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ARY NEWS

Reuters

  • Saudi Arabia says arrests 431 Islamic State suspects, thwarts bombings

    The announcement came after a car bomb exploded at a checkpoint near the kingdom’s highest security prison on Thursday, killing the driver and wounding two security officials in an attack claimed by Islamic State.

    A string of deadly attacks carried out by followers of the ultra-hardline militant group based in Iraq and Syria has fuelled concerns about a growing threat of militancy in the world’s top oil exporter.

    “The number arrested to date is 431, most of them citizens, in addition to participants from other nationalities … six successive suicide operations which targeted mosques in the Eastern province on every Friday timed with assassinations of security men were thwarted,” the ministry statement posted on the official news agency SPA said.

    “Terrorist plots to target a diplomatic mission, security and government facilities in Sharurah province and the assassination of security men were thwarted,” it said.

    The ministry did not elaborate on when the men were detained, but previous announcements that scores of suspects have been arrested suggest it was over the course of months.

    Their alleged offences cited by the ministry ranged from smuggling explosives, surveying potential attack sites, providing transport and material support to bombers, smuggling in explosives from abroad and manufacturing suicide vests.

    Islamic State has called on supporters to carry out attacks in the kingdom and killed 25 people in two suicide bombings at Shi’ite Muslim mosques in the country’s east in May.

    A Saudi man, reportedly aided by several other men from the kingdom, blew himself up in a Shi’ite mosque and killed 27 worshippers in June.

    The group says its priority target is the Arabian peninsula and in particular Saudi Arabia, home of Islam’s holiest places, from where it plans to expel Shi’ite Muslims.

    The interior ministry said the suspects arrested in the kingdom were carrying out “schemes directed from trouble spots abroad and are aimed at inciting sectarian strife and chaos.”

    U.S. Defence Secretary Ash Carter will travel next week to Saudi Arabia as part of the Obama administration’s efforts to convince sceptical allies in the region about the benefits of the Iran nuclear deal.

    In an interview with the New York Times this week, President Obama urged America’s traditional Sunni allies in the Gulf to better embrace their Shi’ite citizens.

    “My argument has been to my allies in the region, let’s stop giving Iran opportunities for mischief. Strengthen your own societies. Be inclusive,” Obama said.

  • Scientists puzzle over Pluto's polygons

    “We had no idea that Pluto would have a geologically young surface,” said lead researcher Alan Stern, with the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado. “It’s a wonderful surprise.”

    The goal of the $720 million New Horizons mission is to map the surfaces of Pluto and its primary moon Charon, assess what materials they contain and study Pluto’s atmosphere. Launched in 2006, the spacecraft traveled 3 billion miles (4.88 billion km) to fly through the Pluto system on Tuesday. About 1 percent of the 50 gigabytes of data recorded in the 10 days leading up to the close encounter with Pluto has been relayed back to Earth.

    Still, the early results show that frozen Pluto, where surface temperatures reach 400 degrees below zero Fahrenheit (minus 240 Celsius), is challenging theories about how icy bodies can generate heat to reshape their surface features.

    For example, a bright heart-shaped region near Pluto’s equator has no impact craters, indicating a surface that is less than about 100 million years old, a relative blink in geologic time.

    “It’s possibly still being shaped this day by geological processes. Those could be only a week old, for all we know,” geologist Jeffrey Moore, with NASA’s Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, California, told reporters on a conference call.

    A section of the plain is broken into 12- to 20 mile (19- to 32-km) wide polygon shapes that are boarded by shallow troughs, some of which are lined with dark material. Even more enigmatic are clusters of hills, or clumps that trace the shapes of the troughs and encircle the polygons.

    “We suspect the hills may have been pushed up from underneath along the cracks,” Moore said.

    Another possibility is that the plain is eroding around the hills, leaving behind mounds of a more resistant material.

    “We don’t know which of those two explanations are correct,” Moore said.

    The polygons could be evidence of convection in Pluto’s icy face, similar to the surface of a boiling pot of oatmeal. The source of Pluto’s internal heat, if it exists, has not yet been determined.

    The polygons also could be like mud cracks, created by contraction of the surface, Moore added.

    “The landscape is just astoundingly amazing,” he said.

  • Pakistan helped secure Taliban talks, but Afghan mistrust lingers

    The heads of the army and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) spy agency were personally involved in bringing about talks between the Afghan Taliban and Kabul government on July 8 near Islamabad, said two senior officials close to the process.

    The negotiations were a tentative first step toward ending war in neighbouring Afghanistan that kills thousands of people each year, as government forces fight Taliban insurgents whose hardline Islamist regime was toppled in 2001.

    A genuine bid by Pakistan to broker peace could help stem violence, although al Qaeda and other groups are active in the region and new Islamic State offshoots add another layer of danger.

    The fledgling peace process may yet fail, especially since Afghan Taliban leaders are divided on talks.

    Doubts also exist across South Asia about Pakistan’s true motives, given that the military is accused of fostering militants in Afghanistan and Kashmir as a way of pursuing regional rivalry with India. The military has denied the charge.

    Pakistani officials insist the civilian government and military recognise that Afghanistan’s war threatens their own security by empowering insurgents who launch deadly attacks on their side of the border.

    Army chief Gen. Raheel Sharif in particular has made Afghanistan’s peace process a “top foreign policy goal,” said a Defence Ministry official, speaking anonymously because he was not authorised to talk to the media.

    “For General Raheel, convincing Afghans to end the war is just as important as fighting anti-Pakistani militants,” another senior security source said.

    “He is the chief who has convinced the army that the militant threat inside Pakistan is as important as the strategic tussle with India.”

    NEW LEADERS

    Several current and former officials in Afghanistan, who suspect Pakistan of funding and arming the Taliban insurgency across the border, question whether it genuinely supports dialogue.

    “Pakistan is taking this new step under internal and external pressure,” said former Afghan interior minister Umar Daudzai. “We have to wait and see whether the step is of a tactical nature or is a genuine policy shift.”

    Pressure from China, a key regional ally and investor, is understood to have played a role in Pakistan’s intervention, as Beijing believes militants from its restive Xinjiang region receive training in lawless areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan.

    Changes in leadership in Pakistan and Afghanistan also helped pave the way for last week’s talks.

    In Pakistan, General Sharif became army chief in 2013 and his close ally Rizwan Akhtar took over the ISI the next year.

    And since Afghan President Ashraf Ghani took office last September, he has made improving relations with Pakistan a priority, in contrast to his predecessor Hamid Karzai.

    That has led to condemnation inside Afghanistan, however. A May agreement for the ISI and Afghanistan’s spy agency to share information about militants caused a political uproar.

    As for India, which fought two wars with Pakistan over Muslim-majority Kashmir and blames its neighbour for fomenting unrest there, mistrust runs high, despite a meeting between the two prime ministers at a Russian summit last week.

    “India is very sceptical about this entire thing,” said Sameer Patil, fellow for national security studies at Mumbai-based think tank Gateway House.

    He added Delhi felt it had been sidelined from the process. U.S. and Chinese observers attended the Taliban talks.

    SHARED THREAT

    Pakistan backed the Taliban’s rise to power in Afghanistan in the 1990s, and many of the movement’s leaders are believed to be hiding in the country.

    But army attitudes towards Islamist proxies have changed with the advent of Pakistan’s own Taliban movement, which has launched attacks in major cities that killed hundreds of people.

    One of the worst attacks in Pakistan’s history was on an army-run school in the northwestern city of Peshawar last December, killing more than 130 pupils. Months earlier, Pakistan’s military had launched an offensive against militants in the North Waziristan region that is still ongoing.Islamabad wants Afghanistan’s help in capturing or killing Pakistani Taliban chief Mullah Fazlullah, who claimed responsibility for the massacre.

    Pakistan also says Afghanistan quietly supports Pakistani Taliban fighting Islamabad. Afghanistan denies this.

    Some Western diplomats, long sceptical about Pakistani promises, say Islamabad now seems serious about promoting Afghan stability.

    “This is the most genuine push we have seen from Pakistan,” said one diplomat.

    Pakistani author Ahmed Rashid sees “an institutional change” at the top of the Pakistan military favouring ending Afghanistan’s war.

    However, he warned powerful hawkish elements may seek to scuttle any settlement unless it is linked to limiting India’s influence in Kabul.

    “The army will not give up entirely on all of its proxies in Afghanistan until and unless it sees reciprocal actions by the Afghan government.”

  • Champions League T20 discontinued due to lack of interest

    The 2015 edition, which would have been the seventh and was scheduled for September and October, has been cancelled because of the tournament’s “limited public following”, organisers said in a news release on Wednesday.

    “It was a fantastic platform for players from around the world to showcase their talent and the participating teams thoroughly enjoyed the experience over the last six seasons,” Anurag Thakur, the honorary secretary at the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said.

    “Unfortunately, off the field, Champions League T20 wasn’t sustaining the interest of the fans as we had hoped.

    “This decision was made, after consultation with all our commercial partners and meeting the contractual obligations of all parties involved.”

    Launched by BCCI, Cricket Australia and Cricket South Africa in 2008, the competition offered a highly lucrative prize pool of $6 million with $2.5 million going to the winners.

    It brought together teams from the India Premier League, Australia’s Big Bash League, South Africa’s Ram Slam T20 Challenge and Caribbean Premier League along with other qualifiers.

    The inaugural event was cancelled after the death of 164 people in coordinated attacks on Mumbai in November 2008, however, and the tournament failed to gain any real traction thereafter.

    The Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings were the most successful teams in the competition after they both won it twice with the Super Kings securing what will be the final title in Bangalore last year.

  • Jadhav's maiden ODI ton eases India to victory

    Sent in to bat, India made a cautious start before Jadhav blazed an unbeaten 105 from 87 balls to propel the tourists to 276 for five in their 50 overs.

    The home side lost wickets at regular intervals and were bowled out for 193 in the 43rd over.

    India looked in trouble when they slumped to 82 for four but Jadhav, batting at number six, at first steadied the innings and then increased the scoring rate with some superb shots.

    His highest score in three previous ODI matches was 20, but he found his rhythm in Harare, smashing 12 fours and a six while the other batsmen on both sides found boundaries hard to come by.

    Jadhav added 144 for the fifth wicket with debutant Manish Pandey, who was last man out for 71 from 86 balls.

    Zimbabwe battled from the start of their reply with only opener Chamu Chibhabha offering any sort of resistance as he reached a second half-century in two matches with 82 from 109 balls.

    Stuart Binny, who has had a fine series with bat and ball, was the pick of the Indian bowlers and recorded figures of three for 55 from his 10 overs.

    Harbhajan Singh, returning to ODI cricket in this series for the first time in four years, bowled tidily again for two for 35 from his 10.

    The teams will begin a two-match Twenty20 series on Friday at the same venue.

  • Raheem Sterling joins Manchester City for record fee

    City paid 49 million pounds ($76.4 million) for Sterling, according to media reports, with the England international signing a five-year contract at the Etihad Stadium.

    The pacy winger will fly out to join his new team mates, who are on a pre-season tour in Australia.

    “Raheem Sterling is one of the best attacking players in world football, and I am very much looking forward to him joining our squad out in Australia later this week,” City manager Manuel Pellegrini said on the club website (www.mcfc.com).

    “He is a young player with outstanding ability, and I am sure the Manchester City fans will be very excited about seeing him in action for the team.”

    Abu Dhabi-owned City did not confirm the transfer fee but said it was a record for the club.

    The fee is also higher than the previous record for an English player, surpassing the 35 million pounds Liverpool paid Newcastle United for target man Andy Carroll in 2011.

    Sterling endured an acrimonious end to his career at Liverpool after making 129 appearances and scoring 23 goals, having moved to the Merseyside outfit from Queens Park Rangers in 2010 as a 15-year-old.

    His relationship with Liverpool hit trouble in April as contract talks stalled and he gave an unauthorised interview to the BBC, denying being a “money-grabber” and claiming he was motivated purely by ambition.

    His outspoken agent Aidy Ward then angered the club and its supporters in May by saying the England player would not sign a new deal at Anfield — even for 900,000 pounds ($1.40 million) a week.

    With no City deal on the immediate horizon, the issue came to a head last week as the player did not fly out with Liverpool for their pre-season tour despite being named in the squad.

    Liverpool, however, showed no bitterness in a short statement confirming his departure on their website.

    “Liverpool Football Club can confirm Raheem Sterling has completed a transfer to Manchester City,” the club said. “Liverpool FC wishes Raheem well.”

  • Teens stream ice cream robbery, get arrested

    A resident in West Weber, about 40 miles north of Salt Lake City, called sheriff’s deputies late on Sunday to report seeing the crime being streamed live on social media using Twitter’s Periscope App, police said.

    “The investigating deputy tracked down the creator of the video, a 16-year-old male who lived in the neighborhood,” the Weber County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement on Monday.

    The boy admitted breaking into the truck’s refrigerated trailer with a friend and stealing the contents, the sheriff’s office said.

    “He also confessed to posting their caper online through Periscope,” it said. “The subject said he and his friend then went and randomly placed the tubs of ice cream on the front porches of some of their neighbors as a gift.”

    The deputy spoke to the other boy, who confirmed the first boy’s account, the sheriff’s office said.

    Both boys, who were not named, will be referred to juvenile court on burglary and theft charges, the statement said.

  • Iran, six major powers reach historic nuclear deal

    “All the hard work has paid off and we sealed a deal. God bless our people,” the diplomat told Reuters on condition of anonymity. Another Iranian official confirmed the agreement.

    A senior Western diplomat also confirmed that the landmark Iran nuclear deal was reached after clearing final obstacles.

    The diplomat made the comments Tuesday amid non-stop negotiations between Iran and world powers in Vienna.

    The diplomat says it includes a compromise between Washington and Tehran that would allow United Nations inspectors to press for visits to Iranian military sites as part of their monitoring duties. Iranian state television earlier rejected such a demand.

    The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity pending a formal announcement, expected after a 10:30 am final meeting between all negotiators.

  • India suspends domestic player for fixing approach

    Shah, who does not play in IPL, made the approach to his unidentified first-class cricket team mate who represents Rajasthan Royals in the lucrative Twenty20 league, the Indian board (BCCI) said in a statement.

    The player, identified by local media as Mumbai leg-spinner Pravin Tambe, reported the approach to his team, who forwarded the case to BCCI’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit.

    Shah’s long-term fate will now be decided by the board’s disciplinary committee.

    “His involvement in any form of cricket affiliated with the BCCI stands suspended till the time the disciplinary committee of the BCCI passes appropriate orders,” the board said.

    Shah, 30, has played 37 first-class matches for Mumbai, averaging over 42 with six hundreds.

    “BCCI has zero tolerance for corruption in the game of cricket,” board president Jagmohan Dalmiya said.

    “We have and we will take swift action against such incidents to set a precedent and control the menace of corruption in the game.”

    Rajasthan is not alien to the threat of spot-fixing after former India paceman S. Sreesanth and two other cricketers from the team were arrested in 2013 on suspicion of taking money to concede a fixed number of runs.

    Sreesanth, who denied any wrongdoing, was subsequently banned for life by the BCCI.

  • U.S. steps up air strikes on Islamic State targets in Iraq: statement

    There also were nine air strikes in Syria targeting Islamic State forces with bomber, fighter-attack and drone aircraft, seven coming near Al Hasakah and one each near Raqqah and Kobani, according to the statement.

    Iraqi troops and Shia Muslim militia forces attacked Islamic State fighters on several fronts on Monday in Anbar province at the start of what is likely to be a long and fiercely contested offensive.

    The U.S. military statement said air strikes were conducted in Iraq on Sunday near seven cities using bomber, attack, fighter-attack and drone aircraft.

    Most came near Ramadi, according to the statement, targeting Islamic State staging areas, excavators, an armored personnel carrier and another vehicle. Other air strikes in Iraq came near Al Huwayjah, Habbaniyah, Hit, Makhmur, Sinjar and Tal Afar, the statement said.