Section: Dunya TV (Pakistan)
Athletics: Bubka, Coe face off for IAAF presidency
BEIJING (AFP) – Athletics greats Sergey Bubka and Sebastian Coe will vie for the presidency of world body the IAAF on Wednesday in a pivotal vote which will shape the future of the drug-tainted sport.Members of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) 214 federations will cast their ballots at a vast convention centre...
US launches biggest allied airborne drills since Cold War ended
BRUSSELS (AFP) – The United States said Tuesday it has launched the biggest allied airborne drills in Europe since the Cold War ended, as fighting involving pro-Russian separatists escalated in eastern Ukraine.Nearly 5,000 soldiers from 11 NATO allies are taking part in four weeks of simultaneous multinational airborne operations across...
Putin dives in mini-sub to shipwreck off Crimea
MOSCOW (AFP) – Russian President Vladimir Putin burnished his action man image on Tuesday by diving down in a mini-submarine to explore a shipwreck off the coast of the Crimea peninsula that Moscow seized from Ukraine last year.Putin — wearing a beige pantsuit — plunged down to a depth of 83 metres seated alongside the pilot in...
Putin slams ‘external control’ over Ukraine on Crimea visit
MOSCOW (AFP) – Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday slammed alleged external control over Ukraines government as he made his third visit to the Crimean peninsula since Moscow seized the region from Kiev last year.I am sure that despite all the current difficulties the situation in Ukraine will improve and Ukraine will develop, Putin...
Ten killed in spike in east Ukraine violence
KIEV (AFP) – Fierce clashes in east Ukraine killed at least 10 people in the past 24 hours, government and rebel officials said Monday, as Russia warned that Kiev could be preparing for a fresh offensive.The single day death toll is the highest in over a month as both sides accuse each other of gearing up for for an onslaught that would...
Russia probes ‘selfie with dead’ online community
MOSCOW (AFP) – Russia is investigating an online community that urges members to post selfies with dead people and even offers cash prizes for the best shot, police told AFP on Monday.A police spokesman in the northern city of Syktyvkar told AFP they have opened an investigation into a community called Selfie with the Deceased on popular...
US to increase military drone flights: report
WASHINGTON (AFP) – The US military will drastically increase drone flights over the next four years, in a bid to boost intelligence and strike capabilities across a growing number of conflict zones, the Wall Street Journal reported Sunday.The Pentagon is planning to expand the number of daily flights from 61 at present to as many as 90 by...
Russian energy giant Gazprom faces challenges as output slumps
Moscow (AFP) – Facing a cold shoulder from Europe and increased competition at home, Russias Gazprom has struggled to assert dominance on the global energy market, prompting speculation the energy giant could have no choice but to splinter.With the Russian economy slipping into recession on the back of lower oil prices and Western sanctions...
Masked men hurl smoke bombs at venue of Ukraine gay forum
ODESSA (AFP) – Masked men on Saturday hurled smoke bombs into a venue in the Ukraine port city of Odessa where gay rights activists were to hold a forum after deciding against marching in defiance of a ban.They threw several smoke bombs at the participants before fleeing, Odessa Pride spokesman Kyrylo Bodelan told AFP, adding that no one...
Three civilians killed as east Ukraine shelling flares up
KIEV (AFP) – Three civilians have been killed in east Ukraine as government forces claimed Saturday that shelling by pro-Russian separatists hit a record high since the start of a tattered truce in February.Authorities in Ukrainian-controlled territory along the frontline told AFP that shelling over the past day had killed two civilians and...
