Friday 7 March 2014

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Judge not killed by guard's fire: Guard, Autopsy report refute Ch Nisar

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – The recent developments in Islamabad terrorist attack i.e. guard’s statement and autopsy report point that Judge Rafaqat Awan was killed by terrorists’ fire disproving Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar’s claims that the judge was killed by his own guard’s firing, Dunya News reported.Dunya News has obtained the copy of security guard’s testimony submitted to court in which he has categorically rejected Chaudhry Nisar’s claims. According to his statement, he ran towards the chambers along with Judge Awan and closed the door while directing Judge Awan to escape from the other door. Judge Rafaqat chose to help him keep the door shut instead of escaping from the other door, he said.Terrorist’s fire hit the judge and he fell down and said he’s hit by the bullet, the statement continues.Guard maintains he was in the state of shock for few minutes following the incident.Following guard’s statement, court refused to hand him over to police for physical remand; however, upon begging and solemnly declaring to be transparent in investigation, guard was handed over to the police on remand.It is pertinent mentioning here that while wrapping up discussion over national security policy in national assembly on Thursday, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar had claimed that terrorists’ real target was another judge who was absent on the day the incident took place. He had further claimed that Additional session judge was martyred by his own guard’s firing.Interior minister also claimed that the terrorist who planned bombing through toy planes was also arrested. He further said that terrorism cannot be curbed by making appointments adding that negotiation process is being taken forward only as an option.Schools, colleges, hotels and courts are hit as a result of military action, he said adding that there are threats but the nation is not unsafe.

Saudi Arabia lists Muslim Brotherhood among 'terror' groups

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RIYADH (AFP) - Saudi Arabia on Friday listed the Muslim Brotherhood and two Syrian jihadist groups as terrorist organisations, and ordered citizens fighting abroad to return within 15 days or face imprisonment.The move represents a major escalation against the Muslim Brotherhood of deposed Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi and indicates rising concern in Riyadh over the possible return of battle-hardened Saudi extremists from Syria.In addition to the Muslim Brotherhood, Saudi listed Al-Nusra Front, which is Al-Qaedas official Syrian affiliate, and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), a rogue group fighting in both Syria and Iraq, as terrorist organisations.The interior ministry decree, which was released by state media, also listed as terrorist groups the Shiite Huthi rebels fighting in northern Yemen and Hezbollah inside the kingdom, apparently referring to a little-known Saudi Shiite group.The order penalises involvement in any of the groups activities at home or abroad -- including demonstrations -- and outlaws the use of slogans of these organisations, including in social media.It also forbids participation in, calling for, or incitement to fighting in conflict zones in other countries.Riyadh is a staunch supporter of the Sunni-led rebels battling to overthrow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad but has long feared blowback from radical jihadist groups, particularly after a spate of attacks by a local Al-Qaeda franchise from 2003 to 2006.King Abdullah last month decreed jail terms of up to 20 years for belonging to terrorist groups and fighting abroad.Similar sentences will be passed on those belonging to extremist religious and ideological groups, or those classified as terrorist organisations, domestically, regionally and internationally, state news agency SPA said at the time.Supporting such groups, adopting their ideology or promoting them through speech or writing would also incur prison terms, the decree added.Rights group Amnesty International sharply criticised last months decree, saying it could be used to suppress peaceful political dissent because the law used an overly vague definition of terrorism.Saudi Arabia set up specialised terrorism courts in 2011 to try dozens of nationals and foreigners accused of belonging to Al-Qaeda or being involved in a wave of bloody attacks that swept the country from 2003.- Rivalry with Qatar -Saudi and other conservative Gulf monarchies have long been hostile towards the Muslim Brotherhood, fearing that its brand of grass-roots activism and political Islam could undermine their authority.The decision to brand the Brotherhood a terrorist group came a day after Saudi, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates recalled their ambassadors from Qatar, which had been a staunch supporter of Morsi and backs Brotherhood-linked groups across the region.It was an unprecedented escalation of tensions within the Gulf Cooperation Council -- which also includes Kuwait and Oman -- and was widely seen as signalling Gulf fury at Qatari support for Islamist groups following the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings.It was also seen as a revival of the on-again, off-again rivalry between Riyadh and Doha, oil- and gas-rich monarchies that have long vied for regional influence.Saudi hailed the overthrow of Morsi and pledged billions of dollars to Egypts military-installed government following his July 2013 ouster, and in recent months has eclipsed Qatar as the main backer of Syrias rebels.Egypt, which has launched a sweeping crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood and detained reporters from Qatars Al-Jazeera news network, on Thursday welcomed the Gulf countries decision to recall their envoys from Doha.It said its own envoy, who has been in Cairo since early February, will not return to Qatar at the present time, and his remaining (in Egypt) is a sovereign political decision.It is for Qatar to clearly determine its position, whether it will stand on the side of Arab solidarity, unified ranks and protection of national security... or on the other side, and bear the consequences and responsibility for that, a government statement said.

Gaza Hamas supporters protest against Egypt ban

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GAZA CITY (AFP) - Thousands of Hamas supporters rallied in the Gaza Strip on Friday to protest against a Cairo court decision banning the Palestinian Islamist movement from operating in Egypt.Waving Egyptian flags and Hamas banners, the demonstrators gathered after Friday prayers and then marched to the former Egyptian embassy which has been closed since 2007.The marchers held aloft placards called on Egypt to revoke Tuesdays decision, including to seize Hamass assets, chanting resistance, our way is resistance.Egypt has accused Hamas of colluding in attacks on its territory in the past few years, and aiding the Muslim Brotherhood movement of deposed Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.Hamas slammed the ruling as playing into the hands of its arch-enemy Israel, calling it shocking and warning it could open the door to new (Israeli) aggression and war against Gaza.Egypt never recognised Hamass rule in Gaza after it forcibly ousted the more moderate Fatah party of Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas from Gaza in 2007.But it hosted Hamass deputy leader Mussa Abu Marzuk following Mubaraks overthrow in February 2011, and eased passage through its Rafah border crossing with Gaza.Morsi, elected in June 2012, was seen as further bolstering the militant groups power in Gaza by mediating a 2012 truce ending week-long fighting with Israel and that lifted some of the blockade restrictions on Gaza.Since ousting him, the military has destroyed hundreds of smuggling tunnels under its border with the coastal enclave, alleging they were used to smuggle weapons and militants who have taken part in attacks on Egyptian security forces.

Turkey's ex-army chief Basbug released from prison

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ISTANBUL (AFP) - A Turkish court on Friday ordered the immediate release of ex-military chief Ilker Basbug who was sentenced to life in prison last year for plotting to overthrow the Islamic-rooted government, his lawyer said.The decision came a day after Turkeys top Constitutional Court ruled that Basbugs legal rights had been violated.This verdict is significant, Basbugs lawyer Ilkay Sezer told reporters. Mr. Basbug will walk free three hours later, he added.Basbug was sentenced to life in prison in 2013 along with hundreds of military officers who were given long jail terms for their role in the so-called Ergenekon conspiracy, an alleged plot to overthrow the government.The military, which sees itself as the guarantor of Turkeys secular principles, has carried out three coups -- in 1960, 1971 and 1980, -- and pressured an Islamist government to step down in 1997.Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has spent the best part of his 11 years in power trying to curb the militarys influence.But he has recently sought to get the army back on his side as he fights for political survival in a bitter feud with his ally-turned-opponent Fethullah Gulen, whom he accuses of masterminding a graft scandal to topple him.In a conciliatory gesture toward the army that further increases the chances of retrials for the hundreds of convicted officers, parliament in February abolished the specially appointed courts that tried them.The constitutional courts ruling could set a precedent for more than 200 others jailed for their alleged roles in coup-plotting.

Pak foreign reserves surges to $8.737b

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KARACHI (Web Desk) - Pakistans foreign exchange reserves rose to $8.737 billion in the week ending February 28 compared to $8.654 billion in the previous week, the State Bank of Pakistan said.The increase in the central bank reserves is attributed to receipts of US$74 million from multilateral, bilateral and other official sources.

KSE ends higher; rupee strengthens

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KARACHI (Web Desk) - Pakistans main stock exchange closed higher on Friday, with the benchmark 100-share index of the Karachi Stock Exchange rising 0.19 per cent, or 49.70 points to 26,892.23.Overall consolidation was seen in the market while profit taking was seen in oil exploration companies and cement stocks, dealer Samar Iqbal at Topline Securities said.DG Khan Cement Co Ltd fell 2.03 per cent to 90.25 rupees while Pakistan State Oil Co Ltd was up 2.16 per cent to 395.76 rupees.The rupee ended higher at 102.85/102.95 against the dollar compared to Thursdays close of 103.30/103.35.Overnight rates in the money market rose to 9.90 per cent fromThursdays close of 9.00 per cent.

Lahore: Suspected terrorist held from Kahna

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – City police with the cooperation of intelligence agencies have foiled a terrorist bid and arrested a suspected terrorist from Kahna.Police have also recovered huge quantity of explosives.As per details, police raided a house in the city’s Kahna area and arrested the man.The man is identified as Sarfraz.Sources said the suspect was given the task to target Pakistan Railways station and other buildings in Lahore.The man was shifted to unidentified place for interrogation.

Nuclear talks were useful, but more needed: Iran

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TEHRAN (AFP) - Nuclear talks between experts from Iran and world powers that ended Friday were useful, but more discussions are needed before a lasting deal can be reached, Tehrans team leader said.Fortunately, we reviewed many topics of the nuclear issue, but it is just the beginning and more sessions... will be needed, Hamid Baeedinejad, who lead the Iranian experts, told state broadcaster IRIBs website.Baeedinejad refrained from giving details, except to say they focused on uranium enrichment, the unfinished Arak heavy water reactor and nuclear cooperation.All the involved parties view the sessions as useful, Baeedinejad told the official IRNA news agency, saying the negotiations are serious and substantive.Experts from Iran and the P51 -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States plus Germany -- have been holding closed-door technical talks in Vienna since Wednesday.Baeedinejad said a report on the talks will be submitted to the deputy foreign ministers of the participating countries, who are due to meet in Vienna in the next 10 days.Western nations and Israel have long suspected Iran is covertly pursuing a nuclear weapons capability alongside its civilian programme, charges denied by Tehran.The unfinished Arak reactor is of concern to the West because Tehran could theoretically extract weapons-grade plutonium from its spent fuel if it also builds a reprocessing facility.A landmark interim deal reached in November requires that Iran freeze or curb its nuclear activities for six months in exchange for some sanctions relief while the two sides try to reach a comprehensive agreement.Negotiators hope to reach a final accord by July 20, when the interim agreement is due to expire.

Dollar continues to devaluate against Rupee at Interbank

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – US Dollar currency continues to devaluate against Pakistani rupee as it saw the record devaluation compared to the past 7 months, Dunya News reported.Dollar devaluated by 93 paisas against Rupee in one day making the total devaluation in the past three days as 1 rupee 37 paisas.According to State Bank’s figures, dollar closed at 103.58 rupees per unit at interbank forex market. At the start of the business day, dollar’s rate was 104.51 rupees per unit. According to forex market sources, rupee is strengthening due to selling trend of US dollars.

Corps Commanders' Conference reviews security situation

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RAWALPINDI (Dunya News) - 170th Corps Commanders Conference held at General Headquarters on Friday.Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif chaired the meeting.According to ISPR, the conference was part of routine monthly meetings.The forum dwelt at length on various professional matters. The participants also under took a comprehensive review of prevalent internal and external security situation of the country.

Even 10-year-long operation against Taliban will fail: Samiul Haq

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GUJRANWALA (Dunya News) – Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam Sami (JUI-S) Chief Samiul Haq said on Friday that negotiation with outlawed Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is the only solution to the years old terrorism claiming that operation against Taliban will fail even if it lasts 10 years, Dunya News reported.Addressing the media after funeral prayer of former deputy mayor Mian Arif Ansari, Samiul Haq said the only solution to bring peace is negotiations adding that difficulties are being removed. He said that Taliban should oppose acts counter to peace and that the government should not hold Taliban responsible for everything.He said that those in favour of operation will flee to America and London adding that a delegation will leave in next two days to meet Taliban and that both parties will now negotiate face to face.Samiul Haq claimed that Nawaz Sharif had promised not to resort to operation and to continue negotiation process. Tools of enemies don’t want to see negotiations succeeding, he said.He said that those who are talking about 40 to 50 Taliban groups should also know the names of at least 4-5 of them.It merits mentioning here that it was reported on Thursday that government’s restructured dialogue committee will negotiate with Taliban leadership in Waziristan directly in presence of Jirga and political administration, confirming Dunya News’s story about dissolution of negotiation committee that was aired a day earlier.The new committee will now hold direct talks with Taliban leadership eliminating the role of Taliban committee.Samiul Haq was notified in Akora Khattak meeting that his committee’s services are no longer needed.Direct negotiations will take place in Waziristan and in presence of tribal elders and political administration.According to reports, all small groups including Gul Bahadur group will be made to abide by the ceasefire using pressure of tribal traditions and elders.According to sources, the real challenge for government is to control the foreign militants.

RugbyU: Ball replaces injured Charteris in Wales team

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LONDON (AFP) - Wales were forced to make a late change on Friday to their team to play England in the Six Nations at Twickenham this weekend with Scarlets lock Jake Ball replacing the injured Luke Charteris.Perpignan second row Charteris was ruled out with a neck problem and Balls inclusion means he starts his second consecutive match following two-time defending champions Waless 26-7 win over France in Cardiff last time out.Balls place on the bench for Sundays match has been taken by Newport Gwent Dragons second-row Andrew Coombs.Revised Wales team announced Friday to play England in the Six Nations at Twickenham on Sunday (1500 GMT kick-off):Wales (15-1)Leigh Halfpenny, Alex Cuthbert, Jonathan Davies, Jamie Roberts, George North; Rhys Priestland, Rhys Webb; Taulupe Faletau, Sam Warburton (capt), Dan Lydiate; Alun Wyn Jones, Jake Ball; Adam Jones, Richard Hibbard, Gethin JenkinsReplacements: Ken Owens, Paul James, Rhodri Jones, Andrew Coombs, Justin Tipuric, Mike Phillips, Dan Biggar, Liam Williams

Judges tapped ex-president Sarkozy's phones

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PARIS (AFP) - Nicolas Sarkozy is suspected of attempting to pervert the court of justice on the basis of phone taps ordered by judges investigating his links with Moamer Kadhafi, it emerged on Friday.The revelation was the latest dramatic development in the labyrinthine web of corruption cases threatening to ensnare the former French president and destroy his chances of a political comeback.Judges started tapping Sarkozys phones last year after opening a formal investigation into allegations that the late former Libyan dictator Kadhafi helped finance his 2007 election campaign, according to respected daily Le Monde.Judicial sources confirmed to AFP that a recorded call between Sarkozy and his lawyer Thierry Herzog was the basis for a new investigation opened last week into a suspected attempt to obtain, via a friendly judge, inside information about ongoing -- and top secret -- proceedings before one of Frances highest courts.The proceedings arise from another election financing scandal in which Sarkozy was embroiled and could have a profound influence on the outcome of yet another corruption case, centred on a 400-million-euro state payout to disgraced tycoon Bernard Tapie.Herzog said Friday that Sarkozy is probably still being tapped, and denounced what he said was a politically motivated plot against his client.There was no attempt to pervert the course of justice and in due course this monstrous violation will be shown to have been a political affair, the lawyer told AFP.An investigation into allegations that Sarkozy accepted millions of euros from Kadhafi was opened in April 2013 on the basis of claims made by one of the dictators sons, his interpreter and the man who allegedly delivered the cash.According to Le Monde, the judges in charge of the Libya probe quickly decided they would be justified in tapping the phones of Sarkozy and two of his former ministers, Claude Gueant and Brice Hortefeux.In December, they discovered that both Sarkozy and his lawyer, Herzog, had acquired second phones which they used exclusively for conversations between them.It was once these phones were tapped that evidence which has formed the basis for the probe launched last week came to light, according to Le Monde.In one of the recorded conversations, Sarkozy and his lawyer discussed the possibility of approaching a senior judge in connection with a case before Frances Court of Cassation.- Diaries hold the key -The Court is due to rule next week on whether examining magistrates investigating another election-financing scandal acted legally, notably in relation to the confiscation of Sarkozys diaries.The diaries were seized in connection with a probe into alleged illegal financing of Sarkozys UMP party by Frances richest women Liliane Bettencourt, 91.Charges that Sarkozy had taken advantage of the LOreal heiress when she was too frail to know what she was doing were dropped in October 2013.But ten other people, including his former campaign treasurer Eric Woerth, have been sent for trial over the allegations that UMP officials were handed envelopes stuffed with cash from the Bettencourt coffers.The ruling on the handling of the Bettencourt case is crucial because it has the potential to wreck investigators attempts to build a case over the payout Tapie received from the state in connection with the collapse of the Credit Lyonnais bank.Sarkozy is suspected of having rigged a dispute-settlement procedure to ensure Tapie got the cash as a thank-you for the tycoon, previously a Socialist minister, supporting him in the 2007 election.According to Le Monde, the diaries are crucial to the case against Sarkozy because they show how close he was to Tapie, who has several corruption convictions, including one for match-fixing when he was the boss of Olympique Marseille football club.If the diaries are ruled to have been seized illegally in the Bettencourt case they will also become inadmissible as evidence in the Tapie affair.The latest Sarkozy developments came two days after an unrelated scandal erupted with the revelation that private conversations and meetings he had while president had been secretly recorded by a close aide.The former presidents request for an emergency injunction against further publication of the content of the tapes will be heard by a court on Monday.The extracts published so far have included some mildly embarrassing material -- aides referring to Sarkozy as the dwarf for example -- but nothing explosive.

Birmingham owner Yeung jailed for six years

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HONG KONG (AFP) - Birmingham City owner Carson Yeung was jailed for six years for money laundering Friday, after a Hong Kong trial that put the mysterious fortune of the hairdresser-turned-businessman under intense scrutiny.Judge Douglas Yau said the sentence sent a strong message against white-collar crime in the southern Chinese city, following the 54-year-olds conviction on five charges of laundering HK$721 million ($93 million).The high-profile trial gripped the semi-autonomous region and fans of the British football club alike with its tales of unexplained dealings and financial transactions involving local businessmen and an alleged triad member.The sentence must include an element of deterrence to discourage those who are in a position to exploit the system, Yau told a courtroom packed with reporters.Maintaining the integrity of the banking system is of paramount importance if Hong Kong is to remain an international finance centre, he said.The law will come down on any perpetrators with full force, Yau added.Yeung was arrested and charged with ill-gotten gains in the southern Chinese city in June 2011, two years after he acquired the Blues. He was found guilty on Monday.The court heard how the former hairdresser had a business relationship with Cheung Chi-tai, who the judge identified as the leader of the Hong Kong Wo Hop To triad group, citing an experts report.Yeung made large investments in the Macau gambling industry, investing millions into shares of a gambling company backed by Cheung and another Hong Kong tycoon, the court heard.I find that without his considerable skill in share dealings and connections to the Macau casinos, the laundering could not have gone on for such a long time and on such a large scale, Yau said of Yeung.However, Yau added that little is still known of the extent of Yeungs money laundering activities. Even now, I find that the defendant is the only person who truly knows, he said.The judge Monday said there were reasonable grounds to believe that multiple business dealings with which Yeung was involved had made use of funds which represented proceeds of an indictable offence.Hong Kong police investigator Gloria Yu said outside court that she was happy with the outcome of the case, which started in 2008.In their mitigation bid, Yeungs lawyers pleaded for leniency Friday, saying that the total amount laundered was only HK$449.01 million, claiming double counting.Lead defence lawyer Graham Harris told the judge that Yeung, who built a business empire that included hair salons and real estate, came from rags to riches, and hes likely to return to rags.Yeung left the court wearing a face mask and was seen hunched forward hiding behind a seat in a police van.- Fans happy with sentencing -Fans of Birmingham City expressed happiness at the sentence, while continuing to vent their anger towards Yeung.Its embarrassing to say but I am happy Yeung has got six years in prison. He now needs to give up the club, Birmingham-based @cheekymiller89 said on his Twitter feed.Throughout the trial, Yeung and the prosecution painted differing pictures of how the former hairdresser amassed his fortune.The prosecution successfully argued during the trial that the HK$720 million that passed through the five accounts had come from unknown parties without any apparent reason.The sum, they said, was more than 300 times the total combined salary of Yeung and his father.Yeung had insisted unsuccessfully that he accumulated his hundreds of millions of dollars through stock trading, upmarket hair salons, business ventures in mainland China and investing in casinos in Macau.Little known prior to his emergence in English football, Yeung took control of Birmingham City in 2009 in an 81-million pound ($130 million) takeover from David Sullivan and David Gold, now the co-owners of West Ham.Yeung resigned as chairman of Birmingham International Holdings, the parent company of the English club in February but remains the leading shareholder.The citys court will hold a hearing next month to determine which of Yeungs assets will be seized for the conviction.It remains to be seen whether Yeung will appeal.

Football: Davids warns Del Piero on move to managment

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TOKYO (AFP) - Juventus legend Edgar Davids has warned Sydney FC star Alessandro Del Piero not to expect to stroll straight into management when he finally hangs up his boots.Speculation emerged last month that the 39-year-old Del Piero could take over as player-manager of struggling Sydney next season, with reports indicating that the Italian had declared his willingness to take the job if the axe falls on current boss Frank Farina.But Davids knows first-hand how difficult the transition from pitch to dugout can be after quitting his first posting with English Conference side Barnet in January, and the Dutchman has urged his former team-mate to take his time as he considers his next career move.I know him very well, but Alessandro Del Piero knows himself better than anyone else, Davids said on Friday in Tokyo, where he is on business as a Juventus ambassador along with club president Andrea Agnelli.Only he can answer the question if he is going to stop or if he is going to play. Its his own decision. But he can be a great asset for a team, in a management position or whatever.But you also need to get some experience, because you cant stop one day and then be a manager the next day. Hes bright and very intelligent, so he knows when the time is right and only he can answer the question if he wants to be a manager somewhere.Del Piero is set to play for the A-League All Stars against Juventus when the Italian champions visit Sydney on August 10, but Agnelli warned that the current football calendar makes pre-season tours to the Asia-Pacific region a difficult task.We have very limited time out of the official season calendar if you take into account the clubs calendar and the national teams calendar, he said.If you think about that past three seasons, this year we have the World Cup, last year we had the Confederations Cup and the year before we had the Euros.We proudly give to national teams something like 12 to 15 players, and that means that tours are extremely complicated to put together. If we come with our youth team it doesnt have the same attraction as our first team.Several European clubs have achieved commercial success by signing players from the Asian market, and Agnelli admitted that Juventus were interested in doing the same.If you want to put a spotlight onto a team from a different country, having a player coming from that country is the easiest way forward, he said.I think Japan, especially in the recent years since 2010 onwards, has started again to deliver some fantastic talent. You could think about (Keisuke) Honda and (Shinji) Kagawa, and I think (Yuto) Nagatomo at Inter Milan is a superb left-back, so we are looking at that.
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