Dunya TV

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• Half of Guantanamo prisoners on hunger strike
• Iran says election will not affect nuclear stance
• IAEA top official in Iran talks stands down
• Israeli official says drones could replace planes
• Russia beat Slovakia 3-2 in Fed Cup semis
• Williams sisters lead US to 3-2 win over Sweden
• Vettel wins Bahrain Grand Prix
• Suarez apologizes for biting opponent in game
• Motorcycling: Marquez wins Texas MotoGP
• Orbital Sciences launches Antares rocket
• Kaneria bids to overturn life ban
• Syrian opposition warns Hezbollah to stay out
• Group in parliament supporting terror:ANP
• US shares Iran threat with Isreal: Hagel
• Casting votes under current system a sin, says Tahirul Qadri

Half of Guantanamo prisoners on hunger strike Posted: WASHINGTON, April 21, 2013 (AFP) - More than half of the 166 detainees held at the US-run Guantanamo military prison have joined a rapidly growing hunger strike to protest their indefinite detention, an official said Sunday.There are 84 inmates who are refusing food, including 16 on feeding tubes, five of whom are hospitalized, Lieutenant Colonel Samuel House said in a statement, adding that none had life-threatening conditions.House said that as recently as Friday there were 63 inmates who were refusing to eat. On Tuesday of last week just 45 were taking part.The hunger strikers are protesting their incarceration without charge or trial at Guantanamo in the 11 years since the prison went into use for terror suspects detained in Afghanistan and Pakistan.The hunger strikes began February 6, when inmates claimed prison officials searched their Korans for contraband.Officials have denied any mishandling of Islams holy book.An inmate detained at Guantanamo for over a decade without charge gave a graphic account of his participation in the hunger strike in a New York Times op-ed earlier this month entitled Gitmo Is Killing Me.The inmate, a 35-year-old Yemeni named Samir Naji al-Hasan Moqbel, said he had lost over 30 pounds since going on hunger strike February 10 and that a fellow inmate weighed just 77 pounds.I will never forget the first time they passed the feeding tube up my nose. I cant describe how painful it is to be force-fed this way, he wrote.There are so many of us on hunger strike now that there arent enough qualified medical staff members to carry out the force-feedings... They are feeding people around the clock just to keep up.Like most of the striking inmates, Moqbel has never been charged with a crime or put on trial, and is not viewed as a threat to US national security.But he cannot be released because of a moratorium on repatriating Yemenis enacted by President Barack Obama in 2009 after a plot to blow up an airliner on Christmas Day was traced back to Al-Qaedas Yemeni franchise.

Iran says election will not affect nuclear stance Posted: TEHRAN (AP) - An Iranian nuclear negotiator is saying that Irans coming presidential election will not affect its stance in nuclear talks with world powers.The Sunday report by the official IRNA news agency quotes Abbas Araghchi as saying changes in domestic politics in Iran will not affect the trend in nuclear talks.Araghchi, a deputy foreign minister, also said Iran is ready for further talks.The remark is seen a message to permanent members of the U.N. Security Council plus Germany to return to talks after the last round in April made no breakthrough.No date has been decided for further talks.The West is trying to curb Irans nuclear programme since it suspects it has a military dimension. Iran is insisting its program is for peaceful purposes.

IAEA top official in Iran talks stands down Posted: VIENNA (AFP) - IAEA deputy director Rafael Grossi, one of the top officials in negotiations over Irans nuclear drive, has announced his resignation, the UN nuclear watchdog said Sunday.I can confirm Assistant Director General Rafael Grossi has submitted his resignation from the IAEA, an International Atomic Energy Agency spokeswoman told AFP.The timing of his departure will be defined very soon, she added.No reasons were given for the Argentinians resignation, which comes as chief inspector Herman Nackaerts of Belgium prepares to retire later this year.Nackaerts and IAEA number two Grossi led fruitless talks with Iran last year over its controversial nuclear programme, which Tehran insists is peaceful, while the West suspects it is a cover for building an atomic bomb.During a series of meetings in Vienna and Tehran, the two tried but failed to get Iran to allow IAEA inspectors greater access to its nuclear programme.Tero Varjoranto of Finland is due to take over from Nackaerts as chief inspector in October.IAEA chief Yukiya Amano was meanwhile elected last month to a second four-year term, which will start in December.

Israeli official says drones could replace planes Posted: TEL AVIV (AP) - Israels air force is on track to developing drones that within four to five decades would carry out nearly every battlefield operation executed today by piloted aircraft, a high-ranking Israeli officer told The Associated Press Sunday.The officer, who works in the field of unmanned aerial vehicle intelligence, said Israel is speeding up research and development of such unmanned technologies for air, ground and naval forces.There is a process happening now of transferring tasks from manned to unmanned vehicles, the officer said, speaking anonymously because of the classified nature of his work. This trend will continue to become stronger.Isaac Ben-Israel, a former Israeli air force general, said however there was no way drones could entirely overtake manned airplanes. He said there are just some things drones cant do, like carry heavy payloads needed for major assaults on targets like underground bunkers.The direction is drones playing a bigger and bigger role in the air force, he said. In a decade or two they should be able to carry out a third or half of all missions. But there are still certain things you cannot do without a piloted plane.Israel is a pioneer in drone technology. Its military was the first to make widespread use of drones in its 1982 invasion of Lebanon and Israeli companies are considered world leaders and export unmanned aircraft to a number of armies, including U.S.-led forces that have used them in Iraq and Afghanistan.The unmanned aircraft have been a major part of Israels arsenal in battling Gaza rocket launchers over the years. Drones were seen as crucial by giving soldiers eyes in the air, keeping watch over rooftops and alleyways in congested urban areas and notifying troops of threats or obstacles in their path. Israel insists its drones only perform surveillance missions but Palestinian witnesses have long claimed that Israeli drones fire missiles in Gaza.The officer claimed Israel is second only to the United States in the range of unmanned aerial systems its produces. He said he was aware that American drones are capable of firing missiles, but refused to say whether Israeli drones could do the same.

Russia beat Slovakia 3-2 in Fed Cup semis Posted: MOSCOW (AP) - Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina won the decisive doubles match Sunday as Russia completed a 3-2 comeback victory over Slovakia to reach the Fed Cup final.Slovakia won the first two singles on Saturday to take a 2-0 lead but Maria Kirilenko and Makarova won the reverse matches to level the series before the Russians rallied to beat Dominika Cibulkova and Daniela Hantuchova 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 on indoor clay at Krylatskoye Ice Stadium.Kirilenko beat Cibulkova 7-5, 6-1 in the first reverse singles before Makarova downed Hantuchova 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.Four-time champion Russia will travel to face either the two-time defending champion Czech Republic or former champion Italy in the final on Nov. 2-3.The Slovak doubles pair saved three break points before breaking the Russians in the 10th game to win the first set. But the experienced Russian duo, ranked third by the WTA, broke them twice in the second set and completely dominated the decider, clinching the win on their second match point.I think we did very well. In the first set we played great and we were very close, Hantuchova said. Sometimes in sports you can do your best and you can try whatever but it doesnt work your way. We did give our best.Earlier, Makarova broke Hantuchova twice in the first set and went on to dominate early in the second. But the Slovak veteran seized the initiative by saving a break point in the eighth game before holding. Makarova double-faulted 15-40 in the next game and Hantuchova served out the set to stay in the match. A break up in the third, Hantuchova was broken to love in the ninth game when she double-faulted. Makarova held to go 5-4 up, and Hantukova saved three match points in the next game before the Russian clinched the victory with a forehand down the line.In the first match of the day, Kirilenko broke in the 12th game to take the first set. Cibulkova opened the second with a break, but the Russian broke back immediately and won the rest of the games, serving the match out at love.Kirilenko said that she moved and played much better than she did on Saturday and a phone call from her husband-to be, Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin, helped her a lot.Cibulkova said she hadnt recovered from Saturdays three-set match against Pavlyuchenkova.Russia reached the semifinals for the seventh consecutive year, while Slovakia played in its first since winning the title in 2002.

Williams sisters lead US to 3-2 win over Sweden Posted: DELRAY BEACH (AFP) - Serena and Venus Williams delivered singles victories Sunday to lift the United States to a 3-2 Fed Cup playoff victory over Sweden that will keep America in the elite World Group.Venus Williams persevered to deliver the clinching point, sealing a 6-3, 7-5 victory over Johanna Larsson on her eighth match point.The seven-time Grand Slam champion had been rolling toward the win, serving for the match and the tie at 5-4 in the second set when she delivered three double faults to drop her serve.She immediately broke back to take a 6-5 lead, but had to claw through a 12th game that went to deuce nine times.She started lifting her game, but thanks to all the support here I was able to give it to the US, said Williams, who had seven of her 11 double faults in the second set but hung on to give the United States an unbeatable 3-1 lead.The Americans then opted out of the meaningless doubles, giving Sweden a walkover win and making the final score of the tie 3-2.Venus was given singles duty at the last minute by US captain Mary Joe Fernandez, who apparently felt that 20-year-old Sloane Stephens hadnt bounced back adequately from her error-strewn 6-4, 4-6, 6-1 loss to Sofia Arvidsson in the opening match of the tie on Saturday.World number one Serena Williams had put the Americans back on track Saturday with a win over Larsson, and she put the 17-time champion United States up 2-1 with a dominant 6-2, 6-1 win over Arvidsson on Sunday.Serena fired 10 aces and broke Arvidsson twice in each set en route to the victory.Serving to extend the first set, Arvidsson double-faulted to give Williams a break point, then netted a backhand to surrender the frame.Williams was even more dominant in the second set, racing to a 5-0 lead before Arvidsson finally held serve.Back-to-back aces gave Williams triple match point, which she converted with another service winner.Today I played better -- I had to going up against the number one player from Sweden who had a really good win over our star player in America, said Williams, who stretched her perfect Fed Cup singles record to 10-0.It was important for me to take this match really serious.The tie saw Serena and her former top-ranked sister Venus playing Fed Cup together for the first time in 14 months, and with the win, the United States avoided relegation to World Group II after losing their 2013 first-round tie 3-2 to Italy in February.

Vettel wins Bahrain Grand Prix Posted: MANAMA (AFP) - Defending triple world champion Sebastian Vettel extended his lead in this years title race on Sunday when he claimed an impressive victory for Red Bull in an incident-filled Bahrain Grand Prix.It was the 25-year-old Germans second win in four races this year and the 28th of his career.It saw him pass Jackie Stewart into sixth in the all-time Grand Prix winning list.Starting second, Vettel took the lead on lap three and then controlled the 57-laps race as he came home 9.1 seconds clear of nearest rival and 2007 champion Finn Kimi Raikkonen of Lotus.Frenchman Romain Grosjean finished third in the second Lotus, as the Renault powered team made the best of excellent tyre conservation.It was the same podium finish as last years race.Grosjean denied fourth placed Briton Paul di Resta of Force India his first ever top three finish.Briton Lewis Hamilton, the 2008 champion, fought hard to finish fifth for Mercedes after a late battle with Australian Mark Webber who came home seventh in the second Red Bull, Mexican Sergio Perez smashing his way to sixth for McLaren.Two time champion Spaniard Fernando Alonso, who lost the use of his DRS on his Ferrari, came in eighth ahead of pole starting Finn Keke Rosberg in the second McLaren.Like many, Rosberg struggled with serious rear tyre wear. Briton Jenson Button, champion in 2009, finished 10th for McLaren after several clashes with his own team-mate.

Suarez apologizes for biting opponent in game Posted: LIVERPOOL (AP) - Liverpool striker Luis Suarez has apologized for his inexcusable behavior after biting Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic during a 2-2 draw at Anfield on Sunday.Suarez netted a last-gasp equalizer to secure a point for Liverpool but his performance was overshadowed by a previous incident where he clearly dug his teeth into Ivanovics arm in the Chelsea area, shortly after having given away a penalty at the other end for a handball.Suarez was heavily criticized after the game and said on Twitter: Im sad for what happened this afternoon, I apologize (to) Ivanovic and all football world for my inexcusable behaviour. Im so sorry about itSuarez was banned for seven matches in 2010 for biting an opponent while playing for Ajax against PSV Eindhoven in the Dutch league.

Motorcycling: Marquez wins Texas MotoGP Posted: AUSTIN (AP) - Rookie Marc Marquez won a MotoGP race for the first time, capturing the Grand Prix of the Americans on Sunday to become the youngest winner at motorcycle racings top level.The 20-year-old Spaniard, last seasons Moto2 champion, stood on the bike and waved to the crowd after the finish.Marquez had qualified in pole position but lost the lead to Honda teammate Dani Pedrosa seconds into the race. They dueled for the top spot the rest of the way. Marquez overtook Pedrosa with nine laps to go and held on to win in 43 minutes, 42.123 seconds. Pedrosa finished second.Marquez replaces American Fast Freddie Spencer as MotoGPs youngest winner. Spencer also was 20 when he won the Belgian Grand Prix in 1982.

Orbital Sciences launches Antares rocket Posted: WASHINGTON (AFP) - Orbital Sciences, one of two private US firms chosen by NASA to shuttle cargo to the International Space Station, launched a first test flight of its Antares rocket Sunday.The launch of the two-stage launch vehicle -- 131 feet (40 meters) tall and 12.8 feet in diameter -- took place at 5:00 pm (2100 GMT) from the Wallops Flight Facility situated on the Eastern Shore of the US state of Virginia.The launch had initially been planned for Wednesday but was called off 12 minutes before the firing up of the engines due to a minor technical problem. A second attempt on Saturday was scrapped due to strong wind.A $1.9 billion contract requires Orbital Sciences to deliver freight to the ISS over the course of eight flights by the beginning of 2016.As this is a test mission, Antares is not transporting the companys Cygnus capsule but rather a simulation of an equivalent payload.

Kaneria bids to overturn life ban Posted: LONDON (AFP) - Pakistans Danish Kaneria will try to resume his cricket career when he challenges a life ban for spot-fixing in London on Monday.But, heading into the start of the appeal hearing, doubt remained over whether Mervyn Westfield would give evidence against his former Essex team-mate.Leg-spinner Kaneria was given a life ban by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) last year after a panel found him guilty of inducing paceman Westfield to deliberately under-perform by agreeing to concede a certain number of runs in return for money while bowling in a county one-day match in 2009.Although imposed by the ECB, the now 32-year-old Kanerias ban was effectively a worldwide sanction as all boards under the jurisdiction of the International Cricket Council (ICC) have agreed to uphold punishments imposed by individual member countries in such circumstances.It was not until 2010 that the scandal became public broke when Essex police arrested both Kaneria and Westfield.However, the Pakistani was released without charge and has maintained his innocence throughout.By contrast, legal proceedings against Westfield continued and he spent two months in prison, as well as being banned for five years from first-class cricket and three from recreational cricket by the ECB.There has been speculation in the British press and on the Cricinfo website, that Westfield could be offered a deal by the ECB allowing him to play club cricket as a paid professional for Wanstead, east of London, in the Essex league if he testifies at the appeal hearing.It is understood talks between Westfield and the board have taken place in recent days but neither party has yet made any public statement on what outcome, if any, has been reached.Westfields evidence was central to the punishment imposed on Kaneria and the Pakistanis lawyers believe any failure by the seamer to give evidence at the hearing, which is being held in private, will damage the ECBs case.Without Westfield, Kanerias legal team have high hopes their client will be cleared and be able to sue the ECB for loss of earnings.They have argued Westfields evidence at the orginal hearing will be inadmissible at the appeal unless he appears in person and can be cross-examined.Kanerias appeal was originally due to take place in December but was postponed until April after the ECB failed to gain Westfields co-operation.Although he hasnt played international cricket since 2010, Kaneria remains Pakistans most successful Test spinner with 261 wickets in 61 matches.And, speaking to AFP in Karachi before his departure on Tuesday, he was optimistic about the chances of overturning his ban.I am quite hopeful, Kaneria said. There was no evidence against me and I have maintained that the ban was unjust and I will fight till the last.Kanerias lawyer, Farogh Naseem, had previously signalled his clients determination to contest the ban, by saying in March: We will definitely seek compensation from the ECB as because of the ban my client has been unable to play and earn a living.International cricket has born the brunt of the sports various gambling scandals where, thanks to the variety of markets, scams can be attempted without having to fix a result.But county matches have become targets for fixers now they are televised live in Asia, where betting on cricket is illegal in several countries.Mondays hearing comes just days after former Pakistan Test players Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif lost their appeals at the Court of Arbitration for Sport over a spot-fixing scandal.

Syrian opposition warns Hezbollah to stay out Posted: BEIRUT (AP) - The Syrian opposition called on Hezbollah to withdraw its fighters from the country immediately, as activists said regime troops supported by pro-government gunmen linked to the Lebanese Shiite militant group battled rebels Sunday for control of a string of villages near the Lebanon-Syria border.The Syrian National Coalition the main Western-backed opposition group warned that Hezbollah involvement in Syrias civil war could lead to greater risks in the area, and urged the Lebanese government to adopt the necessary measures to stop the aggression of Hezbollah and to control the border to prevent further risks and to protect civilians in the area.The statement, posted on the Coalitions Facebook page, coincides with a surge in fighting around the contested town of Qusair in Syrias Homs province near the frontier with Lebanon.Over the past two weeks, the Syrian military, supported by pro-regime militia backed by Hezbollah, has pushed to regain control of the border area a strategic region because it links Damascus with the Mediterranean coastal enclave that is the heartland of President Bashar Assads Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shiite Islam.It also points to the sectarian nature of the Syrian conflict, which pits a government dominated by the presidents Alawite minority against a primarily Sunni Muslim rebellion, as well as fears that the civil war could drag in neighboring states.The pro-regime gunmen are members of the Popular Committees, which were set up last year in Syria with Hezbollahs backing to protect Syrian villages inhabited by Lebanese Shiites, although rebels accuse the fighters of attacking opposition villages in the area and fighting alongside government forces.While Hezbollah confirms backing the Popular Committees, it denies taking part in Syrias civil war.The fighting along the border region has flared in recent weeks, and on Saturday government forces captured the villages of Radwaniyeh and Tel al-Nabi Mando. On Sunday, regime forces shelled the villages of Abu Houri, Saqarigh, Nahriyeh and Ein al-Tanour in the Qusair region, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights activist group. It said at least four rebels were killed in the fighting.

Group in parliament supporting terror:ANP Posted: KARACHI (Dunya News):- ANP Sindh president Senator Shahi Syed while speaking at a press conference in Mardan House said that targeted operation and seizure of unlicensed arms is well and good but licensed arms should be returned to the honorable citizens.He said all political parties should be provided equal atmosphere, adding that ANP’s gatherings are being hit but Jamaat e Islami and JUI is holding its rallies without any fear and hesitation.He said that a terror group in the parliament is patronizing terrorists.“The ANP has given a lot sacrifices in war on terror. Neither the ANP has ever surrendered before miscreants nor it will bend before them”, said Shahi Syed.

US shares Iran threat with Isreal: Hagel Posted: JERUSALEM (AP) - US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Sunday the United States and Israel see exactly the same threat from Iran, but differ on when it may reach the point of requiring US or Israeli military action.Hagel used his first visit to Israel as Pentagon chief to highlight his view that Israel must decide for itself whether and when to pre-emptively strike Iran.Israel will make the decision that Israel must make to protect itself, to defend itself, Hagel told reporters before arriving here on Sunday to begin a weeklong tour of the Middle East.Hagel acknowledged that while Israel and the U.S. share a commitment to ensuring that Iran does not acquire a nuclear weapon, there may well be some differences between the two allies on the question of when Irans leaders might decide to go for a bomb.There is no daylight at all between Israel and the U.S. on the central goal of preventing a nuclear-armed Iran, he said.But, Hagel added, When you back down into the specifics of the timing of when and if Iran decides to pursue a nuclear weapon, there may well be some differences.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tends to see more urgency, reflecting in part the fact that certain Iranian technological advances toward a nuclear weapon could put the program beyond the ability of the Israeli military to destroy it with airstrikes. U.S. forces have greater reach.The first thing Hagel did upon arrival in Jerusalem was take a guided tour of the Yad Vashem Holocaust history museum, participate in a ceremony at the Hall of Remembrance and write an inscription in the guest book at a memorial for the 1.5 million Jewish children who perished in the Holocaust.There is no more poignant, more touching, more effective way to tell the story than this reality, as painful as it is, but it is a reality, he said after completing his visit.It did happen, and we must prepare our future generations for a clear understanding that we must never allow this to happen again.In an interview on an overnight flight from Washington, Hagel repeatedly emphasized Israels right of self-defense and stressed that military force by implication, Israeli or American remains an option of last resort.In dealing with Iran, every option must be on the table, he said.Hagel, 66, came under intense fire from Republican critics, prior to his February Senate confirmation hearing, for some of his past statements on Israel.His critics painted him as insufficiently supportive of the Jewish state.In choosing to make Israel one of his first overseas stops, Hagel sought to put that controversy behind him with serious words and a touch of humor.The February confirmation hearing, which Republicans used to hammer him on Israel and other subjects, was years ago, he deadpanned.During his two-day visit to Israel, Hagel is expected to put the final touches on a U.S. arms deal that would provide Israel with missiles for its fighter aircraft, plus KC-135 refueling planes that could be used in a long-range strike on a country like Iran, as well as V-22 Osprey transport planes.He called the proposed sale a very clear signal to Iran.The bottom line is, Iran is a threat a real threat, he said, not only for its nuclear ambitions and its stated goal of destroying Israel but also for its alleged sponsoring of terrorism.Hagel said U.S. and international economic sanctions are hurting Iran significantly, but he said they do not guarantee that Iranian leaders will be persuaded to stop what the West sees as their ambition to become a nuclear power.Iran asserts that its nuclear program is designed entirely for non-military purposes.Hagel suggested he holds hope that Irans presidential election in June might change the trajectory of its nuclear drive.He asserted that there is still time for diplomacy and international sanctions to resolve the Iran problem.These other tracks do have some time to continue to try to influence the outcome in Iran, he said.In the interview en route to Tel Aviv, Hagel was asked whether the Obama administration has determined whether the Syrian government has used chemical weapons against opposition rebels.He said intelligences analysts are still assessing the evidence and have not reached a conclusion.

Casting votes under current system a sin, says Tahirul Qadri Posted: LAHORE (Dunya News):-Dr Tahirul Qadri has said that he would observe sit-ins throughout the country on May 11. The people casting votes actually would be committing great sin.Pakistan Awami Tehrik held a protest rally from Railway Station to Lakshami Chaowk. The party workers carrying banners and placards shouted slogans against current electoral process.Tahirul Qadri while addressing the rally said that corrupt and notorious politicians have been awarded with ‘certificates of honesty and sincerity’ in accordance with 62 and 63 articles of the constitution.He made it clear that he would observe peaceful sit-ins on May 11 as a protest against the corrupt system.He said that he was not opposing the electoral system; rather he was raising voice against the system which is patronizing corrupt elements.He said the new parliament would be unstable.

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