Sunday 16 November 2014

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Lahore: 3 killed in car, bus collision

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – According to details, a speeding bus collided with a car at College Road near Ghazi Chowk in Township area of Lahore on early Monday morning, killing three persons and injuring two others.The dead included two real sisters, Hadia and Sadia and their uncle Imran while their mother sustained critical injuries. The dead and injured were shifted to Jinnah Hospital. The driver of the bus managed to escape after the accident.

Chinese medics beef up Ebola fight; US doctor remains ill

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Monrovia (AFP) - A large team of Chinese health workers arrived in Liberia to boost the Ebola fight as a US-based doctor infected in Sierra Leone was described as being extremely ill.The 160-strong Chinese deployment to the west African country worst hit by the virus came as the worlds most powerful economies vowed to extinguish the epidemic which has claimed more than 5,100 lives.The Chinese doctors, epidemiologists and nurses will staff a $41 million (33 million euro) Ebola treatment unit which will be built and be up and running in 10 days, ambassador Zhang Yue said in a statement on Sunday.The health workers have had previous experience in tackling the SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) in Asia, Zhang said, adding that its total aid to Liberia would be $46 million.At least 2,812 people have so far died of Ebola in Liberia.So far Beijing has promised Ebola-hit countries the equivalent of $122 million to help fight the epidemic.Since the beginning of the year, China has given west African countries a total of 234 million yuan ($38.2 million) in emergency assistance, including disease prevention and control materials, grain and cash, according to the Chinese foreign ministry.China is Africas largest trading partner, and its diplomatic footprint across the continent has expanded hugely in recent years as it seeks resources to power its economy.Still it is a long way behind the European Union, whose leaders have boosted their Ebola aid to one billion euros ($1.26 billion).- Hour by hour situation -Meanwhile a doctor said to be extremely ill after being infected with Ebola in Sierra Leone was being treated in the United States.Martin Salia, a US resident who was infected with the deadly haemorrhagic fever while treating patients in his home country, was flown to Nebraska for treatment.This is an hour-by-hour situation, said Phil Smith, medical director of the biocontainment unit at the Nebraska hospital, one of a handful of medical facilities in the United States specially designated to treat Ebola patients.He is extremely ill, Smith said. We will do everything humanly possible to help him fight this disease.World leaders meeting at the G20 summit in the Australian city of Brisbane said they were prepared to do what is necessary to ensure the international effort can extinguish the outbreak.The Ebola outbreak which began earlier this year has been centred around Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.- Charity single -In London, musicians including boy band One Direction and Led Zeppelins Robert Plant recorded a new Band Aid single to help raise funds combat the virus.Other performers ranging from U2 frontman Bono, Coldplays Chris Martin and Sinead OConnor recorded late into the night for a 30th anniversary version of the charity single Do They Know Its Christmas?Its not just about whats happening in west Africa, it could happen here tomorrow, said rocker-turned-activist Bob Geldof, one of the forces behind the original Band Aid.Set to be officially released Monday, the single will be the fourth incarnation of the song, which became one of the biggest-selling singles ever after its release in 1984 to raise funds for Ethiopian famine relief.In Brisbane, G20 members welcomed an International Monetary Fund initiative to release $300 million to combat Ebola and promised to share best practices on protecting health workers on the front line.The G20 pledge came as Togo, whose president is coordinating the west African fight, warned that the world cannot relax efforts despite some encouraging signals.There is no known cure for Ebola, one of the deadliest known pathogens, but trials for several possible treatments were announced this week in west Africa and Canada. The disease spreads through contact with bodily fluids.The World Health Organization said Friday that 5,177 people are known to have died of Ebola across eight countries, out of a total 14,413 cases of infection, since December 2013.UN chief Ban Ki-moon urged G20 countries to step up, warning that Ebolas disruptive effect on farming could potentially spark a food crisis for a million people.Transmission continues to outpace the response from the international community, Ban told reporters.

MH17 wreckage removal starts in east Ukraine

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Grabove (Ukraine) (AFP) - Workers started winching debris from Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 on to trucks in eastern Ukraine Sunday, paving the way for its eventual return to the Netherlands four months after it was downed, killing 298 people.A crew from the self-proclaimed Donetsk Peoples Republic -- the pro-Moscow separatists who hold the territory -- supervised by Dutch experts used metal saws to cut up the wreckage before it was lifted on to trucks at the remote crash site near the village of Grabove.Pieces of the engine, cabin and a seat were clearly identifiable among the charred wreckage of the doomed Boeing 777, an AFP reporter at the scene said.The first pieces of debris from the MH17 wreckage were gathered up today, said a statement from the Dutch Safety Board, whose investigators are leading the probe into the shooting down of the July 17 flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur.If circumstances permit, work will restart tomorrow. We expect that the gathering up and removal of debris will take a number of days.After being collected, the debris from the airliner will be transported to the government-controlled city of Kharkiv and then flown to the Netherlands.The Dutch experts eventually intend to reconstruct a section of the doomed airliner.A rebel official said the crew of some 15 people from Donetsks emergency ministry hoped to finish the operations in the next 10 days and that they would focus on the largest chunks of fuselage first.The team faces a race to complete the recovery effort before harsh winter conditions in the former Soviet state make it difficult to continue.Ukraine and the West accuse Russia of supplying pro-Moscow rebels with the missile that shot down the aircraft. Russia and the separatists deny it, blaming Ukrainian forces instead.A preliminary report by Dutch investigators published in September found the plane was hit by a large number of high-energy objects, but did not apportion blame.- Putin swaps G20 for bed -Russian President Vladimir Putin, who also denies providing military support to the separatists, came under fresh pressure over Ukraine and MH17 at the G20 summit in Brisbane.After a series of frosty exchanges with fellow leaders, Putin left the summit early on Sunday, saying he needed to catch up on some sleep.The MH17 probe team has so far managed to collect and identify the remains of 289 victims from the tragedy but its operations have been disrupted by fierce fighting in the area between Ukrainian forces and rebels.Around the region Sunday, fighting dragged on between the two sides, with the Ukrainian military saying that six soldiers were injured as its positions came under mortar fire 26 times during the night.In the rebel stronghold of Donetsk, fresh shelling broke out on Sunday afternoon after a quiet morning, an AFP reporter said.In the neighbouring separatist region of Lugansk, three volunteers fighting for the Ukrainian forces were killed, the interior ministry in Kiev said.- Ready for total war -The latest clashes come amid a nominal ceasefire that has halted fighting along much of the frontline but not stopped regular artillery bombardments at strategic hotspots.Over 4,100 people have been killed in the conflict since April and almost one million have been driven from their homes, according to UN figures.Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko told German daily Bild that his country wanted peace but was ready for a full-scale war.I am not afraid of a war with Russian troops, he said in an interview to be published Monday.We are prepared for a scenario of total war.During a visit to Bratislava on Sunday the Ukrainian leader said the conflict in the east would end within two weeks if the peace plan signed in Minsk in September was implemented.The European Union and United States have slapped the toughest sanctions on Moscow since the collapse of the Soviet Union over its meddling in Ukraine.EU foreign ministers will again discuss the situation in Ukraine at a meeting in Brussels on Monday.A Ukrainian military spokesman, Andriy Lysenko, said Sunday there were signs that rebels and Russian troops are preparing an offensive.His comments came after NATOs commander in Europe, US General Philip Breedlove, said last week that columns of Russian equipment, primarily Russian tanks, Russian artillery, Russian air defence systems and Russian combat troops were entering Ukraine.However, military analysts say an offensive seems unlikely since the amount of hardware being moved into the east is insufficient for a major operation, which would also be highly challenging in winter.

Romanian PM concedes surprise defeat in presidential vote

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Bucharest (AFP) - Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta on Sunday conceded defeat in a presidential runoff he had been widely expected to win, with his conservative opponent Klaus Iohannis claiming a shock victory.I congratulated Mr Iohannis on his victory. The people are always right, Ponta said after early exit polls put the two rivals neck-and-neck.Weve won wrote Iohannis, the ethnic German centre-right mayor of the medieval Transylvanian city of Sibiu, on his Facebook page.The upset came after a record number of voters went to the polls, with officials putting the turnout at more than 62 percent.With the official result not expected until Monday morning, three early exit polls put Iohannis narrowly in the lead, while two others favoured Ponta. But pollsters said the difference between the two men had widened as more results came in.The exit polls do not take into account the votes cast in the second-round runoff by Romanians abroad, seen as more likely to vote for Iohannis.The election is seen as pivotal for one of the poorest countries in Europe which has struggled to combat an entrenched culture of corruption.Ponta, 42, had hoped to become Romanias youngest ever president and cement his Social Democrat partys hold on power in the former communist state.I voted so that our parents can live in a better country and our children have a future here in Romania, Ponta said earlier Sunday as he cast his vote, with his wife and two children in tow.In the first round on November 2, Ponta took 40 percent of the vote against 30 percent for Iohannis.But 46 percent of the ballots cast abroad were for Iohannis compared to just 16 percent for Ponta.Experts had earlier said that a high turnout in the second round could well tilt the balance in Iohanniss favour.The vote has been phenomenal. The turnout was huge, Iohannis told supporters at his campaign headquarters after the seventh presidential election since the fall of dictator Nicolae Ceaucescu 25 years ago.Iohannis, who as a member of Romanias ethnic German minority has faced accusations he is a not a real Romanian, campaigned on an anti-corruption platform, vowing to turn Romania into a normal country.Seen as a famously poor television performer who goes out of his way to avoid conflict, observers say he has appealed to voters with his reliability and honesty in a country sick of government corruption, with several senior figures in Pontas former communist Social Democrats accused of graft.Rodica Avram, a 56-year-old teacher, said after casting her ballot in Bucharest that she had voted for change.For the past 25 years we have heard nothing but lies and promises that werent kept, she said. I hope well finally have a president who respects people and does what he promises.Pontas main support base comes from the hugely influential Romanian Orthodox Church, as well as his partys traditional electorate of the rural population, small business employees and the elderly and has been able to count on generally steady economic progress.However, the economy fell into recession in the second quarter of 2014, although the government is forecasting 2.2 percent growth over the year.- Diaspora vote seen as key -Ahead of the vote experts said Romanias diaspora, which numbers about three million, could play a key role in swinging the vote.Only 160,000 were able to cast their ballots in the first round, due to an insufficient number of polling stations in countries including France, Germany and Britain.On Sunday, long queues of people snaked outside polling stations in Paris, London and several other cities, according to pictures shown on Romanian television.In the evening, thousands were still waiting to vote in some European cities, sparking renewed anger at the way the vote has been organised.At the Romanian embassy in Paris police used tear gas to disperse hundreds of would-be voters who said they hadnt been able to cast their ballot.In Bucharest, several thousand people again took to the streets in solidarity with the expatriates they said were prevented from voting.Despite progress in reforming the justice system -- which has even seen a former minister jailed for corruption -- many were fearful of a backlash if Ponta became president.On what was dubbed Black Tuesday in December last year, Pontas government passed a series of new laws granting immunity to elected officials.The changes were ultimately blocked but Pontas critics said the episode served as a wake-up call.

Facebook preparing new website for office use

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LONDON (AFP) - Facebook is preparing a new office version of its social networking site to compete with other sites like LinkedIn, the Financial Times reported on Monday citing sources familiar with the matter.Facebook is secretly working on a new website called Facebook at Work that would allow users to chat with colleagues, connect with professional contacts and collaborate over documents, it said.Facebook last month reported its quarterly profit nearly doubled to $802 million (640 million euros) but saw its stock pounded after outlining a plan to invest heavily in the future instead of revelling in short-term riches.We are going to continue preparing for the future by investing aggressively, connecting everyone, understanding the world, and building the next-generation in computing platforms, Facebook founder and chief Mark Zuckerberg said then.We have a long journey ahead, he said.Facebook, which has 1.35 billion monthly active users worldwide, was set up in 2004 by Zuckerberg with fellow students at Harvard University who wanted to set it up as a college networking site.The site has been seeking to broaden its offerings, unveiling an application that lets people chat anonymously in virtual rooms, evoking the chat rooms from the early days of the Internet.It is also testing a feature that lets users of the leading social network make purchases by simply pressing an on-screen Buy button.Facebook completed its multibillion-dollar deal for mobile messaging application WhatsApp last month.

British MPs urge bank regulation after Forex scandal

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LONDON (AFP) - A British parliamentary group on Monday urged action to regulate banks after a scandal over misconduct by foreign exchange traders saying that previous reform proposals had been so far ignored by lenders.The chairman of the Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards said that a report by the group showed that recommendations made after another scandal over rate-rigging had not been implemented.They certainly must not be diluted, said Andrew Tyrie, who is also head of the main parliament committee in charge of financial regulation.The recommendations include ring-fencing banks retail operations from risky investment arms and cancelling bonuses when serious misconduct emerges.The UK cannot afford to go through the next business cycle without, as a minimum, the protection of an effective and electrified ring fence, he said.Global regulators last week announced $4.2 billion (3.4 billion euros) in fines against six major US and European banks for attempting to manipulate the global foreign exchange market, which is centred in London.The scandal, in which supposedly rival traders appeared to team up to skew prices at the expense of clients, has sparked calls in Britain for tighter controls over the countrys banks.Tyrie said this showed the need for much closer scrutiny.It is also crucial that traders and other staff that can cause serious harm have skin in the game for longer.Parts of their performance-based pay should be deferred for a long period and capable of cancellation when serious misconduct emerges, he said.Tyries commission was established in the wake of the Libor rate-rigging scandal in 2012 and Tyrie said it was extremely concerning that the forex market had been subject to similar manipulation.The PCBS made wide-ranging proposals to deter such behaviour but banks and regulators do not yet appear to be fully implementing them, he said.None of our reforms have yet been implemented by banks, he said, adding: The numerous and varied problems in banking that we identified remain, therefore, unaddressed.

Japan's economy enters recession

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TOKYO (AFP) - Japans economy dropped into a recession after a second-straight quarter of contraction, official data showed Monday, in a huge blow to Prime Minister Shinzo Abes bid to turn around years of laggard growth.The countrys gross domestic product shrank 0.4 percent in the July-September quarter, or an annualised rate of 1.6 percent, underscoring how an April tax rise dented growth in the worlds number three economy and weighing on the chances of a second levy hike next year.The surprise figure missed market media expectations for a 0.5 percent expansion, according to economists surveyed by the leading Nikkei business daily, as residential investment dived and consumer spending remained tepid.The data increases the likelihood that Abe -- who is expected to call a snap election for next month -- will delay a plan to boost Japans sales tax to 10 percent next year.A rise to 8.0 percent from 5.0 percent earlier this year slammed the brakes on growth.The country suffered a revised 1.9 percent contraction in the April-June quarter -- or 7.3 percent at an annualised rate -- as consumers and firms capped their spending.That reversed a 1.6 percent expansion in the first quarter of the year when hopes were still buoyant for Abes pro-spending growth bid, dubbed Abenomics.Last month, the Bank of Japan expanded its already huge monetary easing campaign to counter the downturn, but the latest figures will also hike speculation of further moves by the central bank.

Dutch earn resounding win as Italy held

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Paris (AFP) - The Netherlands recorded a morale-boosting win in qualifying for Euro 2016 on Sunday while Italy saw their perfect start to the campaign ended by Croatia in an eventful encounter.Guus Hiddink had indicated that he would resign as coach of the Dutch if they slipped up against Latvia to continue a stuttering start to their bid to reach the finals in France.However, the World Cup semi-finalists recorded their second win in four games in Group A by thumping Latvia 6-0 in Amsterdam as the outstanding Arjen Robben and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar both scored twice.Captain Robin van Persie and Jeffrey Bruma were also on target to ensure that Hiddink -- only appointed for a second spell in charge of the Oranje in the summer -- would not be going anywhere.The only blotch on an otherwise fine evening for the Netherlands was the knee injury that forced Manchester United midfielder Daley Blind off in the first half, although Hiddinks side continue to trail group leaders the Czech Republic by six points.The Czechs made it four wins from four games as they ended Icelands 100 percent record by coming from behind to win 2-1 in Plzen.The visitors had threatened another giant-killing when Ragnar Sigurdsson gave them a ninth-minute lead, but Pavel Kaderabek equalised late in the first half before an unfortunate Jon Dadi Bodvarsson own-goal decided the match in the Czechs favour.Meanwhile, in Istanbul, Turkey got their first win of the campaign by beating Kazakhstan 3-1 as Burak Yilmaz scored twice for Fatih Terims struggling side.In Milan, Italy dropped their first points in Group H in a 1-1 draw with Croatia that was marred by crowd trouble.The evening started well for the Azzurri as Antonio Candreva drilled home to give them the lead 11 minutes in at the San Siro.However, Gianluigi Buffon allowed a shot from Ivan Perisic to go under his body and into the net to bring Croatia level four minutes later, and the game was then halted for 10 minutes in the second half when away supporters sent a hail of flares down onto the pitch from high in the stands.Riot police clashed with fans in the Croatian section of the ground but the visitors could have won it late on, Perisic flashing a shot narrowly wide of the far post.Italy and Croatia are level on 10 points atop the section after four games, with Norway a point behind after a 1-0 win in Azerbaijan thanks to a solitary goal by Borussia Moenchengladbachs Havard Nordtveit.In the groups other game, Malta struck another blow for Europes minnows by coming from behind to draw 1-1 in Bulgaria, a second-half penalty by Clayton Failla cancelling out Andrej Galabinovs early opener.A first point of the campaign for the tiny Mediterranean archipelago came at the end of a weekend which saw the Faroe Islands win in Greece, Liechtenstein record a rare victory and San Marino hold Estonia to end a sequence of 61 consecutive defeats.- Wales still unbeaten -Elsewhere, Wales extended their unbeaten start in Group B with a battling performance to hold World Cup quarter-finalists Belgium to a 0-0 draw in Brussels.Nicolas Lombaerts hit the post for the group favourites with a first-half shot, but the Dragons held out.There are six games to play and thats a lot of points and teams will be chasing us down. But were definitely on the right track, said Wales manager Chris Coleman.The Welsh are second in the group with eight points from four games, one point behind Israel, who were convincing 3-0 winners at home to Bosnia and Herzegovina.Gil Vermouth, Omer Damari and Eran Zahavi all scored for Israel as the visitors had Toni Sunjic sent off in the second half on a night which will see the pressure increase further on their coach Safet Susic.In the groups other game, George Efrem scored a hat-trick as Cyprus won 5-0 at home to Andorra, who have now conceded 17 goals in losing all four games to date.The next round of European Championship qualifiers will be played at the end of March.

Injured Federer withdraws from Tour Final showdown

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London (AFP) - Roger Federer pulled out of his ATP Tour Finals showdown with Novak Djokovic just before the final was due to start Sunday because of a back injury, casting doubt on his fitness ahead of the Davis Cup final.Federer, 33, felt unable to take part in the showpiece clash at Londons O2 Arena after suffering the back problem during Saturdays gruelling three-set semi-final victory over Swiss compatriot Stan Wawrinka.Unfortunately Im not match fit to play match tonight. Clearly I wish it wasnt this way. You try all year to be ready for the ATP World Tour Finals and I didnt want to end this way, six-time Tour Finals champion Federer told the crowd during an on-court interview.Im sorry Im here in a tracksuit. I wish it werent so.I tried everything I could last night and today -- painkillers, rest -- until the very end, but I cant compete at this level with Novak.In a final like this and at my age, it would be too risky. I hope you understand.The 17-time Grand Slam champion is due to lead Switzerlands challenge against France in the Davis Cup final, starting in Lille on Friday, and the prospect of missing out on a first title in the team event if he aggravated the back problem against Djokovic may have influenced his decision.I hurt my back late in the match yesterday against Stan. I am very disappointed and I hope to be feeling better soon, Federer said.Its been an extremely difficult decision because I love playing in London and the ATP World Tour Finals have been an absolute highlight of my career.Unfortunately, my back problem does not allow me to play right now. I hope all tennis fans and those involved in the event will understand.Sundays withdrawal was only the third walkover of Federers career.Speculation of a withdrawal mounted when Federer, who took nearly three hours to defeat Wawrinka in a match that didnt finish until nearly 11.30pm local time, failed to show up for a scheduled practice session on Sunday afternoon.The world number two then confirmed his decision to pull out following the Bryan brothers victory in the doubles final.- Disappointed crowd -With Federer sidelined, Djokovic was awarded the Tour Finals title for the third successive year -- making him the first player to achieve that feat since Ivan Lendl in the 1980s.It was hardly the way the world number one would have wanted to take the silverware however.Im sure that if he could have come out and played, he would have, a rather sheepish looking Djokovic said when he was presented with the trophy.I wish him all the best for his recovery, he has an important week ahead of him with the Davis Cup final.Fans were already streaming into the 17,500-capacity south-east London venue when the announcement of Federers withdrawal came less than an hour before the scheduled start.Djokovic agreed to play an exhibition match against Andy Murray in a bid to at least partially satisfy a disappointed crowd, who had paid high ticket prices (from £95 to £500) to watch a fascinating encounter between the worlds top two.There was also scheduled to be a legends doubles exhibition between Andy Murray and John McEnroe and Tim Henman and Pat Cash.Chris Kermode, the ATPs executive chairman and president, revealed Federer spoke to him after tweaking his back in the deciding tie-break against Wawrinka.Kermode then rang Murray on Sunday afternoon to ask if he would play the exhibition.Its amazing that hes come up and done it, Kermode said.

Multi-billion dollar Hong Kong-Shanghai link-up launches

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Hong Kong (AFP) - The stock exchanges of Hong Kong and Shanghai on Monday launch a much-anticipated trading link that will see billions of dollars in daily cross-border transactions and partially open up Chinas closeted equities markets to the world.After weeks of delays the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect finally kicks off, giving international investors access to companies in the worlds number two economy, while allowing mainland investors to trade shares in Hong Kong.The link-up, which was described by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) as a milestone, is seen as a key step towards greater financial liberalisation in Chinas economy as its leaders embark on a slow process of reform.It definitely is a game changer, it brings a new dimension to the market and new dynamics, as well, Jackson Wong, associate director for Simsen International Financial Group in Hong Kong, told AFP, calling it a win-win situation.If all this goes well, China will probably put in more financial products, not only stocks, he said, explaining that foreign investors currently can only participate in the limited trading of Chinese financial products.The whole programme will attract more foreign funds. When you have more funds, that will help the stocks on both exchanges.- Strict controls remain -The scheme is expected to allow the equivalent of $3.8 billion a day in cross-border transactions.Chinas premier Li Keqiang announced plans for the project in April as part of Beijings push to liberalise its economy and gradually to make the yuan more freely convertible.But it is subject to strict limits in order to preserve capital controls in China, where Communist authorities keep a tight grip on the yuan currency.If an investor buys stocks in the other market, when they sell the money can only go back to their home market account, a so-called closed path to prevent hot money leaking out.Beijing has granted an initial cumulative quota of 250 billion yuan ($41 billion) for trading of Hong Kong stocks, while 300 billion yuan will be allowed for the Shanghai market, with daily allowances of 10.5 and 13 billion yuan respectively.In preparation for the launch the HKMA, Hong Kongs de facto central bank, on Wednesday said it would lift a daily cap for converting the local dollar to yuan to facilitate the trading link.Analysts say the lifting of the limit will bring easier access to renminbi for local residents and encourage investors to use the currency.The scheme is a long time in the making. A similar idea, the stock Through Train, was floated in 2007 but derailed because of the global financial crisis.And the latest plan was due to kick off last month but was delayed, with technical issues blamed.However, while there is big interest in the programme, some Chinese traders are reticent.The two markets differ in terms of trading rules and time, so theres going to be a process of mutual adaptation, Jiang Shiqing, a Shanghai-based strategist with Industrial Securities told AFP.At (the) current stage, I have no intention (of buying Hong Kong stocks through the scheme). I want to put my limited funds in a market Im more familiar with, Steven Zhou, an investor based in the eastern Chinese city of Wuxi, said.

Australia and China set to sign free trade deal

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Sydney (AFP) - Australia and China were expected to ink a multi-billion dollar free trade deal later Monday during a visit by President Xi Jinping, officials said.Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce refused to reveal details of the deal, but said he was confident it would be extremely well received.The FTA would boost agricultural exports and help counter the downturn in mining which hurts the Australian economy.If we can alleviate that in some way by exports in dairy and exports of beef and exports of wine, horticultural produce, fish, then that is a good outcome for us, Joyce told ABC radio.The Australian Financial Review said the agreement will liberate more than 90 percent of Australian exports from tariffs over the next four years.Australian financial services providers would have access to China second only to that of providers in Hong Kong and Macau, both part of China.This would include sectors such as banking, securities, futures and insurance, the daily said.The Sydney Morning Herald said the deal should open up billions of dollars in new markets for Australian exporters.It would allow dairy farmers tariff-free access to Chinas lucrative infant formula markets without restrictive safeguard caps that apply to New Zealand.Existing 30 percent tariffs on Australian wine sold to China would be eliminated over four years, the Herald said.China is Australias biggest trading partner, with the two-way flow exceeding Aus$150 billion (US$131 billion).The trade talks began in 2005, but stalled last year over agriculture and Chinas insistence on removing investment limits for state-owned enterprises.Over the past year Australia has sealed free trade deals with Japan and South Korea.With Chinas insistence on removing investment limits for state-owned enterprises, the two sides have struggled to seal agreement with Beijing since talks began in 2005.The scheduled post-G20 summit visit by President Xi became a target to finalise the marathon negotiations.Xi was due to address the Australian parliament in Canberra on Monday afternoon.Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister Josh Frydenberg told ABC radio the FTA would prove a game-changer and be worth up to $18 billion to the Australian economy over the next few years.It will supercharge our trade with China, he said. Up to 95 per cent of our exports over time will enter the Chinese market tariff free.China sought greater access to invest in Australia, Frydenberg added.The FTA is expected to cover an array of issues, including agricultural tariffs and quotas, manufactured goods, services, temporary entry of people and foreign investment.Last week, Canberra unveiled a deal to ship to China one million Australian cattle worth Aus$1 billion (US$860 million) in an agreement that will double the size of the live export industry.

Philae's historic comet bounce

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Paris (AFP) - The European Space Agency (ESA)on Sunday unveiled images of the probe Philae after it bounced while making its historic landing on a comet last Wednesday.The discovery came thanks to painstaking follow-up analysis of a series of pictures ESA had released on Friday, the agency said.The photos appeared to show only a trail of dust kicked up by Philae when it touched down and rebounded after a pair of harpoons, designed to anchor it to the comets surface, failed to work.But closer scrutiny of the images has shown a bright dot that is Philae, as well as a dark dot made by its shadow as it zooms upwards in the rebound.It appears as a couple of brighter pixels closely accompanied by its shadow in the form of a couple of darker ones just below, both to the right of the diffuse dust cloud shadow, ESAs Rosetta mission said in a blog post.The discovery came from hours of patient work by flight dynamics specialist Gabriele Bellei, the posting said (http://blogs.esa.int/rosetta/2014/11/16/philae_spotted_after_first_landing/).A science lab laden with 10 instruments, Philae was sent down to Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko by its mother ship Rosetta, after a 10-year trek that covered 6.5 billion kilometres (four billion miles) around the inner Solar System.After its first bounce, it is believed Philae landed and bounced once more before settling around a kilometre from its target site.The lander found itself at an angle and in the shadow of a cliff, which meant its solar panels were unable to capture the sunlight it needed to recharge its batteries.But ESA says Philae successfully carried out its scheduled research programme thanks to a battery that had enough charge for 60 hours work.Philae has now gone into standby mode for lack of power. Mission managers still have some hope it will revive as the comet races closer to the Sun, bringing greater illumination.Approved in 1993 and launched in 2004, the Rosetta mission aims to uncover the chemical and physical secrets of comets -- primordial clusters of ice and dust that may explain the origins of the Solar System and, say some, of life on Earth.

Russia-West tensions soar as Putin quits G20 summit

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MOSCOW (AFP) - Vladimir Putins early exit from a G20 summit in Australia after an icy reception from world leaders may further stoke Russia-West tensions and lead to renewed fighting in Ukraine, analysts said.Western leaders piled huge pressure on the Russian president at the Group of 20 meeting in Brisbane, with host Tony Abbott calling on Putin to atone for the shooting down of Flight MH17 over rebel-held eastern Ukraine and Britains David Cameron branding him a bully.Analysts said Putins apparent anger at his treatment by his fellow leaders could worsen the crisis in Ukraine.If he is leaving irritated, just wait for the fighting in Ukraine to intensify, independent analyst Stanislav Belkovsky told AFP.Putin, who prides himself on his stamina, cited the need to sleep and a long flight home as his reasons for leaving the summit before the final communique was issued. Despite the baking heat in Brisbane, the chill in the air was unmistakable, with Western leaders threatening new sanctions if fighting in Ukraine intensifies.Australian tabloid The Courier-Mail called Putin the black sheep of the G20 family, while Russian media complained that Western leaders went out of their way to ostracise him.At the G20 Australian hosts tried to humiliate Vladimir Putin in every way possible, pro-Kremlin magazine Expert said.Armed with the Forbes title of the most powerful man in the world and approval ratings over 80 percent, Putin arrived in Australia with a flotilla of Russian navy vessels in tow.He and the West had not been expected to reach a breakthrough over Ukraine, yet few had expected hostilities to break out into the open.In recent years Putin has stolen the limelight at international gatherings, setting himself up as an outsider at G8 gatherings as the Kremlin agenda grew increasingly at odds with Western interests.But the walkout in Brisbane took tensions to a whole new level.Analysts said that Western leaders increasingly vocal criticism of the Kremlins policies and Putins abrupt departure indicate that neither side was interested any longer in maintaining even a patina of civility.Fyodor Lukyanov, chairman of the Kremlin-connected Council on Foreign and Defence Policy, warned that Western criticism might force Putin to harden his position.We are witnessing a further radicalisation of the positions of some Western countries, first and foremost North America and Australia, which is the summit host, Lukyanov said on radio.There is no desire on their part to somehow soften this, on the contrary this is spilling into the public sphere. Well, the reaction is predictable -- Russia will also harden its stance.Lilia Shevtsova, an analyst at the Brookings Institution, said as Russias confrontation with the West grew bigger, Moscow was becoming increasingly dependent on China.An outcast? Yes, the APEC in Beijing and the G20 in Brisbane confirmed that Putin had become an outcast, she said on Facebook.A dependent outcast -- world politics does not know a combination that would be more explosive.Lilia Shevtsova, an analyst at the Brookings Institution, said Putins Russia was showing all the signs of humiliation.An outcast? Yes, the APEC in Beijing and the G20 in Brisbane confirmed that Putin had become an outcast, she said on Facebook.Going into the summit, US President Barack Obama said Russias aggression against Ukraine was a threat to the world and called the shooting down of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 over the rebel-held east of the ex-Soviet country in July appalling.Australias prime minister Abbott accused Putin of trying to relive the lost glories of tsarism, while Britains Cameron said Putin was undermining Russias own interests.Putin was also apparently rebuffed by Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper when the Russian leader approached him.Well, I guess Ill shake your hand, but I only have one thing to say to you: you need to get out of Ukraine, said Harper.The West this week accused Russia of sending fresh military hardware into eastern Ukraine, fuelling fears of a return to all-out conflict. Russia denies its troops are on the ground in Ukraine.De-escalation did not pan out. The EU may introduce new sanctions against Russia, said Gazeta.ru.Summit G191 in Australia, quipped a prominent satirical Twitter account in Russia.Analysts also said Putins walkout on the Western leaders would play well with his supporters back home.All the gestures of the Russian leader are aimed at the so-called Putin majority, Konstantin Kalachev, head of the Political Expert Group, told AFP.He said Putins attitude would be interpreted by his backers as: What does Russias national leader have to talk about with the rotten West?Kalachev also pointed out that by dispensing with diplomatic niceties Putin might be intentionally setting himself apart from other leaders.The more capricious, the more attention, he said.

IS claims beheading of US aid worker Kassig

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BEIRUT (AFP) - The Islamic State group on Sunday released a video claiming the beheading of US aid worker Peter Kassig in a warning to Washington as it prepares to send more troops to Iraq.The video also showed the gruesome simultaneous beheadings of at least 18 men described as Syrian military personnel, the latest in a series of mass executions and other atrocities carried out by IS in Syria and Iraq.Washington said it was working to confirm the authenticity of the video.If confirmed, we are appalled by the brutal murder of an innocent American aid worker and we express our deepest condolences to his family and friends, National Security Council spokeswoman Bernadette Mehan said.White House press secretary Josh Earnest said President Barack Obama had been briefed about the reports of Kassigs murder.In the undated video, a man who appears to be the same British-accented jihadist who beheaded previous Western hostages stands above a severed head.This is Peter Edward Kassig, a US citizen, the black-clad masked executioner says, urging Obama to send more troops back to the region to confront IS.Here we are burying the first American crusader in Dabiq, eagerly waiting for the remainder of your armies to arrive, the militant says, referring to a northern Syrian town.Kassigs family said they were awaiting official confirmation on the death of the former US soldier, who risked his life to provide medical treatment and aid to those suffering from Syrias civil war.We are aware of the news reports being circulated about our treasured son and are waiting for confirmation from the government as to the authenticity of these reports, Ed and Paula Kassig said in a statement.They urged the media not to publish or broadcast images released by IS, saying this was playing into the hostage-takers hands.We prefer our son is written about and remembered for his important work and the love he shared with friends and family, not in the manner the hostage-takers would use to manipulate Americans and further their cause.Kassig would be the fifth Western hostage killed by IS in recent months, after two US reporters and two British aid workers were beheaded.Sundays video was substantially different from the previous IS recordings. Kassig was not shown alive in the footage, and no direct threats were made against other Western hostages.British Prime Minister David Cameron said he was horrified by the cold-blooded murder which French President Francois Hollande called a crime against humanity.The 26-year-old, who converted to Islam and took the first name Abdul-Rahman, was captured last year and was threatened in an October 3 video showing the beheading of British aid worker Alan Henning.The claim of Kassigs killing came as Washington prepares to double its military personnel in Iraq to up to 3,100 as part of the international campaign it heads against IS.The Sunni Muslim extremist group has seized large parts of Iraq and Syria, declared a caliphate and imposed its brutal interpretation of Islamic law.The latest video also showed a highly choreographed sequence of the beheadings of at least 18 prisoners said to be Syrian officers and pilots loyal to President Bashar al-Assad.Jihadists are shown marching the prisoners past a box of long military knives, each taking one as he passed, then forcing them to kneel in a line and decapitating them.Today, were slaughtering the soldiers of Bashar, the same black-clad militant said in the video.Tomorrow, well be slaughtering your (US) soldiers. And with Allahs permission, we will break this final and last crusade, and the Islamic State will... begin to slaughter your people on your streets.Kassig founded an aid group through which he trained some 150 civilians to provide medical aid to people in Syria. His group also gave food, cooking supplies, clothing and medicine to the needy.Burhan Mousa Agha, a Syrian friend who worked with Kassig in Lebanon, described him as a funny, dedicated and brave man who only wanted to help.I want to apologise to his family. Im sorry that their son died in my country, trying to help, Agha told AFP.They are animals, less than animals, they dont represent Islam. Peter wasnt fighting anyone, he was teaching people how to save lives.I want to send a message to everyone that Peter was a hero, a real hero, Agha added.Sundays video came as IS suffered battleground losses in Iraq backed by US-led air strikes, with government forces on Saturday breaking the jihadists months-long siege of Iraqs largest oil refinery.The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said IS also executed 13 men in Raqa in Syria Sunday, accusing them of belonging to pro-regime sleeper cells.

Gulf leaders in Saudi for surprise GCC meeting

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RIYADH (AFP) - Gulf leaders including the emirs of Kuwait and Qatar arrived in Saudi Arabia on Sunday to attend a previously unannounced summit aimed at resolving differences with Doha.Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Sabah... arrived in Riyadh this evening, the official Saudi Press Agency said, adding that Qatars Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani had also reached the Saudi capital.Kuwaits official news agency KUNA earlier reported that the countrys emir had left for Saudi Arabia to meet fellow leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states.The United Arab Emirates vice president, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, also arrived in Riyadh as did King Hamad of Bahrain, SPA said.The leaders, who travelled with their foreign ministers and other cabinet members or senior officials, were greeted by Crown Prince Mugran bin Abdulaziz al-Saud and GCC Secretary General Abdullatif al-Zayani, according to SPA.Local media reported last week that leaders of the six-nation alliance, which also includes Oman, were expected to hold a meeting ahead of their annual summit in Doha on December 9-10, in a last-ditch bid to overcome internal differences.Sheikh Sabah has been leading a mediation effort to bridge the gap between Qatar and Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.Qatar is accused of supporting the Muslim Brotherhood and offering a safe haven to other banned Islamist groups.Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain all withdrew their ambassadors to Doha in March, sparking one of the GCCs worst diplomatic rows since its creation in 1981.In another statement on KUNA, Kuwait parliament speaker Marzouk al-Ghanem voiced optimism on the efforts by Sheikh Sabah to end the differences.We hope the Riyadh meeting today comes to a happy ending that strengthens the GCC, he said.The dispute has led to reports of the venue for the annual GCC summit being moved from Doha, although Kuwait last week denied any change.A GCC foreign ministers meeting which was scheduled on November 10 to prepare for the summit was postponed.Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE have accused Qatar of meddling in their internal affairs by supporting the Brotherhood.Riyadh and Abu Dhabi label the Brotherhood a terrorist group, and the UAE has jailed dozens convicted of links to the Islamist organisation.Doha earlier this year asked Brotherhood leaders to leave Qatar following diplomatic pressure from Saudi Arabia.The UAE on Saturday issued a list of 83 Islamist groups which it classified as terrorist organisations, among them the Qatar-based International Union of Muslim Scholars, which is headed by the Brotherhoods spiritual guide Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, a Qatari citizen.
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