Monday 24 November 2014

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Elderly should take cholesterol-lowering statins: US study

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - Nearly everyone aged 66 to 75 should consider taking cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins to reduce their risk of heart attack and stroke, new guidelines published Monday said.A total of 97 percent of people in the age group, and 100 percent of men, should be on the medication even if their cholesterol levels are normal, according to a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine, a journal of the American Medical Association.The research is based on controversial recommendations made late last year by the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association, which called for more adults without heart disease to take medication to prevent future health problems.The guidelines are a significant change from prior guidelines that relied heavily on levels of bad cholesterol to determine who to treat, lead author Michael Miedema, a cardiologist at the Minneapolis Heart Institute, said.Not only do the new guidelines recommend statins -- such as Lipitor -- for all people with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or high levels of bad cholesterol, but also for healthy adults whose risk of heart attack or stroke is more than 7.5 percent over the next 10 years.Older individuals will likely cross the 7.5 percent threshold based on age alone, even if they have normal cholesterol levels and no other cardiovascular risk factors, Miedema said.The study, which involved more than 6,000 Americans age 66 to 90, did not provide a recommendation for people older than 75, who accounted for more than half of the study group.We dont have great data on the efficacy of statin medications in the elderly so the guidelines drew a cut-off for the recommendations at age 75, Miedema said, emphasizing that research was needed for the age group.

Further easing seen as China rate cut signals policy shift

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SHANGHAI (AFP) - After months of modest stimulus actions to try to keep the worlds second largest economy on track, China has fallen back on one of the strongest weapons in its arsenal -- an interest rate cut -- and analysts say more easing is on the way.In the first such move in more than two years, Chinas central bank cut the benchmark one-year lending rate by 0.40 percentage points to 5.60 percent and trimmed the one-year deposit rate by 0.25 percentage points to 2.75 percent.The change came as a surprise, sending European and Asian stock markets higher, but analysts say it will not be enough on its own to arrest Chinas slowing growth.Chief Asia economist for Capital Economics Mark Williams said the announcement Friday marked a major -- and largely unanticipated -- change of tack by the Peoples Bank of China (PBoC), which until now had shunned an across-the-board rate cut.Previously, the government had used what it called targeted measures including limited cuts in reserve requirements -- the amount of funds banks must put aside -- and two fund injections into banks for re-lending totalling 769.5 billion yuan ($126 billion) to boost the economy. Those steps were billed as a mini-stimulus.But economic growth eased to 7.3 percent in July-September, the worst quarter since the depths of the global crisis in early 2009, throwing into peril the governments expansion target of around 7.5 percent for the full year.This is a clear step up in the intensity of monetary policy easing and is likely a response to the strong headwinds from the property market correction and the limited potency of previous measures, brokerage firm Nomura said.Chinas economy has been slammed by a deflating property bubble and weak export growth, as well as a government crackdown on corruption.The Chinese economy has been under downward pressure since the beginning of this year, Premier Li Keqiang told Chinese and foreign Internet company executives the day before the government announced the rate cut.- Strong signal -The governments action also comes with the threat of deflation rising after the consumer price index remained stuck near a five-year low of 1.6 percent in October, and a lukewarm reception earlier this month for a scheme allowing foreign investors greater access to mainland stocks.The market will likely read this as a positive signal that the Chinese government is responding to worsening private demand and rising deflation risks and is finally willing to send a strong signal, Barclays Bank said.Chinas benchmark stock index, the Shanghai Composite, jumped 1.85 percent on Monday in response to the news.The biggest beneficiaries are state firms, which receive the lions share of loans from Chinas biggest banks, and home buyers, while banks could be among the biggest losers as the rate cuts hit their margins.Analysts said Beijing will have to further loosen monetary policy to keep the economy moving, probably through more interest rate cuts and reductions in reserve requirements.Liu Ligang, Greater China chief economist for ANZ Bank, said that the rate cut clearly signals that Chinas central bank has changed its monetary policy stance to a more accommodative one.In fact, the conditions for further policy easing are ripe, he said.In the same announcement, the PBoC also took a step towards the long-cherished goal of free interest rates, allowing banks to offer deposit rates up to 20 percent higher than the benchmark level, compared to the previous 10 percent.Song Yu, an economist at Beijing Gao Hua Securities Co., called it a positive step for financial liberalisation.China began allowing banks to decide their own lending rates in July last year, but still sets deposit rates by administrative order.

Cricket: Clarke has no plans to ease up despite injuries

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SYDNEY (AFP) - Australian skipper Michael Clarke insisted Tuesday he has no plans to retire from either Test or one-day cricket despite injuries increasingly hampering his availability.Clarke is in danger of missing the first Test against India next month as he struggles to overcome a hamstring problem that kept him out of much of the recent one-day series against South Africa.It is the third hamstring issue he has had since August. The 33-year-old also continues to undergo daily treatment for a chronic back condition, raising concerns about his playing prospects this southern summer season and beyond.But the skipper said has no intention of fast-tracking retirement plans or giving up one-day cricket.No I dont, the 107-Test veteran told the Nine Network when asked if he had any plans to retire in the next 12 months.My goal is to continue to play for Australia for a lot longer; I love both forms of the game. I want to continue to play both forms of the game.Speculation has been bubbling in the media about Clarkes long-term replacement, with the in-form Steve Smith looming as a likely candidate.Once you get past the age of 30, I think naturally theres always talk about whos going to be next, how long you play for, Clarke said.I probably experienced the other side of that as vice-captain.People should be looking and thinking about who is going to take that role once Im either dropped or not selected, or I retire.Clarke on Monday nominated Brad Haddin as the man most likely to lead the side in the first Test on December 4 at the Gabba if he is unavailable.I really hope Im fit and Im there to captain Australia, he said.If Im not, then I think Brad Haddin the vice-captain should definitely takeover the captaincy.Clarke was named in a 12-man squad Monday for the first Test, subject to his fitness.Selector Rod Marsh suggested that Wednesday was the deadline day to get himself ready to play for a Cricket Australia XI against the tourists in Adelaide on Friday.If he came through that match, then he would take his place in the Brisbane Test side against India.Clarke later said the Australian teams medical advisers had ruled him out of that match. Instead, he said he was hopeful of playing in a Sydney club game at the weekend to prove his fitness.

Possible carrier of Ebola virus passes away in Faisalabad

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FAISALABAD (Dunya News) – Zulfiqar, who was admitted to the Allied Hospital on Monday following a potential exposure to Ebola virus, died on Tuesday.A 40-year-old resident of Chiniot, Zulfiqar was admitted to the Allied Hospital on suspicion of presence of Ebola virus in his blood.According to details, Zulfiqar returned from Africa few days ago and he bleeds from his nose and mouth. He was admitted to the Allied Hospital on Monday.Zulfiqar’s blood sample was sent to National Institute of Health (NIH) Islamabad for Ebola tests.

Judge remands Portuguese ex-PM in custody in fraud case

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LISBON (AFP) - A Portuguese judge on Monday ordered former Socialist prime minister Jose Socrates to be remanded in custody on suspicion of tax evasion and money laundering.Socrates, 57, has been held in detention since his shock arrest on Friday at Lisbon airport after arriving on a flight from Paris.After lengthy questioning on Monday in connection with the corruption probe, a judge decided that the ex-premier should be kept in preventative detention.Socrates was placed under formal investigation for tax evasion, corruption and money laundering, according to the judges statement read out to reporters.The ex-premiers attorney, Joao Araujo, called the decision deeply unjust and unjustified and vowed to appeal.His personal chauffeur Joao Perna and businessman Carlos Santos were also held in custody.Luis Montenegro, parliamentary leader of the ruling Social Democrats (PSD) said that the countrys image had been tarnished both internally and abroad by what has gone on in recent days.The centre-right government has remained discreet about the case. Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho said Sunday it pertains to the law and not politics, adding Portugal has strong institutions that work.Socrates arrest was the latest bombshell in Portuguese politics, coming hard on the heels of another scandal that cost interior minister Miguel Macedo his job.A series of searches have been carried out at businesses and Socrates residence in Lisbon.According to Portuguese media reports, state-owned bank Caixa Geral de Depositos raised the alarm.Investigators have been looking into transfers involving the former Socialist leaders account in comparison with earnings he has reported to tax authorities.Particular attention is said to have been given to an apartment in Paris estimated at nearly three million euros ($3.7 million). Socrates lived there in 2012 while studying philosophy in the French capital.I have no money or accounts abroad. I have always lived off the income from my own job, Socrates assured in July, when he was questioned by the press over another money laundering case.The case is certainly an unwelcome sideshow for Lisbon mayor Antonio Costa, a former interior minister under Socrates and the Socialist partys new secretary general.So far Costa has refused to distance himself from Socrates, saying that the Socialist party does not adopt Stalinist practices of getting rid of photos of former leaders.A colourful character, Socrates announced his resignation as prime minister in March 2011, after parliament rejected an austerity budget.Shortly afterwards the country received a 78 billion euro bailout package from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund in exchange for a rigorous programme of fiscal discipline which came to an end in May.Socrates was prime minister between 2005 and 2011, with his tenure particularly marked by the financial crisis that badly hit the country.

Mexican billionaire Slim's Panamanian assets seized

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PANAMA CITY (AFP) - A Panamanian court has seized the assets of Mexican billionaire Carlos Slims local infrastructure company over a dispute surrounding a concession for a hydroelectric plant, an official said Monday.The move follows a ruling by Panamas fifth-circuit civil court in favor of Panamanian businessman Julio Cesar Lisac, who filed suit in 2006 claiming that then-president Martin Torrijos had stripped his company, Mina Hydro-Power Corp, of its concession to operate the plant and granted it instead to Slim.Lisac accused Slims company of carrying out industrial espionage to copy his project.All property and assets of Ideal Panama SA have been seized, court administrator Rogelio Cruz told AFP.The Bajo de Mina hydroelectric plant will not be run by Ideal Panama SA but by a court administrator named by the judge, he said.Ideal Panama said in a statement that the judges order does not conform with the law and that the company will take measures against the move, which it said must be resolved by a higher court.Panamas Supreme Court ruled in favor of Lisac in 2011, but the sentence was never executed.The plant, which cost more than $200 million to build, according to Cruz, has monthly earnings of $3 million to $4 million.Slim, the founder of telecommunications giant America Movil, has an estimated net worth of $72 billion, making him the worlds second-richest person after Bill Gates, according to Forbes magazine.

Abdullah Saleh accuses Yemen president of aiding Shiite militias

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DUBAI (AFP) - Former Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh on Monday accused his successor of helping Shiite Huthi militias overrun Sanaa to curb the growing influence of the Sunni Muslim Brotherhood.Saleh, who has been slapped with UN Security Council and US sanctions for obstructing peace, said in a television interview he had played no role in supporting the unopposed seizure of the capital by the Huthis, known also as Ansarullah, in September.The president (Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi) is the one who brought Ansarullah into Sanaa to fight the Muslim Brotherhood, Saleh told Egyptian channel CBC Extra.Government institutions were handed over to Huthis, he said, arguing that Hadi wanted to curb the influence of Sunni Islamists linked to Egypts banned group.The Huthis had expanded their control out of their northern stronghold before seizing the capital. Since then, they have stretched to coastal areas and regions south of the Sanaa, where they met resistance from Sunni tribes and Al-Qaeda fighters.Saleh said however that he was not willing to fight the Huthis, whose rebellion he fought for over a decade as president before he stepped down in February 2012 following nationwide protests.I am not against the Huthis because they have become a political force in the country, he said, urging their incorporation in power.The US Treasury blacklisted Saleh and two Huthi chiefs earlier this month, shortly after the UN Security Council imposed sanctions on the three men for allegedly threatening the UN-backed political transition in the impoverished country.Saleh said the sanctions were the result of an official request by Hadi and called for them to be lifted.He also said he had refused a US and Arab offer to leave Yemen for up to six months, saying it could mean no return for him.

Modi's wife demands to be treated as 'First Lady'

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AHMEDABAD: (AFP) - The estranged wife of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought details about her security cover Monday, voicing concerns about her safety as her family demanded that she be treated as the countrys first lady.The premier, who swept to power in May as head of the right-wing Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, and Jashodaben were wed in an arranged marriage as teenagers. But his family says it was only a formal ritual as Modi left her soon after. They were never divorced.I am the wife of the honourable prime minister of India, stated the retired school teacher in a Right To Information (RTI) application filed in western Gujarat state, where she lives with her brother. I would like to know under what provisions of the law and the constitution of India am I being provided protection? As wife of the prime minister what are the other benefits I am entitled to?Indias RTI Act, similar to the Freedom of Information law in the United States, gives citizens the right to access information held by public bodies.Modis wife has long kept a low profile and rarely been photographed or interviewed. Modi guards his privacy zealously. Her brother, Ashok Modi, said the government should provide her a car and women commandos because she is not comfortable with male guards.She is the first lady and is entitled to get all the facilities, he was quoted as saying by the Hindustan Times newspaper, adding, She deserves to be with (Modi) in Delhi. Jashodaben stated in her application that she travels by public transport while her body guards travel by official vehicle, the paper reported.Modis wife said she was worried about her safety, noting former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was shot dead by her own security guards in 1984.Gandhi was attacked and killed by her personal bodyguards, because of which I am very afraid. Kindly provide me with details of the guards, she wrote in her application.The grey-haired woman demanded a reply in 48 hours, calling it a matter of life and death, signing the application using the name Jashodaben Narendrakumar Modi.In a rare interview before Modi became prime minister, Jashodaben, who gets a monthly government teachers pension, said she read everything about him I can get my hands on but added, I dont think he will ever call me.Modi allegedly kept the wedding secret because it meant he would not be able to climb the ladder of a hardline Hindu group to which he belonged that frowned on key workers marrying, according to a Modi biography by author Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay.Modi, earlier chief minister of Gujarat for over a dozen years, acknowledged his marriage for the first time when filing his general election nomination papers.

UN Congress skeptical of Iran nuclear talks extension

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WASHINGTON: (AFP) - US House and Senate members reacted coolly Monday to an extension of international negotiations over Irans nuclear program, with skeptical lawmakers demanding Congress tighten the economic vice on Tehran through new sanctions.No sooner had the extension been announced in Vienna and US Secretary of State John Kerry implored US lawmakers not to walk away from the negotiations by slapping punitive sanctions on Iran, that several lawmakers advocated just that, setting up a potential White House-Congress clash next year.Now more than ever, its critical that Congress enacts sanctions that give Irans mullahs no choice but to dismantle their illicit nuclear program, Republican Senator Mark Kirk, a fierce proponent of new sanctions, said in a statement.Congress will not give Iran more time to build a nuclear bomb. Kirk and Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Robert Menendez, a Democrat, have drawn up tough legislation.But the chambers Democratic leadership has refused to bring it to the floor, allowing a chance for President Barack Obamas administration to pursue its negotiations.House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce, reacting to the delay, said Obama should allow new sanctions to serve as increased leverage on the Islamic republic.This seven-month extension should be used to tighten the economic vice on Tehran -- already suffering from falling energy prices -- to force the concessions that Iran has been resisting, Royce said in a statement.Unfortunately, time is on Tehrans side as it continues its research and development of centrifuges.Royce was backed up by a Democrat on the panel, Brad Sherman.Modest sanctions have produced modest results, Sherman said on Twitter. New strong immediate sanctions are best hope for a good agreement. House Republican Peter Roskam went further.Extending these ill-conceived negotiations for another six months will only buy the mullahs more time to develop a nuclear weapons capability, Roskam said.Its time we stop this nonsensical process and reinstate the crippling economic sanctions that brought the radical Iranian regime to the negotiating table in the first place.Senator Bob Corker, tipped to replace Menendez as the powerful Foreign Relations chairman when Republicans take full control of Congress in January, offered a more diplomatic route: a threat of new sanctions should the Iran deal ultimately fall apart.I would rather the administration continue to negotiate than agree to a bad deal that would only create more instability in the region and around the world, said Corker.But he added: Congress must have the opportunity to weigh in before implementation of any final agreement and begin preparing alternatives, including tougher sanctions, should negotiations fail.The State Department acknowledged the role of sanctions in bringing Tehran to the negotiations.On the other hand, sanctions are not alone going to get us the comprehensive deal, State Department spokesman Jeffrey Rathke told reporters.

Google reaches out-of-court settlement in UK defamation case

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(Reuters) -GoogleInc said on Monday it had reached a settlement with a British businessman over defamatory postings in its search results describing him as a pedophile, a murderer and a money-launderer.FormerMorgan Stanleybanker Daniel Hegglin, who said he was subjected to years of defamation by unknown users, had sued the Internet giant to have it block links to the abusive material that appeared on several thousand websites.Googlehad asked him to provide a list of web links to be removed. Calling that an incomplete solution, Hegglin asked the High Court of Justice in England and Wales to order Google to ensure the material did not appear in its search results.The case was due to start this week, but the court was told on Monday that the two sides had reached a settlement, details of which were not released.We have reached a mutually acceptable agreement, a Google spokeswoman later said in a statement, without elaborating.No response was immediately available from Hegglin, who now lives in Hong Kong. His legal team in London declined to comment.The BBC quoted Hegglins barrister Hugh Tomlinson as telling the court: The settlement includes significant efforts on Google’s part to remove the abusive material from Google-hosted websites and from its search results.The case was separate from the so-called right to be forgotten ruling, under which search engines must remove outdated information on EU citizens if requested.Since that ruling by a top European court in May, Google has received over 160,000 removal requests from across Europe affecting over half a million sites, according to its online transparency report.

US judge sentences cartel lieutenant to 22 years

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CHICAGO (AP) - A U.S. judge has sentenced a reputed lieutenant of captured Mexican drug lord Joaquin El Chapo Guzman to 22 years in prison for his role in a $1 billion conspiracy to traffic narcotics to Chicago and other cities.Alfredo Vasquez-Hernandez was sentenced Monday in U.S. District in Chicago. The 58-year-old is one of 11 alleged traffickers indicted in Chicago, including Guzman himself. Hernandez was the first to be sentenced.The case is regarded as one of the U.S. governments most important against Mexican cartels. Guzman remains jailed in Mexico, and Mexican authorities havent said if they will extradite him to Chicago.Prosecutors say Hernandez employed logistical skills to ship tons of heroin and cocaine by train from Mexico to Chicago concealed amid furniture

Usmanov tells Wenger to wise up

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LONDON:(AFP) - Arsenals second largest shareholder Alisher Usmanov has warned Arsene Wenger to start learning from his mistakes as the pressure mounts on the Gunners boss.The Gunners have lifted just one trophy in nine-and-a-half years and a 2-1 defeat at home to Manchester United on Saturday marked the teams worst start to a season since 1982. And Usmanov, who owns 30 percent of the Premier League club, believes Wenger is letting his purist footballing principles stand in the way of Arsenals success.Arsene Wenger is one of the greatest coaches, not just of European, but of world football, Usmanov told CNBC on Monday. But we have a Russian proverb which goes: even an old lady can have a roof falling on her. Everybody makes mistakes. He can make mistakes and I know as you age it is more difficult, more challenging to accept ones mistakes.”The potential of the team is there but there is no critical evaluation of mistakes and they need to acknowledge them.Because no genius can retain the same level of genius if they do not acknowledge mistakes. Its only when you admit your mistakes that you can get rid of them. I wish this to my club. Nothing bad is happening apart from repeating the same high result -- we keep being in the middle of the Champions League but we only lose the first knock-out games. Some may be happy with that but as a shareholder, I am not.Wengers position as manager has come under intense scrutiny in recent seasons as the team has drifted further away from a serious challenge in either the Premier League or the Champions League.Usmanov, who has not been offered a place on the Arsenal board, admits it is frustrating to be excluded from discussing the managers future but suggested he still supports the Frenchman, adding the club leadership relies on Wenger.Despite spending big money on Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez over the last two seasons, Wenger is no closer to turning Arsenal into title contenders, but Usmanov says the club must continue to splash the cash.My opinion -- and I tell it openly -- we need to strengthen every position to play on the level of such teams in the UK as Chelsea and Manchester City, in Europe like Real Madrid, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and other clubs, he added.Usmanovs comments will increase the scrutiny on Wenger, who cannot use France striker Olivier Giroud in his teams crucial final two Champions League Group D fixtures.Giroud returned from an ankle injury earlier than expected and scored on his comeback in Saturdays 2-1 defeat against Manchester United.But he was not expected to return until January, after all the group fixtures had taken place, and so was left out of Arsenals original squad list.Clubs can only register 25 players on an A List for the Champions League group matches, which must be submitted by September 2 and include eight home-grown players.Arsenal need just one point from their remaining two games to qualify for the knock-out stages and Giroud could be included for the rest of the competition, with the next squad list due by February 3.Wengers side, who are five points off top spot, host group leaders Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday before finishing with a trip to Galatasaray in December.

Iran president says nuclear deal will be done

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TEHRAN (AFP) - Irans President Hassan Rouhani said Monday that a nuclear deal with world powers would be done despite a missed deadline in Vienna that prompted a seven-month extension in talks.This path of negotiation will reach a final agreement. Most of the gaps have been removed, he said on state television, referring to the main differences that have so far prevented an interim deal being turned into a comprehensive settlement.Rouhani made the remarks in a short interview aired ahead of a scheduled live appearance to the nation due to start at 1800 GMT.His comments were similar to those of US Secretary of State John Kerry who in Vienna said real and substantial progress had been made during almost a week of negotiations in the Austrian capital.Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany will now seek to strike an outline deal by March 1 and to nail down a full technical accord by July 1, officials said.Despite missing Mondays deadline, the parties are working on the basis of an agreement struck a year ago that curbs some of Irans nuclear activities in exchange for limited sanctions relief.Such a deal is aimed at easing fears that Tehran will develop nuclear weapons under the guise of its civilian activities, an ambition Iran denies. The talks will resume next month.A final agreement could see painful sanctions on Iran lifted, silence talk of war and represent a groundbreaking political achievement for Rouhani and a foreign policy success for his US counterpart Barack Obama.

Football: United won't pursue complaint over wine incident

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LONDON (AFP) - Manchester United wont make an official complaint after an Arsenal fan allegedly threw red wine at the visitors bench during their 2-1 win at the Emirates stadium.A fan was arrested following the incident on Saturday, which happened after an own goal by Arsenal defender Kieran Gibbs saw United take the lead in the second half.Manchester United substitute Darren Fletcher was involved in a heated exchange with fans behind the opposition bench moments later.United confirmed an incident, understood to involve red wine, took place but are happy with how Arsenal dealt with the situation and will not be making a complaint.There was an incident after the first goal but Arsenals staff and stewards acted quickly and professionally to it. Contrary to reports in todays media, we will not be making a complaint to the FA, a United spokesman said.A male was arrested at the stadium for throwing an object towards the Manchester United bench after the first Manchester United goal, an Arsenal spokesman said.There will be full co-operation between Arsenal and the Met Police -- we do not tolerate anti-social behaviour. If found guilty, the individual will also be banned by club.

Police chief defends officer who killed 12-year old boy in Cleveland

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WASHINGTON: (AFP) - The chief of police in the US city of Cleveland on Monday defended the conduct of an officer who fatally shot a 12-year-old boy who was wielding a replica handgun.Tamir Rice died in hospital early Sunday after two police officers, responding to a 911 emergency call, confronted the African-American youngster at a recreation center.There is no time that a Cleveland police officer wants to go out and shoot a kid, period, Cleveland police chief Calvin Williams told a press conference. He said the officer, whose name or race he did not disclose, and who has been placed on administrative leave, was broken up about this.But he stood by the officers conduct, saying he had to protect himself in the face of what appeared to be, in the heat of the moment, to be a genuine firearm. The investigation -- all the video evidence, all the scientific evidence -- will show everyone exactly what happened, he said.Williams urged parents to educate youngsters on the dangers of all weapons, including convincing replicas like the so-called airsoft pellet gun Rice had been carrying.Our kids need to know that guns arent toys, he said. Visiting the scene of the shooting, the boys father, Gregory Henderson, questioned why police didnt use a Taser electric stun gun in lieu of lethal force.Why not taze him? said Henderson, who remembered his son as a respectful lad, the Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper reported.Boy shot twiceRice was shot twice, including once in the torso. The incident came as Americans awaited a grand jurys decision on whether to indict a white police officer in the St Louis, Missouri suburb of Ferguson for the fatal shooting in August of black teenager Michael Brown.That shooting, in a majority black community with an overwhelmingly white police force and city council, prompted a national debate about race and law enforcement.Ferguson being out there, not being out there, doesnt matter to me, said Cleveland Mayor Frank Johnson at the same press conference.Its about the child, the loss of his life, the grieving of the family and the ability of the community to overcome a tragedy, he said.In a statement on Sunday, police said the two officers, one of them a rookie, upon arriving at the Cudell Recreation Center, located the suspect and advised him to raise his hands.The suspect did not comply with the officers orders and reached to his waistband for the gun, it said, adding: Shots were fired and the suspect was struck in the torso.Further information reveals that the weapon which the 12-year-old suspect was in possession of is an airsoft type replica gun resembling a semi-automatic pistol, with the orange safety indicator removed.The caller to 911 who initiated the police response said once that a juvenile was involved, and twice that the gun was probably fake.Timothy Kucharski, a lawyer for the Rice family, said the boy never pointed the replica gun at the officers, the Plain Dealer reported.Investigation unfoldsWilliams said Monday that in the days to come, witnesses will be interviewed, video reviewed, forensic evidence examined and a statement taken from the officer concerned.Once that is completed, the police chief added, all evidence will be turned over to local prosecutors, within a 60-day timeframe.Ohio witnessed a similar case in August, when police responding to a 911 call shot and killed a black man in a Walmart who was carrying a toy gun sold in the store. Ohio state lawmaker Alicia Reese said Sunday she would introduce a bill to require all toy guns to be either brightly colored or bear prominent fluorescent stripes.Meanwhile, the online activist group Anonymous, in a YouTube video, claimed responsibility for a cyberattack that knocked out the Cleveland city website Monday.On social media, commentators noted the irony of police shooting a boy with a replica gun in Ohio -- one of several US states where openly carrying a firearm is legal.
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