Dunya TV

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• Karzai: US gives funds to national security team
• All 7 dead in cargo plane crash at Afghan airbase: NATO
• Official: 17 killed in northern Nigeria violence
• Kerry meets Arab ministers on peace process
• UN urges Syria to let in chemical weapons experts
• Nadal to play at Federer's hometown Swiss Indoors
• Kuznetsova survives rough welcome in Portugal
• Davydenko knocked out in 1st round of BMW Open
• Villa rout Sunderland 6-1 to close in on safety
• Golf: Muirfield changes set tough test for Open stars
• Mediterranean diet helps beat dementia: study
• Oil above $94 on US data, hope of EU rate cut
• Euro high as Italy stokes eurozone hopes
• Afridi left out of Pakistan Champions Trophy squad
• PCB appoints Australian Woodhill batting coach

Karzai: US gives funds to national security team Posted: KABUL (AP) - Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Monday that his national security team has been receiving payments from the U.S. government for the past 10 years.Karzai confirmed the payments when he was asked about a story published in The New York Times saying the CIA had given the Afghan National Security Council tens of millions of dollars in monthly payments delivered in suitcases, backpacks and plastic shopping bags.During a news conference in Helsinki, Finland, where he was on an official visit, Karzai said the welcome monthly payments were not a big amount but were a small amount, although he did not disclose the sums. He said they were used to give assistance to the wounded and sick, to pay rent for housing and for other operational purposes.He said the aid has been very useful, and we are grateful for it.The newspaper quotes Khalil Roman, who served as Mr. Karzais deputy chief of staff from 2002 until 2005, as calling the vast CIA payments ghost money that came in secret, and it left in secret. It also quotes unidentified American officials as saying that the cash has fueled corruption and empowered warlords, undermining Washingtons exit strategy from Afghanistan.In Washington, White House spokesman Jay Carney declined to comment on the report, referring questions to the CIA, which also declined comment.In 2010, Iran acknowledged that it had been sending funds to neighboring Afghanistan for years, but said the money was intended to aid reconstruction, not to buy influence in Karzais office. The Afghan president confirmed he was receiving millions of dollars in cash from Iran and that Washington was giving him bags of money, too, because his office lacked funds.At the time, President Barack Obamas press secretary, Robert Gibbs, denied that the U.S. government was in the big bags of cash business, but former U.S. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley had said earlier that some of the American aid to Afghanistan was in cash.U.S. officials also asserted then that the money flowing from Tehran was proof that Iran was playing a double game in Afghanistan wooing the government while helping Taliban insurgents fighting U.S. and NATO forces. Iran denied that.

All 7 dead in cargo plane crash at Afghan airbase: NATO Posted: KABUL (AFP) - A civilian cargo plane crashed shortly after take-off at a huge US-run airbase in Afghanistan on Monday, killing all seven crew members on board, officials said.Rescue teams rushed to the scene after the plane smashed into the ground inside the boundaries of Bagram airfield, a key transport hub for US-led military operations in Afghanistan.All seven of the crew on board died in the accident, a spokesman for the NATO military coalition told AFP.The spokesman added that there was no reported insurgent activity in the area at the time.He declined to discuss the type of plane that was involved in the accident or the cargo company that was operating the flight out of Bagram airbase, 50 kilometres (30 miles) north of Kabul.Aircraft crashes are fairly frequent in Afghanistan, where the 100,000-strong international military mission relies heavily on air transport as it battles the Taliban insurgency across the country.A NATO plane crashed in the south on Saturday, killing four US service members, in another incident that the coalition said was not due to insurgent fire.

Official: 17 killed in northern Nigeria violence Posted: BAMA (AP) - A military official says at least 17 people have been killed in fighting between Islamic extremists and security forces in northeastern Nigeria.The fighting happened in Bama, a town in northeastern Borno state where insurgents have been fighting the government since 2010.Lt. Col A.G Laka said Monday that the fighting killed at least seven police officers and 10 insurgents. Journalists accompanying a government convoy to the area Monday did not see any of the corpses and the military routinely downplays casualty figures from fighting.An Associated Press journalist saw burned homes and businesses burned down, something Laka blamed on insurgents using civilians as cover. The military made a similar claim about violence in Baga, a city where local officials say at least 185 were recently killed.

Kerry meets Arab ministers on peace process Posted: WASHINGTON (AFP) - US Secretary of State John Kerry hosted talks with top Arab League officials Monday as he pursued painstaking efforts aimed at revitalizing the Middle East peace process.The new top US diplomat has devoted time and energy to trying to find a way out of the impasse and bring all sides back to the negotiating table since taking office on February 1.He has traveled three times to the region, meeting senior Israeli and Palestinian officials as well as Egyptian, Saudi, Jordanian, and Qatari leaders, in a bid to revive the peace talks, which last collapsed in late 2010.The Arab Peace Initiative, unveiled in 2002 by Saudi Arabia, in which 22 Arab countries would normalize ties with Israel in return for Israeli withdrawal from occupied lands, could be a way forward, Kerry has suggested.Were all here to have a very key discussion with respect to the Middle East peace process and other issues in the region, Kerry said as he welcomed a group of ministers to the talks.I think its important that we have an opportunity to be able to talk frankly, he added.In line with Kerrys so-called quiet strategy, the talks were being held in the privacy of Blair House, often known as the presidents guest house, just a short walk from the White House, and not at the State Department.US Vice President Joe Biden was also expected to drop in on the talks, a White House official said.Qatari Prime Minister Hamad bin Jassim, chair of the Arab Peace Initiative follow-up committee, headed the delegation, which also included Palestinian foreign affairs minister Riyad al-Maliki and Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi.I think its an important meeting, an important era, which we hope will lead to peace, a comprehensive peace between the Arabs and the Israelis, Jassim said at the start of the talks.I have no doubt about your efforts and you showed your efforts since youve taken the office. And I believe that we are as Arabs serious in peace, but fair peace -- a fair deal for both parties.Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohammed Kamel Amr also attended, along with Bahrains Foreign Minister Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmed al-Khalifa and top Saudi and Lebanese officials.The talks came after a series of productive conversations by the secretary to explore how we can best move regional peace efforts forward, deputy acting State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell told journalists.We welcome the Arab Leagues eagerness to play a constructive role in the pursuit of a durable and lasting Middle East peace, Ventrell added.The talks were also expected to delve into new proposals from Kerry to promote economic development on the West Bank -- a scheme in which he is hoping to attract private sector investment to boost Palestinian trust.But Ventrell again cautioned Kerry was not planning to lay out any proposals to the Arab League nations.This is more about hearing from them and their perspective on the path forward and some of their opinions, he said.

UN urges Syria to let in chemical weapons experts Posted: UNITED NATIONS (AP) - Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is again appealing to Syria to allow a team of experts into the country without delay and without any conditions to investigate allegations of chemical weapons use.The U.N. chief told reporters Monday he takes seriously a recent U.S. intelligence report which indicated Syria has twice used chemical weapons.Syria wants any investigation limited to an incident near Aleppo in March but Ban wants a broader investigation, including a December incident in Homs.Ban stood beside Swedish chemical weapons expert Ake Sellstrom, who heads the team, which he praised for its integrity and independence and professionalism.The team is already gathering and analyzing available evidence, but Ban said onsite activities are essential if the U.N. is to establish the facts and clear all the doubts.

Nadal to play at Federer's hometown Swiss Indoors Posted: BASEL (AP) - Rafael Nadal is scheduled to play at Roger Federer's hometown tournament for the first time in nine years.Organizers of the Swiss Indoors announced their star attractions for the Oct. 19-27 event in Basel. The field is headed by five-time champion Federer, Nadal and defending champion Juan Martin del Potro.Nadal last played in Basel in 2004, losing in the first round to Rainer Schuettler of Germany.The Spaniard also lost early to compatriot Feliciano Lopez in 2003, the only year he and Federer both played at Basel. The Swiss Indoors, played on carpet then, is now a hard-court tournament.Nadal has a 19-10 career record against Federer, including a quarterfinal win last month at the Masters event at Indian Wells, California.

Kuznetsova survives rough welcome in Portugal Posted: OEIRAS (AFP) - Two-time grand slam champion Svetlana Kuznetsova was forced to battle to a marathon 6-7 (2/7), 6-3, 6-2 first round win at the ATP/WTA Portugal Open on Monday.The Russian wild card, who won the 2004 French Open and the US Open three years later, had to dig deep to see off American sixth seed Varvara Lepchenko. Kuznetsova, now ranked 45th in the world, is playing the event proper for the first time in her career but she did lose a qualifying match in her only previous visit in 2002. The 27-year-old was challenged by the standard windy conditions which are a part of this rebranded clay event - formerly the Estoril Open - and also had to deal with an unseasonable chill gripping the Iberian peninsula. Kuznetsova won in just over two and a half hours, firing six aces and breaking Lepchenko six times.She lost her own serve five times on the way to the struggling success.It was a very difficult match against Varvara. I had a lot of ups and downs, as she did, said the winner.The conditions out there were very tough and it wasn't easy to play. I tried to keep going, keep pushing, and in the end it went my way, so I was happy with that.Spanish fourth seed Carla Suarez Navarro dispatched Marina Erakovic of New Zealand 6-3, 6-0 while Russian seventh seed Elena Vesnina advanced comfortably at the Estadio Nacional over local Maria Joao Koehler 6-4, 6-1.The 2009 champion Yanina Wickmayer passed the first hurdle as she beat Anna Tatishvili of Georgia 6-1, 7-5. Japan's Ayumi Morita beat British debutant Laura Robson 6-2, 7-5, leaving the teenager winless on the WTA since early April.France's Marion Bartoli heads the WTA field in the pre-French Open event, ahead of Slovak Dominika Cibulkova. In the men's draw, Spain's Davis Ferrer takes the top seeding after being drafted in as a late replacement to ailing Argentine Juan Martin del Porto, suffering with a stomach virus but expected to play at next week's Madrid Masters.Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka, semi-finalist a year ago in his Portuguese debut, is seeded second. The top four men's seeds get byes into the second round.The Swiss admitted he fancied his chances as he plays his second European event on clay after knocking Andy Murray out in Monte Carlo.It's my second year here and I am happy to be back. I hope to play well and keep improving my game and ranking this year.Wawrinka has announced that he will be coached by Sweden's Magnus Norman, a former French Open finalist who last guided Robin Soderling, out of the game since July, 2011, with glandular fever.But Norman will only come on board with Wawrinka next month in the practise week before the May 26 start at Roand Garros and work with the number 16 at major events.On court, French sixth seed Benoit Paire beat Igor Sijsling 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 while compatriot Eduardo Roger-Vasselin advanced when Gilles Muller quit injured trailing 6-1.

Davydenko knocked out in 1st round of BMW Open Posted: MUNICH (AP) - Ivan Dodig of Croatia upset two-time champion Nikolay Davydenko 6-4, 6-4 in the first round of the BMW Open on Monday.Dmitry Tursunov of Russia defeated Paul-Henri Mathieu of France 6-3, 6-4 at the clay-court event, Daniel Brands beat Tobias Kamke 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 in an all-German match, and Marinko Matosevic of Australia beat German wild card Kevin Krawietz 6-2, 6-4.

Villa rout Sunderland 6-1 to close in on safety Posted: BIRMINGHAM (AP) - Aston Villa took a giant step toward staying in the Premier League by thrashing Sunderland 6-1 on Monday thanks to Christian Bentekes second-half hat trick.The Belgian international scored in the 55th, 60th and 72nd minutes at Villa Park to tally 27 goals in all competitions in his first season at the club.More importantly, Villa moved five points clear of Wigan in the final relegation place. Sunderland, Villa and Newcastle are all on 37 points with three matches left. Wigan has 32 points but with four games remaining.Goals from Ron Vlaar, Andreas Weimann and Gabriel Agbonlahor ensured Villa recorded its largest win this season.Danny Rose scored for Sunderland to level at 1-1, but the visitors were over run in midfield and couldnt contain Villas rampant attack.

Golf: Muirfield changes set tough test for Open stars Posted: LONDON (AFP) - Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and the rest of the leading contenders for the British Open title have been set a tough task after organisers at this year's Muirfield venue added an extra 158 yards and plenty of rough to the course.New tees have been added on seven of the holes, taking the overall distance of the course from 7,034 yards when Ernie Els won the Open there in 2002 to 7,192 yards, par 71 for this year's Championship from July 18-21.The biggest difference is on the ninth, where a land swap with neighbours the Renaissance Club has enabled the tee to be moved back almost 50 yards -- extending the par-five to 554 yards -- with a new bunker added on the right of the fairway and bunkers moved closer to the green.We are absolutely delighted to be back at Muirfield for the 16th time, said the chief executive of golf's governing body the R&A, Peter Dawson.It's immensely popular with the players. Jack Nicklaus's comment about 'What you see is what you get' at Muirfield was perhaps directed at other links courses with blind shots and where more luck is involved.The ground here is relatively flat and every hole seems to be going in a different direction but we will be setting the golf course up to challenge these golfers.The rough has been cut down over the winter but will regenerate over the coming weeks. We will see the rough up and you are unlikely to win an Open Championship at Muirfield from the rough. The amount of rough is weather-dependent but we will get plenty.It has been lengthened by 158 yards since 2002 but that is only a two percent increase.Meanwhile, the R&A has made four changes to the qualification criteria for the Open.The first two involve the European Tour's French Open and PGA Tour's Greenbrier Classic being dropped from the list of 29 different qualifying criteria.The Japan Tour has also been hit by the changes. In the past the top two finishers on the Japan Tour Order of Merit, not already exempt, were afforded automatic entry to The Open.That scenario could take you down to the third and fourth player on the Japan money list, said Dawson.But we've cut that back to just the top two only, whether they are previously exempt or not.The last change is that the number of qualifiers from the International Final Qualifier at Sunningdale has been reduced from 10 to nine, he added.

Mediterranean diet helps beat dementia: study Posted: WASHINGTON (AFP) - A Mediterranean-style diet packed with fish, chicken and olive oil and low on fatty dairy products and meat may lower the risk of memory problems later in life, a large US study said on Monday.But the beneficial effects of eating a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids do not extend to people with diabetes, according to the research published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.The findings, described as the largest study of its kind to date, were based on dietary information from 17,478 African-American and Caucasian people with an average age of 64.In healthy people, those who regularly ate a Mediterranean-type diet were 19 percent less likely to develop problems in their thinking and memory skills than people who did not eat that way.There were no major difference in cognitive decline seen between blacks and whites.Diet is an important modifiable activity that could help in preserving cognitive functioning in late life, said Georgios Tsivgoulis, a doctor with the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the University of Athens, Greece.However, it is only one of several important lifestyle activities that might play a role in late-life mental functioning.Exercise, avoiding obesity, not smoking cigarettes and taking medications for conditions like diabetes and hypertension are also important.The study was funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, part of the National Institutes of Health, and by the US Department of Health and Human Services.

Oil above $94 on US data, hope of EU rate cut Posted: NEW YORK (AP) - The price of oil rose above $94 per barrel Monday as positive U.S. economic data added to optimism for a rate cut in Europe.Benchmark crude for June delivery gained $1.50 to finish at $94.50 a barrel in New York. Oil hadn't finished above $94 since April 10.The U.S. government said Americans spent more in March as their incomes went up. And pending home sales hit their highest level in three years. Traders also think the European Central Bank will cut its benchmark interest rate from the current record low of 0.75 percent to 0.50 percent, in a further attempt to turn around the economy there.A weaker dollar also helped boost oil prices by making crude priced in dollars cheaper for traders using other currencies. On Monday, the euro was up to $1.3100 from $1.3065 late Friday in New York.Brent crude, which is used to price oil from the North Sea used by many U.S. refiners, rose 65 cents to end at $103.81 on the ICE Futures exchange in London.

Euro high as Italy stokes eurozone hopes Posted: NEW YORK (AFP) - The euro pushed higher against the dollar on Monday as Italy's at least temporary settling of its political stalemate boosted confidence in the eurozone.European markers jumped and sovereign bond yields fell, further helping the euro, after new Prime Minister Enrico Letta cobbled together a fresh coalition government and vowed to reverse Italy's austerity policy.In addition, modest US economic data shored up the view that the Federal Reserve, beginning a two-day policy meeting on Tuesday, would not alter its huge monetary easing program.At 2100 GMT, the euro was at $1.3097, up from $1.3029 late Friday.The euro also pulled higher on the Japanese currency, to 128.01 yen from 127.76 yen, while the dollar slipped to 97.73 yen from 97.99.The euro's strength came despite rising expectations that the European Central Bank will cut rates this week to counter the recession in the eurozone.But Kathy Lien of BK Asset Management said such a move is likely already figured into the current market price.The euro is trading like it wants more aggressive action from the ECB beyond a rate cut to break below $1.2950, she said.The British pound gained for the fourth straight session, rising to $1.5498 from $1.5474, its highest level since mid-February.The dollar slipped to 0.9368 Swiss francs from 0.9425 francs.

Afridi left out of Pakistan Champions Trophy squad Posted: LAHORE (AFP) - Pakistan on Monday axed Shahid Afridi from their 15-man squad for the Champions Trophy following the all-rounder's below-par performances in South Africa and a domestic competition.The 33-year-old, who still holds the world record of fastest one-day century -- off 37 balls made against Sri Lanka in Nairobi in 1996 -- has not taken a single wicket in his last six one-day internationals.Undoubtedly the most popular player in Pakistan recently, Afridi has hit just two half-centuries in his last 15 one-day innings, while managing a mere 70 runs and three wickets in four matches for his domestic side this month.He was also dropped from the one-day squad for last year's tour of India before making a comeback to the team for the limited-over series against South Africa in March, where his top-score of 88 came in a losing cause.Chief selector Iqbal Qasim said Afridi had not been in good form recently. Afridi had been selected as a bowling allrounder but he was not up to the mark and couldn't score at crucial occasions so we had to left him out, Qasim told reporters while announcing the squad.His (Afridi) career is not finished, if he performs at domestic level, he can stage a comeback, said Qasim, a former left-arm spinner.Afridi has 7201 runs and 348 wickets in 354 one-day internationals.Pakistan will be led by Misbah-ul Haq in the eight-nation Champions Trophy to be played in England from June 6-23.They are drawn in group B alongside arch-rivals India, the West Indies and South Africa. They play the West Indies at The Oval, London on June 7 before squaring off with South Africa (June 10) and India (June 15).Defending champions Australia, England, Sri Lanka and New Zealand form group A.The squad will also play two one-day matches each against Ireland and Scotland in May before the Trophy.Besides Afridi, Pakistan had already left out experienced batsman Younis Khan from the initial squad of 30 announced last month, paving way for 23-year-old Umar Amin and left-arm spinner Abdul Rehman.Amin, a left-hander who also bowls right-arm medium pace, had played four Tests and three one-day in 2010.We did not have a genuine allrounder so we have to select Amin who can also bowl medium pace, said Qasim.Pakistan have also included pacemen Ehsan Adil, 20, and Asad Ali, 24, in a fast-bowling attack which will be without experienced Umar Gul who was ruled out due to knee injury.Adil has played one Test in South Africa but has yet to play a one-day match, while Asad has yet to play for Pakistan.Squad: Misbah-ul Haq (captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Nasir Jamshed, Imran Farhat, Asad Shafiq, Abdul Rehman, Shoaib Malik, Kamran Akmal (wicket-keeper), Umar Amin, Junaid Khan, Mohammad Irfan, Saeed Ajmal, Asad Ali, Ehsan Adil, Wahab Riaz.

PCB appoints Australian Woodhill batting coach Posted: LAHORE (AFP) - Pakistan on Monday appointed Australian coach Trent Woodhill to help solve their perennial batting problems during June's Champions Trophy in England.The 42-year-old was involved with the Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash League in Australia and is part of the Delhi Daredevils' support staff in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL).He was also New Zealand cricket team's assistant until last year.Pakistan Cricket Board's director of international cricket Intikhab Alam said Woodhill brings rich experience as a batting and fielding expert.We have appointed Woodhill as our national team's batting coach for a period of three weeks and he will help the team during the Champions Trophy, Alam told reporters.The decision to appoint Woodhill followed serious concerns over Pakistan's fragile batting which flopped during their 3-0 rout at the hands of South Africa in the Test series in February this year.Pakistan also lost the five-match one-day series 3-2.Reports in Pakistani media suggested Woodhill's name was recommended by head coach Dav Whatmore, a former Australian batsmen who took over as coach in March last year.Woodhill is credited with moulding Australian opener David Warner when he was assistant coach with the New South Wales squad.Pakistan briefly hired former captain Inzamam-ul Haq as their batting consultant ahead of last year's tour to India but he left after a pay dispute.Two other former captains Zaheer Abbas and Salim Malik had also applied for the post last year.

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