Thursday 25 September 2014

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Syria army takes key rebel-held town near capital

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ADRA (AFP) - Syrian government troops recaptured the key town of Adra northeast of the capital Damascus on Thursday, nine months after fighting broke out there pitting the army against rebels.The town was empty of its inhabitants, and the marks of fighting and bombing were everywhere, said an AFP journalist who visited the town on a government-organised trip.An army commander on the ground said troops entered Adra at five different locations, and fought the armed men who were trying to cover for their retreating friends. Several (rebels) were killed.The AFP journalist said Adra was completely empty of its residents, and that the walls of the buildings at the entrances to the town were riddled with the marks of shelling and gunfire.Broken glass and shrapnel filled the streets of the town, to which the power supply had been cut off.The rebels captured Adra in December last year and regime forces have been fighting to retake it ever since.They have advanced incrementally in the town, one of the countrys biggest industrial zones strategically located northeast of Damascus.On Thursday, the AFP journalist saw tunnels the rebels had dug under the buildings to move from area to area of the town, as well as holes they had blasted through walls separating apartment buildings.Barriers could also be seen in the town, presumably used by the fighters to protect themselves from the loyalists view.On Adras walls, the rebels had painted slogans. Referring to Syrias biggest rebel alliance, one of them read: The Islamic Front is fighting here, and it will return to Damascus. Another said: We the fighters, we the commanders... we love martyrdom.The security source said the army had taken control on Thursday of an area in the town used to house workers, after securing the highway and the industrial zone.He acknowledged, however, that Adras small Old City remained under rebel control.The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also confirmed that the army now had full control over the area used to house workers.The field commander said a large number of rebels had withdrawn to the Old City as the army advanced.The AFP journalist in Adra could hear the sound of gunfire and shelling from the direction of the rebels outpost.Branding the rebels retreat as a real defeat to the armed opposition, the security source said: The rebels withdrew after they felt threatened by the armys advance.Some 150,000 people lived in the area of Adra that houses workers before Syrias war broke out in March 2011.The armys latest advance will allow the government to further tighten its seige of the rebel-held Eastern Ghouta area, east of Damascus, according to the Observatory.After a series of stunning rebel advances around Damascus in 2012, the army has slowly reclaimed a string of hotspots in the past two years.

US Attorney General Eric Holder to resign

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - President Barack Obama paid a deeply personal tribute to his Attorney General Eric Holder on Thursday, as a man with whom he shares bonds of friendship and race said he would resign.Holder, the first African American to hold the top law enforcement post, is seen as a champion of civil rights by supporters but reviled as an ideologue by Republicans.He wiped away a tear at a White House ceremony, as Obama hailed his friend as an exemplar of justice.Holders departure triggers what could be a divisive Senate confirmation battle for whoever Obama selects as his replacement, particularly as mid-term elections in which Republicans seek to overturn Democratic control of the Senate are just six weeks away.This is bittersweet, said Obama, but empathized with the sacrifices made by Holders family as he served in one of the toughest jobs in government.The president said Holder had devoted his life to ensuring that the right to pursue life, liberty and happiness set out in the Declaration of Independence were available to all Americans.He believes, as I do, that justice is not just an abstract theory, its a living and breathing principle, Obama said.The president hailed Holders legacy in fighting violent crime and corruption, prosecuting terrorism cases, improving civil rights and safeguarding financial markets.Holder is one of just three original cabinet members still serving in the job they took when Obama assumed power in 2009, alongside Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.We have been great colleagues, but the bonds between us are much deeper than that, Holder told Obama.In good times and bad, in things personal and in things professional, you have been there for me.Only three other US attorneys general have served longer than Holder, whose tenure was notable for significant inroads made in the civil rights arena, including gains in rights and benefits for same-sex couples and reductions in prison sentences for certain drug offenses.Holders departure was not a surprise. He has long indicated that he did not plan to serve through the entirety of Obamas administration -- and some sources said the president had already prevailed on his friend to delay his departure.As it is, Holder has agreed to stay on until his successor is confirmed -- a period that could be prolonged given the noxious politics in Washington.Holders time in office, however, was marked by rocky relations with Congress, where Obamas Republican opponents control the House of Representatives. In June 2012, the House voted to hold him in contempt for what it deemed his lack of cooperation on an investigation into Operation Fast and Furious. This was a bungled US federal sting that sought to probe weapons trafficking along the US-Mexico border, but ended up accidentally allowing arms to fall into the hands of gangs.There were also calls for his resignation from conservative lawmakers, who accused him of being less than forthcoming during a congressional probe into allegations that the Internal Revenue Service -- the nations tax-collecting authority -- unfairly targeted conservative Tea Party groups.One of his fiercest critics, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, was scathing Thursday in his assessment of the departing attorney-general.From Operation Fast and Furious to his misleading testimony before the House Judiciary Committee regarding the departments dealings with members of the media and his refusal to appoint a special counsel to investigate the IRS targeting of conservative groups, Mr. Holder has consistently played partisan politics with many of the important issues facing the Justice Department, Goodlatte said.Republican Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell was equally blunt.I could not support the Presidents nomination of Eric Holder in 2009 because of the many questionable decisions hed made as Deputy Attorney General, said McConnell.Five years later, Im confident in the wisdom of that decision. Holder has placed ideological commitments over a commitment to the rule of law.But supporters, including Democrats and members of the African American community, heaped praise on Holder for his role championing causes in the area of civil and human rights.His resignation is a great loss for any American seeking justice in our society, said Congressman John Lewis, a revered civil rights activist.He became the symbol of fairness, an embodiment of the best in the federal government... (and) a consistent leader in the struggle for civil and human rights, Lewis said.Holders role in civil rights matters was on full view this summer when he traveled to Ferguson, Missouri to help defuse racial turmoil after a white police officer shot and killed an unarmed black teen.His career was distinguished by law enforcement firsts. In 1993, he was named the first African-American appointed as US attorney in Washington, DC. he was appointed to the post of by Ronald Reagan and served as deputy attorney general Bill Clinton.

Drone strike kills 4 'Qaeda' in Yemen: security

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ADEN (AFP) - A drone strike on a vehicle in southern Yemen Thursday killed four suspected members of Al-Qaeda, a security official said.The drone struck near Nissab, west of the Shabwa provincial capital of Ataq, the official said, with a tribal source adding that the charred bodies of four men were seen inside the vehicle.Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has been linked to a number of failed terror plots against the United States. Washington operates drones over Yemen, but US officials rarely acknowledge the covert programme.Rights groups have criticised the drone programme in Yemen and other countries, repeatedly urging the United States to investigate strikes in which civilians have been killed.President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi and the US government have defended the use of drones, saying they enable the targeting of jihadists without sending soldiers into lawless areas where the authorities have little or no control.AQAP, considered by Washington as Al-Qaedas most dangerous affiliate, is active across several parts of Yemen, taking advantage of a collapse of central authority during a 2011 uprising that ousted veteran president Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Asian Games: Waqas winner as Pakistan beat India

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INCHEON (AFP) - Muhammad Waqas scored the winner six minutes from time as defending champions Pakistan downed arch-rivals India 2-1 to reach the Asian Games semi-finals on Thursday.In a keenly contested pool B encounter, Muhammad Bhutta put Pakistan ahead in the third quarter before Nikkin Thimmaiah drew level at the start of the fourth.Waqas took advantage of a defensive lapse to hit the winner that gave unbeaten Pakistan a place in the semi-finals even before their last league match against Oman on Saturday.The winner between India and China on Saturday will determine the other semi-finalist from the pool. Both teams are level on six points from three matches.Pakistans coach Shahnaz Sheikh played down the rivalry against India, saying it was more important to gain full points from the match.I think we played our best game in the tournament, Sheikh, a former international said. Every match counts in an event like this and we are capable of doing well against any team.In Pakistan, hockey is a national sport and people celebrate when we win. It is not only about India. They want us to do well against every team.With the winner gaining a direct entry into the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Sheikh is anxious to get the gold medal again.We did not qualify for the World Cup and that was a huge blow, he said. We need to win this one because the qualifiers are tough.Indias Australian coach Terry Walsh was livid at the defeat, but said his teams campaign was not over yet.It was frustrating to watch the game from outside, said Walsh. But the good thing is that it was just a three-point match, not a semi-final or a final.Pakistan had more desire to win than we did. Now we have to concentrate on the match against China. I will make sure our guys get more competitive.Hosts South Korea also advanced to the last four with a 2-1 win over Malaysia, their third successive win in pool A.Nam Hyun-Woo banged in two penalty corners in the second and third quarters, before Mohammad Jalil narrowed the margin for Malaysia in the fourth.Meanwhile, Kenta Tanaka and Toshiro Tachibana slammed hat-tricks as Japan blanked Singapore 13-0 to remain in contention for the semi-finals from pool A.With two wins from three games, Japan drew level with Malaysia, whom they play on Saturday to decide the second semi-finalist from the pool.Japans Korean coach Kang Keon-Wook said his team was geared for the crucial game against the Malaysians, silver-medallists in Guangzhou four years ago.Malaysia are a strong team so I guess it is going to be a pretty intense match, Kang said. We have made plans for that game and ensure our strong points are not wasted.Singapore ended the competition with four losses, having conceded 35 goals and scored only three.Oman recorded their first win in three pool B games with a 3-1 romp over winless Sri Lanka, but the effort came too late to stay in line for the semi-finals.

Tennis: I want to forget wrist injury, says Nadal on return

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ALMATY (AFP) - Rafael Nadal returned to action for the first time since Wimbledon on Thursday and admitted he is trying to forget the wrist injury which forced him to skip his US Open title defence.The nine-time French Open champion beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France 6-7 (2/7), 6-3, 6-4 in an exhibition match at Astana, his first ever match in Kazakhstan.Every time when I come back after an injury I have an extra motivation, said 28-year-old Nadal.Im set to work hard to gain my top form and to return to my level. Im very happy to have an opportunity to play tennis -- my favourite occupation.The world number three Spaniard hadnt played since a fourth round loss to Australias Nick Kyrgios at Wimbledon on July 1.He then skipped the US hardcourt season but will make his competitive return in Beijing next week.I feel much better, I am in good shape. I am trying to forget the wrist. I am trying to get back into a rhythm but that takes time. This has helped.Nadal said he was setting no targets ahead of his comeback.I will play in Beijing and Shanghai. My goal is to play and practice as much as possible and be ready for the end of the season.

Tennis: Kvitova, Bouchard, Wozniacki make Wuhan semis

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WUHAN (AFP) - World number three Petra Kvitova powered into the semi-finals of the $2.4 million WTA Wuhan Open Thursday, joining Eugenie Bouchard and Caroline Wozniacki in the last four, while Angelique Kerber crashed out.Wimbledon champion Kvitova advanced at the expense of Caroline Garcia, who had previously performed heroics at the inaugural tournament, beating Venus Williams and world number six Agnieszka Radwanska.The third seed in Wuhan proved to be a step too far for the 20-year-old French rising star, who took only one game in the opening five, before going on to lose the set 6-3. The pair matched each other early on in the second set before Kvitova broke serve in the seventh game and closed in on victory by taking the set 6-4.Garcia, who is ranked 49th, has won one WTA title in her career, at Bogota in April.Kvitova told reporters after the match that she was content with the conditions in Wuhan.The court feels a little bit faster... and that probably is what suits my game, she said.I just feel well here. The people are coming to support us every time, so its beautiful to see them there. I feel good, and I work(ed) hard before I came here.The Czech will now face Elina Svitolina in Fridays semi-final after the Ukrainian beat German seventh seed Angelique Kerber in their quarter-final match 6-4, 7-6 (7/3).It was a feisty performance from the 34th-ranked player in the world, who showed greater composure in the hot and humid conditions.Svitolina was 4-1 down in the second set, but dug deep to win the match.I think I was proud of myself today, because I was really fighting for every ball and didnt give up on 4-1, she said.I think its the main thing for me that I could find the way to win these kind of matches, because they are great players and they are not giving easy balls.But it was heartbreak for Alize Cornet, who went out after putting up late resistance against sixth seed Bouchard.The pair traded breaks early on before Bouchard claimed the first set 6-3.Cornet appeared to argue with the umpire in the first game of the second set after a video showed that she had served an ace, but it was ruled out.The French player lost her serve two games later and Bouchard looked to be cruising with the scores at 5-2.The world number 22 staged a revival which saw her claw her way back to 5-5, but the Canadian took the remaining games in quick succession.I feel like I could have closed much better, Bouchard said.There is no excuse for that. Thats something I really need to work on is closing out better in my matches. Its happened a few times this week.Cornet has been on terrific form in China, having reached the final of the WTA Guangzhou Open last Saturday.She also became the first woman since Justine Henin in 2007 to gain three victories over world number one Serena Williams in a season when the top seed in Wuhan retired from their second round match with a viral illness.Her other victories over the American power-hitter came at Wimbledon in June and in Dubai in February.Bouchard will go on to play Wozniacki in the semis, after the world number seven overcame Switzerlands Timea Bacsinszky after a scare.Bacsinszky, who beat Maria Sharapova in the last round, took the first set against Wozniacki 6-4, but the Dane powered back to take the remaining sets 6-2, 6-3.The Wuhan Open in the central province of Hubei features the worlds top 20 women players and reaches its climax on Saturday.

Asian Games: Qatar heads for new hijab showdown

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INCHEON (AFP) - Qatars women basketball team say they will forfeit a third Asian Games match on Friday in a deepening row over the wearing of Muslim headscarves.Having already missed two games because they refuse to give in to an International Basketball Federation ban on headwear, Qatar say they will not change their stance for Fridays group game against Kazakhstan.Qatars players have called the ban on hijab scarves an insult to their religion and they are gathering growing support from sporting bodies and national Olympic committees for their cause, according to Asian sports officials.A final swim clash between Chinas Sun Yang and South Koreas Park Tae-Hwan dominates the sporting action in Incheon.Chinas Olympic champion Sun will be hot favourite to take gold in swimmings iron-man 1,500 metres freestyle.For home hero Park, who has been suffering from nerves all week, the race is a final chance at redemption after a hugely disappointing Asian Games.Olympic champion Ye Shiwen also looks odds-on to complete the womens medley double in the 200m as swimming superpower China look to finish the competition in style.The final six swimming golds will be decided. There are also six more shooting golds where China, already on 79 golds overall, will hope to move closer to 100.Friday is also the final day of weightlifting when the worlds strongest man, Irans giant Salimi Behdad, the superheavyweight (105kg) Olympic champion, will take centre stage in the Moonlight Gardens Arena.Standing 6ft 6in (1.98m) tall and weighing in at 365lb (166kg) the 24-year-old is expected to challenge his own snatch world record of 214kg and comfortably defend his title from the Guangzhou Asiad four years ago.Other weighlifting medals up for grabs are in the womens 75kg and the mens 105kg.Pakistan play Bangladesh in the womens cricket final, the sport the South Korean hosts of the Games did not want.In football, North Korea take on Indonesia and Iraq, one of the best teams in the first round groups, play Tajikistan for a place in the quarters.In the womens football, North Korea play China in a grudge-match quarter final.The basketball mens quarter-finals, played out in two pools of four teams, begin at the Samsan World Gymnasium and the Hwaesong Gymnasium.

Up to half of Earth's water is older than Sun: study

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - Up to half the water on Earth is likely older than the solar system, raising the likelihood that life exists elsewhere in the galaxy, according to a study Thursday.The research in the journal Science found that a significant fraction of the water on Earth was inherited from interstellar space, and was there before the Sun was formed some 4.6 billion years ago.Researchers can tell where the water comes from by examining the ratio of hydrogen to deuterium, a heavy isotope of hydrogen, in water molecules.Water or ice that comes from interstellar space has a high ratio of deuterium to hydrogen, because it forms at such low temperatures.But scientists have not known how much deuterium was removed in the process of the Suns birth, or how much deuterium-rich water-ice the solar system would have produced when it was first born.Scientists simulated the origin of a planet under conditions where all the deuterium from space ice has already been eliminated.They found they could not reach the ratios of deuterium to hydrogen that are found in meteorite samples or Earths ocean water.Their findings suggests that at least some of the water in the solar system comes from outer space, and that water -- an essential element for life on Earth -- is not unique to our solar system.This is an important step forward in our quest to find out if life exists on other planets, said co-author Tim Harries, from the University of Exeters Physics and Astronomy department.It raises the possibility that some exoplanets could house the right conditions, and water resources, for life to evolve.

Oil prices remain weak

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NEW YORK (AFP) - Global oil prices remained weak in choppy trade Thursday, buffeted by the strong dollar and rebounding Libyan output.US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for delivery in November fell 27 cents from Wednesdays close to $92.53 per barrel.In London trade, Brent North Sea crude for November swung sharply before finishing a bare five cents higher at $97.00 a barrel.Abundant crude oil supplies continued to weigh on market sentiment, said senior analyst Myrto Sokou at the Sucden brokerage. Furthermore, the strong US dollar adds further pressure to the market.The rising greenback makes dollar-priced oil more expensive for buyers using weaker currencies, dampening demand.Recovering Libyan exports meanwhile have added to the oversupply. Light Libyan crude is valued by refiners in Europe as an alternative to Brent.The predominant driver... remains buoyant supply combined with weakening global demand and a gaining dollar value, said Dorian Lucas, analyst at British-based consultancy Inenco. The euro plunged Thursday to a nearly two-year low of $1.2697 on fresh worries over the health of the stuttering eurozone economy.

Dollar firms despite mixed US data

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NEW YORK (AFP) - The dollar strengthened against the euro Thursday as traders weighed mixed US data against the context of a modestly improving economy that is faring far better than the eurozone. The euro extended its losses, at one point falling to $1.2697, its weakest level since mid-November 2012. The currency shared by the eurozones 18 nations ended the day at $1.2750, down from $1.2781 a day ago.The dollar stuck near fresh highs as general economic optimism remained intact despite a mixed bag of data, said Joe Manimbo, senior market analyst at Western Union Business Solutions.Jobless claims rose but held below 300,000, and the four-week moving average continued to fall, a fresh confirmation of the improving trend in the jobs market.Jennifer Lee at BMO Economics said the data was evidence that US employers continue to hire.In the US manufacturing sector, durable goods orders were dragged down by volatile aircraft orders in August after an extra-strong July, but the overall growth trend remained strong.National Australia Bank analysts said the euros dive below $1.28 was not surprising given the eurozones poor economy. The European Central Banks lean towards using asset purchases to support the anemic recovery added to the trend.There was no economic data to trigger the move. Rather the selling was simply the resumption of the overall dollar rally as Mario Draghi continued to stress the idea that ECB policy is going to become even more accommodative over the near-term horizon, said Boris Schlossberg at BK Asset Management.

Pakistan launch crackdown on suspect bowlers

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KARACHI (AFP) - Pakistan on Thursday suspended 16 domestic bowlers with suspect actions, a senior official said, in a major crackdown against chucking following the ban of ace spinner Saeed Ajmal.Ajmal was suspended earlier this month after he was found to straighten his elbow up to 43 degrees, well above the prescribed limit of 15.The ban jolted the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) into action to avoid further international embarrassment.We have 29 bowlers reported for suspect bowling actions in the current home cricket season and half of them were reported twice, so we have banned around 16 from domestic matches, director of domestic cricket Inthikab Alam told reporters.All these bowlers will not be allowed to play in domestic matches and will go to the national cricket academy to get their actions altered, said Alam, a former Pakistan captain and leg-spinner.To deal with the problem, the PCB has revived its biomechanics laboratory in Lahore this month after it was left inoperational for seven years over allegations of financial irregularities in buying its machinery.Ajmal was the seventh Pakistani reported for suspect actions in international matches, joining Shahid Afridi, Shabbir Ahmed, Mohammad Hafeez, Riaz Afridi, Shoaib Malik and Shoaib Akhtar.Even the two spinners called up to replace Ajmal while he undergoes remedial work -- Atif Maqbool and Adnan Rasool -- have been reported.Under the ICC rules bowlers are permitted to straighten their bowling arm up to 15 degrees, which has been established as the point at which any straightening will become visible to the naked eye.Speaking separately, Captain Misbah-ul Haq said he was praying for Ajmal, who is ranked the worlds best one-day bowler, to return soon.First of all I will pray Ajmal returns to the team for the World Cup, he said.Australia and New Zealand co-host the mega event from February 14 to March 29.But we also have to be ready to play without him. If a player is not there you have to cope with that situation. There is no doubt he is a great bowler and will be missed.

UN confronts deadly Ebola epidemic

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United Nations (United States) (AFP) - World leaders gathered at the United Nations heard dire warnings and desperate pleas for assistance Thursday as the deadly Ebola virus forced Sierra Leone to quarantine a million people.US President Barack Obama led calls for a ramped up response to the growing West African outbreak, urging governments, businesses and international organizations to join the fight.The United Nations did win fresh pledges of support, and the Group of Seven nations announced it would keep open vital air and sea links with Ebola-hit countries in West Africa.But Obama warned: We are not doing enough -- and UN officials said a 20-fold surge in assistance is needed to come to grips with an outbreak that has killed close to 3,000 peopleRight now, everybody has the best of intentions, but people are not putting the kinds of resources necessary to put a stop to this epidemic, he said, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.- Ebola is winning -© AFPEbola cases set to soar, agencies warn © AFP V. Breschi/A.BommenelHealth experts agreed. Today, Ebola is winning, said Joanne Liu, president of the aid group Doctors Without Borders (MSF).The reality on the ground today is this: the promised surge has not yet delivered, she warned.Health systems in the worst-hit countries of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea have been overwhelmed by the epidemic and are in dire need of doctors, nurses, medical equipment and supplies.Canada announced a contribution of $27 million dollars to the effort and France said it has set aside 70 million euros in a battle that the United Nations estimates will require close to one billion dollars.The European Union said it would add 30 million euros to the current 150 million euros it has provided to fight Ebola.UN officials could not provide an immediate tally of the total pledges made at the UN meeting but the UNs coordinator for Ebola, David Nabarro, said countries had responded with generosity.© AFPA JFK Hospital guard waits to greet patients, some suspected of suffering from the Ebola virus, in Monrovia on September 25, 2014 © AFP Pascal Guyot- Disease of the world -Sierra Leone on Thursday took the drastic step of putting more than one million people in five districts under quarantine-- the largest open-ended lockdown in the Ebola outbreak.My country is at the battlefront of one of the biggest life and death challenges facing the global human community, Sierra Leones President Ernest Bai Koroma warned by video link from Freetown.Ebola is not only a disease of Sierra Leone and its neighbors, it is a disease of the world.The northern districts of Port Loko and Bombali have been closed off indefinitely along with the southern district of Moyamba -- effectively sealing in around 1.2 million people.© AFPA photo taken on August 13, 2014 shows a woman walking past signs warning of Ebola in Freetown © AFP/File Carl de SouzaWith the eastern districts of Kenema and Kailahun already under quarantine, more than a third of the population of six million -- in five of the nations 14 districts -- now finds itself unable to move freely.In New York, the G7 foreign ministers pledged to work to maintain transport links with the Ebola-hit countries to allow much-needed help to reach those in need.We warn that although the spread of Ebola must be contained, affected countries must not be isolated, said the G7 -- Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States.Several airlines moved in late August to suspend flights to the three affected countries, although some have since resumed.A UN mission on Ebola set up last week is due to deploy in West Africa on Sunday, bringing supplies and equipment including protective suits, trucks, helicopters and other aircraft.The United States is sending 3,000 troops to Liberia to help battle the contagion and has mobilized its experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to help beat back the virus.The CDC estimates that cases in Liberia and Sierra Leone could rocket to 1.4 million by January -- in a worst-case scenario based on data obtained before the world ramped up its response.World Bank president Jim Kim said the spread, the magnitude and the complexity of the Ebola crisis is like nothing we have ever seen and warned it could lead to the potential meltdown of the continent.

Chrysler recalls 350,000 cars for ignition-switch flaw

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New York (AFP) - Chrysler recalled almost 350,000 older-model cars Thursday over ignition-switch problem that could cause a loss of engine power or reduced braking power.The automaker, a unit of Italy-based Fiat Chrysler, said it would correct switch defect that may cause ignition keys to become stuck or inadvertently move.The company said it knew of one minor accident that was possibly related to the problem, but that it was unaware of any related injuries.The ignition-switch problem is similar to that which led General Motors to recall 2.6 million cars this year, a decade or more after the company became aware of the flawed part. The largest US automaker has acknowledged 21 deaths to date that resulted from the faulty ignition problem.Chryslers safety recall affects 349,442 model-year 2008 cars, made before May 12, 2008. Most of them, 292,224, were in the United States.Chrysler said the recall covers Dodge Charger sedans, Dodge Magnum station wagons, Chrysler 300 sedans, and Jeep Commander and Jeep Grand Cherokee sport-utility vehicles.In July, Chrysler recalled about 790,000 Jeep SUVs in the model years 2006-2007 to fix an ignition problem that allowed the key to move unintentionally from the on position.In its latest recall, Chrysler said that the ignition keys may not fully return to the on position after being turned to the start position, potentially causing a loss of windshield defroster and wiper function.In a less probable circumstance, it said, the key may inadvertently slip from the on position to accessory or off, reducing braking power and cutting engine power, power steering, and one or more of the cars safety features, including front air bags.While awaiting their vehicles to be fixed, owners of these models are advised to confirm their ignition keys are set in the on position after starting their vehicles, the company said.

Russian Soyuz spacecraft with Russian, US astronauts blasts off to ISS

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Russian Soyuz spacecraft with Russian, US astronauts blasts off to ISS © AFPUS astronaut Barry Wilmore with Russian cosmonauts Alexander Samokutyayev and Yelena Serova at the Russian-leased Baikonur cosmodrome, prior to blasting off to the International Space Station on September 25, 2014 © AFP Vasily MaximovBaikonur (Kazakhstan) (AFP) - A Russian Soyuz spacecraft carrying a NASA astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts, including the first woman cosmonaut for 17 years, blasted off on schedule Friday, Russian mission control said.The Soyuz-TMA14M spacecraft took off at 12:25 am Moscow time (2025 GMT Thursday) from Russias Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan and is headed for the International Space Station.

Air France pilots dig in despite scrapping of low-cost plans

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Paris (AFP) - Air France pilots refused to budge Thursday after management announced it had buried plans to expand its low-cost subsidiary, as their strike became the longest ever at Europes second-largest flag carrier.The pilots brushed off calls to return to the skies, leaving half the airlines fleet grounded for an 11th day running, as they sought to push management even further at talks Thursday.Further chaos was likely in European skies after German pilots union Cockpit announced a strike with immediate effect at Europes largest carrier Lufthansa after a breakdown in talks over early retirement provisions.Air France meanwhile called for pilots to return to work immediately, to end a dispute that has crippled the airline at a cost of 20 million euros ($25 million) a day.© AFPAir France workers demonstrate against the pilots strike on September 24, 2014 in front of the company headquarters in Roissy, north of Paris © AFP Stephane de SakutinThe airline on Thursday announced the definitive scrapping of plans to expand its Transavia Europe subsidiary on the continent, but said it would pursue the development of the low-cost airline in France.The offer was made to unions during a marathon round of talks Wednesday.But the main pilots union SNPL said it had made a counter-offer that would be discussed as talks resumed Thursday.Many Air France pilots, who earn up to 250,000 euros a year, are angry at the plans to develop Transavia, which currently serves holiday destinations across Europe and the Mediterranean.They fear management will eventually seek to replace Air France flights with services operated by Transavia, whose pilots earn considerably less.- Into the red -The withdrawal of plans to expand Transavia will come as a blow to the airlines efforts to be more competitive in the crowded and changing European skies, increasingly dominated by no-frills airlines.© AFPAn Air France worker and a pilot shake hands during a demonstration against the airline pilots strike on September 24, 2014 in Roissy, north of Paris © AFP Stephane de SakutinThe MEDEF employers association said the conflict at Air France -- which is 16 percent state-owned -- encapsulated the malaise gripping the countrys crisis-hit economy.The union action is again dragging a company into the red, said MEDEF vice-president Jean-Francois Pillard.For those who want to invest or travel in France, this does not contribute, at an already extremely difficult time, to improving the image of the country, he said.Air France has already implemented an ambitious restructuring plan to reduce costs and improve efficiency.Low-cost airlines now represent between 25 and 45 percent of air traffic in Europe, depending on the country, said Didier Brechemier, an aviation expert at consultants Roland Berger.© AFPVisitors stand in front of the Air France stand at a tourism and travel show in Paris on September 24, 2014 © AFP Eric PiermontIrish low-cost airline Ryanair will soon expand its fleet to 400, which would take it above Air Frances stable of 350 aircraft.With competitors like that its not hard to see why Ryanair is the fastest-growing airline in Europe, company boss Michael OLeary said of Air Frances offer to put expansion plans on ice.Strike action has also been simmering at Lufthansa as pilots fight a plan by the airline to raise the minimum retirement age and to involve pilots in the financing of their pensions.Further industrial action can be expected with immediate effect. The public will be warned in advance, said a statement from Germanys Cockpit union.A spokesman for Lufthansa appealed to the union not to go ahead with more industrial action and to return to the negotiating table.- Ball in pilots court -French Prime Minister Manuel Valls has warned that the Air France strike was putting the airlines future in danger© AFPAir France-KLM CEO Alexandre de Juniac (L) and Air France general director Frederic Gagey give a press conference on September 22, 2014 in Paris © AFP Stephane de SakutinAir France said its proposal allows us to end this destructive conflict which on Thursday overtook the record for the longest pilots strike at the airline, of 10 days in 1998.With the withdrawal of the Transavia Europe plan, there is no longer any reason to strike because there can be no fear of outsourcing, the airline said in a statement signed by Air France-KLM chief executive Alexandre de Juniac and Air France boss Frederic Gagey.We call on the striking pilots to return to work immediately.The government welcomed Air Frances proposal and said it was now the responsibility of the pilots to end the strike.© AFPTravellers wait in a lounge at Orly airport, south of Paris, as an Air France plane is seen parked on the tarmac © AFP Stephane de SakutinWhile promising to put the European expansion on hold, Air France said it would maintain its plans to develop Transavia France in competitive economic conditions.It promised that the project would create more than 1,000 jobs in France, including 250 pilot positions.
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