Monday 5 May 2014

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

74 dead as jihadist rivals clash in east Syria: NGO

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BEIRUT (AFP) - Fighting between rival jihadist groups in eastern Syria killed 74 people on Monday, despite a call from Al-Qaeda's chief for a ceasefire, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.The clashes between Al-Qaeda's Syrian branch Al-Nusra Front and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) have prompted 60,000 people to flee towns in the oil-rich Deir Ezzor province.The Observatory said 69 fighters on both sides had been killed in the clashes on Monday, along with five civilians.Al-Nusra seized the village of Al-Sabha, in the west of Deir Ezzor, which borders Iraq, with 11 of its fighters and 23 ISIL members killed there.In other villages in the province, 35 Al-Nusra and allied militants died in fighting Monday.The deaths bring to more than 150 the toll since the latest confrontation between the groups erupted last week in Deir Ezzor.It comes after Islamist and moderate rebels launched an offensive against ISIL earlier this year. They were later joined by Al-Nusra.While Al-Nusra has been accepted as an ally by many rebels, ISIL has been criticised for its attacks on civilians and rival opposition groups.The fighting with ISIL has killed around 4,000 people, according to the Britain-based Observatory.The two jihadist groups have continued to clash despite a call from Al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri for an end to the hostilities.In an audio recording released Friday, Zawahiri urged Al-Nusra to stop fighting ISIL and focus on battling the Syrian regime.He also repeated a call for ISIL to restrict its activities to Iraq, a plea that the group has rejected on several occasions.In a response to Zawahiri's call, Al-Nusra said it would stop fighting ISIL if the group ended its attacks.We will follow the orders of... Ayman al-Zawahiri... to stop any attack from our side against ISIL, while continuing to respond whenever they attack Muslims and all that is sacred to them, Al-Nusra said in a statement.As soon as ISIL announces the end of its attacks on Muslims, we will spontaneously stop firing, said the jihadist group, adding it had only fought ISIL in areas where it was on the attack.

Iraq unrest kills nine: officials

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BAGHDAD (AFP) - Attacks and shelling in Baghdad and northern and western Iraq killed nine people on Monday, officials said, as electoral authorities counted ballot papers from last week's general election.The bloodshed is the latest in a protracted surge in unrest that the government has blamed on external factors such as the civil war in neighbouring Syria.Analysts and diplomats, however, say it is at least partly due to anger in the minority Sunni Arab community over alleged mistreatment at the hands of the Shiite-led authorities.In Fallujah, just a short drive west of Baghdad, shelling in various parts of the city killed four people and wounded another, according to Dr Ahmed Shami, chief medic at the main hospital.It was not immediately clear who was behind the shelling, which began after midnight, but residents say the military indiscriminately targets the city with regular shelling. Defence officials say they are targeting militants.In a sign of both the reach of anti-government militants and the weakness of security forces, all of Fallujah and shifting parts of Anbar provincial capital Ramadi, farther west, have been out of government control since early January.Elsewhere on Monday, two men were shot dead in Baghdad, and a car bomb near a restaurant north of the capital in the ethnically mixed town of Tuz Khurmatu killed at least three soldiers.The bloodshed comes just days after a parliamentary election, with incumbent Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki seeking a third term despite a dramatic deterioration in security and widespread political opposition.More than 3,000 people have been killed already this year, according to an AFP tally based on security and medical reports.The unrest is the worst since Iraq emerged from brutal Sunni-Shiite sectarian fighting that killed tens of thousands of people in 2006 and 2007.

US grants Syrian opposition offices diplomatic status

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - Seeking to boost the embattled Syrian opposition, Washington Monday granted its US offices diplomatic status as the rebels political leader arrives to plead for arms to help end the three-year civil war.A delegation led by Ahmad Jarba, head of the Syrian National Coalition (SNC), began arriving Sunday ahead of high-level talks this week with Secretary of State John Kerry and national security chief Susan Rice on his first official visit to the US since the SNC was set up in 2012.State Department deputy spokeswoman Marie Harf said Washington was announcing new measures to empower the moderate Syrian opposition and to bolster its efforts to help those in Syria.In a largely symbolic move, the US now recognizes the coalitions representative offices in Washington and New York as foreign missions under the Foreign Missions Act.Washington, already the largest single donor of some $1.7 billion in humanitarian aid to the Syrian people, is also boosting its non-lethal support and speeding up military deliveries to what it sees as moderate rebels, now fighting both regime forces and the militant groups flooding onto the battlefield.This is an important step in the path toward a new Syria, its recognition on the international stage, and its relations with Syrian nationals in the US, Jarba said.He welcomed the move as a diplomatic blow against the legitimacy of President Bashar al-Assad.Jarba will be accompanied on his eight-day trip by the new chief of staff of the Free Syrian Army (FSA), Brigadier General Abdelilah al-Bashir, his office said last week.He will meet US officials to discuss the supply of sophisticated weapons to the FSA to enable it to change the balance on the ground, his office said.US officials refused to be drawn on the type of non-lethal aid or weapons being supplied by Washington.But a senior administration official acknowledged there was an asymmetry militarily between the opposition rebels and the Assad regime.

UN chief offers mediation on Ukraine crisis

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ABU DHABI (AFP) - UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Monday offered his mediation to help end the escalating crisis in Ukraine.I have been discussing this matter will all the parties concerned -- Ukranian leaders, leaders of the Russian federation, the European Union, and Americans, Ban told AFP in Abu Dhabi. I am urging these four parties to solve this problem through peaceful means and Im ready to provide my own role if necessary.An agreement to defuse the crisis was reached in Geneva on April 17. But Russia last week pronounced the accord dead after Kiev stepped up military operations against separatists that Moscow slammed as war against its own people.Fierce exchanges of fire were taking place on Monday to the east and south of the Ukranian town of Slavyansk, the epicentre of the armed insurgency, as Ukrainian troops corralled pro-Russian gunmen towards the centre for what could be a devastating showdown.Ban said he was deeply concerned by the violence in Ukraine, and called on all parties to implement the Geneva agreement.Im now strongly urging the parties concerned to meet again and look back (at) what has gone wrong, why this agreement has not been implemented, why the parties are now engaging in violence.I am urging again in the strongest terms possible all Ukrainians and partners to address this current issue peacefully before it spins out of control and creates huge consequences beyond anybodys control, Ban said.German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier told German television that he was in talks with the Russians, the United States, the European Union and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to hold a second peace conference in Geneva.

Sisi says if elected there will be no Brotherhood in Egypt

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CAIRO (AFP) - Egypt's ex-army chief and leading presidential candidate Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said Monday the Muslim Brotherhood movement of deposed leader Mohamed Morsi was finished in Egypt and would not return if he was elected.Following the Sisi-led army ouster of Morsi in July, the Brotherhood has been banned, its leaders arrested and more than 1,400 people, mostly Islamist backers of Morsi, killed in protest clashes.I did not finish it, you Egyptians finished it, Sisi said in his first television interview since announcing his candidacy when asked if the Brotherhood was finished.Asked if he were saying it would not exist under his presidency, he responded: Yes.Sisi said Egyptians had rejected the group's ideology and would not allow it to return.

Tennis: Li Na, Radwanska safely through in Madrid

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MADRID (AFP) - Australian Open champion Li Na avoided a repeat of her shock first round exit at the Madrid Open last year with a 6-1, 7-6 (9/7) win over Belgian Kirsten Flipkens on Monday.The world number two raced through the opening set, but was forced to save two set points in the second before closing out the match in a tie-break.I knew it would never be an easy match and even when I won the first set, she was really fighting a lot in the second, said the Chinese star.Next up for Li is a meeting with compatriot Jie Zheng in round two.We are from the same country, we know each other well so I'm sure it will be tough, she added.Number three seed Agnieszka Radwanska also sealed her place in the last 32 with a 7-6 (7/3), 6-2 win over Australian Open semi-finalist Eugenie Bouchard.The Canadian put up a strong fight in a tightly contested opening set, but Radwanska's variety of shot-making allowed her to comfortably take the tie-break.Of course I think the tiebreak was the biggest key in that match, admitted Radwanska.I made a couple good shots in the tiebreak and managed to win that. I think that gave me more confidence in the second set and it was a little bit easier.The Pole took complete control in the second with an early double break and served the match out to set up a second round clash with Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova.Australian Open finalist Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia became the first seed to fall on Monday, as she was comprehens' round two.Japan's Nishikori kept his recent fine form going after winning the Barcelona Open last week with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Croatian Ivan Dodig to set up a meeting with Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez in the second round.Ninth seed Isner was characteristically solid on serve as the American wasn't broken in his 7-6, (10/8), 6-4 win over Russia's Teymuraz Gabashvili.Tsonga faced a stiffer test against fellow Frenchman Edouard Roger-Vasselin, but also came through in three sets 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.

Football: Palace fightback shreds Liverpool's title bid

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LONDON (AFP) - Liverpool's Premier League title bid was left in ruins after Crystal Palace mounted a sensational comeback from 3-0 down to draw 3-3 at Selhurst Park on Monday.Liverpool were on course to move three points clear of Manchester City at the top of the table after quick-fire goals from Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suarez early in the second half stretched a lead procured by Joe Allen's 18th-minute header.However, Damien Delaney pulled a goal back for Palace in the 79th minute before substitute Dwight Gayle scored twice in seven minutes to rip the heart out of Liverpool's title challenge.It was a comeback reminiscent of Liverpool's famous fightback against AC Milan in the 2005 Champions League final in Istanbul, and left Suarez -- as well as several visiting fans -- in tears at the final whistle.You cannot come here against a very good side, be the threat that we were, and then defend as we did. It is criminal, really, Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers told the BBC.Liverpool lead the league again, by a point, but City now effectively need only four points from their last two games to claim the title.They host Aston Villa on Wednesday before welcoming West Ham United to the Etihad Stadium on the season's final day and with a nine-goal goal difference advantage over Liverpool, the title is theirs to lose.Rodgers added: There is no doubt. Manchester City will go on and win it. We needed to win to keep the pressure on going into the last game and we did not do that.You have to have that maturity to see it through and we did not do that. It was bitterly disappointing, and I would expect Manchester City to go on and win their two home games.Palace manager Tony Pulis said: When we scored the first goal, I thought we'd have a sniff. And then with the support, everything took off. After the second goal went in, it was just a matter of time.Philippe Coutinho dropped out of the Liverpool starting XI due to a knock, but the visitors were boosted by the return of Sturridge, making his first start since April 13 after a hamstring injury, and they began brightly.Yannick Bolasie was fortunate not to concede a penalty after sliding in on Glen Johnson and after Julian Speroni had blocked from Suarez in the immediate aftermath, Mamadou Sakho headed wide from Steven Gerrard's subsequent corner.Johnson squandered an opportunity to put Liverpool ahead when he ghosted onto a floated pass from Allen and headed over, but after Sturridge had seen a shot deflected wide, the visitors went ahead.Palace had not conceded a goal from a set-piece this season prior to the game, but that recorded was ended in the 18th minute when Allen got away from Wales team-mate Joe Ledley to head in from another Gerrard corner.Suarez almost extended Liverpool's lead with a free-kick that flashed wide, but Palace began to threaten, with visiting goalkeeper Simon Mignolet forced to repel long-range efforts from Jason Puncheon and Mile Jedinak.Palace's first-half opportunities had emphasised the slenderness of Liverpool's lead, but the visitors quickly set about stretching their advantage in the early stages of the second period.After Sturridge had seen a curling effort clawed onto the post by Speroni, with Suarez blazing the rebound wide, the England striker doubled his side's lead in the 53rd minute with a low deflected shot.Within the blink of an eye it was 3-0, as newly elected Football Writers' Association Player of the Year Suarez exchanged passes with Raheem Sterling before unerringly slotting the ball between Speroni's legs.It was his 31st goal of the campaign, equalling the record tally for a 38-game Premier League season jointly held by Alan Shearer and Cristiano Ronaldo.Sturridge and Suarez both shot over, while Speroni had to punch a fierce drive by Johnson over the bar, but Palace's extraordinary late salvo left Liverpool reeling.Delaney sounded the rallying cry with a deflected shot from the edge of the box, before Bolasie powered down the left and teed up Gayle to make it 3-2 two minutes later.With Liverpool on the ropes and Selhurst Park shaking, Gayle poked home an equaliser in the 88th minute to leave Rodgers's men on their knees and send the title towards the Etihad.

Boxing: Add Ali to those who wants Mayweather-Pacquiao

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LAS VEGAS (AFP) - Boxing legend Muhammad Ali is happy that Floyd Mayweather remains unbeaten, but the sporting icon wants to see him face Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao.The former world heavyweight champion posted a message on Twitter hailing Mayweather's majority-decision triumph Saturday over Argentina's Marcos Maidana but slipped in a jab of his own about Mayweather having yet to face Pacquiao.Congratulations FloydMayweather. Maybe after you rest up we can see you rumble with MannyPacquiao Ali tweeted.Mayweather, 37, and Pacquiao, 35, talked about a showdown years ago as fans pushed for the superstars to meet in the ring but money and blood testing issues scuttled the talks.Since then, Mayweather (46-0 with 26 knockouts) has said he will never work with Pacquiao's long-time promoter, Bob Arum, and Pacquiao (56-5 with two drawn and 38 knockouts) is reportedly in talks for a new deal with Arum that would likely take him to the end of his career.Pacquiao beat Timothy Bradley by unanimous decision last month, avenging a controversial 2012 defeat, and could face Juan Manuel Marquez for the fifth time if the Mexican wins a fight later this month to become his mandatory next title challenger. Marquez stopped Pacquaio in 2012.Mayweather did not address Ali's Twitter remark but did return to tweeting Monday after his tweets were named on Time magazine's list of the 140 best Twitter feeds of this year.It's an honor to be on Time's list of best Twitter feeds of 2014. Go grab Time Magazine from the store, Mayweather tweeted.

Golf: Slow-healing Tiger uncertain when he will return

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MIAMI (AFP) - World number one Tiger Woods said Monday he is making very slow progress recovering from surgery for a pinched nerve and unsure when he will make his return to golf.Woods updated his status in a blog posting on his website, saying he remains sore after the operation and regrets not being able to defend his title this week at the US PGA Players Championship.It's tough to miss any tournament, but especially one that's so important to the players and where I'm defending, Woods said.Woods has been unable to resume his workout regimen because of the March 31 operation, which kept him from playing in last month's Masters, the first major championship of the year.My recovery from microdiscectomy surgery for a pinched nerve in my back is coming along, but it's a very slow process, Woods said. I'm still sore, not from the procedure itself but the incision. I just need to get back to my day-to-day activities and that's it.Woods, a 14-time major champion chasing the all-time record of 18 won by Jack Nicklaus, cast doubt upon his ability to play in next month's US Open at Pinehurst, North Carolina, in listing potential timetables for his return.As for my return to golf, I really don't know, Woods said. I'm doing everything I can and listening to my doctors and working on a strength program and then we just have to see how my back is.Some people heal up in three months, some people take four months, some people take longer. I just don't know.The earliest of those spans would bring him back in time for the British Open at Hoylake, where Woods has won before.The latest of those time frames would have him missing all four of the season's majors, including the PGA Championship at Valhalla, where he has also won a major title.I hope to be back sometime this summer, but I just don't know when, Woods said. There are a lot of big tournaments coming up.I haven't used a sand wedge yet. I've just done putting and chip-and-runs using the same length of motion. I haven't really rotated yet.As far as taking a full swing, I have conference calls with my doctors every couple of weeks to see how my progress is and just kind of chart it out from there. It's tedious because it's little rehab stuff, but you still have to do it.The 38-year-old American said keeping fit over his career has helped him build a strong base to recover and having gone through several knee surgeries has given him experience in navigating rehabilitation efficiently.But even he and swing coach Sean Foley are uncertain what alterations Woods might need to help protect his back and knees when he returns.Once I begin swinging a club again, I'm not sure if I will have to make any changes to protect my back, Woods said.As far as limitations, it's a building process, just like when I came back from my knee and Achilles injuries. We have to make sure my back heals fine and I have the strength and mobility going forward.It doesn't hurt to have his girlfriend, US ski star Lindsey Vonn, doing her own rehab regimen alongside, Woods said. Vonn, who missed the Sochi Olympics last February due to a right knee injury, should be back before the end of the year, Woods said. It does help to rehab with Lindsey, but her programs are much further along than mine, Woods said. That does help when you're not the only one suffering. It's a good and bad thing that we're both rehabbing at the same time.Her knee is getting stronger and it's good to see. She hopes to be ready to compete again in December.Woods congratulated Bubba Watson on winning his second crown in three tries at Augusta National last month, saying that missing the Masters for the first time was tough but wasn't as hard for me as you might think.I've missed major championships before, so this was not a new experience, he said. It helps when I'm physically unable to play the game.

Snooker: Selby beats O'Sullivan to win World Championship

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SHEFFIELD (AFP) - Mark Selby beat two-time defending champion Ronnie O'Sullivan 18-14 in the World Championship final at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre on Monday.Victory in the all-English clash saw Selby, who was 10-5 down, win his first world title after losing in the 2007 final.For O'Sullivan, a five-time world champion in all, this was his first defeat in snooker's showpiece match.Selby sealed victory in an often gruelling contest by holding his nerve to clear all the colours in the 32nd frame.It was amazing. It could not be better, Selby told the BBC.There's no better way than beating Ronnie in the final. I dug in, I did not play pretty snooker early on but as it wore on I thought I did well.It was a tough day yesterday (Sunday) and the last two games were huge. To get back into 10-7 gave me a chance.It's not really sunk in but my father passed away when I was 16 and I always said I wanted to win the world title for him.Meanwhile a sporting O'Sullivan said: I want to congratulate Mark on a fantastic tournament he's been the best player over 17 days, that was tough he had me in all sorts of trouble. In the end I was numb as he was too strong and tough.The miss on the pink was big, but the black at 10-5 was more important. The match was more about safety so it was not about one missed ball. I have no complaints.I've never been in such a good place, I've enjoyed these last 17 days. Maybe I would have thrown in the towel a few years ago but I tried my hardest.This success for Selby, now the new world number one, saw him avoid an unwanted hat-trick of defeats in the finals of snooker's three major tournaments this season, having lost to Australia's Neil Robertson --- the man he defeated in his Crucible semi-final -- in the climax of the UK Championship and going down 10-4 to O'Sullivan at the culmination of the Masters.Selby is renowned as one of the grittiest players on the professional circuit and showed his match-toughness as he came from 8-3 and then 10-5 down on Sunday.Trailing 10-7 overnight, he won Monday's first three frames and squared the match at 10-10 with a break of 74.O'Sullivan was well short of the form that sees him routinely described as the most naturally talented player top-class snooker has known.'The Rocket' missed what would have been a frame-winning pink to the middle pocket, his power pot rattling the jaws before bouncing out and Selby, showing plenty of composure, made the most of his chance to go 12-11 ahead leading into the concluding session.The interval gave O'Sullivan the chance to consult with sports psychiatrist Dr Steve Peters, whom he credits for revitalising his career, but it was Selby who proved the stronger come the finish.

Asians outperform white students because they try harder: study

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - Asian-American schoolchildren tend to outperform their white counterparts in school because they try harder, according to a US study out Monday.The findings were based on an analysis of records from two separate surveys tracking several thousand whites and Asians in the United States from kindergarten through high school.Scientists at Queens College of New York, the University of Michigan and Peking University in Beijing looked at grades, test scores, teacher ratings, family income and education level, immigration status and other factors.Asian-Americans enter school with no discernible academic advantage over whites, said the study, noting that advantage grows over time.By fifth grade, or age 10-11, Asian-Americans significantly outperform whites, and the peak difference is reached by grade 10, or age 15-16.Overall, these results suggest that the growing achievement gap can be attributed to a widening gap in academic effort rather than to differences in cognitive ability.Asian-Americans tend to be motivated by cultural teachings that instill the notion that effort is more important than inborn ability, researchers said.They also endure greater parental pressures to succeed than in the case of comparable white peers.The notion of a hard-working Asian student who is destined to succeed may be a stereotype, but it may actually work to the benefit of Asian-American youths, the researchers said.These positive stereotypes may help bolster Asian-American achievement just as negative stereotypes have been shown to hinder the achievement of African-American youth, said the article.Asian-Americans' higher degree of success comes at a price, however. Whether their family lineage traces back to the Philippines, South Asia, Southeast Asia or East Asia, these children report fewer positive feelings about themselves and say they spend less time with friends than whites, the study found.They also have more conflict with both parents than comparable white peers, it said.The research was published in the May 5 edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a peer-reviewed journal.

Oil prices dip after weak China factory data

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NEW YORK (AFP) - Oil prices dipped Monday after a disappointing manufacturing report on China raised concerns about crude demand, overshadowing worries about growing violence in the Ukraine crisis.The US benchmark, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for June delivery, finished at $99.48 a barrel, down 28 cents from Friday's close.Brent North Sea crude for June fell 87 cents to settle at $107.72 in London.Oil futures were under pressure after HSBC's survey showed China's manufacturing sector contracted for a fourth consecutive month in April. The Chinese data was worse than expected and increased concerns that China's economic slowdown is expanding, said Eugene McGillian at Tradition Energy.Also exerting downward market pressure was the expectation that the Department of Energy will report another increase in US commercial oil inventories on Wednesday, said Bob Yawger of Mizuho Securities.US stockpiles hit a record 399.4 million barrels in last week's report.The rising violence in Ukraine, between nationalists and pro-Russian separatists enjoying Moscow's backing, has kept the attention of traders worried about possible interruptions to regional fuel supplies. About 30 percent of Europe's imports of oil and gas come from Russia.At the same time, said John Kilduff of Again Capital, there are worries about what a sustained crisis will do to Europe's and Russia's already struggling economies.The Ukraine crisis cuts both ways, Kilduff said. On one hand, there are worries about Russian exports and on the other investors are concerned about the damaging economic impact on Russia and Europe, he said.

Dollar slightly lower vs euro in light trade

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NEW YORK (AFP) - The dollar drifted slightly lower against the euro while the yen gained in light trade Monday after disappointing Chinese manufacturing data renewed concerns about the ongoing slowdown in China.British bank HSBC's index on China's manufacturing sector that showed activity contracted for a fourth consecutive month in April, fanning worries that the country's economic slowdown would turn into a hard landing.Weak data from China weighed on market sentiment and boosted demand for the safer yen, said Joe Manimbo, senior market analyst at Western Union Business Solutions.The euro edged higher against the dollar as investors prepared for the European Central Bank's monetary policy meeting.There's nothing happening, said Sebastien Galy of Societe Generale in New York. Trade was thin and exchange movements were most of all for technical reasons because the financial markets in London were closed for a holiday, he said.With London the main hub of foreign-exchange trade, the euro's tiny rise against the dollar is more an artistic touch than any real movement, he added.Traders appeared to shrug off the escalating crisis in Ukraine, where violence is rising between nationalists and pro-Russian separatists that enjoy Moscow's backing.One gets the impression on these markets that traders are used to the negative news and, unless there is a Russian invasion, the market doesn't seem to react, said Nordine Naam, a Natixis currency analyst.

Somalia worst place to be a mother: charity

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LONDON (AFP) - Somalia is the worst country on Earth to be a mother, according to a report published by Save the Children on Monday which calls for more action to protect mothers and children in crisis-hit areas.The London-based charity estimates that 800 mothers and 18,000 young children are dying around the world every day from largely preventable causes.Finding ways to meet the health and nutritional needs of this vulnerable group is particularly vital in fragile states and humanitarian crises, it says in its annual State of the World's Mothers report.Almost a third of child deaths are found in West and Central Africa, while another third occur in South Asia, where high mortality rates are increasingly concentrated in socially-excluded communities.The charity compared 178 countries in terms of maternal health, child mortality, education and levels of women's income and political status.Somalia came bottom of the global rankings, although only narrowly below the Democratic Republic of Congo -- the lowest ranking country last year -- followed by Niger, Mali and Guinea-Bissau. It's no surprise that the 10 toughest places to be a mother in this year's Mothers' Index all have a recent history of armed conflict and are considered to be fragile states, said Save the Children International's chief executive Jasmine Whitbread.The poorest mothers have it the hardest: the report once again points out the disheartening disparity between mothers in rich and poor countries.Three years ago Afghanistan was the worst place to be a mother, but it is now ranked 146th due to progress in cutting child and maternal death.By contrast Syria has slumped from 65th place in 2011 to 115th in 2014, after the conflict caused the collapse of what had been a functioning health system, and threatens to set back progress by a generation, the report says.More than 60 million women and children needed humanitarian assistance this year, the report says.While more than half of maternal and child deaths occur in crisis-affected places, the majority of these deaths were still preventable, it argues.Top of the list of the charity's recommendations is improving access to high quality healthcare, but it also emphasises the benefits of investing in women's education and economic empowerment.Every country must be better prepared to assist mothers and children in emergencies, the report said.However, it conceded: Ending preventable deaths of mothers and children will not be possible until fragile countries become more stable and health care more accessible.Finland is the best place to be a mother, followed by Norway, Sweden, Iceland and the Netherlands.The highest non-European countries were Australia (9th), Singapore (15th) and New Zealand (17th), while the United States came in 31st place and China in 61st place.The lowest non-African countries were Haiti (168th), Papua New Guinea (164th) and Yemen (162nd).Top 10 (rank , country):1 -- Finland2 -- Norway3 -- Sweden4 -- Iceland5 -- Netherlands6 -- Denmark7 -- Spain8 -- Germany=9 -- Australia=9 -- BelgiumBottom 10 (rank , country):178 -- Somalia177 -- Democratic Republic of Congo=175 -- Mali=175 -- Niger173 -- Central African Republic172 -- Sierra Leone174 -- Guinea-Bissau171 -- Nigeria170 -- Chad169 -- Ivory Coast

Loadshedding continues in most parts of Punjab

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LAHORE (Dunya News) - Lodshedding continues to affect most parts of Punjab.There was 10 to 12 hours of loadshedding in the urban areas and 12 to 14 hours power outages in the rural areas.According to National Transmission and Dispatch Company (NTDC), currently the electricity demand is 14, 300 megawatts and generation is 10, 400 megawatts while shortfall remains 3, 900 megawatts.Meanwhile, citizens have been facing power outages due to technical faults after rain and thunderstorm.On the other hand, miscreants blew up five towers of power supply line after which 150 megawatts of electricity reduced from the system in TarbelaSheikh Muhammadi and Sheikh Muhammadi Daud Khel.NTDC sources further said that power supply to different areas of Peshawar and Mardan affected due to miscreants act.
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