalty in the event of a conviction.

Committee finalises Najam Sethi as Punjab caretaker CM Posted: LAHORE (Dunya News) - A six-member parliamentary committee comprising three members each from PML-N and the opposition side has been discussing four names for the post of caretaker CM for the last couple of days.Earlier on Tuesday, the third and the final committee meeting had failed to reach a consensus and it was announced that the Election Commission of Pakistan would select the caretaker Punjab CM.But later Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif directed members of the committee from PML-N to meet opposition members and hold another meeting of the parliamentary committee to reach a consensus on the name of caretaker CM.Talking to media after the meeting, former Punjab law minster Rana Sanaullah Khan said that the committee had reacheched a consensus on the name of Najam Sethi as caretaker chief minister of Punjab.He expressed the hope that Najam Sethi would perform his duty impartially.Rana Sanaullah said that PML-N always followed the democratic traditions and strived for the rule of law in the country.Meanwhile, talking to a private TV channel after his nomination, Najam Sethi said that his first responsibility was to contact the Election Commission of Pakistan.He said that main responsibility of the caretaker government was to hold free and fair elections in the province.On this occasion, members of the parliamentary committee from PPP and PML-Q criticised PML-N.They said that the committee has been discussing the issue for last three days and it was decided in the meeting that the final decision would be announced in a joint press conference but Rana Sanaullah left the meeting room and announced the name of the caretaker CM just to grab the headlines.It is worth mentioning here that the PPP had proposed names of Najam Sethi and Justice (r) Zahid Hussain, while the PML-N had suggested the names of Justice (r) Amir Raza Khan and Khawaja Zaheer, a former bureaucrat as caretaker CM.

Family, PPP reject Zardari-Bilawal tiff reports Posted: LAHORE (Web Desk) – In a twitter message Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari has strongly rejected the reports published in certain circles of press as baseless and malicious.She said circulating rumours against PPP leadership was not anything new.PPP Sindh Information Secretary Sharjeel Memon also rejected the news reports about differences between Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and his father Asif Ali Zardari.He said it had been decided that Bilawal would not lead the election campaign in the wake of security threats.Earlier it was reported that Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had left for Dubai after a tiff with his father over the affairs of the PPP.According to reports, Bilawal developed differences with Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur, over the partys handling of key issues, including militant violence, sectarian attacks against Shias and the award of party tickets for the polls.The 24-year-old nominal chief of the PPP was angered by Faryal Talpurs refusal to award tickets to certain candidates in Sindh province that he had recommended, a source was quoted as saying.

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