Dunya TV

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• Punjab Assembly to elect Speaker, Deputy Speaker today
• Serena sets up Kuznetsova rematch at French Open
• Lorenzo secures Italian MotoGP victory
• Anti-government protests spread across Turkey
• 28 Syrian rebels killed in assault on village
• Car bombing in Damascus kills 9 security forces
• Guptill leads Kiwis to series win over England
• President Zardari says wont seek re-election
• Security forces kill 23 terrorists in Kurram Agency
• 11 Taliban, four Afghan security men killed
• Treasury or Opposition: JUI-F to decide on Tuesday
• CJP visits Mianwali Jail
• US takes Apple to trial over e-books price-fixing
• Dust storm leaves 7 people dead, 40 hurt in KP
• Egypt parliament's upper house ruled illegal, but to stay on

Punjab Assembly to elect Speaker, Deputy Speaker today Posted: LAHORE (Dunya News) - The Punjab Assembly will elect its Speaker and Deputy Speaker in its session today (Monday) for the next five years.Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has nominated Rana Iqbal Khan for the post of Speaker and Sardar Sher Ali Gorchani for Deputy Speaker.Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) have nominated Raja Arshad Hafiz and Waqas Mokal for the two posts.Pakistan People’s Party is not contesting the election of Speaker and Deputy Speaker.The election for the two offices will be held through secret balloting.

Serena sets up Kuznetsova rematch at French Open Posted: PARIS (AFP) - Serena Williams bludgeoned her way to another lopsided win at the French Open on Sunday as she continued her quest for a second French Open title, 11 years after her first.The top seeded American needed just 70 minutes to dispose of the worlds top doubles player, Roberta Vinci of Italy, 6-1, 6-3 and in four matches at Roland Garros this year, she has dropped just 10 games.The win puts her into a quarter-final matchup against unseeded Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia who won the title in Paris in 2009 after defeating Williams in a quarter-final thriller.Kuznetsova, who outlasted eighth seed Angelique Kerber of Germany 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, said she would relish going up again against Williams, even given her current form.I mean, shes the best in the world so far. Shes been playing unbelievable tennis, she said.But I believe that I have the game and my good days, as well. Lets cross fingers I will have a good day on that one. Shes just a fighter. Shes unbelievable, you know.Williams said that she expected a tough match every time she comes up against Kuznetsova.I mean, the last time we played here she won, so that will probably get her pumped up and shes on a comeback, she added.She has nothing to lose but everything to gai. She also wants to do well, and shes won this tournament before.I have had some pretty tough matches this claycourt season, and I think for sure that will be another one.Also through to the last eight was last years runner-up Sara Errani who overcame stomach pain at the end of the first set to defeat Carla Suarez-Navarro of Spain 5-7, 6-4, 6-3.The Italian will take on fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland who defeated the 2008 champion Ana Ivanovic of Serbia 6-2, 6-4 in the last match of the day.The victory for Williams takes her career-best winning streak to 28, the third longest since 2000 behind sister Venus (35) and Justine Henin (32).

Lorenzo secures Italian MotoGP victory Posted: MUGELLO (AFP) - Spanish defending world champion Jorge Lorenzo eased to victory in the Italian MotoGP for his third successive win in the race on Sunday. The 26-year-old – also world champion in 2010 – brought home his Yamaha well clear of world championship leader Dani Pedrosa on a Honda while British rider Cal Crutchlow recorded his second successive podium place, finishing third on a Yamaha Tech3.There was huge disappointment for the Italian fans as hero Valentino Rossi crashed out on the first lap on his Yamaha after Alvaro Bautista collided with him. Pedrosa still leads the world title race with 103 points, with Lorenzo in second 12 points adrift. Lorenzo, who halted Honda’s dominance of the past year, which had seen them win 13 of the last 16 MotoGP’s, feted his victory. “This is a special win for us as we have been working very hard as a team,” said Lorenzo, who won the season opening Qatar MotoGP.“I really tried hard to establish a gap over Dani but he kept at me until finally I succeeded at around halfway and then it was race over.” Pedrosa, who has yet to win the world title having finished runner-up three times, said it was a good result given they had not had high hopes. “It was not my day today,” said the 27-year-old, who saw Lorenzo edge ahead of him in MotoGP wins with 25.“We had loads of problems with our grip on the tyres and it was difficult keeping on the track, especially on the corners.” Crutchlow, who finished second in France a fortnight ago despite a broken leg, was more than satisfied with his performance and said he would have probably caught Pedrosa but eased up when he saw the other Honda rider Marc Marquez crash out when in second three laps from the end. “I knew when I saw that Marc had gone out that I was assured of a podium finish and played safe,” he said.“I am pleased with this as I had an allergy this weekend and crashed yesterday, but we did well to bounce back and take third.” Rossi’s fanatical fans saw their hopes of victory for their hero dashed as the 34-year-old crashed out after Bautista came in on him and both went flying. Rossi, who has made a stuttering start to his return to Yamaha, got back on his feet to allay fears of a repeat of the broken leg he suffered at Mugello two years ago in qualifying.Bautista said he hadn’t been aware of Rossi being on the inside. “I didn’t see anything as I went into the corner,” said the 28-year-old Honda Gresini rider. “Then suddenly I felt Valentino’s bike and we both fell off.” Rossi’s team-mate Lorenzo had had a terrific start taking the lead ahead of pole sitter Pedrosa. Marquez made a stunning start moving from sixth to third on the first lap and sitting on his compatriot’s shoulder.Lorenzo repulsed Pedrosa’s attempts to overtake him and finally established a significant lead with 11 laps remaining as he opened up a one second, with Pedrosa struggling for grip. As the Yamaha rider disappeared into the distance Marquez looked the better option of the two Hondas to try and claw back his lead. Marquez, who won the Texas MotoGP earlier in the season, nipped up the inside of Pedrosa and took second with five laps to go. But both Pedrosa and the hard charging Crutchlow found themselves assured of podium finishes when Marquez came to grief three laps from the chequered flag, his front tyre giving way and leaving the 20-year-old looking to the heavens and cursing his luck.

Anti-government protests spread across Turkey Posted: ISTANBUL (Agencies) - Thousands of anti-government protesters continued demonstrations Sunday in Istanbul and several major cities across Turkey, speaking against rising authoritarianism and calling for the government to resign after police used violence against demonstrators marching against plans to demolish a local park.Demonstrators say they are alarmed with the rising power of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose Islamist-rooted Justice and Development Party has won plaudits for its democratic and economic reforms but has recently become more restrictive on social issues.A bill creating far-reaching restrictions on alcohol was hastily passed last month, and Erdogan has also publicly stated women should have at least three children.Thats alarmed secular Turks such as Filiz Polat who, along with more than 100,000 demonstrators, have defied the prime minister and marched on the city center since last week.The government interferes with what we need to eat, what we need to drink, how we should sleep with our partner, how many kids that we should have, Polat said. This is getting beyond reasonable.Spontaneous demonstrations rocked Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir over the weekend with clashes between protesters and police that Amnesty International said resulted in at least two deaths and more than 1,000 injured.Interior Minister Muammer Guler announced on Turkish state TV on Saturday that 939 people in 90 separate protests across Turkey had been arrested in connection with the demonstrations, but some of them have already been released.Heavy rains early Sunday appeared to dampen spirits but by afternoon, crowds paraded up Istiklal Avenue — a major pedestrian shopping street thats been the scene of vandalism and clashes — chanting Tayyip resign as throngs of shoppers returned to the battered city center. Meanwhile, groups of protesters arrived with trash bags to help clean up litter and debris from the demonstrations.Outside Erdogans office in the upscale district of Besiktas, the number of protesters swelled by Sunday evening, and cars honked non-stop down the main road that links Taksim square with the district. By nightfall, the crowd had grown to 10,000 to 20,000 people, with more approaching in both directions along the main street. Nearly 1,000 police officers blocked off side streets in the area and attempted to disperse protesters with tear gas and water cannons.Oya Ozdemir, a 35-year-old real estate appraiser, was on her way home to Besiktas when she was forced to duck into a cafe because of the gas.Of course Erdogan must resign, she said, her eyes red from the gas. There will be elections, but I dont trust the elections.Ozdemir said she is confident the Turkish people are united behind a common goal of ousting Erdogan, but she is concerned for the future of the protest movement, saying We cannot become too radical.Erdogan has so far been unrepentant in face of the protests. On Sunday, the prime minister addressed a group representing migrants from the Balkans saying, If they call someone who has served the people a dictator, I have nothing to say. My only concern has been to serve my country.In another speech delivered an hour later, Erdogan said: I am not the master of the people. Dictatorship does not run in my blood or in my character. I am the servant of the people.On Saturday, he delivered an ominous warning to opposition leaders saying he could call on his own supporters to take to the streets.If you use provocative words, our people will never forgive you, Erdogan said. If you gather 100,000 people, I can gather a million.The mass movement began Friday morning when police forcibly evicted a peaceful sit-in against a redevelopment project that would replace leafy Gezi Park next to Taksim Square with an Ottoman era-themed shopping mall. Reacting to images of police using tear gas against the peaceful group, crowds swelled to tens of thousands with groups in other cities taking to the streets in solidarity to confront riot police armed with tear gas and water cannons.

28 Syrian rebels killed in assault on village Posted: DAMASCUS (AFP) - Syrian regime troops repulsed a rebel assault on a village loyal to President Bashar al-Assad in central Homs province, killing at least 28 of the attackers, a watchdog said on Sunday.The number of rebels killed yesterday (Saturday) in an ambush and clashes with regime forces on the outskirts of Kafr Nan rose to 28, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said in a statement.Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP the rebels, who control Rastan and much of Houla, the towns on either side of the village of Kafr Nan, launched an assault on Saturday.Regime troops pushed back the attack on the village, mostly inhabited by members of the Alawite community -- the offshoot branch of Shiite Islam to which Assad belongs.Rebels also attacked a nearby regime checkpoint outside the town of Talbisseh, in the north of Homs province.At least six regime forces were killed but the rebels were not able to seize control of the checkpoint, the Observatory said.Abdel Rahman said rebel fighters appeared to be opening these battlefronts in northern Homs to relieve pressure of the town of Qusayr, where the regime launched an assault two weeks ago.The battle for the rebel stronghold, near the border with Lebanon in southern Homs, continued on Sunday, with the Observatory reporting a continued flow of reinforcements to the regime lines.Aid groups have expressed concern about thousands of civilians believed to be trapped in the city, with no way to escape.Around 1,500 wounded people are also thought to be trapped inside the embattled town, a strategic prize because of its proximity to the Lebanese border and the route between Damascus and the coast.

Car bombing in Damascus kills 9 security forces Posted: DAMASCUS (AFP) - A car bombing in Damascus on Sunday killed at least nine security forces, a watchdog said, as aid groups urged the evacuation of civilians trapped in the embattled Syrian town of Qusayr.The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the explosion, in the east of the capital, appeared to have been carried out by the extremist Al-Nusra Front, which is allied with Al-Qaeda, although there was no immediate confirmation.In Lebanon, security sources said two rockets fired from Syria landed in a border area, and Israeli war planes could be heard flying low over several parts of the country.At least nine regime forces were killed in the explosion of a car bomb near a police station in the Jubar neighbourhood, Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP.Syrian state news agency SANA reported preliminary information on a car bomb explosion in Jubar, but gave no further details.The Observatory said fierce clashes between rebels and regime forces were ongoing in Jubar, a contested neighbourhood which has been targeted by regime air strikes and mortar attacks for several months.Elsewhere in the capital, the Observatory said, regime forces shelled the Al-Hajar Al-Aswad, Assali and Qaddam neighbourhoods in the south and southwest of the city overnight.The attack came as international aid groups called for the evacuation of civilians trapped in the flashpoint central Syrian town of Qusayr.Regime forces launched an assault against the rebel stronghold two weeks ago, and concern has risen over the fate of thousands of civilians, including around 1,500 wounded residents.Abdel Rahman told AFP on Saturday that the opposition fighters are fighting with everything theyve got.Regime forces are reinforcing the sites that they have north of the city, he said.The group said at least 15 tanks were massed north of Qusayr, a prize for both the regime and the rebels as it links Damascus to the coast, and is near the Lebanese border, providing a key rebel conduit for weapons and fighters.Abdel Rahman said around 1,000 wounded people were trapped inside Qusayr but UN officials suggested the figure could be even higher.We understand there may also be as many as 1,500 wounded people in urgent need of immediate evacuation for emergency medical treatment, and that the general situation in Al-Qusayr is desperate, said a joint statement by UN humanitarian chief Valerie Amos and UN human rights commissioner Navi Pillay.They were extremely alarmed by reports that civilian neighbourhoods were under fire, they added.We urge the parties to agree to an immediate ceasefire to allow humanitarian agencies to evacuate the wounded and provide life-saving treatment and supplies.In New York, UN chief Ban Ki-moon urged all sides to do their utmost to avoid civilian casualties, spokesman Martin Nesirky said in a statement.Ban also called on all sides to help trapped civilians escape the town.

Guptill leads Kiwis to series win over England Posted: SOUTHAMPTON (Agencies) - Martin Guptill made the highest one-day international score by a New Zealand batsman as the Black Caps took an unbeatable 2-0 lead in their series with England on Sunday.Guptills 189 not out was the cornerstone of New Zealands 359 for three at Southampton -- the largest total England had conceded in a home ODI.England, despite Jonathan Trotts unbeaten 109, could only manage 273 in reply as they lost by 86 runs, with 35 balls of their innings left, as New Zealand gained a measure of revenge for their 2-0 Test series whitewash by Alastair Cooks men.This defeat, which saw an attack again missing injured seamers Stuart Broad (knee) and Steven Finn (shin), struggle, raised questions about the hosts Englands prospects in the one-day Champions Trophy tournament that starts on Thursday and ended a four-year unbeaten run in home ODI series.The 26-year-old Guptills innings surpassed Lou Vincents previous New Zealand record of 172 against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo in 2005, and was the equal fifth highest score in ODI history.This was also the openers second hundred in as many matches after his 103 not out powered New Zealand to a five-wicket win at Lords on Friday.Only Mark Greatbatch, in 1990, had previously made an ODI century for New Zealand in England, when he too scored back-to-back hundreds.But, as happened at Lords, Guptill was again dropped on 13 with Chris Woakes once more the unlucky bowler when a pull went straight through Trotts hands at mid-wicket.That was the only chance Guptill gave in a 155-ball innings featuring two sixes and 19 fours that equalled West Indies great Vivian Richards 189 not out, in a 55-over match at Old Trafford in 1984, as the highest individual ODI score against England.When Martin Guptill is going, few guys in world cricket strike the ball as well as he does, New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum said at the presentation ceremony.The way we have responded since the Test series has been really good and we need to continue building our momentum for the Champions Trophy.England captain Alastair Cook admitted his side had been outclassed in the series thus far.Clearly we have been outplayed in both matches and its hurt us, but we have to learn why and get better, he said.The Champions Trophy is very important and we have to do a lot better.Together with Kane Williamson (55) and Ross Taylor (60), Guptill shared partnerships of 120 and 109 respectively following the early loss of Luke Ronchi.McCullum, who won the toss on a typically good Southampton pitch, was 40 not out after adding an unbroken 118 in a mere 50 balls for the fourth wicket with Guptill.James Anderson took two for 65 as he equalled Darren Goughs England record haul of 234 one-day international wickets.But otherwise it was a largely forgettable day for Englands attack, with seamer Jade Dernbach, the most expensive bowler to have sent down 1,000 ODI deliveries, seeing his 10 wicketless overs Sunday go for 87 runs.I tried to start up partnerships with new batsmen and to keep the score ticking over, said Guptill as he collected his second successive man-of-the-match award.You have to take it each ball as it comes but sometimes you have to try to take a bowler out.Ronchi, out for nought on his New Zealand debut on Friday, was bowled by Anderson for two.But New Zealands second-wicket pair were largely untroubled until Williamson was bowled by off-spinner Graeme Swann.The most England have made batting second to win an ODI was 306 for five against Pakistan at Karachi in 2000.Trott, who should have been stumped by Ronchi on 14, led the chase, with his fourth hundred in 59 ODIs coming up in 98 balls and including five fours and a rare six.However, an England side missing still injured star batsman Kevin Pietersen could not offer sufficient support.The third and final match of this series takes place in Nottingham on Wednesday.

President Zardari says wont seek re-election Posted: ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - President Asif Ali Zardari has said that he will not seek re-election after his five-year term expires in September because he has lost a majority in the country’s parliament.However if the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) gave him a leadership role he would work for re-organising it and be an ordinary party worker, he said, in a first interview to a select group of journalists on Saturday night since the May 11 general election.Zardari termed the democratic transition of power in the country a landmark achievement following the elections in which the PPP lost to Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.He had run the PPP with tight control as co-chairman after the 2007 assassination of his wife and former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto while his son Bilawal Bhuto Zardari was chairman. Earlier this year he dissociated himself from the party post in line with a high court verdict.Zardari said he wants PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif to be elected as consensus prime minister like former PPP Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani‚ but for this purpose he himself would have to contact other political parties.He said the PPP, which is now in the second position in the National Assembly, had some weaknesses and that time was needed for improvement. He added that the PPP would play an effective and positive role as the opposition.The president said the previous government had not made any deal with the US on drone attacks on Pakistani territory and the new government would have to take policy decisions in keeping with national interest.“Maybe General Pervez Musharraf had made some sort of agreement with the US but I am not aware of any such agreement and I have not seen it during my tenure,” the president said.Speaking of the possibility of talks with banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Zardari said first “we should determine those groups we can talk to in a political way” as he was of the view that militants do not come to the negotiating table.Responding to a question about former president Musharraf, currently under detention at his farmhouse in Islamabad, Zardari said Sharif would have to decide how to handle those matters.To a question about the closed money laundering cases against him in Switzerland, Zardari said he had spent eight years in jail in Pakistan and yet no charges had been proved against him.He blamed “foreign hands” for disturbing law and order in Karachi. The PPP has won provincial assembly polls in Sindh, of which Karachi is the capital, and is once again in control there.Speaking of the 10-year separatist insurgency in Balochistan involving Baloch militant groups, Zardari said the previous government had done a lot for the Baloch people but had done nothing for themselves.

Security forces kill 23 terrorists in Kurram Agency Posted: PARA CHAMKANI (Web Desk) - Twenty-three terrorists have been killed in security forces operation in different areas of Kurram Agency.According to ISPR‚ 2 security forces personnel were also martyred.Security forces‚ backed by gunship helicopters‚ destroyed five hideouts of terrorists in the mountains of Haider Kandao and Maidan area in Para Chamkani.The security forces also took over control of most of the areas occupied by the terrorists.

11 Taliban, four Afghan security men killed Posted: Parun (Reuters) - Eleven Taliban militants and four security personnel were killed in a clash between Taliban and the security forces in Afghanistans Nuristan province, an official said Sunday.Units of Afghan National Army and police raided Taliban hideouts in Kamdish district Saturday afternoon and the operations, which ended this morning, left 11 Taliban rebels dead, army spokesman Mohammad Haroon told Xinhua.He also admitted that an Afghan soldier and three policemen were killed in the conflict which lasted for several hours in the district, 180 km east of the Afghan capital of Kabul.

Treasury or Opposition: JUI-F to decide on Tuesday Posted: .ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) -JUI-F Chief Maulana Fazalur Rehman has said that the decision regarding joining the treasury or opposition benches will made by Tuesday.In a statement‚ he said that his party will vote to the candidates of PML-N nominated for the slot of Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly.He said the final decision will be made during the core committee meeting.It may be remembered that Moulana Fazlur Reman was invited by PML-N leader Main Shahbaz Sharif to join the ferderal governemnt but Fazl offered certain conditions for this.

CJP visits Mianwali Jail Posted: MIANWALI (Online): The Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry Sunday visited Central Jail, Mianwali, and heard the grievances of prisoners.He heard the problems and difficulties of prisoners and issued at the spot directions to redress the grievances.Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry ordered release of five prisoners facing confinement due to non-payment of diyat and arsh Rs. 109800/- the jail authorities paid the amount and prisoners were released forthwith.Moreover, the CJP also ordered release of other six prisoners within a week confined in jail due to non-payment of arsh and diyat amount.The chief secretary Punjab assured to pay amount for the release of six prisoners within a week.Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry also visited the jail building including kitchen, hospital, juvenile and women prisoners’ portion and prisoners wards.Justice Umer Atta Bandial of Lahore High Court, Registrar Lahore High Court, secretary Law and Justice commission of Pakistan, District and Sessions Judge Mianwali, Chief Secretary of Punjab, Inspector General of prisons and other police officers were also present there.

US takes Apple to trial over e-books price-fixing Posted: NEW YORK (Reuters) - Apple Inc goes to trial Monday over allegations by federal and state authorities that it conspired with publishers to raise the price of e-books.The trial pits the maker of the popular iPad and iPhone against the U.S. Justice Department in a case that tests how Internet retailers interact with content providers.The Justice Department filed its case against Apple and five of the six largest U.S. book publishers in April 2012. The lawsuit accused them of conspiring to increase e-book prices and break Amazon.com Incs hold on pricing.Apple is going to trial alone after the five publishers agreed to eliminate prohibitions on wholesale discounts and to pay a collective $164 million to benefit consumers.The five publishers were Pearson Plcs Penguin Group, News Corps HarperCollins Publishers Inc, CBS Corps Simon & Schuster Inc, Hachette Book Group Inc and MacMillan.The U.S. government is not seeking damages but instead an order blocking Apple from engaging in similar conduct. However, if Apple is found liable, it could still face damages in a separate trial by the state attorneys general and consumers pursuing class actions.Based on a comment by the presiding judge at the final hearing before the trial, Apple may face an uphill battle.While those comments suggested Apple might be smart to seek a settlement, Chief Executive Tim Cook said in an interview Tuesday with All Things Digital that Apple was not going to sign something that says we did something we didnt do.Apple may be calculating that future damages claims by states and class actions make it worth going to trial, said John Lopatka, a law professor at Pennsylvania State University.Neither side disputes that in 2009 publishers were concerned about low prices for e-books resulting from the dominance of Amazon.com, which launched its Kindle e-reader in 2007.As it prepared to launch its iPad and was looking into opening an electronic bookstore, Apple has said it was entering a market in turmoil, with growing tension between the publishers and Amazon.Amazon, which declined comment, was selling 90 percent of all e-books in 2009. It was buying books wholesale and at times selling them at a loss, pricing them at $9.99, with the goal of promoting its Kindle.The Justice Department contends that Apples entry into the market provided publishers with a means to get together to increase prices.At the suggestion of Hachette and HarperCollins, the government says Apple began considering an agency model in which publishers set the price and Apple took a fixed percentage.Former Apple CEO Steve Jobs, who died in 2011, told his biographer that, we told the publishers, ‘Well go to the agency model, where you set the price, and we get our 30 percent, and yes, the customer pays a little more, but thats what you want anyway.The Justice Department said Apple provided assurances to publishers their rivals would join.Apple says that it was unaware of efforts by the publishers to conspire before it entered the marketplace, and said when it did, it act independently.It also contends that in the wake of its introduction of the iBookstore, prices have fallen rather than risen from $7.97 on average to $7.34.For the Justice Department, many of its goals have been accomplished, thanks to the settlements with publishers, which lifted restrictions on discounting and promotions by e-book retailers. Those deals have already lowered prices for consumers, the department says.But the government may be aiming at a bigger issue, said Geoffrey Manne, a law professor at Lewis & Clark Law School.Among other things, the government lawsuit seeks to declare that certain provisions in the agreements between Apple and the publishers are unenforceable.These provisions, known as most-favored-nation clauses, provided that if other e-bookstores sold the books at cheaper prices, then Apple could reduce its prices. The government has said this provided an incentive for the publishers to raise prices at other retailers.Similar types of most-favored nation clauses have been central in other content industries such as music and television where content providers have a role in setting the price.They have also become a discussion point in certain antitrust communities, Manne said, and a government win could send a pretty strong message about their use.

Dust storm leaves 7 people dead, 40 hurt in KP Posted: PESHAWAR (Dunya News) At least 7 people‚ including 3 children and a woman‚ died and over 40 sustained injuries as a severe dust storm and rain hit various parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Sunday evening.The storm also destroyed standing crops‚ uprooted trees‚ demolished houses and caused power outages.The dust storm was so intense that it uprooted the trees and publicity poles.Many houses were also damaged and electricity supply was disrupted in many areas of Peshawar.Many people were injured when the walls and roofs of houses collapsed. The storm did main damage in Peshawar and its adjoining areas.The injured were shifted to hospitals for treatment by the recue teams.Hospital sources said nine children, who were seriously injured, were brought to the hospital.

Egypt parliament's upper house ruled illegal, but to stay on Posted: CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypts top court ruled on Sunday that parliaments Muslim Brotherhood-led upper house was illegal but could stay on until elections, dealing the Islamists a moral blow but letting them keep their grip on lawmaking for now.The decision resolves an area of legal uncertainty hanging over a political transition repeatedly upset by the courts.The ruling by the Supreme Constitutional Court upheld the upper houses right, as set out in a new constitution, to legislate in the absence of a lower house. That chamber was dissolved last June following a similar legal challenge. Dates for new elections have yet to be set.The upper house, elected as a consultative assembly on a 7 percent turnout, has angered the opposition by broaching areas of controversy since it assumed legislative powers in December.These include a new civil society law criticized by human rights groups and the West as a threat to democratic freedoms, and proposals for judicial reform that are fuelling tensions between judges and Islamists who see the judiciary as hostile.Analysts said Sundays ruling seemed likely to irritate both sides in Egypts political conflict: the Islamists would be angry that the chambers legitimacy had been rejected, and the opposition would be annoyed that the house wasnt not dissolved.If the Shura Council still has legislative authority, then this is a moral blow but not a legal one, said Nathan Brown, a George Washington University professor and expert on Egypt.The case against the upper house of parliament, brought by an independent member of parliament, follows a similar challenge that led to the dissolution of the Brotherhood-led lower house last year on the grounds of defects in the election law.The Supreme Constitutional Court cited election law flaws as the reason for finding the upper house to be illegal. But it said implementation of the ruling should wait given the legislative role given to the chamber by the new constitution.The Shura Council is continuing to play its complete legislative role until the institutions of the state are completed and legislative power passes to the new parliament, the presidency said in a statement.Mohamed ElBaradei, a leading opponent of the Brotherhood, assailed the court ruling as an expected result of a low-level understanding and political thuggery that has toppled the concept of legitimacy and the rule of law.Court rulings, many of them against the Brotherhoods interests, have repeatedly turned the transition on its head.The court also ruled as unconstitutional a provision used by President Mohamed Mursi to declare a state of emergency in three Suez Canal cities during violent protests earlier this year.Last week, the Supreme Constitutional Court struck down parts of a revised parliamentary election law, casting doubt over the date of polls originally called by Mursi for February.The Islamists believe the judiciary is stacked with Mubarak-era appointees dedicated to undoing its gains at the ballot box.The issue came to a head in April when a party allied to the Brotherhood tabled a draft law that would have forced 3,000 judges into retirement. Mursi and top judges have agreed to seek a compromise, though some see it as only a temporary truce.The Supreme Constitutional Court also ruled as illegal the rules that led to the selection of the assembly that drafted the new constitution, a controversial document fast-tracked into law by Mursi last year. But it said that this did not affect the legitimacy of the constitution approved by the people.Yasser El-Shimy, Egypt analyst with the International Crisis Group, said the court ruling would further weaken the image of the Shura Council, as well as cast some doubt over the process by which the constitution was produced, and all of this is unwelcome for the Brotherhood.

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