Dunya TV

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• SC to resume hearing of treason petitions against Musharraf
• SC issues contempt of court notices to Zardari, Ashraf
• Pakistan-Afghan-US talks make progress: Kerry
• Benazir murder case: FIA to investigate Musharraf
• Karachi: Cracker attack on traders house
• World Malaria Day is being observed today
• Immunization programme key to curb diseases: Salima
• Bangladesh garment factory building collapse kills 149
• Brahimi suggests UN arms embargo on Syria conflict
• Suspect in Canada terror plot rejects charges
• Five dead in small US town, suspect killed by police
• Landslide kills 14 in Ecuador
• Dortmund beat Real Madrid in CL semi-final first leg
• Top-seed Ferrer out, Nadal sees off Berlocq
• Wozniacki loses in 1st round of Porsche GP

SC to resume hearing of treason petitions against Musharraf Posted: ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - The Supreme Court will resume hearing petitions today seeking initiation of a high treason case against former president Pervez Musharraf.A three-member bench, comprising ustice Jawwad S Khawaja, Justice Khilji Arif Hussain and Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan would take up the case. Pervez Musharraf’s counsel Ibrahim Satti will present his argument before the apex court bench.During previous hearing, Justice Jawwad remarked that all the requisites of justice will be met as the court has to follow the constitution and law.He continued saying that it is not their problem if justice scares some people or make them happy or satisfied.Pervez Musharraf’s lawyer Ibrahim Satti Advocate told the bench that he had submitted the request for the copies certified by the SC but he has not yet received the documents. He further told that his client has no access to official records.

SC issues contempt of court notices to Zardari, Ashraf Posted: ISLAMABAD - The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued contempt of court notices to President Asif Ali Zardari and former Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf for not implementing apex court's verdict in Dual Nationality Case. As per reports, a three-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry will hear the case today (Thursday). The court also issued notices to Chief Election Commissioner Fakhruddin G. Ibrahim‚ Chairman Senate‚ former Interior Minister Rehman Malik and Attorney General.

Pakistan-Afghan-US talks make progress: Kerry Posted: BRUSSELS (AFP) - US Secretary of State John Kerry tried to get Afghanistan and Pakistan on the same page Wednesday, ending their mistrust so they could work together as NATO prepares for its Afghan withdrawal next year.After more than three hours of talks in Brussels, Kerry said he had made progress with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Pakistan armed forces chief Ashfaq Kayani.But all sides still had some very specific homework to do, he said, declining to give specific details so as not to raise expectations or make any kind of promises that can not be delivered.As the talks closed Wednesday, neither Karzai or Kayani made any comment.Kerry said: We have all agreed that results are what will tell the story, not statements at a press conference.The three parties would continue a very specific dialogue on both the political track as well as the security track.We have a commitment to do that in the interests of Afghanistan, Pakistan and peace in the region, he added.The US government sees Pakistan as a key player in brokering peace with Taliban insurgents who have been battling the Kabul government and US-led NATO forces since 2001.Relations between Islamabad and Kabul, however, have been strained for years and Karzai has accused Pakistan of aiding the Taliban who seek refuge along their rugged border.Signs earlier this year of an improvement in relations have faded amid disagreements between the two over how to promote peace efforts by bringing the Taliban on board.Afghanistan says Pakistan, which backed the 1996-2001 Taliban regime, continues to support the insurgents to counter the influence of arch-rival India.Washington for its part has pushed the trilateral discussions since 2009 in an effort to ease such suspicions but they are deep-seated.Pakistan strongly rejects the charge it helps the Taliban, and in a statement Monday posted on its Brussels embassy website said it consistently endeavoured to facilitate an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process. Pakistan remains committed to continue its positive and constructive role towards a durable peace in Afghanistan.Pakistan is convinced that a peaceful, stable, prosperous and united Afghanistan is in the interest of Afghanistan, Pakistan and the region, it said.Kerry, who arranged the meeting on top of a visit to Brussels for a NATO foreign ministers' gathering, said as he went into the talks earlier that he was very hopeful for a productive series of discussions.The talks would cover security and other issues regarding the relationships in the region as well as the road forward heading towards 2014, Kerry said.On Monday, the secretary of state had described 2013 as a critical year as NATO progressively handed over responsibility security to Afghan forces and prepared for withdrawal next year.With the stakes high for all concerned, the talks would be about how we can advance this process in the simplest, most cooperative, most cogent way so that we wind up with both Pakistan's and Afghanistan's interests being satisfied, but most importantly, with a stable and peaceful Afghanistan.

Benazir murder case: FIA to investigate Musharraf Posted: ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – A high level meeting of the join investigating team was held on Wednesday which was presided over by Director Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Gen Khalid Qureshi.A strategy was chalked out in the meeting to take custody of former president Pervez Musharraf in Benazir murder case.Earlier, a Rawalpindi bench of Lahore High Court has dismissed the plea of former president Pervez Musharraf seeking extension in his interim bail.The interim bail plea was dismissed after Musharraf and his lawyer failed to appear before the bench.

Karachi: Cracker attack on traders house Posted: KARACHI (Dunya News) – Some unidentified persons hurled a cracker at the house of a trader in Gulshan-e-Iqbal area which damaged the gate of the house. No loss of life was reported in the incident.According to sources, the trader was getting extortion slips from unknown persons. Two weeks ago the same trader escaped a cracker attack for not paying extortion money.

World Malaria Day is being observed today Posted: Pakistan joins the rest of the world to celebrate World Malaria Day today. The global campaign theme for this year and the coming years is: “Invest in the future. Defeat Malaria”.According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), malaria kills an estimated 650,000 people worldwide, mainly children under five years in sub-Saharan Africa.Every year, more than 200 million cases occur, most of them never tested or registered. A recent plateauing of international funding has slowed down progress, and emerging drug and insecticide resistance threatens to reverse recent gains.

Immunization programme key to curb diseases: Salima Posted: LAHORE – The Punjab Health Minister Salima Hashmi said that improving routine immunization coverage is essential for elimination of diseases.She expressed these views while addressing the inaugural ceremony of global immunization and mother children health week at Children Hospital here on Wednesday.She said that provision of preventive vaccination is fundamental right of every child and mother which must be available to them, as without making preventive vaccination programme successful, the future of our children would remain unsafe.She said the deadly diseases are reoccurring due to non-achievement of routine immunization coverage targets and lessening of routine preventive vaccination coverage. Latter talking to media representatives, Salima Hashmi said that it is highly regrettable that one child out of every ten dies in Pakistan before the age of five. She said media has made people extremely aware about their rights, and added that resources which should have been utilized on health sector have not been available to it. She observed that children, pregnant women and mothers are suffering from diseases because of non-availability of balanced diet. She informed that during global immunization and mother & child health week 48,000 lady health workers and more than 5000 community workers would participate in various activities from 24 April to 30th April.

Bangladesh garment factory building collapse kills 149 Posted: SAVAR (AFP) - Rescue workers in Bangladesh hunted for survivors overnight Thursday amid the rubble of a collapsed garment factory building where 149 people died and more than 1,000 were injured.Working under floodlights with industrial cutters and cranes, teams of fire service and army rescue workers struggled to break through the mountain of concrete and mangled steel to reach people screaming for help inside.The whole building collapsed like a pancake within minutes. Most workers did not have any chance to escape, national fire department chief Ahmed Ali told AFP. We can still hear the faint cries of some trapped people.The accident has once again highlighted the safety problems and poor working conditions that plague the textile industry in Bangladesh, the worlds second-biggest clothing exporter that supplies global retailers.According to labour rights groups, it was the worst factory disaster in the countrys history, prompting the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to declare a national day of mourning on Thursday when flags will fly half-mast.Low-cost British clothing chain Primark was among the first to admit that one of its suppliers was based in the eight-storey Rana Plaza on the outskirts of the capital Dhaka which imploded at about 9:00 am (0300 GMT).The company is shocked and deeply saddened by this appalling incident at Savar, near Dhaka, and expresses its condolences to all of those involved, it said in a statement.Survivors complained that the building had developed cracks on Tuesday evening, triggering an evacuation, but they had been ordered back to the production lines.The managers forced us to rejoin and just one hour after we entered the factory the building collapsed with a huge noise, said a 24-year-old worker who gave her first name as Mousumi.Mustafizur Rahman, head of a police unit created to handle industrial troubles, said the factory owners, who have gone into hiding, had ignored a warning not to open their plants.After looking at the cracks on Tuesday, we told them to keep the plants shut. They defied our call, he told AFP.Last November, a blaze at a factory making apparel for Walmart and other Western labels in Dhaka left 111 people dead, the industrys most deadly accident made worse by sub-standard safety equipment and locked fire exits.

Brahimi suggests UN arms embargo on Syria conflict Posted: UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - UN-Arab League mediator Lakhdar Brahimi suggested the Security Council consider an arms embargo on both sides of Syrias conflict during a closed-door meeting, a UN official said Wednesday.Brahimi emphasized the need for a political solution along the lines of the Geneva Communique and warned against the growing militarization and radicalization inside Syria, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman said, describing the address delivered Friday.He reiterated the secretary-generals call to stop the flow of arms to either side in Syria and called on the council to consider an arms embargo.The United States was cool to the idea. State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell said that while he had not seen Brahimis remarks, we havent supported or come out and said that we want some sort of total arms embargo.But Ventrell criticized weapons to the Syrian regime, saying that arms provided by Iran and Russia were destructive and raining down on the heads of innocent women and children.The Security Council has been deeply divided on the conflict, with Western nations pushing for tough action against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Russia opposed to any sanctions against its close regional ally.Iran is believed to be supplying arms to Assads regime while Saudi Arabia and Qatar are reportedly arming the rebels.The United States and European nations have until now provided only non-lethal aid to the opposition.Feltman said Syrian authorities have yet to grant permission for a UN fact-finding team to investigate reports of chemical weapons attacks.We are still in discussions with the government of Syria on the scope and modalities of the mission, Feltman said, adding that experts are studying information provided by member states.The experts are ready to deploy to Syria within 24 to 48 hours following the Syrian governments acceptance, he added.On Tuesday, the head of research and analysis in the Israeli armys military intelligence division said Assad had resorted to using chemical weapons, likely sarin, against rebel fighters.One of the characteristics of the recent period is the growing use by the regime of surface-to-surface missiles, rockets and chemical weapons, Brigadier General Itai Brun told a conference.To the best of our professional understanding, the regime has made use of deadly chemical weapons against the rebels in a number of incidents in the past few months, he added, in remarks quoted on the armys official Twitter feed.The United States meanwhile said it has not yet concluded that Assads regime has used chemical weapons against rebel forces, which President Barack Obama has long warned would be a red line.

Suspect in Canada terror plot rejects charges Posted: TORONTO (AP) - One of two men accused of plotting with al-Qaida members in Iran to derail a train in Canada became radicalized to the point that his father reached out to a Muslim support group for help and advice, a local religious leader said Wednesday.Muhammad Robert Heft, president of the Paradise Forever Support Group Inc., a non-profit organization that provides support to Muslims in Canada, said Mohammad Jaser came to him several times citing concerns about the radicalization of his son.He came to me about his son saying he how concerned he was getting about the rigidness of his son and his interpretation of Islam. He was becoming self-righteous, becoming pushy, pushing his views on how much they (his family) should be practicing as a Muslim, said Heft.Jasers son, Raed, 35, has been charged along with Chiheb Esseghaier, 30 with conspiring to carry out an attack and murder people in association with a terrorist group in their plot to derail a train that runs between New York City and Montreal.Canadian investigators say the men received guidance from members of al-Qaida in Iran. Iranian government officials have said the government had nothing to do with the plot.His son was becoming overzealous and intolerant in his understanding of the religion, Heft said. Those are the telltale signs that can lead into the radicalization process.The discussions took place between 2010 and 2011, while the father was renting a basement apartment in Hefts home in Markham, Ontario.On Wednesday, the other suspect appeared briefly in court where he made a statement suggesting he did not recognize the courts jurisdiction.This criminal code is not a holy book, Esseghaier said at the hearing. We cannot rely on the conclusions taken out from these judgments.At the hearing Esseghaier rejected the allegations against him and declined to be represented by a court-appointed lawyer.Jaser had appeared in court Tuesday and did not enter a plea. The court granted a request by his lawyer, John Norris, for a publication ban on future evidence and testimony.Both men were ordered to return to court on May 23.We are waiting for the disclosure and we will be defending against the charges, Norris said in a telephone interview on Wednesday.Norris declined to comment when asked if he wanted his clients case separated from Esseghaier, who has spoken out twice in court despite being advised not to.Police tipped off by an imam worried by the behavior of one of the suspects said it was the first known attack planned by al-Qaida in Canada. The two could be sentenced to life in prison if convicted.The case has raised questions about the extent of Shiite-led Irans relationship with al-Qaida, a predominantly Sunni Arab terrorist network. It also renewed attention on Irans complicated history with the terror group, which ranges from outright hostility to alliances of convenience and even overtures by Tehran to assist Washington after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States. Canadian police said this week they didnt think it was a case of state sponsored terrorism.

Five dead in small US town, suspect killed by police Posted: CHICAGO (AFP) - Five people were found dead in their home in a small US town Wednesday, and the suspected gunman was later killed by police in a shootout after a brief pursuit, the Illinois state police said.A six-year-old girl discovered among the carnage is being treated at an area hospital, Lieutenant Colonel Todd Kilby told reporters. Police would not confirm reports that the victims were all killed by gunfire.Theres no reason to believe theres any danger to the public or any other suspects, Kilby said.At this point we are not discussing motives or relationships.The bodies were discovered at about 4:30 am in the tiny town of Manchester. Witnesses saw a white car speeding away and police tracked it down around 7:15 am.Shots were exchanged and the police took the suspect into custody while he was in possession of multiple weapons at 7:27 am, Kilby said.The suspect was transported to hospital where he was pronounced dead.The slain family members were identified by relatives as: Joanne Sinclair, 65, her granddaughter Brittany Luark, 22, her boyfriend Roy Ralston, Nolan Ralston, 5, and Bradley Ralston, 1, the Chicago Tribune reported.The shooter was identified by neighbors and relatives as Rick Smith, 43, who had been going through a bitter custody battle with Sinclairs daughter, the newspaper reported.

Landslide kills 14 in Ecuador Posted: QUITO (AFP) - A landslide swept into a village in northern Ecuador, burying homes and killing at least 14 people, authorities said Wednesday.There were 14 people killed in a landslide in Tabete civil defense reported on Twitter, of the town near the Colombian border.After days of heavy rain, the landslide buried homes in tonnes of earth and debris in the town located in Esmeraldas province, said Mayor Ernesto Estupinan of nearby Esmeraldas city.

Dortmund beat Real Madrid in CL semi-final first leg Posted: DORTMUND (AP) - Robert Lewandowski scored four goals as Borussia Dortmund swept to an emphatic 4-1 victory over Real Madrid on Wednesday and took a huge step toward reaching the Champions League final.Dortmund's triumph in the first leg of the semifinal also lined up the prospect of an all-German final at Wembley Stadium on May 25, following Bayern Munich's 4-0 rout of Barcelona on Tuesday. The second leg matches will be played next week.Lewandowski opened the scoring in the eighth minute, only for Cristiano Ronaldo to equalize against the run of play two minutes before the interval.But Lewandowski beat the offside trap to claim his second in the 50th, and the Poland striker completed his hat trick in stunning fashion five minutes later. He rounded off the scoring with a penalty in the 67th, after Xabi Alonso brought down Marco Reus.Dortmund, the only unbeaten side remaining in the competition, made it six wins from six at home and extended Madrid's run of six consecutive defeats in Germany.The hosts' preparations for the game looked to have been disrupted by news breaking the day before of attacking midfielder Mario Goetze's decision to join Bayern at the end of the season.But the side showed no ill effects and almost claimed an early the lead when Reus ran at three defenders before forcing a save from Lopez. The rebound fell just beyond the lurking Lewandowski in front of the open goal.Lewandowski took his chance a minute later, however, when Ilkay Guendogan sent Goetze free down the left, and the 20-year-old whipped in a dangerous cross that Lewandowski managed to reach ahead of Raphael Varane and Pepe.Mesut Oezil almost played Ronaldo through as the visitors sought a response, but the pass was too far ahead of the Portugal star.The visitors' troubles in the face of Dortmund's pressing game were summed up when Alonso went back to collect the ball from his goalkeeper, only to put a long pass out over the sideline.Ronaldo brought a smart save from Roman Weidenfeller with a free kick, before Guendogan shot over at the other end as the visitors resorted to last-ditch defending.Lewandowski, Reus and Goetze again were striking terror through the heart of the Madrid defense, which was resorting to last-ditch tackles to avert the danger.Dortmund's swashbuckling forays forward had the crowd on their feet, rising to the occasion as they sensed something special was happening.Penalty appeals were waved away after Reus fell under Varane's challenge in the area, and the home fans had further ground for complaint when Gonzalo Higuain seized on Mats Hummels' weak back pass and rolled it across goal for Ronaldo to fire into an unguarded net.It was his 12th goal of this season's campaign in Europe and his 50th in the Champions League overall.The game was being played at such a frenetic pace after the break that both sides found it hard to complete passes.However, Lewandowski ran onto Reus' defence-splitting pass before tucking the ball past Lopez, and he did even better five minutes later when he eluded Pepe by dragging the ball back and hammered the ball home from close range.Only a fingertip save from Diego Lopez denied Guendogan from claiming Dortmund's fourth in the 62nd, but Lewandowski notched his fourth from the spot five minutes later.He might have had a fifth late on, only to be denied by a flying save from Diego Lopez, before Varane missed the chance to pull one back in injury time.

Top-seed Ferrer out, Nadal sees off Berlocq Posted: BARCELONA (AFP) - Rafael Nadal restored the balance of clay power at the Barcelona Open on Wednesday with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Carlos Berlocq after top-seeded compatriot David Ferrer was eliminated by Dmitry Tursunov.Russian qualifier Tursunov stunned Ferrer 7-5, 3-6, 6-1 in a major second-round upset.Nadal may have still been feeling the effects of his Monte Carlo final loss at the weekend to Novak Djokovic, a defeat which denied him an historic ninth consecutive title in the principality.Seeded second for the first time ever behind Ferrer, he needed six match points to see off persistent Argentine Berlocq, whom he had beaten on Brazilian clay two months ago.The match was played in a swirling wind which bothered the Spaniard. It was not very comfortable and it affected my game, said Nadal, who next plays Frenchman Benoit Paire, who beat Pablo Andujar 6-4, 5-7, 6-3.I dont want to talk about being a tltle favourite, Im just very happy to be playing well and into the third round.Im not looking ahead.Nadal owns bragging rights in Barcelona after winning seven titles in eight editions and posting a 36-1 lifetime record at the Catalan venue.His defeat of Berlocg was his 35th win in a row here since losing to current Davis Cup captain Alex Corretja in the 2003 second round.He now stands 22-2 on the clay this season in which he only returned to tennis in February after seven months out with knee injuries.Ferrer could offer little explanation on his loss as he played for the first time since a thigh injury in the Miami final against Andy Murray nearly a month ago.I couldnt seem to hurt him with my shots. it was a strange match mentally and physically, said the bewildered 31-year-old, known as the iron man of the game for his never-say-die retrieving.This was a match to forget - probably one of the worst Ive played in recent years.Each year it will become more difficult for me to win the tournament, said the four-time finalist.I came back well in the second set but the third got away from me very quickly, I really wasnt competitive.More than an hour after his win, the 66th-ranked Tursunov was puzzled as to how he had accomplishd the upset.Im not so sure, this was certainly not his best match. hes not played a lot recently and you need time to get back into rhythm.I tried to keep up a fast pace and not give him any time. He certainly has the advantage over me on clay.Tursunov executed in style in just under two hours to spoil the pre-French Open clay debut of Ferrer.The Russian needed only five aces in a win where he struck 30 winners and 50 unforced errors. But Ferrer showed his rustiness with a mere 15 winners and 32 miscues.Ferrer was making his 11th consecutive Barcelona appearance to now stand 25-11 at the venue.Tursunov moved into a third-round encounter with Brazilian 16th seed Thomaz Bellucci.Fourth seed Nicolas Almagro joined Nadal with a win as he beat Ivan Dodig of Croatia 6-1, 7-5. Canadian fifth seed Milos Raonic made an easy start over Eduardo Roger-Vasselin of France 6-4, 6-2, as the North American made up for a disappointing loss last week in the Monte Carlo second round.Argentine Juan Monaco, seeded seventh, crushed Australian number one Bernard Tomic 6-0, 6-2 while Slovak 11th seed Martin Klizan beat Albert Montanes 6-3, 6-4 and veteran Spanish clay campaigner Tommy Robredo continued to find flashes of his best form in a defeat of Bulgarian young gun and 14th seed Grigor Dimitrov 7-5, 6-1.Spanish 15th seed Marcel Granollers beat Blaz Kavcic of Slovenia 6-3, 6-1.

Wozniacki loses in 1st round of Porsche GP Posted: STUTTGART (AP) - Jelena Jankovic beat Samantha Stosur 6-4, 6-4 to advance to the second round of the Porsche Grand Prix on Wednesday.But another former No. 1 in the world, Caroline Wozniacki, lost in the first round, falling to Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain 7-6 (6), 6-1.The former top-ranked Dane squandered a 3-0 lead in the first set and never recovered after losing the tiebreaker.Jankovic now has a 6-2 career lead over Stosur, though she had lost to the Australian the last time they played on clay, in the semifinals of the 2010 French Open.Ive had some good results this year, the Serb said. Jankovic won in Bogota and was runner-up in Charleston.Jankovic broke serve for a 5-4 lead but struggled to serve out the first set. She also wasted two match points at 5-3 on Stosurs serve in the second, before using her third match point on an error by Stosur.The Stuttgart tournament is played on indoor clay.Also, fifth-seeded Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic, a former Wimbledon champion, beat wild-card entry Annika Beck of Germany 7-5, 6-7 (0), 6-3 after breaking serve for the second time in the final set for a 5-2 lead. Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic beat Mona Barthel of Germany 6-4, 6-1.Barthel said she was tired after helping Germany defeat Serbia in the Fed Cup playoffs for a place in the World Group.Safarova won nine of 10 games from 4-3 down. She also played Davis Cup over the weekend, losing in Italy.Todays match was a good one to get through, Safarova said. I was playing against an opponent who had been practicing here on the center court in the lead-up to the Fed Cup tie on the weekend.It took me a few games to get my rhythm because the conditions here are so different to Fed Cup in Palermo, where the surface was very slow - here its much faster and it took a while to get used to, Safarova said.Julia Goerges of Germany, who beat Wozniacki for the 2011 title in Stuttgart, advanced to the second round when Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium retired with stomach problems. Goerges was leading 6-2, 2-1.

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