Dunya TV

---

• Against all odds, MQM will take part in elections: Altaf
• Quetta: 30 suspects arrested during search operation
• At least 62 bodies found in Syria's Banias: watchdog
• Assad makes appearance in Syria capital
• Afghan president hopes CIA payments will continue
• Hundreds protest China chemical plant: Xinhua
• Indian foreign minister hints may cancel China trip
• Tennis: Pavlyuchenkova wins first clay title
• Haas to meet Kohlschreiber in BMW Open final
• Man City, Swansea labor to 0-0 draw in EPL
• Lorenzo takes pole at Spain GP
• Rallying: Loeb clinches eight Argentina triumph
• Australia halts cattle exports to Egypt
• Zimbabwe seek batting turnaround
• MQM biggest victim of terrorism, says Altaf

Against all odds, MQM will take part in elections: Altaf Posted: KARACHI (Dunya News) Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussian has strongly condemned bomb blasts outside an election office of the party in Azizabad on Saturday in which three people were killed 35 sustained injuries.He condoled with the families of the martyrs. He said that the terrorists wanted to frighten the workers of MQM but we will not be scared.“The terrorists want to force the MQM to stay away from the polls, but we will not boycott the elections and will foil nefarious designs of terrorists” the MQM chief said.

Quetta: 30 suspects arrested during search operation Posted: QUETTA (Dunya News) – According to details, Saryab Police on a tip-off conducted a search operation in Kali Gio area and arrested at least 30 suspects.Police sources informed that arms were also recovered from the arrested suspects.According to police, most of the arrested persons belong to a banned organization. The arrested suspects have been shifted to some undisclosed location for further investigation.

At least 62 bodies found in Syria's Banias: watchdog Posted: BEIRUT (AFP) - The bodies of at least 62 murdered residents have been found in a Sunni neighbourhood of the Syrian city of Banias, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Saturday.The latest incident was condemned by the opposition Syrian National Coalition, which said reports of several mass killings in the area raised the spectre of a campaign of ethnic cleansing.The bodies of dozens of citizens killed on Friday during an assault by the army and Alawite members of the National Defence Forces in the Sunni neighbourhood of Banias were discovered on Saturday, the Observatory said.We have identified 62 citizens by their names, photos, or videos, including 14 children, and the number could rise because there are dozens of citizens who are still missing.The mass killing is the second massacre to be reported in the Banias area this week.On Thursday, the Observatory said at least 50 people had been killed in the Sunni village of Bayda, south of the coastal city.Witnesses from the village say no less than 50 civilians were killed, including women and children, the group said.Some were summarily executed, shot to death, stabbed or set on fire.After the deaths, which were reported on Friday, regime forces began shelling several Sunni neighbourhoods of Banias, prompting residents to flee the area early on Saturday.Hundreds of families are fleeing Sunni neighbourhoods in Banias in fear of a new massacre, Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP.They started fleeing at dawn this morning (Saturday) from Sunni neighbourhoods in the south of the city towards Tartus and Jableh, he added.The Syrian National Coalition condemned a proliferation of massacres that is transforming into an ethnic cleansing operation like that carried out by Serbian forces in Bosnia 20 years ago.The conflict in Syria has claimed more than 70,000 lives, according to the United Nations, with numerous incidents of mass killings reported in more than two years of fighting.On Saturday, the United States said it was appalled by the reported killings in Bayda.The United States is appalled by horrific reports that more than 100 people were killed May 2 in gruesome attacks on the coastal town of Bayda, Syria, the US State Department said in a statement.We extend our deepest condolences to the families of the victims of this tragedy.Banias has a small majority of Sunni residents, but is situated in the predominantly Alawite region of Tartus.

Assad makes appearance in Syria capital Posted: DAMASCUS (AFP) - President Bashar al-Assad made a public appearance Saturday at Damascus University for the unveiling of a monument dedicated to students killed across Syria since an uprising erupted against his rule, state media said.President Bashar al-Assad joined thousands of students and the families of martyred students at the unveiling of a statue to the memory of the martyrs of Syria's universities at the University of Damascus, state television reported.A photograph posted on the presidency's Facebook page showed Assad surrounded by bodyguards and well-wishers, arms extended in a bid to shake his hand.On January 15 twin explosions at Aleppo University killed 87 people, most of them students and wounded around 160 others. The regime and rebels traded accusations of responsibility for the blasts in Syria's second city.On March 28 at least 15 students were killed and six wounded when a mortar struck the cafeteria of the faculty of architecture at Damascus University, state media said, accusing terrorists -- the regime's terms for insurgents -- of responsibility.Saturday's visit is the second time Assad has been seen in public this week, after a tour on Wednesday of a Damascus electrical plant to mark Labour Day.The embattled leader has made increasingly rare public appearances since the beginning of the uprising against his regime in March 2011.Before the May 1 visit, his last reported public appearance was to an educational centre in the capital on March 20.Before that, he had not been seen publicly since January 24, when he attended prayers at a mosque in a northern district of Damascus.

Afghan president hopes CIA payments will continue Posted: KABUL (AP) - Afghan President Hamid Karzai says the director of the CIA assured him that regular funding his government receives from the agency will not be cut off.He says Afghanistan has been receiving such funding for more than 10 years and expressed hope at a Saturday news conference that it will not stop.He confirmed earlier in the week that his government had received such payments following a story published in The New York Times that said the CIA had given the Afghan National Security Council tens of millions of dollars in monthly payments.Karzai would not say how much assistance his government had received because it was being used for intelligence work, but said monthly receipts had been given to the CIA.

Hundreds protest China chemical plant: Xinhua Posted: BEIJING (AFP) - Hundreds of people protested against a proposed chemical plant in southwest China on Saturday, state media said, while local residents accused authorities of preventing a similar protest in another city.More than 200 protesters gathered in the city of Kunming to protest plans for a factory which will produce paraxylene (PX), a toxic petrochemical used to make fabrics, China's official Xinhua news agency reported.Around 1,000 people described as onlookers surrounded the protesters, some of whom wore face-masks and held banners, the report said, adding that police dissuaded a protester from displaying a banner.Police also lined the streets of Chengdu, the capital of southwest China's Sichuan province, after locals planned a protest against a nearby chemical plant Saturday, residents contacted online by AFP said.There were a lot of police outside government offices, public spaces and important crossroads in the city, one resident surnamed Liu said, adding that fliers posted around the city in recent days had called for a protest.The fliers said the chemical plant has a big impact on people's health, he said, not wanting to give a full name for fear of official reprisals. The government responded with notices calling on people not to demonstrate, Liu said.Photos posted online showed ranks of police lining the city's streets. Local police on Saturday morning announced that they would be carrying out an earthquake protection drill, a claim dismissed by thousands of Internet users.Its about preventing the protest, one user of the popular social networking website Sina Weibo wrote in response to the police notice. This is the most blatant in the history of Chengdu, added another.Locals online said that the protest did not take place.Chengdu was shaken last month by a 6.6 magnitude earthquake which struck Lushan country, about 160 kilometres (100 miles) away, killing around 200 people.Schools and universities in the city were requested to hold extra classes on Saturday, in an apparent attempt to keep people from protesting, several online reports said.China has seen a number of urban demonstrations against proposed chemical plants in recent years, in what analysts have identified as a rising trend of environmentally-motivated not in my backyard protests in China.Local authorities in the coastal city of Xiamen cancelled plans for a PX plant after thousands took part in a protest in 2007. A huge protest in the northeastern city of Dalian in 2011 prompted authorities to announce a similar climbdown.The eastern city of Ningbo last year announced the withdrawal of plans for a PX plant after a protest involving about 200 people, while a violent protest in the southwestern city of Shifang prompted officials to shelve proposals for a metals factory.China sees thousands of large and small protests every year, according to official statistics. Many are ended by local police, who are nervous of social unrest, sometimes with the use of force.Searches for Chengdu PX were blocked on Sina Weibo on Saturday, while posts about the Kunming protest were deleted by online censors.

Indian foreign minister hints may cancel China trip Posted: NEW DELHI (AFP) - India's foreign minister has hinted he could cancel a planned trip to Beijing if no progress is made in resolving a row over an alleged incursion by Chinese troops deep inside Indian-claimed territory.The reported Chinese infiltration across the disputed Himalayan border has strained ties between the nuclear-armed neighbours whose relations have long been chequered by mutual suspicion -- a legacy of a 1962 border war.I can't say we have satisfaction (from Beijing) at this stage, said foreign minister Salman Khurshid who announced last week he would head for China on May 8 to discuss the standoff.Speaking to Indian television channels while travelling to Iran on an official visit, Khurshid said in news footage aired Saturday that New Delhi was keeping channels of communications open.The minister, who has declared both countries have a mutual interest in not allowing the dispute to destroy long-term progress in ties, said his trip to Beijing was still on.But he suggested he might reconsider his travel plans if there is no progress in resolving the dispute.India has not reached a stage where we need to review that decision (to visit Beijing), said Khurshid, but added it would not be wise to use the word certainty in connection with his visit.We remain in the dialogue process, we hope the dialogue will be successful. As of now, I can't say that (dialogue) has been successful, he said.The row is also casting a cloud over a planned visit to New Delhi by China's new premier, Li Keqiang, later this month.The informal border separating China and India is known as the Line of Actual Control (LAC). While it has never been formally demarcated, the countries have signed two accords to maintain peace in frontier areas.Small incursions of a few kilometres across the contested boundary are common but it is rare for either country to set up camps in disputed territory.Both countries have been seeking to keep the row low-key, keen not to disrupt their booming bilateral trade.India has called the incursion a localised problem and says it believes it is possible to resolve the problem peacefully. Beijing has said both countries had the capacity and wisdom to defuse the row through friendly consultation but insist their troops have not trespassed the line.

Tennis: Pavlyuchenkova wins first clay title Posted: OEIRAS (AFP) - Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova beat Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro 7-5, 6-2 on Saturday to win the Portugal Open and claim her first trophy on clay.The third-seeded champion, coached by former Swiss great Martina Hingis, earned the fifth title of her career while leaving her opponent winless from five finals.One of those was here a year ago, when Suarez Navarro was unable to close it out after winning the first set against Kaia Kanepi, an opponent she beat in the semi-finals this week. The winner now owns five career titles, including two this season after winning the Monterrey event for a third time. She improved her record over Suarez Navarro to 4-0 in WTA play and 5-0 including a Challenger win on clay in 2008.Pavlyuchenkova has been working with Hingis officially for just a few weeks and the analytic game style and fighting determination of Switzerland's five-time grand slam champion may be rubbing off on the 21-year-old right-hander.Suarez Navarro has now lost two finals in 2013 after going down in Acapulco to 2012 Roland Garros finalist Sara Errani.After the 23rd-ranked Suarez Navarro got off to an early break and looked like frustrating her opponent, Pavlyuchenkova suddenly settled in after what had been a nervy start for both players on the clay of the Estadio Nacional.The first Russian to win the trophy here since Maria Kirilenko in 2008 slid into her comfort zone as her opponent's game began to suffer.Pavlyuchenkova, 19th on the WTA list, kept Suarez Navarro frustrated as she saved three set points over two games late in the opening set.The Russian broke for 5-all to turn the momentum on its head, earning the set after 56 minutes as she converted on her first of three set points.The match continued in a similar vein into the second set, with Pavlyuchenkova running out seven straight winning games to 3-0 before Suarez Navarro steadied with a love game for 1-3.Suarez Navarro saved a break point to hold for 2-4 before going down to defeat in just over 90 minutes on a final break in the last game, ending with 43 unforced errors.

Haas to meet Kohlschreiber in BMW Open final Posted: MUNICH (AP) - Tommy Haas will play defending champion Philipp Kohlschreiber in an all-German final at the BMW Open on Sunday.The third-seeded Haas defeated Ivan Dodig of Croatia 6-4, 6-3 on Saturday, while Kohlschreiber edged compatriot Daniel Brands 6-7 (4), 6-3, 7-6 (5) to set up the first all-German title match in Munich in 48 years.The 35-year-old Haas, who reached the 2000 final and hopes to win the title for the first time at the 10th attempt, needed less than 90 minutes to oust an opponent who caused three upsets on his way to the semifinal.The 56th-ranked Dodig defeated Russian two-time champion Nikolay Davydenko in the first round, second-seeded countryman Marin Cilic in the next and fifth-seeded Alexandr Dolgopolov on Friday.Kohlschreiber battled from a break down in the final set to beat Brands in 2 hours, 14 minutes. He's going for his third Munich title, having also triumphed in 2007.It's great for German tennis, Haas said. We played really well last year in all the German events and now again we're going to have an all-German final, which I think is great for the fans.

Man City, Swansea labor to 0-0 draw in EPL Posted: SWANSEA, Wales (AP) - Manchester City dropped points in its bid to secure second place in the English Premier League by drawing 0-0 with Swansea in a lackluster match on Saturday.Edin Dzeko and David Silva missed gilt-edged late chances at Liberty Stadium for the deposed champions, who are provisionally seven points clear of third-place Chelsea having played a game extra.Swansea, which has won just once since capturing the League Cup in February, started well with Pablo Hernandez and Michu wasting excellent opportunities.Yaya Toure may be an injury concern for City for the FA Cup final against Wigan next weekend after being substituted at halftime, while Michu, Swansea's top scorer, hobbled off with an apparent right hamstring complaint in the second half.

Lorenzo takes pole at Spain GP Posted: JEREZ (AP) - Defending world champion Jorge Lorenzo won his second pole of the MotoGP season on Saturday in the qualifying session for the Spain Grand Prix.Lorenzo steered his Yamaha around the 4.42-kilometer (2.74-mile) Jerez Circuit in 1 minute, 38.673 seconds to claim his 27th career MotoGP pole on his 26th birthday.It was a difficult session, Lorenzo said. I made various mistakes and it was complicated, but I was finally able to get the pole position, which is a good birthday present.Dani Pedrosa was the second fastest, followed by his new Honda teammate Marc Marquez at less than three seconds off Lorenzo's pace to complete the Spanish sweep of the top three spots.Valentino Rossi and Pedrosa crashed with less than two minutes to go in the session but both men walked away. Marquez had also fallen in the morning practice session.Rossi, who joined Lorenzo at Yamaha this offseason, will start from fifth on the grid behind Britain's Cal Crutchlow.Crutchlow had the session's worst tumble when he lost control of his bike and was sent rolling off the track.I think tomorrow's race will be a little calmer, Lorenzo said. I hope to have good pace. I will need to improve some things to get there.After two races, Lorenzo is tied on points with newcomer Marquez in the championship standings.In the Moto2 category, Spain's Esteve Rabat won the pole position, followed by Scott Redding of Britain and Takaaki Nakagami of Japan.In Moto3, Alex Rins led another Spanish three-for-three. The 17-year-old Rins won pole ahead of Maverick Vinales and Luis Salom.

Rallying: Loeb clinches eight Argentina triumph Posted: CRDOBA (AFP) - Nine-time world champion Sebastien Loeb won the Rally of Argentina for the eighth time on Saturday, cruising to victory in his Citroen.Fellow French driver Sebastian Ogier, whose challenge fizzled out on Friday when he suffered a puncture on his Volkswagen, was second.Ogier's VW teammate Jari-Matti Latvala of Finland was third after capturing the 14th and final stage.There is a lot of emotion because it was such a difficult race, said Loeb who has won every edition of this event since 2005.It was his 78th career victory and second this season after the championship-opener in Monte Carlo.

Australia halts cattle exports to Egypt Posted: SYDNEY (AFP) - Australian cattle exporters said they had suspended live shipments to Egypt Saturday after abattoir footage shot by animal rights activists showed horrific mistreatment of cows.The Australian Livestock Exporters' Council, the industry's representative body, said it had urgently halted shipments to Egypt after Animals Australia presented it with footage showing vicious, cruel and clumsy practices.These acts are horrific. The outrageous cruelty has left me and my industry colleagues disgusted and horrified, said ALEC chief Alison Penfold, who said she was distraught.No one in our industry, and no Australian, accepts such treatment of animals, and I believe the Egyptian authorities will not tolerate this.Australia's agriculture department said it had also received a copy of the footage, which has not yet been made public, and had requested that the Egyptian authorities investigate.It is not the first time such a suspension has occurred -- all live cattle shipments to Egypt were halted between 2006 and 2010 after footage showing acts of cruelty and were only allowed to resume under strict new conditions.Animals Australia said the latest video showed brutal treatment meted out at the only two abattoirs accredited under the tougher regime.Deputy agriculture department secretary Phillip Glyde said it was quite shocking to see a recurrence of the issue.I was horrified. I don't think anyone could condone the mistreatment of animals, let alone the cruelty that appears to have occurred in this footage, Glyde told ABC Radio.Activist group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) called on Australia to ban exports to Egypt late last year after a government-tasked committee recommended cows from the country have their ears chopped off.The practice is aimed at ridding Australian livestock of hormone implants placed in their ears, despite assurances from the US Food and Drug Administration that eating meat from such cattle is safe. Australia's live export trade is worth about US$1 billion a year and employs thousands of people.But it has been a sensitive issue in recent years due to cruelty scandals, the worst of which resulted in the suspension of shipments to major market Indonesia for a month in 2011 and the launch of a strict new licensing system.

Zimbabwe seek batting turnaround Posted: BULAWAYO (AFP) - Zimbabwe's batsmen go into Sunday's second one-day international against Bangladesh knowing that they must cast aside their suicidal tendencies if they are to keep the series alive.The hosts were bowled out for just 148 inside 33 overs as they lost the first one-dayer by 121 runs on Friday, with the majority of their batsmen either trapped lbw or bowled whilst playing across the line.Many of the same batsmen were guilty of similarly soft dismissals during Zimbabwe's defeat in the second Test, yet most will receive another opportunity on Sunday - largely because of a lack of alternatives in the squad.The Bangladesh bowlers bowled well - they bowled stump-to-stump, said captain Brendan Taylor. That is what we expected, but they did not bowl anything that would get the majority of our batsmen out, the batsmen somehow found ways to get out.We have been saying the same thing for the last two months now. After the tour of West Indies, we said that the batsmen must play straight, but they got out playing across the line. There were too many batsmen bowled on a good pitch.Although they restricted Bangladesh to a par score of 269 for eight, there was also an element of self-destruction in Zimbabwe's bowling as 18 wides were conceded.Fast bowler Kyle Jarvis may return after being left out of the first match, while left-armer Brian Vitori, who took 11 wickets in three ODIs against Bangladesh two years ago, is also an option.Having now won seven out of nine completed ODIs against Zimbabwe at Queens Sports Club, Bangladesh will be confident that they can seal the three-match series at the first opportunity, and thus extend their unbeaten record in one-day series to three.

MQM biggest victim of terrorism, says Altaf Posted: LAHORE (Dunya News) - MQM chief Altaf Hussain has said his party wants to make the country free of corruption and exploitation.Addressing public gatherings in Lahore and Sialkot via telephone on Saturday‚ he said MQM was the only party that opposes feudal system.He said MQM had always sent people belonging to middle class to assemblies.Altaf Hussain said his party was the biggest victim of terrorism.He slammed hereditary politics in Punjab, saying a few families have been ruling Punjab since the creation of Pakistan.

You are subscribed to email updates from Dunya TV To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610