Saturday 8 November 2014

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Chelsea not invincible, says Mourinho

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Liverpool (AFP) - Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho refused to entertain talk of an unbeaten season after seeing his side strengthen their position at the Premier League summit by winning 2-1 at Liverpool.Diego Costas 67th-minute goal gave Chelsea victory at Anfield on Saturday, helping his side extend an unbeaten league run stretching back to March and fuelling comparisons with Arsenals 2003-04 Invincibles.But Mourinho believes that suggestions his team could emulate that Arsenal side by going through an entire season without losing a game are fanciful.No chance, he said when asked about his sides prospects of avoiding defeat between now and May 24.Its possible to be champions. We want to play for that, but in modern football I dont believe in going unbeaten all season.One day we will lose, but the next game we will win again. We will play badly, but we will recover our game because we are a strong team.We are a stable team, but I have been in the game so long I know the defeat will arrive and the bad moment will arrive. We will be ready for that. We believe in everyone. We are a happy camp. We believe in the players.Victory moved Chelsea 15 points above Liverpool, who finished runners-up in the league last season and had appeared likely to win the title before losing this corresponding fixture late in the campaign.However, Mourinho is not ready to discount the threat posed by Brendan Rodgers club or claim that the title race will be a comfortable one.If this was the Spanish league or German league or Portuguese league, when you have two teams trying to become champions, then you are almost there with 15 points, he said.But this is England. Every match is difficult. In England, you can lose points in every game. Its not (just) about Liverpool; its Man City, Man United, Arsenal, its about Tottenham, its about Southampton.We are in a good situation. We have played the four games in Manchester and Liverpool -- at Everton, Liverpool, City, United. Four very hard matches. But its only the start of November.- Rodgers booed -Mourinho saw Gary Cahill cancel out Emre Cans opening goal before Costa slammed home the winner and he paid special tribute to midfielders Ramires and Cesc Fabregas, both of whom played through injury.Rodgers, whose side failed with a strong late penalty claim against Cahill for handball, has endured a difficult week that also featured a league loss at Newcastle United and Champions League defeat at Real Madrid.He was widely criticised for resting key players in the game at Madrid with a view to the Chelsea encounter, but he insisted he would do the same thing again if the situation arose.Id hopefully win all three games, said Rodgers when asked if he would do anything differently if given the chance. But we plan the players and the team the best we can, so I wouldnt do anything differently at all.We just didnt get the results. Hopefully, this will be an experience for us and we will use that to be better going forward.Rodgers was also booed by large sections of the Anfield crowd when he replaced the popular Philippe Coutinho in the second half, in a rare sign of disapproval by home supporters towards their manager.I didnt feel we were creating enough and had to change the momentum, he explained.The supporters here are a big part of what were doing. Of course they will be frustrated. They have seen us lose three games this week.I totally understand that, it is not an issue. They give us great support and it is just frustration all round.

Americans freed by North Korea after spy chief mission

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Washington (AFP) - The last two Americans serving lengthy prison sentences in North Korea were on their way home Saturday after being dramatically freed by the reclusive state following a secret mission by US intelligence chief James Clapper.The surprise release by North Korea of Americans Kenneth Bae and Matthew Miller followed the equally unexpected decision by Pyongyang last month to free 56-year-old US national Jeffrey Fowle.President Barack Obama hailed the release as wonderful as State Department officials said there had been no quid pro quo deal with North Korea to secure Bae and Millers freedom.The Department of State welcomes the release of US citizens Kenneth Bae and Matthew Todd Miller from the DPRK, where they have been held for two years and seven months, respectively, a statement said.US Director of National Intelligence Clapper traveled to North Korea and engaged on behalf of the United States in discussions with DPRK authorities about the release of two citizens, the statement said.Obama, speaking just hours before leaving for a swing through Asia, welcomed the release, and praised Clappers role in the mission.I think it is a wonderful day for them and their families and obviously we are very grateful for their safe return, he said.I appreciate the director (Clapper) doing a great job on what was obviously a challenging mission, Obama added.- Family joy -Bae, a Korean-American missionary, earlier this week marked the two-year anniversary of his detention.The sickly 46-year-old was arrested in November 2012 and later sentenced to 15 years hard labor.Baes sister Terri Chung expressed joy at her brothers release.We have been waiting for and praying for this day for two years. This ordeal has been excruciating for the family, but we are filled with joy right now, she said in a statement.I am thrilled to imagine hugging my brother soon. He will not have to spend another day at a labor camp. He can now recover from this imprisonment and look forward to his wife, kids and rest of his life.Our Thanksgiving celebration this year will be one we will never forget.Miller, 24, had been sentenced to six years hard labor by the North Korean Supreme Court following his arrest in April, after he allegedly ripped up his visa at immigration and demanded asylum.Washington had condemned Pyongyang over the detentions, saying the Americans were held as political hostages to extract diplomatic concessions.North Korea has expressed interest in the past in reviving six-party talks with the US and others about its nuclear program, but Washington and insist Pyongyang must first show a tangible commitment to denuclearization.A State Department official said Saturday the release of Bae and Miller did not reflect a shift in posture over the mothballed nuclear negotiations.North Korea knows what it needs to do if it wants a better relationship with the international community and wants to end its isolation and pariah status, the official told AFP.North Korea must show it is serious and prepared to abide by its commitments, particularly concerning denuclearization. And they must take significant steps to improve their human rights record.The release of our citizens is unrelated.As recently as Tuesday, North Korea was maintaining its defiant stance, ruling out dialogue with the United States about its nuclear program and human rights record and accusing the US of trying to destroy its system.The North will never allow any human rights dialogue or nuclear one with the enemy keen to overthrow it, a foreign ministry spokesman said through the official Korean Central News Agency.

Ukraine bloodshed rises

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Kiev (AFP) - The remains of the last nine victims of flight MH17 may never be recovered from the Ukrainian battlefield where their plane was downed four months ago, the Dutch foreign minister said Saturday, as fighting rumbled on in the east of the country.Foreign Minister Bert Koenders made the grim assessment in the city of Kharkiv, where he attended a memorial service for five more sets of human remains collected from the site of the disaster and flown to The Netherlands.Another ceremony attended by some 1,600 friends and relatives was planned to take place in The Netherlands on Monday.We cannot say at this moment in any certain way... at what moment, and even if, we can recover the last nine victims, he said of the air crash that killed all 298 on board, including 193 Dutch.The shooting down of the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 on July 17 was one of the worst tragedies of a war in which an estimated 4,000 people have died. So far, the remains of 289 of those victims have been identified.Ukraine and the West blame Russian-backed separatist fighters using surface-to-air missiles for the catastrophe, while Moscow has pointed the finger at Kievs forces, in an incident that galvanised international shock over the chaos in a country bordering the European Union.-More bloodshed -Ukraine reported more bloody fighting, with eight of its soldiers killed in the last 24 hours, as Moscow denied claims it had sent tanks across the border.Ukraines military said one of those killed was a paratrooper shot by a sniper in Donetsk international airport, where government forces are defending a pocket of territory near the biggest rebel-held city.Seventeen other soldiers were wounded in shelling of government positions around the conflict zone, according to updates from the military.The fighting rumbled on in the industrial east despite a two-month-old ceasefire deal that has halted significant offensives, but failed to stop shelling at strategic flashpoints.Donetsks city hall and Ukrainian authorities reported the wounding of three civilians.After a brief morning calm, the sound of artillery explosions started up again, mostly near the airport, and continued relentlessly into the night, an AFP journalist said.Two tanks and two armoured fighting vehicles could be seen on the outskirts of the city, while rebels were digging trenches.These are our armoured vehicles changing position to escape the firing by the Ukrainians, said Zoya, a local resident who was coming to check on her house which shed been forced to abandon for a safer location with friends elsewhere in the city.Not everyone in the neighbourhood had that luxury.Where could I go? I have nowhere to go, no one who can give me shelter. Also, this is where my house is, said Vladimir, 78, while sawing firewood.Whatever happens will happen, the former miner said. If I have to die under the bombs, then thats the way its meant to be.- Claim of tanks -Russia, which annexed Ukraines Crimea region in March and lends close political and humanitarian support to the separatist areas in the east, denied the latest Ukrainian allegation that it was dispatching regular troops to join the fighting.Ukraines military made headlines around the world on Friday with the claim that columns of hardware, including 32 tanks, had poured across the border which is under the control of Russia and the pro-Russian rebels.However, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov laughed off the allegation after US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said she had no independent confirmation of the report.If Psaki doesnt have it, I dont, Lavrov told journalists with a chuckle in Beijing, where he met his US counterpart John Kerry ahead of an APEC summit.- Diplomatic activity -The conflict has sent relations between Western backers of Ukraine and Russia to their lowest level in decades.The world is on the brink of a new Cold War. Some are even saying that it has already begun, the last Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, said at an event marking the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.In an interview with Switzerlands RTS radio and TV network, due to be aired on Sunday, Gorbachev said: One sees new walls. In Ukraine, its an enormous ditch that they want to dig.Russias economy is suffering from European Union and US sanctions imposed in response to Moscows support for the separatists. With Russia welcoming last weeks rebel elections, which were billed as boosting the separatists claim to independence, sanctions look set to remain in place -- and possibly be reinforced.We see no reason to lift any sanctions, Koenders said in Kiev, calling the rebel elections illegal.A flurry of diplomatic activity is approaching, with the APEC summit in China and a Group of 20 meeting in Australia next week, where President Vladimir Putin will have the chance to put his case before world leaders.Speaking in Beijing, Lavrov appeared to soften Russias position, saying that US involvement in attempts to resolve the crisis would be a step in the right direction.But in comments marking the Berlin Wall anniversary, US President Barack Obama said, As Russias actions against Ukraine remind us, we have more work to do to fully realise our shared vision of a Europe that is whole, free and at peace.

OSCE 'concerned' by tanks, convoys in Ukraine

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Kiev (AFP) - The OSCE said it is very concerned after its monitors witnessed columns of tanks, howitizers and troop carriers moving through east Ukraine in territory held by pro-Russia separatists.Monitors from the European security organisation said in a statement late Saturday they had observed convoys of heavy weapons and tanks in the area of the rebel-held city of Donetsk and nearby Makiivka.The OSCE report came a day after Ukraines military said it had spotted a large column of tanks and other heavy weapons entering the country from Russia across a section of border that has fallen under control of rebel fighters.Russia denies being involved in the fighting, although it openly gives the rebels political and humanitarian backing.More than 40 trucks and tankers were seen driving on a highway on the eastern outskirts of Makiivka, the OSCE representatives, who are monitoring a barely observed ceasefire signed in September, said.Of these, 19 were large trucks –- Kamaz type, covered, and without markings or number plates –- each towing a 122mm howitzer and containing personnel in dark green uniforms without insignia. Fifteen were Kraz troop carriers, the report said.There were also six fuel tankers and an armoured personnel carrier.Separately, the OSCE monitors said they had seen a convoy of nine tanks –- four T72 and five T64 -– moving west, also unmarked, just south-west of Donetsk.The OSCE said all the forces were on territory controlled by the self-declared Donetsk Peoples Republic, which is fighting Ukrainian troops in a war that has already killed at least 4,000 people, according to UN figures.The Swiss foreign minister and OSCE chairperson-in-office, Didier Burkhalter, said he was very concerned about a resurgence of violence in the eastern regions of Ukraine.He urged all sides to act responsibly and to do all in their power to further consolidate the ceasefire, the OSCE said in a statement.Despite the nominal ceasefire, there is daily shelling across the separatist zone and a steady loss of life among soldiers and civilians.

Mexican students torch cars after 43 feared massacred

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Chilpancingo (Mexico) (AFP) - Protesters torched several trucks and tossed firebombs at a southern Mexican state government building after authorities said gang hitmen confessed to slaughtering 43 students in a case that angered the nation.More than 300 students, many wearing masks, descended on the Guerrero state building in Chilpancingo, threw rocks at its windows and burned around 10 vehicles, including trucks and a federal police vehicle.We are asking the same thing as usual. We want to see our comrades alive, a masked student told AFP as others chanted they took them alive, we want them back alive.Protesters had torched part of the Guerrero state government building last month.The case has repulsed Mexico since gang-linked police attacked busloads of students in the Guerrero city of Iguala on September 26, in a night of violence that left six people dead and the 43 missing.Attorney General Jesus Murillo Karam said Friday that three Guerreros Unidos gang members confessed to receiving the students from the police, killing them and incinerating their bodies.The confessions may have brought a tragic end to the mystery, which has sparked international outrage and protests in the biggest crisis of President Enrique Pena Nietos administration.But parents of the missing and fellow students at their teacher-training college near Chilpancingo refuse to believe the authorities until they get DNA results from independent Argentine forensic experts.It appears that the federal government, with great irresponsibility, is interested in closing this matter because its all based in testimony. There is nothing definitive, said Meliton Ortega, uncle of a missing student.In taped confessions, gang suspects said they bundled the students in the back of two trucks, took them to a landfill in the town of Cocula, killed them and used fuel, wood, tires and plastic to burn their bodies for 14 hours.The students had traveled to Iguala to raise funds but hijacked four buses to return home, a common practice among the young men from a school known as a bastion of left-wing activism.Authorities say the citys mayor, worried that they would interrupt a speech by his wife, ordered the police to confront them. The officers shot at several buses, leaving three students and three bystanders dead.Authorities have arrested 74 people, including the ousted mayor, Jose Luis Abarca, his wife Maria de los Angeles Pineda, 36 police officers and several Guerreros Unidos operatives.- ImTiredOfFear -If the confessions are true, the mass murder would rank among the worst massacres in a drug war that has killed more than 80,000 people and left 22,000 others missing since 2006.The Iguala case has undermined Pena Nietos assurances that authorities were finally reducing the cycle of murders plaguing the country.A protest was planned in Mexico City on Saturday, one day after hundreds of people lit candles on the steps of the capitals Angel of Independence monument.They spray-painted YaMeCanseDelMiedo, which translates to ImTiredOfFear, on the attorney generals office.On Twitter, YaMeCanse became a trending topic after Murillo Karam uttered the words at the end of his hour-long press conference on Friday.Its important to see how Mexican society will react, if it will remain apathetic as it has been for years, historian Lorenzo Meyer said. If this doesnt shock us, nothing else can.- Parents await DNA tests -Murillo Karam stopped short of declaring all the students dead, and said an Austrian university would help identify the remains.But the chief prosecutor added that there was a lot of evidence... that could indicate it was them.Parents of the missing say they will not accept they are dead until independent Argentine forensic experts deliver DNA results.Last month, two hitmen had already confessed to killing 17 of the students and dumping them in a mass grave near Iguala. But officials later said none of the students were among the bodies.Some parents said the announcement of the confessions was aimed at allowing Pena Nieto to leave Sunday on a major trip to China and Australia, which has been shortened due to the crisis.They want Pena Nieto to go on this trip, said Felipe de la Cruz, a spokesman for the families.

Mexico horrified by suspected massacre of 43 students

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Ayotzinapa (Mexico) (AFP) - Mexico was confronted Saturday with one of the grisliest massacres in years of drug violence after gang suspects confessed to slaughtering 43 missing students and dumping their charcoaled remains in a river.The case has revulsed Mexico since gang-linked police attacked the young men in the southern state of Guerrero on September 26, in a night of violence that left six people dead and the 43 missing.The confessions may have brought a tragic end to the mystery, which has sparked international outrage and protests in the biggest crisis of President Enrique Pena Nietos administration.But at the young mens Ayotzinapa teacher-training college, exhausted parents of the victims refuse to accept they are dead until DNA tests confirm their identities, saying the government has repeatedly fed them lies.It appears that the federal government, with great irresponsibility, is interested in closing this matter because its all based in testimony. There is nothing definitive, Meliton Ortega, uncle of a missing student, told AFP.Three suspected Guerreros Unidos gang members told investigators that local police handed them the students between the southern towns of Iguala and Cocula.In taped confessions, the suspects said they bundled the 43 in the back of two trucks, took them to a nearby landfill, killed them and used fuel, wood, tires and plastic to burn their bodies for 14 hours.The students had traveled to the city of Iguala to raise funds but hijacked four buses to return home, a common practice among the young men from a school known as a bastion of left-wing activism.Authorities say the citys mayor, worried that they would interrupt a speech by his wife, ordered the police to confront them. The officers shot at several buses, leaving three students and three bystanders dead.Authorities have arrested 74 people, including the ousted mayor, Jose Luis Abarca, his wife Maria de los Angeles Pineda, 36 police officers and several Guerreros Unidos operatives.- ImTiredOfFear -If the confessions are true, the mass murder would rank among the worst massacres in a drug war that has killed more than 80,000 people and left 22,000 others missing since 2006.The Iguala case has undermined Pena Nietos assurances that authorities were finally reducing the cycle of murders plaguing the country.Late Friday, some 300 protesters lit candles on the steps of Mexico Citys Angel of Independence monument before heading to the attorney generals office, where they spray-painted YaMeCanseDelMiedo, which translates to ImTiredOfFear.The Spanish version of the hashtag ImTired (YaMeCanse) became a trending topic on Twitter after Attorney General Jesus Murillo Karam uttered the words during a somber news conference announcing the apparent massacre on Friday.I feel helpless, angry, incredulous at what the government said. Im fed up, said Judit Urena, mother of a seven-year-old girl.The radical CETEG teachers union in Guerrero threatened to lead new protests in the state, where demonstrators torched part of the regional government headquarters last month.Its important to see how Mexican society will react, if it will remain apathetic as it has been for years, historian Lorenzo Meyer told AFP. If this doesnt shock us, nothing else can.- Parents await DNA tests -Murillo Karam stopped short Friday of declaring the 43 dead and said an Austrian university would help identify the remains.But the chief prosecutor added that there was a lot of evidence... that could indicate it was them.Murillo Karam presented gruesome details of the killing, with videos of small pieces of charcoal-like remains that were found in black plastic bags in a river.After incinerating the remains, the suspects say they crushed them into pieces and burned their own clothes to hide evidence.Parents of the missing say they will not accept they are dead until independent Argentine forensic experts deliver DNA results.Last month, two hitmen had already confessed to killing 17 of the students and dumping them in a mass grave near Iguala.But authorities said tests showed none of them were among 28 bodies found in the pit. Murillo Karam said Friday the grave contained men and women who were killed in August.Some parents said the announcement of the confessions was aimed at allowing Pena Nieto to leave Sunday on a major trip to China and Australia, which has been shortened due to the crisis.They want Pena Nieto to go on this trip, said Felipe de la Cruz, a spokesman for the families.

Costa tightens Chelsea's grip, City slip up

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London (AFP) - Chelsea tightened their grip on the Premier League title race on Saturday after they won 2-1 at Liverpool and Manchester City dropped points at second-bottom Queens Park Rangers.After Diego Costas 10th goal of the campaign had given Chelsea victory at Anfield, Southampton kept pace with a 2-0 win over Leicester City, but City are now eight points off top spot after drawing 2-2 at QPR.Bidding to avenge their costly 2-0 loss in last seasons corresponding fixture, scene of captain Steven Gerrards infamous slip, Liverpool took a ninth-minute lead against Chelsea through Emre Cans deflected shot.But Gary Cahill forced the ball past Simon Mignolet to equalise almost immediately before Costa slammed home 23 minutes from time to safeguard Chelseas four-point advantage at the summit.It was a fantastic performance. The players as individuals all had a great performance and as a team they were in control, Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho told BT Sport.One point at Anfield, most teams would accept that as a great result. This team did not accept that and I am really, really pleased.Runners-up to City last season, Liverpool have now lost three successive games in all competitions and trail Chelsea by a huge 15 points.Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers felt that his side should been awarded a late penalty after a shot from Gerrard struck Cahill on the arm in front of the Kop.We worked so hard in the game, but we need those decisions that are obvious, he said.It was a clear, clear penalty. I was very disappointed because the players gave everything in the game.Chelsea were on course to move six points clear until substitute Shane Long scored a quick-fire late brace to earn second-place Southampton victory over Leicester at a soggy St Marys.Long curled home from Graziano Pelles lay-off in the 75th minute before running clear and beating Kasper Schmeichel five minutes later to keep Ronald Koemans side on Chelseas tail.- Mata revives United -But City were unable to follow suit at a rain-lashed Loftus Road and having suffered a costly loss at home to CSKA Moscow in the Champions League on Wednesday, they have picked up only one win in their last six games.QPR striker Charlie Austin saw two goals disallowed as the hosts made a determined start -- one for offside, the other after City goalkeeper Joe Hart inadvertently kicked the ball twice as he took a free-kick.Austins perseverance paid off in the 21st minute when he fired home from Eduardo Vargass pass, only for Sergio Aguero to equalise 11 minutes later after coolly plucking Eliaquim Mangalas pass out of the sky.After City had lost substitute Edin Dzeko to injury just four minutes after he came on, they saw Martin Demichelis head Austins cross into his own net to restore QPRs lead in the 76th minute.But seven minutes from time, Aguero scampered onto a pass from Yaya Toure before rounding Rob Green and drilling into the net to limit the damage for City.It was a very difficult week. We didnt have 72 hours to recover physically and mentally from the last game but we tried until the last minute to win, Pellegrini said.We are in an unlucky moment. We are not playing very well but we had enough chances to win this game.I am not worried about Chelsea. We will see if they can continue that until the end of the year.Elsewhere, Manchester United had substitute Juan Mata to thank after they secured a 1-0 win at home to Crystal Palace that lifted Louis van Gaals side up to sixth place, 13 points below Chelsea.United toiled in the first half and saw former player Fraizer Campbell spurn a chance to put Palace ahead when he lobbed over following a mix-up between auxiliary centre-back Daley Blind and 19-year-old Paddy McNair.But Mata scored just four minutes after coming on in the 63rd minute to give United victory, deceiving visiting goalkeeper Julian Speroni with a deflected 22-yard shot after a one-two with Angel di Maria.It was a fantastic goal, but it was important also, said United manager Louis van Gaal.I am pleased because we have three points and there is an international break so it was important we closed with a victory.West Ham United inched above Arsenal into fourth place despite drawing 0-0 at home to Aston Villa, while Ashley Barness solitary header earned bottom club Burnley a first win of the campaign at home to Hull City.

Suarez inspires Barca revival

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Madrid (AFP) - Gareth Bale scored on his return to the Real Madrid starting line-up for the first time in a month as the European champions beat Rayo Vallecano 5-1 on Saturday.Barcelona remain just two points behind the league leaders thanks to two assists from Luis Suarez as they came from behind to snap a two-game losing streak in La Liga with a 2-1 win at Almeria.Bale took just nine minutes to make his mark as he slid in to turn home Toni Krooss low cross before Sergio Ramoss fortunate looping effort doubled Madrids lead.An awful attempted backpass from James Rodriguez gave Rayo hope just before half-time as Alberto Bueno reduced the arrears, but Kroos restored the hosts two-goal advantage with his first goal for the club.Karim Benzema added a dubious fourth despite being clearly in an offside position before Cristiano Ronaldo registered his 23rd goal of the season thanks to some generous goalkeeping from Cristian Alvarez.A pelvic muscle injury had kept Bale on the sidelines for five games prior to his return as a second-half substitute against Liverpool in midweek, and there were positive signs for Welsh boss Chris Coleman as he looked back to his best ahead of his countrys crucial Euro 2016 qualifiers against Belgium and Israel.Bale was on hand to prod home the opener from close range after a neat one-two between Kroos and Ronaldo as Madrid started brightly.Ronaldo then uncharacteristically blazed over from inside the area and Alvarez did well to turn a curling effort from Rodriguez wide.However, from the resulting corner Ramos made it 2-0 when the ball fortunately ricocheted off his thigh into the top corner.Rayo were gifted a reward for their neat possession football two minutes before the break, though, as Rodriguez passed the ball straight to Leo Baptistao and the on-loan Atletico Madrid striker squared for Bueno to slot into an empty net.Baptistao thought he had brought Rayo level 10 minutes into the second period, but the goal was ruled out for a marginal offside call and within seconds Madrid had put the game to bed.Ronaldo cut the ball back for Kroos 25 yards from goal and the German World Cup winner bent home his first goal for the club with a low precise finish.Four minutes later it was 4-1 as Benzema turned home Ronaldos miscued shot and this time the goal did stand despite the Frenchman being clearly in an offside position.Bale was denied a sensational second of the night when Alvarez turned his thunderous volley onto the bar, but the keeper undid his good work when he allowed Ronaldos weak effort through his body to round off a 13th consecutive victory in all competitions for Madrid.Earlier, Barca were bailed out by a superb second-half performance by Suarez after he and Neymar had been left on the bench by boss Luis Enrique as he made five changes from the side that defeated Ajax 2-0 in midweek.Yet, despite his teams reaction after the break, Enrique was less than impressed by their display.The second-half was better for the ambition and attitude shown by the players rather than for good football, he said.To have a good season, though, you have to win even when you dont play well in games like today.The visitors were caught out eight minutes before half-time as Lionel Messi lost possession deep inside the Almeria half and with one pass Barca were undone as Fernando Soriano released Thievy Bifouma and he raced past Marc Bartra before calmly slotting past Bravo.Enrique had seen enough in the first 45 minutes and swiftly introduced Suarez and Neymar for Munir El Haddadi and Pedro Rodriguez at the break.It took 15 minutes for the substitutes to make an impact as Suarez acrobatically volleyed against the bar at the back post from a corner.Suarez was the creator when Barca did eventually level as he turned his marker just inside the area and squared for Neymar to turn the ball home via a deflection off Ximo Navarro 18 minutes from time.The Uruguayan was inches away from his first Barca goal moments later as he spun and sent a low shot just beyond Martinezs far post.Suarez then teed up Messi to sent another looping header off the crossbar as the pressure from the Catalans continued.And they found the winner eight minutes from the end when after another burst from Suarez down the right he picked out the late arriving Alba from left-back to bundle home his first goal of the season.

Asia-Pacific ministers step up anti-graft efforts,fox hunt

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Beijing (AFP) - China secured backing from Asia-Pacific ministers Saturday to deepen anti-graft efforts, in a move that dovetails with a high-profile Communist Party fox hunt for corrupt officials who have fled abroad.The anti-corruption proposal is said to have been pushed by China and backed by the United States at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) gathering in Beijing, which culminates in a two-day summit of leaders from 21 member-economies starting Monday.US Secretary of State John Kerry hailed the moved as a major step forward in combatting graft.Corruption not only creates an unfair playing field, it not only distorts economic relationships, but corruption also steals from the people of every country the belief that the system can work for everybody, he told reporters in Beijing.But it remained unclear how effective the move would be, amid apprehension in some countries over returning suspects to China due to fears they could be subject to abuse and denied legal due process.China in July launched its so-called Fox Hunt -- a campaign to bring back corrupt officials or their family members who have moved abroad, taking ill-gotten gains with them.Since taking office last year, President Xi Jinping has made the graft fight a central theme of his administration as public anger swells over widespread corruption.A report attributed to Chinas central bank and leaked three years ago said that as many as 18,000 corrupt officials had left the country between the 1990s and 2008, taking as much as $123 billion with them.- Deny safe haven -In a statement, APEC ministers pledged to step up nascent anti-corruption efforts with a regional commitment to deny safe haven to those engaged in corruption, including through extradition.But they stressed that such moves would be subject to domestic laws and policies and needed to be carried out in accordance with fundamental legal principles of each economy.We, APEC member economies, recognise that corruption impedes economic sustainability and development, threatens social security and fairness, undermines the rule of law, and erodes government accountability, as well as public trust, the statement said.It pledged to establish an office for the day-to-day running of the APEC Network of Anti-Corruption Authorities and Law Enforcement Agencies (ACT-NET), a body coordinating anti-corruption efforts that was launched by Chinese and US officials in August.The office will assist in detecting, investigating and prosecuting corruption, bribery, money laundering, and illicit trade and seek cooperation on tracking cases across borders.China has recently announced stepped-up efforts to extradite former officials suspected of corruption from countries including Australia, New Zealand and Canada.Australian police said last month that they would work with their Chinese counterparts to track down and seize illegal assets, but foreign concerns over the countrys legal system linger.Anti-corruption efforts with the ruling Communist Party are carried out by an internal body which operates without any legal oversight, and there is concern that the crackdown may be used for political faction-fighting.APEC Secretariat Executive Director Alan Bollard said Thursday the proposal had been championed by China and the United States.Bollard said any anti-corruption effort needs to happen within the different laws and legal structures of APEC members, but the statement did not spell out how this would work.Corruption impedes economic sustainability and development, threatens social security and fairness, the ministers added.

EU urges two-state capital in Jerusalem as tensions soar

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Ramallah (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - Europes top diplomat on Saturday called for a Palestinian state sharing Jerusalem as its capital with Israel, hours after the police killing of an Arab-Israeli further fanned tensions.The appeal by the European Unions Federica Mogherini followed the dawn killing of the man by police in northern Israel, with his family saying he was killed in cold blood and a video showing he was shot in the back.I think Jerusalem can be and should be the capital of two states, the new EU foreign policy chief told reporters in the Israeli-occupied West Bank city of Ramallah.The status of Jerusalem is a sensitive issue that has blocked peace efforts for decades.Palestinians are seeking to achieve statehood in Gaza and the West Bank with annexed east Jerusalem as their capital. Israel claims Jerusalem as its undivided and eternal capital city.In recent weeks tensions have soared, with Israel pushing plans to build new Jewish settlements in east Jerusalem and Jewish extremists demanding the right to pray at the flashpoint Al-Aqsa mosque compound.Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon reiterated on Saturday that Jews -- who are allowed only to visit the compound holy to both Jews and Muslims -- would not be authorised to pray there.Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas urged Mogherini to ensure that this would never happen and that the status quo would remain unchanged, to avoid mass unrest being unleashed.In the latest violence, Israeli security forces shot dead 22-year-old Arab-Israeli citizen Kheir Hamdan who threatened them with a knife as he tried to prevent a relative being arrested, police said.Police said he was killed after they fired warning shots, but his family say he was shot dead in cold blood in the north Israel village of Kfar Kana.An Internet video link police provided shows Hamdan running after trying to attack security forces. As he flees a police officer is seen shooting him in the back.The death of Hamdan, who was buried in the evening, triggered a protest rally by hundreds in his village, while on the outskirts dozens of youths blocked roads with burning tyres and pelted police with stones. Three were arrested.- Another night of clashes -The shooting came after overnight clashes in east Jerusalem between Palestinian youths hurling stones and firecrackers and police who retaliated with rubber bullets, stun grenades and tear gas.Fresh clashes erupted again as night fell.Since starting her first official visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories on Friday, Mogherini has been pushing for ways of reviving the peace process frozen since April.On Saturday she also visited the Gaza Strip, the coastal enclave devastated by a 50-day summer war with Israel, and held talks in Ramallah with Palestinian prime minister Rami Hamdallah.The world cannot afford another war in Gaza, she said, appealing for the creation of a Palestinian state.We need a Palestinian state -- that is the ultimate goal and this is the position of all the European Union, she said in Gaza.Abbas, meanwhile, said that a draft resolution was on course to be submitted to the UN Security Council this month calling for an end date for Israeli occupation.With peace talks frozen, the Palestinians have been pushing for international recognition for an independent state.On Friday, Mogherini met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who dismissed her criticism of Israeli settlement building in annexed east Jerusalem and the West Bank.I reject the fictitious claim that the root of the continuous conflict is this or that settlement, he said. Jerusalem is our capital and as such is not a settlement.Netanyahu has ordered the security forces to either seal or demolish the homes of any Palestinian involved in anti-Israeli attacks, an official said on Friday.On Saturday he threatened to strip anyone who calls for the destruction of the State of Israel of their citizenship as Arab Israelis protested in Kfar Kana.

Coalition planes strike IS leaders near Mosul: US

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Washington (AFP) - Coalition forces launched airstrikes targeting Islamic State leaders near their northern Iraqi hub of Mosul, the US military said Saturday, without confirming whether the groups chief was killed.The strikes, which destroyed a vehicle convoy of 10 IS armed trucks late Friday, targeted a gathering of ISIL leaders near Mosul, US Central Command said.We cannot confirm if ISIL leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was among those present, CENTCOM said in a statement, using another acronym by which the group is known.This strike demonstrates the pressure we continue to place on the ISIL terrorist network and the groups increasingly limited freedom to maneuver, communicate and command.The strikes came as President Barack Obama unveiled plans to send 1,500 additional troops to Iraq to help Baghdad government forces strike back at the extremist fighters, roughly doubling the number of US soldiers in the country.To fund the growing war effort, Obama plans to request $5.6 billion from Congress, including $1.6 billion to train and arm the Iraqi forces, officials said.The move marked a deepening US commitment in the open-ended war against the IS group, three months since American aircraft launched air strikes against the Sunni extremists.It also extends the US training and advising mission to new areas as Iraqi and Kurdish forces prime themselves to recapture ground lost to the IS group, including in the volatile Anbar province in the west where the Iraqi army has been on the retreat.Obama had resisted keeping troops in Iraq earlier in his term, vowing to end the American presence that began with the 2003 invasion and continued as an occupation through 2011.IS militants briefly held Mosul dam in August but Kurdish forces and Iraqi army troops -- backed up by US air strikes -- succeeded in retaking the structure later that month.The large dam in northern Iraq is a crucial piece of infrastructure and IS has repeatedly tried to seize it back.The dam is the countrys largest and if destroyed or dismantled, it could unleash major flooding of the city of Mosul and the capital Baghdad.

Pakistan secures Chinese investment,worth $42 billion

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Beijing (AFP) - China on Saturday promised neighbouring Pakistan investment worth $42 billion, an official said, as Islamabad promised to help Beijing fight what it calls a terrorist threat in its far-west.Pakistans Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif oversaw the signing of 19 agreements and memorandums mostly centred on the energy sector as he met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing.Pakistan, a close ally of China, suffers from chronic electricity shortages and Islamabad has long sought investment in coal-fired power stations which it sees as a solution to the problem.Other countries have balked from such investments, sometimes on environmental grounds.The new agreements pave the way for Chinese state-owned companies to help build at least four new power stations in Pakistan, while the deals also cover the supply and mining of coal, the prime ministers press office said.The deals being signed between China and Pakistan are worth $42 billion. The whole investment is being made by China, said Amir Zamir, spokesman for Pakistans ministry of planning and development.There is no loan or aid for the energy projects, but pure investment by the Chinese, he told AFP.Pakistan has for decades been Chinas closest ally in South Asia, and Beijing is a major trading partner and key supplier of military technology to Islamabad.Pakistan borders the far-western Chinese region of Xinjiang, which has seen a series of clashes and attacks on civilians that have left more than 200 dead in the past year.Beijing blames some of the regions violence on an organised terrorist group it calls the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) seeking independence for the region, home to the mostly-Muslim Uighur minority.Many analysts doubt that any large scale organisation of the kind exists, while rights groups blame the violence on what they call the repression of Uighur language and culture by Beijing.Sharif told Xi that Pakistan would resolutely fight the East Turkestan Islamic Movement terrorist force, Chinas foreign ministry said in a statement following the meeting in Beijing.We stand behind China on all the core issues like Taiwan and Tibet to human rights, the fight against the ETIM, Sharif added within earshot of journalists.Xi was forced to cancel a planned trip to Pakistan in September due to anti-government protests in Islamabad.But the Chinese president visited Pakistans arch-rival India the same month, signing a raft of deals.Sharif acknowledged that somehow the circumstances led to the postponement of the visit, adding to Xi: I believe you will be visiting Pakistan very soon.

Kot Radha Kishan: Residents desert villages fearing implication

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KOT RADHA KISHAN (Dunya News) – Following an incident of a couple’s brutal killing, residents of the area have started migrating to other places, fearing arrest and implication in the case registered against the outlaws responsible.Details have it that schools in the area are deserted and no student has attended school for past four days.Earlier, a christian couple was burnt alive in the locality by being pushed into a brick kiln. Following the incident, a sense of fear has sparked amongst the locals.Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Shahbaz Sharif has formed a three-member committee to probe the matter.However, wrongdoers against whom the case has been registered are still at large.

Kot Radha Kishan: Residents desert villages fearing implication

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KOT RADHA KISHAN (Dunya News) – Following an incident of a couple’s brutal killing, residents of the area have started migrating to other places, fearing arrest and implication in the case registered against the outlaws responsible.Details have it that schools in the area are deserted and no student has attended school for past four days.Earlier, a christian couple was burnt alive in the locality by being pushed into a brick kiln. Following the incident, a sense of fear has sparked amongst the locals.Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Shahbaz Sharif has formed a three-member committee to probe the matter.However, wrongdoers against whom the case has been registered are still at large.

Imran Khan burning in fire of envy: Pervaiz Rasheed

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Pervaiz Rasheed on Saturday said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan is burning in the fire of envy, adding that Khan has lost credibility by leveling allegations without evidences.In a statement, Pervaiz Rasheed said that Imran Khan says that he speaks nothing but truth from the container but why, he asked, he hasn’t spoken against terrorists.He complained that Imran Khan hasn’t openly endorsed the Operation Zarb-e-Azb from the container.Pervaiz Rasheed said that PTI chief probably can’t see any difference in performance of Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif and Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pervaiz Khattak which is why he is complaining.Imran Khan should show some performance in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa first then express the desire to travel with Prime Minister, he said.
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