Dunya TV

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• Graft cases against Zardari cant be re-opened: Swiss govt
• UK banking commission urges better standards
• Japan's trade deficit climbs to $10.5B in May
• Mardan blast death toll rises to 34, Imran laid to rest
• US, Taliban to start talks on ending Afghan war
• Clashes erupt in Egypt over Islamist governor
• Venezuela's Maduro to meet Iran's Hassan Rowhani
• Puerto Rico officials seize $24M worth of cocaine
• Manning WikiLeaks case in recess until June 25
• Israeli general warns of unrest if no peace talks
• WHO urges tougher food marketing rules to curb childhood obesity
• Honour killing claims three lives in Kasur
• Spanish floods force evacuations, cut power
• Pakistan must take strong action against terrorists: Antony
• Rs 20 billion allocated for energy sector: Mujtaba

Graft cases against Zardari cant be re-opened: Swiss govt Posted: ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Money laundering and graft cases against President Asif Ali Zardari in the courts of Switzerland cannot be reopened, says a letter by the Swiss authorities. Pakistan's law ministry, which received the Swiss government’s response to the letter written to it by the government of Pakistan following the apex court’s order in the NRO case, opened the sealed envelope Tuesday.According to the Law Ministry sources, the Swiss authorities have sent reply to Pakistan regime over re-opening of President Zardari’s cases in their country.The Swiss officials have said in the letter that these kinds of cases used to be time bound in their country and now that time has ended, so those cases cannot be opened again. The Swiss law authorities also said that they had not received any new evidences against Pakistan's president, sources added.The letter was opened by the Minister for Law, Zahid Hamid, said sources.

UK banking commission urges better standards Posted: LONDON (AP) - After a year which has seen major scandals involving rate-rigging, money-laundering and rogue-trading rock the UKs financial industry, an influential parliamentary committee recommended Wednesday that senior bankers should be held more accountable for their banks actions. One measure, it said, should be a new criminal offense of reckless misconduct one that could carry a prison sentence.The health and reputation of the banking industry itself is at stake, Andrew Tyrie, the chairman of the parliamentary commission on banking standards said in a statement.Many junior staff who may have done nothing wrong have been impugned by the actions of their seniors. This has to end.The report, compiled by a panel which includes lords, lawmakers and the Archbishop of Canterbury, takes a scythe to the industry. It suggests changes that will make many a banker wince.The committee argues that there has been a misalignment of incentives, in the financial industry and that pay structure had become dysfunctional. Because bankers are paid too much for doing the wrong things, the report says, lapses of standards shouldnt be surprising.Public anger about high pay in banking should not be dismissed as petty jealousy or ignorance of the operation of the free market, the report said. Rewards have been paid for failure. They are unjustified.Among many of the committees controversial recommendations is the creation of a code that defers bonuses for longer, and better aligns risk and rewards.Again and again, the report demanded accountability, arguing that executives turned a blind eye so that they would not be punished for what they could not see.Where they could not claim ignorance, they fell back on the claim that everyone was party to a decision, so that no individual could be held squarely to blame, the Murder on the Orient Express defense, the report said.It is imperative that in future, senior executives in banks have an incentive to know what is happening on their watch not an incentive to remain ignorant in case the regulator comes calling.The commission also addressed one of the biggest bank bailouts. Royal Bank of Scotland was rescued in 2008 with a 45 billion-pound ($71 billion) injection of state capital that has proved crippling to the British economy. The countrys political leaders are anxious to return the bank, which is more than 80 percent owned by the taxpayer, to the private sector. But the timing, and therefore whether taxpayers will get their money back, remains up in the air.The commission says that RBS continues to be weighed down by uncertainty over the bad assets it still holds and by having the government as its main shareholder.It said that the government should make a commitment to undertake a detailed analysis of whether or not to split off the banks bad assets into a separate legal entityknown as the good bank/bad bank split. The governor of the Bank of England, Mervyn King, is among those who have argued that the losses for the taxpayer might be lessened if they were split, with the bad bank left with the state and unwound over time.The report will form the basis for legislative and other action. The commission was appointed by both Houses of Parliament, so its recommendations are unlikely to be ignored.The commission also urged the banks to honor the reports recommendations in letter and in spirit, hoping that in this way the institutions would earn public respect and build trust.The reports authors felt the need to offer a more philosophical look in resolving the big issues. It argued that it was time to learn the lessons of the past.Banking history is littered with examples of manipulative conduct driven by misaligned incentives, of bank failures born of reckless, hubristic expansion and of unsustainable asset price bubbles cheered on by a consensus of self-interest or self-delusion, the report said. An important lesson of history is that bankers, regulators and politicians alike repeatedly fail to learn the lessons of history: this time, they say, it is different.

Japan's trade deficit climbs to $10.5B in May Posted: TOKYO (AP) - Japans trade deficit rose nearly 10 percent in May to 993.9 billion yen (nearly $10.5 billion) as rising costs for imports due to the cheaper yen matched a rebound in exports.The Ministry of Finance reported Wednesday that exports rose 10.1 percent in May over a year earlier to 5.77 trillion yen ($60.7 billion) while imports also surged 10 percent, to 6.76 trillion yen ($71.1 billion). Japans trade deficit in May 2012 was 907.93 billion yen.A weakening in the yens value has pushed up costs for imports of crude oil, natural gas and other commodities for this resource scarce nation, but the deficit in May was bigger than most economists estimates.

Mardan blast death toll rises to 34, Imran laid to rest Posted: PESHAWAR (AFP) - A suicide bombing at a funeral in Pakistan on Tuesday killed at least 34 people including a provincial lawmaker, police said, the deadliest attack to hit the country in more than three months.The attack in Shergarh town in Mardan district, 145 kilometres (90 miles) northwest of Islamabad, came during prayers for the owner of a local fuel station.Police said the politician appeared to be the target of the blast, which highlights the security challenges facing the new government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, sworn in earlier this month after winning the May 11 general election.Local police chief Tahir Ayub told AFP at least 34 people were killed and 52 others wounded in the blast and that it was a suicide attack.Another local police official, Jaffer Khan, confirmed the toll.The bomber came on foot and blew himself up near Imran Khan Mohmand, who seems to have been the target, Khan told AFP.Mohmand was elected last month to the provincial assembly in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where former cricketer Imran Khans Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf party heads the new coalition government.

US, Taliban to start talks on ending Afghan war Posted: KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - In a major breakthrough, the Taliban and the U.S. announced Tuesday that they will hold formal talks on finding a political solution to ending nearly 12 years of war in Afghanistan but President Barack Obama warned the process wont be quick or easy.The comments came on a day in which Afghan forces took the lead from the U.S.-led NATO coalition for security nationwide, marking a turning point for American and NATO military forces, which will now move entirely into a supporting role. It also opened the way for the full withdrawal of most foreign troops in 18 monthsAfter months of delays, the Taliban opened a political office in the Qatari capital of Doha, paving the way for talks to begin. The decision was a reversal of months of failed efforts to start peace talks while Taliban militants intensified a campaign targeting urban centers and government installations.In Doha, Taliban spokesman Mohammad Naim said the group opposes the use of Afghan soil to threaten other countries and supports the negotiating process, two key demands of both the U.S. and Afghan governments before talks could begin. He made the statement shortly after the deputy foreign minister of Qatar said the Emir of the gulf state had given the go ahead for the office to open.Naim said the Taliban are willing to use all legal means to end what they called the occupation of Afghanistan. He thanked the leader of Qatar, Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani for allowing them to open the office.Obama administration officials said U.S. representatives will begin bilateral meetings with the Taliban at the office in a few days, and Afghan President Hamid Karzais High Peace Council is expected to follow up with its own talks a few days later.Obama later called the opening of the Taliban political office an important first step toward reconciliation between the Taliban and Afghanistans government, although he said the Taliban still must denounce al-Qaida and predicted there will be bumps along the way.Obama, who spoke after meeting with French President Francois Hollande at the G-8 summit in Northern Ireland, also praised Karzai for taking a courageous step by sending representatives to Qatar to discuss peace with the Taliban.The administration officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the record, vowed to continue to push the Taliban further and said that ultimately the Taliban must also break ties with al Qaida, end violence and accept Afghanistans constitution including protections for women and minorities. Officials said that Obama was personally involved in working with Karzai to enable the opening of the office, and that U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry had also played a major role.The U.S. officials said the first meeting in Doha will focus on an exchange of agendas and consultations on next steps. The Taliban have for years refused to speak to the Afghan government or the Peace Council, set up by Karzai three years ago, because they considered them to be American puppets. Taliban representatives have instead talked to American and other Western officials in Doha and other places, mostly in Europe.Karzai also said he will soon send representatives from the High Peace Council to Qatar for talks but expressed hope the process would quickly move to Afghanistan, something U.S. officials said was unlikely.We are hopeful that after starting negotiations in Qatar, immediately the negotiations and all the peace process should move into Afghanistan. Afghanistan shouldnt be center of the discussions outside of the country, Karzai said.We dont have any immediate preconditions for talks between the Afghan peace council and the Taliban, but we have principles laid down, Karzai said, adding that they include bringing an end to violence and the movement of talks to Afghanistan so they are not exploited by other countries.The U.S. and its Western allies are trying to foster a peace process as foreign troops prepare to end their combat mission by the end of 2014. The U.S.-led NATO coalition formally handed over responsibility for nationwide security to Afghan security forces earlier Tuesday, with foreign troops moving entirely into a supporting role. The transition comes at a time when violence is at levels matching the worst in 12 years, fueling some Afghans concerns that their forces arent ready.The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford, said the only way to end the war was through a political solution.My perspective has always been that this war is going to have to end with political reconciliation and so I frankly would be supportive of any positive movement in terms of reconciliation particularly an Afghan led and an Afghan owned process that would bring reconciliation between the afghan people and the Taliban in the context of the Afghan constitution, he said as reports were breaking that the Taliban were about to open an office.For U.S. and other foreign combat troops on the ground, the transition means they will not be directly carrying the fight to the insurgency, but will provide training and mentoring, and back up as needed with air support and medical evacuations.NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said the coalition will help militarily if and when needed but will no longer plan, execute or lead operations.This is a historic moment for our country and from tomorrow all of the security operations will be in the hands of the Afghan security forces, Karzai said at the ceremony, held at the new National Defense University built to train Afghanistans future military officers.Karzai said that in the coming months, coalition forces will gradually withdraw from Afghanistans provinces as the countrys security forces replace them.In announcing the fifth and final phase of a process that began at a November 2010 NATO summit in Lisbon, Portugal, Karzai said transition will be completed and Afghan security forces will lead and conduct all operations.Alliance training since 2009 dramatically increased the size of the Afghan National Security Forces, bringing them up from 40,000 men and women six years ago to about 352,000 today.Afghans will now have the lead for security in all 403 districts of Afghanistans 34 provinces. Until now, they were responsible for 312 districts nationwide, where 80 percent of Afghanistans population of nearly 30 million lives. Afghan security forces were until now carrying out 90 percent of military operations around the country.By the end of the year, the NATO force of 100,000 troops from 48 countries will be halved. At the end of 2014, all combat troops will have left and will be replaced, if approved by the Afghan government, by a much smaller force that will only train and advise.There are currently about 66,000 American troops in Afghanistan. Obama has not yet said how many soldiers he will leave in Afghanistan along with NATO forces, but it is thought that it would be about 9,000 U.S. troops and about 6,000 from its allies.

Clashes erupt in Egypt over Islamist governor Posted: CAIRO (AP) - Clashes have erupted between supporters and opponents of Egypts Muslim Brotherhood over the recent appointment of an Islamist governor in a northern city.Security forces fired tear gas to separate the two groups on Tuesday in the Nile Delta city of Tanta, an anti-Brotherhood stronghold. The fighting broke out after opposition protesters chained up the gate to the new governors office in a symbolic rejection of his appointment.Brotherhood supporters, armed with homemade forearms, swords and knives, started shooting at the protesters to clear them away and let Gov. Ahmed el-Baylie into his office.President Mohammed Morsi, who hails from the Brotherhood, appointed el-Baylie on Sunday along with 16 other governors in an effort to consolidate power ahead of opposition protests on June 30 that will call for his ouster.

Venezuela's Maduro to meet Iran's Hassan Rowhani Posted: CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - Venezuelas President Nicolas Maduro says hell meet soon with Irans President-elect Hassan Rowhani to further strengthen already close relations.Maduro announced plans for a meeting through Twitter on Tuesday, saying that he recently spoke with Rowhani and they agreed to meet. He did not offer details.Venezuela deepened trade with Iran under the leadership of the late president Hugo Chavez. Iranian companies were enlisted to help build public housing in the South American country.Iran and Venezuela also launched joint ventures including a tractor factory and dairy plants, and the two countries have been united in their opposition to what they say is Washingtons hegemony in international affairs.Venezuela defends Irans nuclear energy program. The West suspects Iran intends to build nuclear weapons, a charge Iran denies.

Puerto Rico officials seize $24M worth of cocaine Posted: SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) - Authorities in Puerto Rico say they have seized $24 million worth of cocaine aboard a boat just south of the U.S. territory.U.S. Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodriguez said Tuesday that the more than 1,500 pounds (680 kilograms) of cocaine was bound for the U.S.She said three suspects from the Dominican Republic were arrested on a boat detected by a U.S. Coast Guard about 100 miles (160 kilometers) south of Puerto Rico.

Manning WikiLeaks case in recess until June 25 Posted: FORT MEADE, Maryland (AP) - U.S. soldier Bradley Mannings trial over giving massive amounts of classified material to WikiLeaks has gone into recess until next week.The prosecution and defense will spend the next week negotiating written statements from some 17 witnesses, in lieu of having them testify in court. They will report back next Tuesday.In a short session Tuesday, the judge heard arguments on whether to allow tweets, allegedly by WikiLeaks, as evidence. The government wants to show Manning responded to one asking for military Internet addresses, but the defense says its unverified whether WikiLeaks actually sent it and Manning saw it.

Israeli general warns of unrest if no peace talks Posted: JERUSALEM (AP) - Failure to restart Israeli-Palestinian negotiations could stir unrest in the West Bank, Israels top army commander in the territory warned Tuesday.Maj. Gen. Nitzan Alon, who commands the Israeli military in the West Bank, said Tuesday that U.S Secretary of State John Kerrys efforts helped calm the situation in the West Bank.Kerry has visited the region four times since taking office in February to try to revive negotiations on the terms of Palestinian statehood that broke off in 2008.Kerry is trying to bridge wide gaps between the two sides on the starting point for negotiations, and it is not clear if he has made progress. Earlier this month, Kerry called his mission the last chance for resuming negotiations.The last couple of months of very intensive American involvement also had some positive influence on the ground, Alon told the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, a think tank.If the Kerrys efforts fail, Im afraid we will see the escalation ... strengthen, he said in halting English. Kerry is expected to return to the region soon, but the dates have not been set.Also Tuesday, assailants slashed the tires of 28 cars and sprayed graffiti reading Arabs out on walls in Abu Ghosh, an Arab town near Jerusalem.Police said they suspected a hate crime. There have been a string of similar incidents linked to Jewish extremists in recent years.Vandals have targeted mosques, churches, dovish Israeli groups and even Israeli military bases to protest what they perceive as the Israeli governments pro-Palestinian policies. The acts are widely condemned by Israeli leaders, but arrests have been rare.Israeli President Shimon Peres told Abu Ghosh Mayor Salim Jaber that the vandalism is racist behavior which crosses a red line and that he condemns any expression of racism and vandalism.Peres office quoted Jaber as saying the attack would not affect relations between the town and its Jewish neighbors. We know that this is the act of a small group which seeks to destroy the good relations, but we are stronger than them, Jaber said.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the vandalism in Abu Ghosh contradicts Jewish law and the values of our people and our country.Abu Ghosh, a 20-minute drive from Jerusalem, is a popular with Jewish Israelis because of its restaurants and cultural events.

WHO urges tougher food marketing rules to curb childhood obesity Posted: LONDON (Reuters) - The marketing of unhealthy foods to children has proven disastrously effective, driving obesity by using cheap social media channels to promote fat-, salt- and sugar-laden foods, the World Health Organisations Europe office said on Tuesday. The United Nations health agency called for tighter controls on such marketing, saying tougher regulations were crucial to winning the fight against childhood obesity.Children are surrounded by adverts urging them to consume high-fat, high-sugar, high-salt foods, even when they are in places where they should be protected, such as schools and sports facilities, said Zsuzsanna Jakab, director of the WHOs regional unit for Europe.The promotion of foods high in saturated and trans-fats, sugars and salt has for years been recognized as a significant risk factor for obesity in children and for diet-related chronic diseases such as heart disease and some cancers later in life.In a report on food marketing, WHO Europe said the food industry increasingly uses cheap new marketing channels such as social media and smart phone apps to target children.Television remains the dominant form of advertising and a large majority of children and adolescents watch TV on average for more than two hours a day, it said.Overweight is one of the biggest public health challenges of the 21st century: all countries are affected to varying extents, particularly in the lower socioeconomic groups, Jakab said in a foreword to the report.And the picture is not improving, she added. Data from the WHOs Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative show that, on average, one child in every three aged 6 to 9 years is overweight or obese.Jakab also said recent data suggest children become obese not just because they watch TV instead of being active but also because of exposure to advertising and other marketing tactics.Leading categories of advertised foods are soft drinks, sweetened breakfast cereals, biscuits, sweets, snacks, ready meals and fast food outlets, the WHO report said.Unfortunately, marketing unhealthy food to children has been proven to be disastrously effective, the report said. Whereas adults are aware when they are being targeted ... children are unable to distinguish, for example, between adverts and cartoons. This makes them particularly receptive and vulnerable to messages that lead to unhealthy choices.WHO Europe said that, while all 53 member states of its European region have signed up to restrictions on the marketing of unhealthy foods to children, most rely on general advertising regulations that do not specifically address the promotion of high-fat, -salt or -sugar products.More comprehensive approaches - via either legislation, self-regulation or co-regulation - have only been adopted in Denmark, France, Norway, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden, it said.

Honour killing claims three lives in Kasur Posted: KASUR (Dunya News) A youngman namely Naseer of suburban village Laka Nike kidnapped a girl of the same village a few days ago.Accused Naseer was arrested and sent to jail. But family members of the girl attacked Naseer’s house and killed his father and two close relatives while a man was critically injured in firing who was later referred to Lahore for treatment.The family members of the victims protested against police for reaching late at the crime scene.They kept the dead bodies at Lahore-Kasur Road and blocked traffic for at least two hours.

Spanish floods force evacuations, cut power Posted: MADRID (AP) - Days of torrential rain and melting snow have caused flooding in the Pyrenees region of northeastern Spain, forcing the evacuation of around 500 people and knocking out power.Officials in the Catalonia region said Tuesday that three mountain rivers have burst their banks and flooded streets, homes and farmland in the area.The flooding left some 4,000 people without power and forced the closure of four roads.Weather forecasters expected the rain to ease off later in the day, but emergency services in more than a dozen municipalities were on alert.The area is best known for its winter skiing.

Pakistan must take strong action against terrorists: Antony Posted: PUNE (Dunya News) - Addressing a function on Tuesday, Indian Defence Minister AK Antony said that the neighbouring country must initiate strong action against terrorist groups operating from its soil, in order to improve Indo-Pak ties.Describing Pakistan as our closest neighbour, Antony said Indian government wanted friendly relations with it as a peaceful and stable Pakistan was in Indias interest.The Indian defence minister said that New Delhi was trying to normalize its relations with Islamabad.

Rs 20 billion allocated for energy sector: Mujtaba Posted: LAHORE (Dunya News) - Punjab Finance Minister Mian Mujtaba Shuja ur Rehman has said that the provincial government will take austerity measures to reduce the official expenses.Addressing post-budget news conference here on Tuesday‚ the minister said expenses of Chief Ministers Secretariat have been reduced by thirty percent while of non-development expenses of other departments by fifteen percent. He said that the special attention will be paid on the education‚ health and energy sectors.Mian Mujtaba Shuja ur Rehman said that more than twenty billion rupees have been allocated for the energy sector.

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