Sunday 30 November 2014

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Hong Kong protesters, police clash; 40 arrested

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HONG KONG (AP) - Pro-democracy protesters clashed with police early Monday as they tried to surround Hong Kong government headquarters, stepping up their movement for genuine democratic reforms after camping out on the citys streets for more than two months.Repeating scenes that have become familiar since the movement began in late September, protesters carrying umbrellas which have become symbols of the pro-democracy movement battled police armed with pepper spray, batons and riot shields.After student leaders told a big crowd rallying Sunday evening at the main protest site outside government headquarters that they would escalate their campaign, hundreds of protesters pushed past police lines on the other side of the complex from the protest site. They blocked traffic on a main road, but were stopped by police barricades from going down a side road to Chief Executive Leung Chun-Yings office.The protesters, many wearing surgical masks, hard hats and safety goggles and chanting I want true democracy, said they wanted to occupy the road to prevent Leung and other government officials from getting to work in the morning.At one point, police charged the crowd, aggressively pushing demonstrators back with pepper spray and batons, after some protesters started pelting them with water bottles and other objects. They later fell back, letting demonstrators re-occupy the road.Police Senior Superintendent Tsui Wai-hung said 40 protesters had been arrested, adding that authorities would not let the road, a major thoroughfare, remain blocked.We will open up this road, he told reporters.Protesters said they were taking action to force a response from Hong Kongs government, which has made little effort to address their demands that it scrap a plan by Chinas Communist leaders to use a panel of Beijing-friendly elites to screen candidates for Hong Kongs leader in inaugural 2017 elections.The action was aimed at paralyzing the governments operation, said Alex Chow, secretary general of the Hong Kong Federation of Students. The government has been stalling ... and we believe we need to focus pressure on the government headquarters, the symbol of the governments power.The federation is one of two students groups that have played important roles in organizing the protest movement in the former British colony.I really want to have real elections for Hong Kong because I dont want the Chinese government to control us, our minds, anything, said protester Ernie Kwok, 21, a maintenance worker and part-time student.Authorities last week used an aggressive operation to clear out the protest camp on the busy streets of Hong Kongs crowded Mong Kok district, one of three protest zones around the semiautonomous city.In Britain, a lawmakers committee said the Chinese Embassy had warned that its members would be refused entry if they tried to go ahead with a visit to Hong Kong as part of an inquiry into the citys relations with the U.K. since the handover of sovereignty to China in 1997.Richard Ottaway, chairman of Parliaments committee on foreign affairs, said the Chinese authorities were acting in an overtly confrontational manner. He said he would seek an emergency parliamentary debate on the development.The Foreign Office called the Chinese message to the lawmakers regrettable and said it has expressed its position to the Chinese side at the most senior levels.

Officer who shot Michael Brown resigns in Ferguson

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FERGUSON (AP) - A white officer resigned from his job with the Ferguson Police Department after learning of threats of violence against other officers and the department, his lawyer said Sunday.Darren Wilson, a 28-year-old white officer, had been on administrative leave since Aug. 9, when he shot and killed 18-year-old Michael Brown, who was black and unarmed. A grand jury decision not to indict Wilson was announced Monday night, setting off protests in the predominantly black St. Louis suburb of 20,000 residents that included looting, violence and fires that destroyed about a dozen businesses in the Ferguson area. The announcement also led to weeklong protests nationwide.Wilsons attorney, Neil Bruntrager, told The Associated Press that Wilson decided to step aside after Ferguson Police Chief Tom Jackson personally told him of the threats. Bruntrager declined to go into detail about the alleged threats, and Jackson, didnt immediately respond to a voicemail and email seeking comment.The information we had was that there would be actions targeting the Ferguson (police) department or buildings in Ferguson related to the police department, Bruntrager said. He said Wilson and the city were already discussing an exit strategy, acknowledging that staying on as an officer there would be impossible.Once Wilson learned of the threats, Bruntrager said, he decided to go ahead and resign.Under the circumstances, nothing else was important other than safety, Bruntrager said.Wilson, who had been with the department for less than three years, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Saturday, Im not willing to let someone else get hurt because of me.Fergusons mayor said Sunday that Wilson did not receive any severance package when he resigned. Wilson wont receive any further pay or benefits, and he and the city have severed their ties, Mayor James Knowles told reporters a day after Wilson tendered his resignation, effective immediately.When asked Sunday whether there were any changes planned in Fergusons leadership, Knowles said there were not.Many critics of how the Brown case has been handled have called on Jackson to resign, but the police chief told reporters that he doesnt intend to do so.Earlier Sunday, Benjamin Crump, an attorney for Browns family, said Wilsons resignation was not a surprise.It was always believed that the police officer would do what was in his best interest, both personally and professionally, Crump said. We didnt believe that he would be able to be effective for the Ferguson community nor the Ferguson Police Department because of the tragic circumstances that claimed the life of Michael Brown Jr.Crump said the family is still considering civil litigation such as a wrongful death lawsuit, but dont let that get confused with the fact that they really wanted the killer of their child to be held accountable.Browns parents were attending a church service Sunday where a leading civil rights activist, the Rev. Al Sharpton, was scheduled to preach.Wilsons resignation meant little to activists and protesters.On Saturday night, more than 100 protesters gathered near Ferguson police headquarters, where they were outnumbered by officers. Two people were arrested. Another protester burned an American flag. By midnight, only about two dozen protesters remained. Many seemed unfazed by Wilsons resignation. Several merely shrugged their shoulders when asked what they thought.Wilson fatally shot Brown in the middle of a Ferguson street after the two scuffled inside Wilsons police SUV. Browns body was left for more than four hours as police investigated and angry onlookers gathered.Some witnesses have said Brown had his hands up when Wilson shot him. Wilson told the grand jury that he feared for his life when Brown hit him and reached for his gun.In the days after the shooting, tense and sometimes violent protests occurred in and around Ferguson, a predominantly black community patrolled by a mostly white police force. Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon called in the National Guard to help.It isnt clear what the future holds for Wilson, who has spent his adult life in police work and never wanted to do anything else, Bruntrager said.In terms of what it (the resignation) means, it means at this point he doesnt have a paycheck, Bruntrager said. He has no income so hell have to make some decisions pretty quickly.

Afghan leaders look to start new chapter with Europe trip

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KABUL (AFP) - Afghanistans new leaders head to Europe on Monday to showcase their plans to foster peace and revive the economy, but a spate of Taliban attacks threatens to overshadow their optimistic message.President Ashraf Ghani and chief executive officer Abdullah Abdullah will visit NATO headquarters in Brussels and attend a donor conference in London in a public show of unity after they signed a power-sharing deal in September.Afghanistan faces serious challenges including a fragile economy, declining aid funds and a worsening Taliban insurgency as the US-led NATO force wraps up its 13-year war against the militants at the end of this year.The national unity government has struggled to get off the ground, with no ministers yet confirmed two months after Ghani was inaugurated.In Brussels, the two Afghan leaders will meet NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Monday and attend a meeting of NATO foreign ministers on Tuesday.Hamid Karzai, president from 2001-2014, had a troubled relationship with the NATO coalition, but Ghani has tried to reset ties.When we have meetings with NATO, we will talk with confidence about the future, Ghani said on Sunday. There is no more suspicion between Afghanistan, NATO and the US.NATOs presence in Afghanistan will change on December 31 from a combat mission to a support mission, with troop numbers cut to about 12,500 -- down from a peak of 130,000 in 2010.Much of the fighting has been taken over by Afghanistans hard-pressed army and police, and NATO troops will be restricted next year to training, advising and assisting the local security forces.The Taliban have marked the final weeks of NATOs war with high-profile attacks in Kabul on foreign compounds, guesthouses, US convoys and a suicide strike on British embassy car that killed six, including a British bodyguard.On Saturday, a South African father running an education charity and his two teenage children were killed at their home in the city after three militants stormed the building.Kabul has been hit by at least nine attacks in the last two weeks.- Taliban revival? -The insurgents goal is to show that the new government is weaker and to kill peoples optimism in the future, interior ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said Sunday.British ambassador Richard Stagg told AFP that the London conference is a chance for Ghani and Abdullah to present themselves on the world stage as a force for change in Afghanistan.The conference is an important opportunity for the Afghan government to set out its vision for reform, and for the international community to re-confirm our long-term partnership with Afghanistan, Stagg said.President Ashraf Ghani used his inauguration speech to call on the Taliban to join a peace process, but substantive talks look unlikely in the near future.Karzai opened preliminary contacts with the insurgents but they collapsed acrimoniously last year.NATO is keen to underline its achievements in Afghanistan after billions of dollars of military spending and the death of over 3,400 NATO soldiers, most of them from the US, since 2001.Afghanistan is no longer a safe haven for international terrorists and is more secure thanks to 350,000 soldiers and police who are ready to take full security responsibility, said Chris Chambers, the NATO spokesman in Afghanistan.Abdul Hadi Khalid, an analyst and former deputy interior minister, said that international military support and financial backing are essential if Afghanistan is to avoid a Taliban resurgence.The Taliban have already started to show their teeth, he said. But the international community has given assurances and they will emphasise their commitments again in London and Brussels.The Taliban consider the withdrawal of foreign forces as a chance for them to win.The lack of government appointments also contributes to insecurity, he added. The remnants of Karzais government and those who dont see themselves in the new administration no longer care.The London Conference on Afghanistan is on Thursday, with sideline events starting Wednesday.

COAS Raheel Sharif meets with John Kerry

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WASHINGTON (Web Desk) - Pakistan Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif met with US Secretary of State John Kerry.The meeting reviewed relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan, particularly cross-border cooperation between the two neighbouring countries and the challenges to regional security, with an emphasis on regional peace and stability.According to Inter Services Public Relations Director General Asim Bajwa, John Kerry applauded Pakistan’s role in the war against terrorism.General Sharif’s visit has come at a time when Afghanistan transitions to a complete security control and US-led international forces withdraw after a 13-year long war against Al Qaeda in the region. Pak-Afghan relations have also improved after Ashraf Ghani assumed the post of president of Afghanistan.During his visit, General Sharif discussed security cooperation and military-to-military relationship with Pentagon leaders including US Joint Chiefs Chairman General Martin Dempsey and Central Command leader General Lloyd Austin.Earlier in a speech at the Pakistani Embassy in US, General Sharif underlined Pakistan’s commitment to fight all terrorists – including the Haqqani network – without any discrimination during the ongoing military offensive Zarb e Azb in North Waziristan Agency. He also vowed not to let Islamic State (IS) militants take root in Pakistan.

Serena enjoys IPTL but ends up on losing side

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MANILA (AP) - Serena Williams made a much-awaited appearance at the franchise-based International Premier Tennis League on Sunday but could not lift Singapore Slammers as her team succumbed to a third straight defeat in the first leg.It wasnt easy but I had a lot of fun, the top-ranked Williams said after playing against home team Manila Mavericks in front of a lively crowd of 12,000 at the Mall of Asia Arena. I love the team atmosphere. If you lose a match, everyone is still positive and thats what I love about it.Williams, who did not play on the opening two days, defeated Manila Mavericks Kirsten Flipkens 6-3 in the womens singles but lost the mixed doubles partnering Lleyton Hewitt as Andy Murray and Flipkens combined better for a 6-1 win.Manila Mavericks beat Singapore Slammers 27-19 in the new fast-paced team format in which results are decided by aggregating games won from five one-set matches mens and womens singles, mens doubles, mixed doubles and legends singles - rather than the match results.Murray, who helped garner the first victory in three matches for Manila Mavericks, will not be available for the remaining three legs of the $1 million event to be played in Singapore, New Delhi and Dubai.The team on a roll was the Indian Aces, which won all three matches despite the absence of Roger Federer and Pete Sampras in this leg.Novak Djokovic, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Andre Agassi, Goran Ivanisevic, Maria Sharapova and Ana Ivanovic are other prominent past and present players who feature in different legs of the tournament.The IPTL format consists of one-set matches that can be decided by a four-minute shootout at 5-5 rather than the traditional tiebreaker.There are also power points which give players a chance to double up on a point in each match nominated before receiving serve. Other novelties include time-outs and doing away with advantage points.

Soldado ends goal drought as Spurs beat Everton

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LONDON (AP) - Roberto Soldado scored his first Premier League goal since March as Tottenham staged another comeback to beat Everton 2-1 on Sunday.After 593 minutes without a league goal, the struggling striker netted his first goal of the season in first-half stoppage time, after Christian Eriksen had already canceled out Everton midfielder Kevin Mirallas well-struck opener.It hasnt been easy, Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino said. Its always frustrating for a striker when he doesnt score ... hes (been) feeling the pressure.By coming from behind to win 2-1 for the third time in four league games, Tottenham climbed above Everton from 10th to seventh just two points from the top four.The performance, high on intensity and pace, is just what Tottenham was looking for when Mauricio Pochettino was hired in May as the third manager in a year.Today was fantastic, our mentality our spirit, Pochettino said. Its a little bit more than three points because we broke a bad run of results.While victorious on the road, Tottenham has struggled in front of its own fans. With a more cohesive performance, this was only Tottenhams third win from seven league games at White Hart Lane.For once Tottenham couldnt use playing in the Europa League on Thursday as an excuse given Everton had also played in the competition, and also secured qualification to the knockout phase with a game to spare.These are two clubs, however, with ambitions for an upgrade to the Champions League. An entertaining and high-tempo game started with Everton in the ascendency.Although Romelu Lukakus finish was weak after being set up by Ross Barkley, Mirallas seized on Tottenhams slack defending, shook off Soldado on the edge of the penalty area and curled the ball into the roof of the net in the 15th minute.But Tottenham was soon back in the contest as its attacking verve produced an equalizer.Harry Kane weaved through defense, goalkeeper Tim Howard parried his shot, but Eriksen met the loose ball and lifted it into net from tight angle in the 21st minute.Kane was a constant threat going forward, although when he darted through Everton territory on the half-hour, Howard was untroubled by the strikers shot.Weve been working on pressing higher up the pitch and creating opportunities, Kane said.As Tottenham maintained the pressure, Eriksen saw a shot deflected just wide of post, and Soldado ended his goal drought in stoppage time after being released by Aaron Lennon.Goalkeeper Hugo Lloris protected Tottenhams win in the later stage, denying Seamus Coleman with a fine save before Lukaku struck wide.We lacked a bit of intent to try to get the second goal, Everton manager Roberto Martinez said.

Football: Busquets snatches victory for Barca at Valencia

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MADRID (AFP) - Barcelona snatched a vital 1-0 win away to Valencia on Sunday thanks to Sergio Busquetss volleyed winner deep into stoppage time.The Spanish international pounced after Diego Alves had made a great save from Neymars header to ensure Barca close to within two points of leaders Real Madrid.And on a day overshadowed by the death of a Deportivo la Coruna fan in violent clashes before Atletico Madrids 2-0 win over the Galicians, there were more unsavoury scenes at Mestalla as Lionel Messi was struck on the head by a plastic bottle thrown from the crowd with Barca celebrating the winner.A first home defeat of the season means Valencia remain nine points off the top in fifth.We were lucky to score in the last minute. These are three points that will give us a huge boost, Busquets told Canal Plus.We never settle for a draw, we tried in every way possible and in the end it came from a corner. We had been attacking them for a few minutes and when the ball fell to me from Alves I gave it everything I had.Barca boss Luis Enrique signalled how exacting a test he expected his side to face by naming Javier Mascherano alongside Busquets in midfield for the first time in his tenure.However, they struggled to control the game in the early stages as Rodrigo forced Claudio Bravo into an early save with a rasping drive.Barca slowly grew into the game, but their better chances arrived via long balls towards Neymar, while Luis Suarez ought to have put the visitors in front on 14 minutes.Neymar laid Gerard Piques pass from the back into the path of the Uruguayan, but he fired straight at Diego Alves with just the Brazilian goalkeeper to beat.Barca were then fortunate not to be reduced to 10 men when Neymar appeared to headbutt Nicolas Otamendi, but the incident went unseen by referee Fernandez Borbalan.Andre Gomes twice came close to giving Valencia a half-time lead as he curled a shot from the edge of the area just wide before firing into the side-netting from a narrow angle after rounding Bravo.The hosts also started the brighter after the break, but Rodrigo failed to connect with a volley when well-placed inside the area.Suarez passed up another great chance when he anticipated Otamendis header back to Alves and robbed the ball ahead of the keeper, but then shot into the side-netting with the goal gaping.Moments later it was Valencia who came close as the game swung from one end to the other, Pique clearing Rodrigos drive off his own goalline.Suarezs frustrating night continued as he was wrongly flagged offside when he did finally find the net from Dani Alvess cross.Yet, in their push for a winner, Barca were opened up on the counter-attack and had Bravo to thank for making a fine save to prevent Sofiane Feghouli from opening the scoring.The Chilean keeper had to be at his best again 12 minutes from time to beat Alvaro Negredos sweetly struck volley to safety.And those interventions were to prove crucial as three minutes into stoppage time Alves parried Neymars header from Messis tempting cross and Busquets was on hand to force the ball home despite the goalkeepers best efforts to keep it out.

Motor racing: Webber suffers horror crash in Brazil

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SAO PAULO (AFP) - Veteran Australian motor racing driver Mark Webber was injured in a high-speed crash at the Six Hours of Sao Paulo event on Sunday.Webber, racing for Porsche in the World Endurance Championship after quitting Formula One last season, was stretchered off the Interlagos circuit after his car collided with the Ferrari of Matteo Cressoni.Footage showed both cars crashing into a concrete barrier at speeds estimated at around 300km/h with Webbers vehicle catching fire before it came to a stop with the car wrecked.Cressoni was checked by the medical staff at the side of the track and cleared, while Mark Webber, who was awake and alert, was taken to the circuit medical centre for further examination, said a statement from the organisers.Webber, 38, gave a thumbs-up to the crowd as he was taken to the medical centre although there was no immediate word of his condition.The race, which ended behind the safety car, was won by the Porsche of Neel Jani.Webbers accident brought sympathy from former rivals.Glad to see @AussieGrit is ok after his shunt at Interlagos @FIAWEC, that was a big one matey, tweeted 2009 Formula One world champion Jenson Button, using Webbers Twitter address to contact the Australian.

Hosp wins World Cup slalom as Shiffrin struggles

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ASPEN (AP) - Nicole Hosp of Austria raced to her first World Cup victory since 2008 with a powerful final slalom run Sunday and American Mikaela Shiffrin struggled to a fifth-place finish.Hosp was nearly a second back after the first run, but glided through the deteriorating course in an unofficial time of 1 minute, 44.90 seconds. She held off Frida Hansdotter of Sweden by 0.19 seconds. Kathrin Zettel of Austria was third for her 10th podium finish at Aspen.Shiffrin was the leader going into the final run and didnt have any major mistakes, just a few breaks in her usually solid form. The teenager wound up 1.08 seconds behind Hosp.This was Hosps first World Cup victory since Jan. 13, 2008, in a slalom race at Maribor, Slovenia.

New Zealand make Williamson stand-in skipper against Pakistan

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WELLINGTON (AFP) - New Zealand on Monday named batsman Kane Williamson as stand-in captain for the upcoming limited overs series against Pakistan, allowing regular skipper Brendon McCullum to take a break.The move confirmed Williamsons status as McCullums long-term successor, with chief selector Bruce Edgar saying it would give the 24-year-old valuable experience in charge for five one-dayers and two T20 matches to be played in the United Arab Emirates.Edgar said McCullum, along with pacemen Tim Southee and Trent Boult, would return to New Zealand to prepare for a series against Sri Lanka beginning on December 26.Managing players workloads will be an important part of our summers plans and this is simply an example of that, he said, stressing that the decision to rest the trio was taken before last weeks death of Australian batsman Phillip Hughes, which rocked the entire team.On the flip side, it gives us a chance to assess and evaluate other players in contention for the World Cup squad, and allows us to work on some of our contingency plans -- such as developing Kanes captaincy experience.McCullum scored a double century as he led New Zealand to a resounding innings and 80 run victory over Pakistan to level a three-match Test series 1-1 on Sunday but said after the match that Hughes death had overshadowed the win.Hughes, 25, died on Thursday, two days after being struck by a bouncer while playing a domestic game at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Gul, Younis return in Pakistan's limited over squad

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SHARJAH (AFP) - Paceman Umar Gul and batsman Younis Khan returned to Pakistans squads for next months Twenty20 and one-day series against New Zealand in United Arab Emirates, officials said Sunday.The 30-year-old Gul had his career derailed by a knee operation last year and in his return early this year he failed to impresss.Pakistans chief selector Moin Khan said Gul and Riazs return will bolster the squad for the two Twenty20 matches in Dubai on December 4 and 5.The Twenty20 will be followed by five one-day internationals.Gul and Riaz are making comebacks from injury to make the pace attack more potent and I hope the squad will do well considering next years World Cup, Khan said in a Pakistan Cricket Board release.Also returning to the one-day team is 37-year-old Younis who amassed 468 runs in the 2-0 win over Australia last month.That came on the back of his controversial axing from the three-match one-day series against Australia in which Pakistan were white-washed last month.Another paceman Wahab Riaz is also in both the squads after suffering a knee injury in the one-day series against Australia while opener Ahmed Shehzad returns after suffering a head injury in the first Test against New Zealand.New Zealand beat Pakistan by an innings and 80 runs to level the three-match Test series in Sharjah on Sunday.Pakistan squads:Twenty20: Shahid Afridi (captain), Ahmed Shehzad, Anwar Ali, Mohammad Hafeez, Haris Sohail, Mohammad Irfan, Owais Zia, Raza Hasan, Saad Nasim, Sarfraz Ahmed, Sohail Tanvir, Umar Akmal, Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz.One-day: Misbah-ul Haq (captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Ahmed Shehzad, Asad Shafiq, Bilawal Bhatti, Haris Sohail, Mohammad Irfan, Nasir Jamshed, Sarfraz Ahmed, Shahid Afridi, Sohail Tanvir, Umar Akmal, Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz, Younis Khan, Zulfiqar Babar.

Tennis: Noah eyes Davis Cup return, if asked nicely

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PARIS (AFP) - Yannick Noah who captained France to the 1991 and 1996 Davis Cup title is ready to return to the hot-seat, but only if all five of the countrys top players ask him.Noah, the last Frenchman to win a Grand Slam title when he triumphed on home ground at Roland Garros in 1983, said he would be interested in the Davis Cup job if he was wanted by the whole squad.If tomorrow I have the five players in front of me (Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Richard Gasquet, Gael Monfils, Gilles Simon and Julien Benneteau) and they say Yann, lets go, thats cool, said Noah.But if theres just one who hesitates, it wont interest me. I wouldnt even want to talk about it.Frances current captain is Arnaud Clement but he was unable to deliver the Davis Cup earlier this month when they were defeated by Switzerland in the final.

Europe targets Ariane deal to stay in commercial space race

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BERLIN/PARIS (Reuters) - Weeks after its dramatic coup in landing a probe on a speeding comet, Europe is hoping a last-minute deal to provide funding for the workhorse Ariane rocket will prevent its space ambitions falling back to earth this week.Anxious to preserve its own access to space, the 20-nation European Space Agency will seek to put aside differences over how to respond to U.S. low-cost rival SpaceX and safeguard thousands of high-tech jobs at ministerial talks on Tuesday.After two years of wrangling, the outlines of an accord to fund development of a new Ariane 6 satellite launch vehicle appeared to be in place after Germany dropped its insistence on a prior upgrade to the current Ariane 5, officials said.France is likely in return to back continued European funding for the International Space Station.It would be very serious if there is no decision on Dec 2 because Europe would have a competitive delay that it would never manage to reverse, said Karim Michel Sabbagh, chief executive of Luxembourg-based satellite operator SES.With the arrival in 2013 of SpaceX, founded by electric car entrepreneur Elon Musk and offering cut-price satellite launches, Ariane needs to lower costs dramatically.The chief executive of Europes largest space contractor Airbus Group, Tom Enders, told Reuters a deal would mark a new chapter in the way Europe approaches space.But he called for a clean break with bureaucratic public-private space industry structures to avoid Europe being marginalized by international competition.A departure from current ways of working is a precondition for future competitiveness of the European space business.Airbus Group, which builds the Ariane 5 launch vehicle, is expected to inaugurate a previously announced joint venture with engine maker Safran on the eve of the talks to help secure Arianes future. It will incorporate Arianespace, the launch services firm which operates Europes satellite launcher.CALL FOR REFORMThe new venture is the most serious effort to reorganize Europes space industry and is being set up in the hope the one-day ministerial meeting in Luxembourg will back Ariane 6 - ending a compromise two years ago which split potential funding between the upgrade known as Ariane 5ME and an eventual new Ariane 6.But Europes space industry remains heavily influenced by state agencies and industry sources say removing multiple layers of management is key to keeping Europes commercial activities competitive.SpaceX offers launches for around $60 million (50 million euros) compared to 70-90 million euros a shot expected for the Ariane 6 and an average Ariane 5 launch price of 130 million euros ($160 million).Efficiency comes into play in a cut-throat global commercial market where most companies can only rely on national links when it comes to sensitive defense satellites.RUSSIAS ROLEThe European Space Agency, an intergovernmental organization with 20 member states from across Europe, was founded in 1975 to pool the continents finances and brains at a time when the United States and Russia had virtually monopolized space.But despite Europes Ariane capturing 50 percent of the market, a costly system of job distribution and rival design offices has cast a shadow over Europes commercial activity even as it basks in scientific success like the Philae comet lander.Science ministers will also decide on whether the ESAs participation in the International Space Station will continue beyond 2020, its original shutdown date, and in what way.The United States earlier this year said it would keep the ISS running until at least 2024, but Russia is looking at going alone and creating its own orbital station. Europe and Russia are also working on a two-mission ExoMars probe shot to Mars.(The ISS) shows we can achieve a lot if we all work together and its important to highlight that given the tensions building up between Russia and the West, Daniel Brown, an astronomy expert at Nottingham Trent University, said.ESAs budget for 2014 was about 4.1 billion euros ($5.12 billion), and roughly equates to the price of one cinema ticket each year per each European tax payer.NASAs budget is $17.6 billion in 2014. The budget gap has made the achievements of Rosetta appear all the more impressive to many observers, but Europes space industry is lobbying for a healthy commercial launch activity to support such projects.ESA plans also include a mission to orbit one of the icy moons of Jupiter and one going to Mercury.The Horizon 2000 program, developed in 1984, transformed Europe into a world leader in many areas, including solar physics, cosmology and X-ray Astronomy, said Ken Pounds, former CEO of the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council.Pounds said he hoped the success of Philae would lead to a virtuous circle where Europe is proving it can do world-class things, people feel warm about it, and the political class respond to that.

Spain's Canary islanders protest against oil drilling

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CORRALEJO (AFP) - About 200 people, including tourists, formed a giant SOS on a beach on Spains Canary Islands on Sunday to protest against drilling for oil off the archipelago.Activists staged the protest at the resort of Corralejo on the north coast of Fuerteventura after bad weather forced them to cancel plans to send a flotilla to a site where Spanish oil giant Repsol began drilling for oil on November 18, about 50 kilometres (30 miles) off the island.We wanted to reach the prospecting zone and declare there our deep rejection to oil prospecting in the Canaries, said Ezequiel Navio, who heads a group combining environmentalists, local officials and business people.The flotilla will leave for the oil prospecting site as soon as the weather permits, he added.Dozens of sailboats of all sizes, as well as fishing boats, kayaks and inflatable dinghies have signed up to take part in the protest.The Canaries has four natural parks, 45 percent of its territory has some level of environmental protection, it is an image that has taken three decades to build, now it seems like none of this matters, said Navio.Spains Industry Ministry in August authorised Repsol to search for oil in the region at three locations at depths ranging from three to seven kilometres.Environmental groups including Greenpeace and the World Wildlife Fund, and the local government have campaigned against drilling for oil, saying a spill in the area would harm protected species, coral reefs, tourism and fisheries.The Canary Islands have plentiful sun and wind and many locals say they would prefer to see investment in renewable energy, rather than in hydrocarbons, as has happened in El Hierro, the smallest of the seven islands that make up the archipelago.It claims to be the first island in the world to obtain 100 percent of its electricity supply from renewable sources of energy thanks to a large wind farm.Three-quarters of Canary islanders oppose the oil prospecting, according to a poll published last week carried out for the regional government.- They dont respect us -The regional government called a referendum to ask residents if the archipelago should change its environmental and tourism policies for the sake of oil and gas exploration, but the national government blocked that in the courts.They dont respect us, we have demonstrated before all institutions in the Canaries, town halls, universities, we dont want oil prospecting, said Claudia Morales, the mayor of La Oliva which is responsible for Corralejo.We feel there is no respect for the decisions of the people of the Canaries, she added.Spain imports nearly 80 percent of its energy and the central government argues it can no longer afford the luxury of not tapping into its natural resources.Three Spanish navy boats rammed vessels in which Greenpeace activists were approaching a Repsol ship on November 15, video distributed by Greenpeace showed.An Italian protester fell into the water and was injured, Greenpeace said. It said its activists were protesting peacefully.Repsol estimates its chances of finding oil in the region at 17-19 percent and plans to invest 350 million euros ($438 million) in exploration.It has promised to take steps to protect the environment and says the project will create jobs in the islands, where unemployment is over 30 percent.Under the terms of the licence, Repsol must provide a deposit of 20 million euros ($25 million) to cover its environmental responsibilities.It must stop its explorations if an earthquake stronger than magnitude 4.5 strikes the region.The Canary Islands are Spains third most popular destination after the Catalonia region including Barcelona, and the Balearic Islands.The archipelago received 10.6 million foreign visitors last year, 17.5 percent of the total number of visitors to Spain.

5 wounded in south Yemen independence protest

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ADEN (AFP) - Five protesters were wounded as Yemeni police stopped southern separatists from marching towards the governorate building in the souths main city of Aden on Sunday, activists and medics said.The clash came as tens of thousands of people rallied to demand independence at a time when Shiite militiamen from the north are expanding their control over the impoverished country.The southerners were marking the 47th anniversary of the end of British colonial rule in 1967, which created an independent state that lasted until union with the north in 1990.Police opened heavy fire with live rounds and tear gas to disperse us as we tried to advance towards the governorate building to raise the flag of (the former) South Yemen, an activist of the separatist Southern Movement said.He revised an earlier casualty toll of one dead and four wounded, saying one demonstrator was badly hurt among the five wounded. Hospital sources confirmed the figures.Many others suffered breathing difficulties after inhaling tear gas, said Radfan al-Dubais, a spokesman for the protesters.The Southern Movement which called the protest is campaigning for autonomy or outright secession for the previously independent south.Waving the flag of what used to be South Yemen, protesters who poured into Aden from neighbouring southern provinces vowed not to let up until they achieve independence.We will not back down until we achieve victory -- liberation and independence, read banners at a square in Aden, where secessionists have been camped out since October 14.Sundays rally showed the rejection of the people of the south of all projects and initiatives that do not fulfil their legitimate right to freedom, sovereignty, and independence, a hardline Southern Movement leader, Hassan Baum, told supporters.Yemen is reeling under the impact of expansion by Shiite militiamen who overran the capital in September and seized a major port unopposed, before clashing with Sunni tribes and Al-Qaeda militants south of Sanaa.The southern separatists, as well as the Shiites from the north, have rejected plans unveiled in February for Yemen to become a six-region federation, including two in the south.
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