Thursday 27 November 2014

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Blasts, gunfire in Kabul after suicide bomber hits UK embassy car

Posted:

KABUL (AFP) - Gunfire and explosions rocked Kabul Thursday as Taliban militants attacked a central district that houses several embassies and foreign compounds, hours after a suicide bomber targeted a British embassy vehicle, killing six people.Attacks across Kabul have increased in recent weeks as US-led NATO forces prepare to wrap up their 13-year combat mission against Taliban insurgents at the end of this year.Fears are growing that Afghanistan could tip into a cycle of violence as the NATO military presence declines, with the national security forces already suffering high battlefield casualties.Sporadic gunfire and grenade blasts erupted for at least 45 minutes in the Afghan capitals central district on Thursday evening, though the target was not confirmed and police were unable to give immediate details.The attack came hours after a suicide bomber rammed his explosives-packed car into a British embassy vehicle in Kabul, killing one Briton and five Afghans.The Taliban used a recognised Twitter account to say they were behind both attacks.At least eight blasts have hit Kabul over the last 10 days, including attacks on foreign compounds and on a female Afghan member of parliament who was injured in a suicide bombing that targeted her car.Afghanistan suffered its deadliest attack of 2014 on Sunday when a suicide bomber struck at a volleyball match in the eastern province of Paktika, killing 57 people.About 12,500 foreign troops are set to stay on into 2015 after the NATO combat mission ends, to train and support the Afghan army and police.A British security contractor and an Afghan employee of the British embassy died in the blast on Thursday, which hit their vehicle on a stretch of road notorious for suicide attacks.At least four Afghan bystanders were also killed, and more than 30 others injured.British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond condemned the attack on the embassy vehicle as senseless and cowardly.It reminds us once again of the risks our personnel take every day to keep trying to help Afghans build a better future -- and by helping them do so, protect our own security and own interests, he told a press conference in Rome.A second British contractor with security firm G4S was injured in the bombing, which threw the embassys 4x4 vehicle onto its side.The roof was blown off and car parts scattered across the Jalalabad road, a main route where many fortified compounds and military facilities are located.President Ashraf Ghani, who came to power in September, has vowed to bring peace to Afghanistan after decades of conflict, saying he is open to talks with the Taliban, who ruled Kabul from 1996 to 2001.Ghani finally emerged as president after signing a power-sharing deal with his poll rival Abdullah Abdullah.Both men claimed to have won fraud-tainted elections in a prolonged stand-off that caused political paralysis in Kabul and fuelled worsening violence nationwide.Britain hosts a major donor conference on Afghanistan next week, which was meant to showcase Ghanis national unity government and demonstrate continuing international support for the country.

Gunmen on camels kill 15 in Darfur: local govt

Posted:

KHARTOUM (AFP) - Gunmen on camels have killed 15 civilians and wounded 10 others in an attack in Sudans South Darfur, the regions government said in a statement.The attack took place in the Hammadeh area 80 kilometres (50 miles) north of the state capital Nyala, the statement carried by official new agency SUNA said Wednesday.We have formed a commission of inquiry into the killing of the citizens in the Hammadeh area, state governor Adam Jar al-Nabi told SUNA.One of those wounded who talked to SUNA from the hospital in Nyala said the group had been visiting family in Hammadeh and were returning on Tuesday when the attack took place.Gunmen on camelback attacked us and opened fire on the vehicle, and killed 13 people, the man named as Abdul Karim said.Two of the casualties died on Wednesday morning from their wounds, he added.The report did not say how many gunmen had attacked the vehicle and gave no indication of their identity.The troubled western region of Darfur has been wracked by lawlessness since 2003, when ethnic insurgents rebelled against the mostly Arab government in Khartoum, complaining of their marginalisation.The conflict has claimed 300,000 lives and displaced two million people, according to the UN, and President Omar al-Bashir and his defence minister are wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes in the region.Rising criminality and disputes between Darfurs various Arab tribes over resources and water have seen the region sink further into lawlessness in recent years.

Sheep flock to Eiffel Tower as French farmers cry wolf

Posted:

PARIS (AFP) - French farmers flocked to the Eiffel Tower on Thursday, sheep in tow, to express their frustration over increasing attacks by wolves which some say have been overprotected by the government.Some 300 sheep bleated or lazily grazed at the foot of the French capitals most famous monument as the farmers gathered under foggy skies to demand an effective plan to stop the wolf attacks.Today farmers, tomorrow unemployed, read one banner, while one of the protesters dressed as a wolf carried around a lamb.The farmers were not alone: a rival demonstration by animal rights activists calling for the wolves to be protected also made an appearance under the Eiffel Tower.The protesters and their livestock set off from their homes in the countryside on Wednesday morning, stopping overnight for their sheep to graze before arriving in the City of Light.The protesters were due to meet Agriculture Minister Stephane Le Foll later in the day, and a few of the sheep are expected to accompany them to the ministry.We wanted to show authorities how absurd the wolf is. And since we can no longer protect our flock, we are going to ask the government to keep them, said Serge Preveraud, president of the National Ovine Federation.French farmers have grown increasingly angry over the rise in wolf populations and want the right to cull more of the animals than the government currently allows.For 2014-2015 a cull of 24 wolves was ordered.The animals were hunted almost to extinction in France in the 1930s, but crossed back into the country from Italy in the 1990s. They are now protected and number an estimated 300. The last official figures in August showed 4,800 wolf attacks, mostly on sheep, so far this year -- about 1,000 more than the same time in 2013.There is nothing natural about being eaten by wolves. We are against wolves from the moment they attack our farms, Claude Font, head of a sheep farmers organisation from the central region of Auvergne, said ahead of the protest.Jacques Courron keeps 550 sheep in the southeastern Alpes-Maritime region, one of the worst-hit by wolf attacks.He said that since January his farm has been attacked some 40 times, 60 of his sheep have been killed and as many have disappeared. This despite increased security, firing warning shots, protection dogs and sheltering the herd at night.Our job is to collect the bodies of dead sheep, or those in the throes of death. It is a terrible stress for the animals who have a lot of miscarriages, he told AFP.Frances Environment Minister Segolene Royal stepped into the row earlier this year, saying that attacks by wolves had become too frequent.The damage to herders has become too great, she said. The distress of the farmers and their families should be better taken into account.Claire, a sheep farmer from Drome in southeast France, said the constant threat of wolf attacks was an enormous daily stress... it is omnipresent and oppressive, farmers around me feel helpless.Those who wanted to overprotect them are going to kick themselves. The wolf reproduces and moves around very fast, she added.

Football: Everton through to Europa League knockout stage

Posted:

PARIS (AFP) - Everton marched on into the knockout stage of the Europa League as winners of Group H with an impressive 2-0 victory away to Bundesliga high-fliers VfL Wolfsburg in Germany on Thursday.The Premier League side knew halfway through their own game that they were through to the last 32 as news filtered in that the other match in Group H between FC Krasnodar and Lille in Russia had ended in a 1-1 draw.And goals from Belgian duo Romelu Lukaku and Kevin Mirallas secured a handsome victory for the Toffees as they extended their unbeaten run to eight matches and guaranteed top spot in the section.It was a perfect away performance. Our counter-attacks were lethal and I thought we were outstanding, said Everton manager Roberto Martinez.Big credit must also go to the back five because keeping a clean sheet here is a fantastic achievement.Martinez made four changes to the team that defeated West Ham United at the weekend, with youngster Luke Garbutt, Muhamed Besic, Samuel Etoo and Aiden McGeady all starting against the Wolves.The hosts had won eight games in a row prior to a defeat to Schalke at the weekend and they were perhaps a little unlucky to lose the game, even if Sylvain Distin hit the bar early on for Everton.Ivan Perisic then had the ball in the net at the other end only for a wrong offside call to deny Wolfsburg the goal, before the visitors lost James McCarthy to a hamstring injury after only half an hour.Martinezs side then opened the scoring two minutes before the interval with a classic counter-attacking goal following a Wolfsburg corner.Mirallas touched the ball into the path of his compatriot Lukaku, who proved too strong for Junior Malanda and too quick for Perisic before finishing in emphatic fashion.Wolfsburg had another goal ruled out in the second half, this time correctly, when Nicklas Bendtner put the ball in the net at a corner.However, McGeady somehow missed the target with the goal gaping and Everton then increased their advantage 15 minutes from time, Lukaku setting up Mirallas for a brilliantly-taken effort.Maximilian Arnold hit the post for Wolfsburg late on while Ross Barkley, on from the bench, had another effort ruled out for offside as Everton claimed a fine victory.The result means Wolfsburg will be out if they lose in Lille in their final group game in two weeks.Elsewhere, Dinamo Moscow beat PSV Eindhoven to secure qualification for the last 32 as winners of Group E.Napoli are also through to the knockout stage after a 0-0 draw away to Sparta Prague in Group I. Rafael Benitezs side are level on points with Sparta and a point above Young Boys but cannot be overtaken by both teams on the final matchday.Dynamo Kievs 2-0 win at home to Rio Ave secured their qualification from Group J, while Trabzonspor joined Legia Warsaw in qualifying from Group L by beating Metalist Kharkiv 3-1 in Turkey.However, holders Sevilla will still need a point in their last game at home to Rijeka to advance in Group G after going down 2-0 to Feyenoord in Rotterdam.

Spurs advance in Europa League after game halted

Posted:

MANCHESTER (AP) - Tottenham was among nine teams to qualify for the knockout stage of the Europa League on Thursday after beating Partizan Belgrade 1-0 in a match that was briefly suspended because of three separate pitch invasions.Inter Milan and Napoli also advanced to ensure there will be at least three Italian clubs in the last 32 of Europes secondary competition.Spurs victory, secured by Benjamin Stamboulis 49th-minute winner, was overshadowed by a succession of pitch invasions that forced the referee to halt the game after 41 minutes. It appeared to be an orchestrated PR campaign, with the individuals entering the field of play wearing shirts with the logo of a Tottenham sponsor.Play resumed after a 10-minute delay but Tottenham faces punishment by organizing body UEFA.The club said on its Twitter page that the three pitch invaders were arrested and were assisting police with their inquiries.Besiktas, Celtic, Everton, Dynamo Kiev, Feyenoord and Trabzonspor also progressed Thursday with one group game to spare.The Group E game between Estoril and PSV Eindhoven was abandoned at halftime after torrential rain in Portugal made the pitch unplayable. UEFA said the game will be completed on Friday, with Estoril leading 3-2 and needing a win to stay alive in the competition.Tottenhams Group C game against Partizan was tied at 0-0 when a third pitch invasion by an individual led referee Yevhen Aranovskiy to call players from both teams off the field. The second pitch invader had attempted to take a photo on his mobile phone of himself with Tottenham striker Roberto Soldado.There were no further disruptions in the second half, during which Stambouli slotted home a rebound into an empty net for his first goal for the club after Soldados shot came back off the post.Spurs top the group and are two points clear of Besiktas ahead of their meeting in two weeks. Besiktas squandered a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 at Asteras Tripolis but still progressed.Inter coach Roberto Mancini celebrated his 50th birthday by seeing his team beat Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk 2-1 and secure first place in Group F. Dani Osvaldo scored the winner in the 50th minute, soon after Andrea Ranocchia was sent off for Inter for a second yellow card.Napolis 0-0 draw at Sparta Prague ensured the Rafa Benitezs team cannot be denied a top-two finish in Group I. Fiorentina is the other Italian team guaranteed to be in the knockout stage after qualifying following the fourth round of matches.Everton will finish first in Group H after beating Wolfsburg 2-0 away through goals by Belgium internationals Romelu Lukaku and Kevin Mirallas.Ukrainian side Dynamo Kiev beat Rio Ave 2-0 to ensure progress from Group J, Feyenoord won by the same score at home to defending champion Sevilla and will advance from Group G, while Trabzonspor won to qualify from Group L.Celtic joined Salzburg in qualifying from Group D despite losing 3-1 at home to the Austrian team.

Football: Pele in 'special care' as condition worsens - hospital

Posted:

SAO PAULO (AFP) - Brazil great Pele, 74, was on Thursday taken into a special care unit in a Sao Paulo hospital after his health worsened, three days after being admitted with a urinary infection, the hospital confirmed.Edson Arantes do Nascimento (Pele) remains in hospital. To receive the best care he was transferred in order to be monitored in a special care unit, read a statement released by the Albert Einstein hospital in Sao Paulo.Pele underwent surgery for kidney stones on November 13 before being released two days later.The unit to which the three-time World Cup winner has been admitted is strictly speaking a step before intensive care and will allow him to be monitored more closely than in a regular ward.The patient has been transferred to a room where he will be more closely monitored, but it is not intensive care, it is an intermediate stage, a hospital spokesman explained to AFP.After confirming that he had been taken in on Monday, the hospital had said that Pele remained in hospital with tests showing the presence of a urinary infection.Two years ago, on November 15, 2012, he underwent a hip operation in the same hospital.Pele, nicknamed O Rei (The King), was born in a humble home in the city of Tres Coracoes, but is considered by many as the greatest footballer in history with his exploits for Brazil and a career which saw him score 1,281 goals in 1,363 games.He scored 77 goals in 91 games for his country and won his first World Cup aged just 17, scoring twice in the 1958 final win over hosts Sweden.

Football: Bastia's Brandao jailed for a month for headbutt

Posted:

PARIS (AFP) - Bastias Brazilian striker Brandao was on Thursday jailed for a month and fined 20,000 euros ($25,000) for headbutting Paris Saint-Germains Thiago Motta.The three judges went beyond the prosecutors request for an eight-month suspended term and 15,000 euros ($18,000) fine.However, Yves Madre, the President of the Paris court, implied the 34-year-old could benefit from a reduced sentence, and may eventually avoid prison.Madre also regretted Brandaos failure to appear in court, which prevented the judges from considering alternative sentences such as community service.Brandao is currently in hospital receiving treatment after undergoing a thigh operation last week.Madre explained that the judges had accepted the premeditated nature of the incident, and had also taken into account the context and in particular the problems of violence in stadiums.In a statement, the president of his club Bastia, Pierre-Marie Geronimi said that Brandao deserved to be punished but called the sentence severe and extremely over the top.He added: It was a case with great media interest and that played its part. In terms of jurisprudence it is a first in France.In addition, he said that no decision would yet be taken on the future of Brandao, whose contract with the Corsican club runs out at the end of the season.We are not here to drown someone who already has their head under the water. We will not take any decision for the moment, he said.CCTV security cameras at the Parc des Princes on August 16 showed Brandao headbutting Brazilian-born Italian midfielder Motta and then running away to the Bastia changing rooms leaving the Paris player with a broken nose.Brandao claimed he had been insulted by Motta throughout the match, relating to a rape charge Brandao was cleared of in 2012.He however denied that it was premeditated, claiming he had wanted to have it out with Motta and then blew a fuse in the heat of the moment.Brandaos lawyer Olivier Martin said he was a bit stunned after the verdict, adding that the decision was in line with what is going on since the beginning of this case: were in excess.Martin said that his client had lost it as a result of Mottas alleged insults.The reality is that the blow was because Thiago Motta had taken a psychological edge (on Brandao), insisted Martin.For Martin the Bastia player had already paid dearly on the media and disciplinary front.French football authorities had already hit Brandao with a six-month playing ban, ruling him out until February.The prosecutor had earlier described the players actions as calculated, pointing out that a threat of violence had been made earlier in the evening.On the pitch he (Brandao) said hed be waiting for me afterwards, but I never thought hed actually do it, Motta told the police.Neither Motta nor PSG however filed a complaint against Brandao.

Formula One: Raikkonen hopes for Ferrari fight with Vettel

Posted:

MILAN (AFP) - Kimi Raikkonen promised new Ferrari teammate Sebastian Vettel a tussle on the track next year when they will target a long-awaited Formula One world title for the struggling Scuderia.Ferrari have undergone a major overhaul in recent weeks with four-time world champion Vettel coming in to replace departing Spaniard Fernando Alonso and Maurizio Arrivabene succeeding sacked Team Principal Marco Mattiacci.Raikkonen, who won Ferraris last world title in 2007 during a previous spell with the team, ended his disappointing 2014 season with a day of testing at Abu Dhabi before returning to the teams Italian base at Maranello.Vettel, who won four consecutive world titles with Red Bull before deciding to join Ferrari on a three-year deal, spent a day at the Ferrari garage in Abu Dhabi.It was nice that he joined us in the garage for the first day of testing, although I have to say that didnt surprise me, because I know what hes like and his approach to work, Raikkonen said in a team statement.I think we can enjoy ourselves on track together, both of us fighting to be ahead of the other, while also working as a team to reach the common target of progressing in order to get the Scuderia back to the level it should be at.Raikkonen said testing had produced a lot of useful data as the team set about producing a more competitive car for next year.Ferrari finished the season winless for the first time since 1993, with former two-time world champion Alonso finishing sixth in the drivers standings over 200 points behind British champion Lewis Hamilton.I am sure that thanks to the knowledge we acquired over the course of the season, we will be able to develop a more competitive car, added the Finn, who finished 12th overall on just 55 points.Clearly, how much progress we make depends on the time available and the possibilities presented by the regulations, which for the moment, impose certain limits for everyone, but I have every confidence in the ability of the team.

OPEC holds oil output level, triggering price collapse

Posted:

VIENNA (AFP) - OPEC on Thursday decided against cutting the amount of oil it produces despite a glut in global supplies, triggering a fresh collapse in crude prices.The cartel pumping out one-third of the worlds oil opted to stick by its output target, even after prices have plunged by more than a third in value since June.The 12-nation cartel decided to maintain the production level of 30 million barrels per day where it has stood for three years, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries said in a communique.Going into the meeting in Vienna, OPEC faced pressure from its poorer members, notably Venezuela and Ecuador, to cut output as collapsing prices slashed their precious revenues.But its powerful Gulf members rejected calls to turn down the taps unless they are guaranteed market share in the highly competitive arena, particularly in the United States, where a flood of cheaper oil from shale rock has contributed to the global oversupply.We should withdraw the overproduction from the market, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Rafael Ramirez told reporters ahead of Thursdays outcome.The OPEC decision sent world oil prices tumbling to fresh four-year lows.New Yorks West Texas Intermediate for January slumped to $69.11 a barrel -- the lowest level since May 2010. Londons Brent North Sea crude for January delivery dived to $72.74 -- also a four-year trough.Crude prices have collapsed by 35 percent since June, depressed also by a strong dollar and worries about stalling energy demand in a weak global economy.The International Energy Agency (IEA) warned in a recent report that the price rout was not over, and that crude futures would slide well into 2015.Plunging oil prices have fanned concerns about the growing threat of deflation in the world economy, and particularly in the eurozone.While falling consumer prices may sound good for consumers, deflation can trigger a vicious spiral where businesses and households delay purchases, throttling demand and causing companies to lay off workers.OPEC pumped 30.6 million oil barrels per day last month, above its 30 million bpd target according to the IEA, which advises countries on energy policy.Ahead of the meeting, OPEC kingpin and worlds top oil producer Saudi Arabia cut charges for US customers in a move seen as a bid to maintain its market share amid increasing competition there from shale energy.OPEC has meanwhile insisted that it is not solely up to the cartel to tackle the oversupply that is sending crude prices crashing.Officials from Saudi Arabia met with their counterparts from Venezuela and non-OPEC oil producers Russia and Mexico in Vienna on Tuesday.Following the surprise gathering, Russian oil giant Rosneft said it had trimmed its daily output by 25,000 barrels because of market conditions. The token reduction represented less than one percent of the behemoths total and did nothing to boost energy prices on depressed global commodity markets.OPEC will hold its next production meeting in June next year, as previously announced.

Russian ruble hits historic lows on OPEC decision

Posted:

MOSCOW (AFP) - The ruble slumped to historic inter-day lows Thursday against both the dollar and euro in the wake of the OPEC oil cartels decision to leave its collective output ceiling unchanged.The Russian currency shed 3.6 percent and briefly traded at the 48.66 mark against the dollar about two hours after OPEC made announcement following a day-long meeting in Vienna.The ruble also lost 3.6 percent against the euro and touched the 60.92 level before recovering slightly.Its previous inter-day lows of 60.27 to the dollar and 48.64 against the euro came on November 7.Energy-rich Russia generates about half its federal budget revenues from oil and natural gas exports.The ruble has depreciated by about 30 percent this year due to Western economic sanctions imposed over Russias intervention in ex-Soviet Ukraine and the fall in global oil prices by around a third since June.

Cricket: Nadal, Murray join Hughes tributes

Posted:

SYDNEY (AFP) - World sport mourned the death of Australian batsman Phillip Hughes on Thursday with former greats, politicians and even Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal, from a country with little cricket culture, paying tribute.Ripples from the demise of Hughes, two days after he was knocked unconscious by a cricket ball, quickly spread across the planet and beyond crickets boundaries as the game reeled from a rare death in competition.The South Australia shotmaker collapsed on the field, despite wearing a batting helmet, after being struck by a bouncer from New South Wales paceman Sean Abbott during a Sheffield Shield match in Sydney.Hughes underwent emergency surgery, but he never regained consciousness.On a day where cricketers past and present paid tribute to Hughes, the impact of his passing also extended to other sports, with tennis stars Andy Murray and Nadal, regular visitors to Melbourne for the Australian Open, taking to Twitter to extend their condolences.Phillip Hughes Death is so incredibly tragic... Thoughts go out to his family and to Sean Abbott in this very difficult time for them all, Murray tweeted.Cricket has little following in Spain but Nadal, one of the countrys greatest sportsmen, wrote: Shocked about the news of Ozs cricketer Phil Hughes. My thoughts with the family and the cricket fans.Meanwhile West Indies Cricket Board President Dave Cameron said a minutes silence would be observed during all matches in the third round of the WICB Professional Cricket League as a mark of respect.Earlier, play was called off on the second day of the third Test between Pakistan and New Zealand in Sharjah.An image of a smiling Hughes adorned the electronic scoreboard in the empty stadium in the United Arab Emirates, where the 25-year-old recently played for Australia.At the Adelaide Oval, South Australias home ground, the heart-wrenching message Vale Phillip Hughes 1988-2014 was posted on an otherwise empty scoreboard.Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said Hughes was a young man living out his dreams. His death is a very sad day for cricket and a heartbreaking day for his family.Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath were among the Australian greats to send condolences along with national coach Darren Lehmann, who tweeted: RIP you little champ, we are all going to miss youAnd Indian superstar Sachin Tendulkar led a wave of sympathy from abroad as he saluted Hughes, his former team-mate in the Indian Premier League.Shocked to hear about Phil. Sad day for cricket, Tendulkar said.International Cricket Council chief executive David Richardson, the former South Africa wicketkeeper, said: All those who play, have played or are in any way connected to the game are devastated by the news.Former England captain Andrew Strauss, who played alongside Hughes at Middlesex, led British tributes, describing the news as sickening.The most sickening aspect of all of this is that he was a guy in the best years of his life and that was extinguished out of the blue, Strauss told Sky Sports News.Middlesex announced that flags at Lords would be lowered in Hughess memory, while fans left flowers at the grounds Grace Gates.Absolutely devastated to hear that Phil has passed away. Thoughts and prayers with his family and friends, tweeted England batsman Ian Bell.Meanwhile the Australian rugby union team, in London to play England, said they planned to wear black armbands as a mark of respect to Hughes during Saturdays international at Twickenham.Well be thinking of him and his family, said Australia captain Michael Hooper. Its the kind of news you never want to wake up to.

Turkish professor jailed for stopping student from wearing headscarf

Posted:

ISTANBUL: (AFP) - A prominent Turkish professor on Thursday began a jail sentence after being convicted of preventing a female student wearing a Muslim headscarf from entering the university where he worked, his lawyer said.Rennan Pekunlu, a former professor of astrophysics at Ege University, was sentenced to two years in prison in 2012 for violating a headscarf-wearing students constitutional right to education by barring her from entering the faculty.Pekunlu began his sentence in a prison in the western city of Izmir, becoming the first individual in Turkey to be jailed for such an offence, his lawyer Murat Fatih Ulku told AFP.Before heading to prison, the 64-year-old professor gave a public lecture on the universe and evolution to an audience including his former students, colleagues as well as members of several labour unions.This is not our last lecture. We have a lot more to do. This is not the end, Pekunlu said before bursting into tears, as gasps and sobbing erupted inside the packed hall.Professor Rennan is not alone, the crowd chanted, according to the website of Hurriyet newspaper. AKP dictatorship is doomed to collapse, they shouted, referring to the Islamic-rooted Justice and Development Party.Pekunlu denies the charges, saying he did not prevent any student from entering the university or attending his classes, insisting that he would just report them to university authorities, to which he is entitled under Turkish laws.I would have done the same in similar circumstances. I have done my duty, he told CNN-Turk television by phone. His lawyer said they took the decision to the European Court of Human Rights. Its an unfortunate decision in a secular, constitutional state, Ulku said.Pekunlu is on trial in two other cases on the same charges and if found guilty he could face up to 12 years in prison. He also received a suspended sentence for beating a veiled student at his university -- charges he insists were fabricated.The Higher Education Board (YOK) lifted a ban on the wearing of the Muslim headscarf on university campuses in 2010.However, some universities maintained the notorious ban, contesting the legality of the decree. The highly charged headscarf debate lies at the heart of Turkeys divisions between religious conservatives, who form the bulk of President Recep Tayyip Erdogans supporters, and more secular members of society.The government is already under fire for what critics say are creeping efforts to force Islamic values on the predominantly Muslim country.Last year, the parliament lifted a decades-old ban on headscarves in the civil service and in September, it allowed girls in high schools to wear the headscarf.

Nigeria, neighbours vow to have 3000 troops to combat Boko Haram

Posted:

LAGOS: (AFP) - Nigeria and its neighbours vowed to have nearly 3,000 troops on the ground to combat Boko Haram by the start of this month but as the year-end approaches, a regional force has yet to be deployed.Soldiers were supposed to have been sent to the borders of Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria by November 1 and a headquarters set up by November 20, the countries said in early October.But as of Thursday, it was still unclear when the militaries would be in place, with no let-up in the Islamists violence.In the last week, two female suicide bombers killed more than 45 in the Borno state capital Maiduguri and nearly 50 fish vendors were slaughtered in an ambush near Niger.Attacks have intensified in Cameroons far north, with new villages targeted by increasingly sophisticated weapons, prompting fears about wider violence as the dry season approaches.There are fears in Chads capital, NDjamena, just 120 kilometres (75 miles) by road to the Nigerian border, with Boko Haram having repeatedly targeted towns near the Lake Chad frontier.In Abuja, Nigerias defence spokesman Chris Olukolade told AFP: The issues such as logistics, the location of the headquarters and activities of the force, they have all been resolved now.But there was no word on an exact date for deployment. We cant say that now. It is not strategic to mention the date of deployment until you see them operating, Olukolade added.Wider fearsIn July, Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria each pledged 700 soldiers for the multi-national force against Boko Haram, whose violent, five-year insurgency has killed more than 13,000. The force was designed to counter the cross-border threat posed by the militants, who want to create a hardline Islamic state.Nigerias military on its own has been largely incapable of stopping the bloodshed and Boko Haram is now thought to control more than two dozen towns in the countrys far northeast.Parts of Niger, Chad, and Cameroon could be next, according to some analysts, with one theory aired that the militants want to recreate the defunct Kanem-Borno caliphate.The former Islamic kingdoms borders corresponded to parts of all four modern-day nations. The threat of attack has seen Chadian troops increase patrols on Lake Chad, which forms the border with Niger, Nigeria and Cameroon, where the frontier has been shut.There are a lot of small islands on the lake. Its difficult to keep a close eye on all of them, said one Chadian official, on condition of anonymity.In NDjamena, one Western diplomat said the main fear was an attack carried out by a single person.Nigers main worry was the influx of displaced people, which one military source described as a destabilizing element.The United Nations said last week that the violence had forced more than 1.5 million Nigerians to flee their homes. Of those some 100,000 had flocked to Niger and Cameroon.Tough talkingThe situation stands at odds with the tough rhetoric by Nigeria and its neighbours, who have met repeatedly for talks since a summit in Paris more than six months ago.Cameroons President Paul Biya said then that they had declared war on Boko Haram while his Nigerian counterpart Goodluck Jonathan called the militants Al-Qaeda in western and central Africa.Foreign fighters, most likely mercenaries or forced conscripts, have joined Boko Harams ranks. But Jonathans claim ran counter to Boko Harams roots as reactionaries to Nigerian corruption and poor governance, as well as its largely local aims. A previously established force of soldiers from Nigeria, Niger and Chad, has been operating in the Lake Chad region for some years but with little impact on Boko Harams activities.It was unable to stop an attack in Dogon Fili, 15 kilometres from its base in Doron Baga in Borno state, where Boko Haram fighters drowned or slit the throats of 48 fish sellers last Thursday.Similarly, the multi-national force could not prevent the militants from taking over nearby Malam Fatori on November 5.Virginia Comolli, from the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said the delay could come from Nigerias often tense ties with its neighbours.Abuja has had strained relations with Yaounde, to whom it was forced to cede the potentially oil-rich Bakassi peninsula in the southeast after a decades-long dispute.There might be an element of mistrust that slows down the establishment of this new force, Comolli said in an email exchange.

Syria, Russia agree to UN proposal to suspend fighting in Aleppo

Posted:

DAMASCUS: (AFP) - The Syrian regime and key ally Russia have agreed to support a UN proposal to suspend fighting in the battered northern city of Aleppo, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said.Muallems remarks, reported by state news agency SANA, followed a meeting between President Vladimir Putin and a Syrian government delegation in Sochi, Russia on Wednesday.The discussions... looked into the role of UN envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura. Both sides view (the envoys role) in exactly the same way, and support his efforts to freeze the fighting in Aleppo, Muallem was quoted as saying.De Mistura last month put forward an action plan for Syria that proposed to freeze fighting in local areas to allow for aid deliveries and to lay the groundwork for peace talks.President Bashar al-Assad said earlier this month that De Misturas plan was worthy of study.Aleppo, Syrias devastated second city and former economic hub, is divided between the regime and rebels. The Sochi meeting was held behind closed doors, and Moscow did not reveal the content of the discussions.Syrian pro-regime newspaper Al-Watan said Thursday that the meeting laid the initial vision for a political solution to the Syrian crisis that would bring together several Syrian patriotic sides.But it said the process would require time to materialise and provided no details about planned steps to end the nearly four-year war. Earlier this year, two rounds of UN-brokered talks were held in Switzerland. Both ended without agreement. After the Sochi meeting, Russian Foreign Minister said there would be no repeat of the so-called Geneva talks.If you think that a conference will be announced similar to the one that was held in... January this year with the participation of 50-odd states, thousands of journalists, bright lights, there wont be such a conference, Lavrov told reporters.A former leader of the main opposition National Coalition, Moaz al-Khatib, is reported to have held talks at the Russian foreign ministry on November 7. The opposition coalition, which has been internationally recognised but lacks influence in Syria, has voiced scepticism about prospects for progress.Syrias conflict began as a peaceful movement demanding Assads ouster but escalated into a civil war that has killed more than 195,000 people and forced half the population to flee their homes.

China, Russia in talks to hold joint military exercises

Posted:

BEIJING: (AFP) - Chinas defence ministry said Thursday that it was in talks with Russian counterparts about joint military exercises next year, after Moscow announced drills were planned for the Mediterranean Sea and Pacific Ocean.Chinese defence ministry spokesman Geng Yansheng told reporters at a monthly briefing that China and Russia were conducting consultation over next years joint military exercises.But after Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu visited Beijing last week, Moscows defence ministry said in a statement: New joint naval exercises are planned next spring in the waters of the Mediterranean Sea.Joint exercises are also planned in the Pacific Ocean. The prospect of joint exercises by the two military powers in the Mediterranean is likely to raise eyebrows in Europe given what is seen there as increased muscle-flexing by Russia after it annexed Crimea and supported rebels in eastern Ukraine.US General Philip Breedlove, NATOs top military commander, said Wednesday he was very concerned that Russias military build-up in the annexed Crimean region could be used as a launchpad for attacks across the whole Black Sea region.Geng, who was asked about Moscows announcement, noted that China and Russia have conducted numerous joint exercise both bilaterally and under the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, which groups the two countries along with several Central Asian states formerly part of the Soviet Union.These joint exercises have become institutionalised and a routine occurrence, he said. For the two countries to conduct joint military exercises will help to improve both countries capability to deal with security challenges and maintain regional peace and stability, he said.
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)