Saturday 6 December 2014

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Philippines typhoon sparks calls for climate action

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LIMA (AFP) - While loved ones braced for the full impact of Typhoon Hagupit back home, Filipino activists in Lima urged climate negotiators Saturday to act with more urgency in drafting a global plan to limit such potentially life-threatening events.To us in the Philippines, we are not any more debating on whether or not the impacts of climate change are here, we have experienced it, Voltaire Alferez of the Aksyon Klima Pilipinas NGO grouping said on the sidelines of the talks.Year after year we are bombarded... from one typhoon to another, he told AFP as his wife and son of one year left their Manila home for the relative safety of higher ground.This is the third typhoon in a row to hit the Philippines during the annual, ministerial-level climate negotiations towards a new, global pact to limit climate harm by curbing Earth-warming greenhouse gas emissions.Last year, Typhoon Haiyan hit while talks were under way in Warsaw, killing 7,350 people, and Typhoon Bopha claimed 600 lives during negotiations in Doha in 2012.It is never possible to attribute any individual weather event to climate change, but the UNs World Meteorological Organization has said extreme storms like Haiyan were consistent with human-induced climate change.Countries are gathered in the Peruvian capital to negotiate the broad outlines of the new global pact, which is due to be signed in Paris next December and take effect in 2020.But NGOs and activists acting as observers to the bartering said the pace was too slow and a sense of urgency lacking with one week to go in the December 1-12 session.One of the biggest concerns we have is that negotiators still dont have a sense that what we are dealing with in these negotiations is a planetary emergency, said Tasneem Essop of green group WWF.- Issue of survival -Grouping 195 nations and the EU bloc, the talks under the umbrella of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change remain deeply divided on how to apportion responsibility for emissions curbs, which requires a costly shift from cheap and abundant fossil fuel to cleaner alternatives.The goal is to limit average global warming to two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) over pre-Industrial Revolution levels, but scientists say we are heading for double that -- a recipe for ever-worse droughts, floods and sea-level rise.Parties are divided on what must be in the agreement.Developing countries want commitments that rich nations are loath to give: to helping with climate-change adaptation, finance, and compensation for loss and damage suffered.This is what loss and damage looks like, said Julie-Anne Richards of the Climate Justice Program, referring to the latest typhoon.These are real people facing real costs and some even the loss of their lives.Greenpeaces Jasper Inventor, a Filipino, added: In the hour of our peril, now is the time for politicians to back up their expressions of solidarity with real action at the UN climate talks.It has become an issue of our survival.Terrifying winds and intense rains pounded the eastern Philippines Saturday as millions sheltered from the massive storm.Hagupit was forecast to take three days to rake across the Philippines, also bringing heavy rain to the densely populated capital Manila.

Spying techniques exposed by Snowden not unlawful: UK watchdog

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LONDON (Reuters) - British spies did not break laws guaranteeing human rights when they used mass monitoring techniques revealed by former U.S. National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden, the countrys surveillance watchdog ruled.A host of civil rights groups and privacy campaigners, including Amnesty International and the American Civil Liberties Union, had argued the tactics used by Britains three security agencies and disclosed by Snowden to the media last year did not comply with the UKs Human Rights Act.The Snowden revelations in particular have led to the impression voiced in some quarters that the law in some way permits the Intelligence Services carte blanche to do what they will. We are satisfied that this is not the case, Britains Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT) said in its ruling.Snowden caused an international uproar when he disclosed details of the extent of surveillance and electronic monitoring by the NSA and its British equivalent, the General Communications Headquarters, or GCQA.He told newspapers the NSA was mining the personal data of users of Google, Facebook, Skype and other U.S. companies under a secret program codenamed Prism, while GCHQ was accused of bypassing British laws by gaining access to communications without proper authority.GCHQ was also accused of tapping fibre-optic cables that carry international phone and internet traffic and sharing the data with the United States.We have ruled that the current regime, both in relation to Prism and Upstream (another NSA program) when conducted in accordance with the requirements which we have considered, is lawful and human rights-compliant, the IPT said.Rachel Logan, legal adviser for Amnesty UK, said the decision would be appealed to the European Court of Human Rights.The government has managed to bluff their way out of this, retreating into closed hearings and constantly playing the national security card, she said.The governments entire defense has amounted to trust us and now the tribunal has said the same. Since we only know about the scale of such surveillance thanks to Snowden, and given that national security has been recklessly bandied around, trust us isnt enough.The new head of GCHQ said last month the security services needed greater access to Facebook and Twitter because of their importance to militant groups, while spy chiefs have argued Snowdens revelations have damaged their capabilities and put operations at risk.

Original Batmobile, built in 1963, fetches $137,000 at auction

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DALLAS (Reuters) - Holy Bargain, Batman The original Batmobile fetched $137,000 at auction on Saturday, a small fraction of the $4.2 million that a buyer paid last year for another version built for the television show that aired during the 1960s.It was the first time that the 1963 Batmobile, a replica of the sleek black ride used by the DC Comics superhero, was up for auction since it was cast off and forgotten decades ago, according to Dallas-based Heritage Auctions, which handled the sale. Information about the buyer was not immediately available.This is a great piece of lost pop culture and Americana, said Margaret Barrett, director of entertainment and music at Heritage Auctions. There is a lot of interest in it.The car was put up for auction by Toy Car Exchange LLC, an online marketplace for collectible cars, which bought it and had it restored to pristine condition, Barrett said.It was the creation of Forrest Robinson, a Batman fan who spent three years customizing a 1956 Oldsmobile 88 with a 324 Rocket engine to resemble the single-fin vehicle depicted in DCs Batman Comics from the 1940s and 1950s. He finished in 1963.Robinsons Batmobile was completed before George Barris began building a Batmobile for the ABC TV series Batman, which aired for three seasons until 1968. The Barris Batmobile sold at auction in January 2013 for $4.2 million.The television shows popularity made Robinsons Batmobile such a sensation that a DC Comics licensee leased the car from Robinson and rebranded it Batmans Batmobile for touring, primarily on the East Coast.Eventually, replicas were made of the TV Batmobile, and Robinsons car was returned. He sold it a few years later.It did not resurface until 2008 when a man found it rusting in a New Hampshire field, Heritage officials said.After changing ownership several times, Toy Car Exchange bought the car in February 2013, Heritage said. Borbon Fabrications, a vintage car restorer in Sacramento, California, restored the car.

US to keep more troops in Afghanistan as violence spikes

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KABUL (Reuters) - The United States will keep up to 1,000 more soldiers than previously planned in Afghanistan into next year, outgoing U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said on Saturday, in a recognition of the still formidable challenge from Taliban insurgents.Hagel, confirming a change in the U.S. drawdown schedule first reported by Reuters in November, said the additional forces were needed because delays in signing security pacts had impacted plans to raise troops from other countries.However, he also said that a particularly violent surge of Taliban attacks in Kabul in the last two weeks was a reminder of the continued need for a foreign presence.The recent wave of Taliban attacks has made it clear that the international community must not waver in its support for a stable, secure and prosperous Afghanistan, said Hagel, who arrived in Kabul unannounced on Saturday morning.The NATO-led combat mission in Afghanistan officially ends in two weeks with a sharp reduction in western forces, but troops that stay behind will still provide combat enabler support to Afghan soldiers, Hagel said.The United States will also maintain a mission to fight al Qaeda in the country, he added.We have not forgotten what brought America to Afghanistan over a decade ago, Hagel said at a joint press conference with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.And we will take appropriate measures against Taliban members who directly threaten U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan or provide direct support to al Qaeda.Gen. John Campbell, the commander of international forces in Afghanistan, said last week the ongoing U.S. role would include limited air support to Afghan soldiers.Hagel, who resigned last week under pressure, said U.S. forces could fall only to 10,800 troops, rather than 9,800 as originally planned. The additional troops could stay until the first few months of 2015.But the presidents authorization will not change our troops missions, or the long-term timeline for our drawdown, Hagel said on his last trip to the country as Pentagon chief.He appeared confident that the United States would secure support from NATO allies in the next few weeks that would allow U.S. force levels to drop back to 9,800.BLOODIEST YEARHagels visit followed the bloodiest year in Afghanistan since the war against Taliban militants began in 2001.As of early November, about 4,600 members of the Afghan security forces had been killed in 2014, more than 6 percent higher than the same period of 2013.Even as U.S. officials including Hagel praised the accomplishments of Afghan forces, the high rate of Afghan casualties is seen as unsustainable and has raised questions about their vulnerability as foreign troops dwindle.Earlier, Hagel expressed confidence in the ability of Afghan forces to defend Kabul following the spike in attacks.U.S. President Barack Obamas drawdown strategy has attracted criticism, including from Republicans in Congress, who say gains against the Taliban could be lost in much the same way that violence returned to Iraq after the U.S. withdrawal.Hagel warned against drawing comparisons between Iraq and Afghanistan, saying Afghans want U.S. forces to stay.Are there (security) gaps? Are there continued challenges? And threats? Absolutely, Hagel acknowledged, noting Afghanistan would still struggle with pockets of Taliban resistance.The Taliban have become increasingly bold in their attacks and control several districts across a country where access to many areas is still limited by rugged terrain and poor security.

Afghanistan hands over Key Taliban commander Latif Mehsud, 3 others to Pakistan

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PESHAWAR (Web Desk) Key Taliban commander Latif Mehsud, who was being held by the Afghan and NATO troops for sometime, has been handed over to the Pakistani authorities, along with three others, sources said Saturday.Mehsud, a close aide of former Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Hakeemullah Mehsud was arrested along with his guards and a tribesman on the Pakistan-Afghan border by the Afghan National Army.The former TTP commander was reportedly handed over to the Pakistani authorities following the recent visit of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to Pakistan.

Spanish opposition decries govt plans to expand wiretapping

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MADRID (AFP) - Spains Socialist opposition on Saturday accused the government of acting like Big Brother after proposing legislation that would give top officials more power to bypass judges and authorise wiretaps or other surveillance.Spanish law currently allows police to intercept private communications without a judges OK only in probes targeting suspected terrorists or organised crime groups.But the draft bill adopted Friday by cabinet ministers would grant the interior minister and the secretary of state for security the power to authorise surveillance in emergency cases, or for a matter of particular gravity.The leader of the main opposition Socialists, Pedro Sanchez, condemned the proposal, likening it to a kind of Big Brother move that represented another tightening of the screws on human rights and freedoms.Before it can become law the bill must pass through parliament, where Prime Minister Mariano Rajoys Popular Party holds an absolute majority.If adopted, the measure would allow the government to order authorities to tap phone, written and online communications when investigations target criminal organisations, terrorism, crimes against minors or people with a special legal status, which was not clearly defined.The draft text allows surveillance for three months, but can be extended.The measure will surely be the object of controversy during the parliamentary proceedings, left-leaning Spanish paper El Periodico reported.

Putin, Hollande attempt to defuse Ukraine tensions

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MOSCOW (AFP) - French President Francois Hollande on Saturday became the first European leader to travel to Russia in an attempt to defuse the standoff with Vladimir Putin over Ukraine, as Kiev announced a fresh round of peace talks next week.Hollandes meeting with Putin in the diplomatic terminal of an airport outside the capital came as the conflict in eastern Ukraine has plunged relations between the West and Moscow to a post-Cold War low.The French leader said he hoped to stop a new East-West division from arising and that he expected to see some results from the talks with Putin, whom Europe and the United States have accused of arming and bankrolling the rebellion in east Ukraine.There are times when we need to seize opportunities. This is such a time... I think we must prevent other walls from separating us, said Hollande, who also spoke to Ukraines President Petro Poroshenko earlier in the day.We must find solutions together, he told the Russian leader, who this week gave a militant speech accusing the West of undermining Russia.Putin said there are difficult problems to tackle but that the visit would without a doubt contribute to the resolution of many problems.In a crucial admission, Putin said for the first time that the pro-Russian rebels have violated a shaky ceasefire with Kiev.We see that both from the side of Kiev leadership and from the side of Donetsk and Lugansk, from both sides, not everything is respected, he told journalists after the meeting lasting nearly two hours.- New talks set -Hollandes last-minute visit, which a source in his delegation said was also agreed with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, came as Kiev announced a new round of talks with the rebels in Minsk next week to try and rescue a tattered September ceasefire.The talks are to be held on Tuesday -- also the date set by both sides for a fresh truce to come into force.Ukraine and the rebels, whose fighting in the east has already claimed more than 4,300 lives, have agreed to suspend military operations on December 9, calling it a Day of Silence.In the subsequent 30 days, (the sides) must pull back (heavy weapons) from the demilitarisation zone outlined in the Minsk Protocol, Poroshenko said.The Ukrainian leader also said that the parties meeting in the Belarussian capital would aim to confirm the timetable for implementing the (original) Minsk agreements.The previous agreements committed both sides to stopping fire and pulling back artillery, but succeeded only in curbing the worst violence without ending it completely.Hollande said his meeting with Putin came at the right time, in good circumstances, and will undoubtedly lead to some results in the coming days.If on December 9, the truce is confirmed, we can then look at going further, but if there are still deaths in the next two or three weeks, we will take note of that, he said.Hollande said all parties must use all available instruments to end the crisis and that the new ceasefire has to work and be completely respected.The pro-Kiev governor of the eastern Lugansk region Gennadiy Moskal on Saturday said two civilians had been killed in a village 15 kilometres (nine miles) northwest of Lugansk, while a security spokesman alleged that a convoy of more than 100 trucks and armoured vehicles had moved across the border from Russia on Friday.Poroshenko said that 1,252 soldiers and volunteers fighting among Kievs forces have died over eight months of the conflict, and almost 3,000 have been wounded.- Hollandes warship obligation -Putin this week signalled he has no intention of softening his stance on Ukraine, which the West says includes sending regular troops across the border to help the separatist cause.Russia has denied the allegations.Instead, Putin suggested the West was imposing sanctions because Russia has become too strong, independent in their view.The economic embargoes have pummelled the countrys economy at a time of plunging oil prices, sending the ruble sinking.Hanging over Hollandes Ukraine diplomacy are two mammoth warships worth $1.5 billion (1.2 billion euros) that France agreed to deliver to the Russian navy prior to Moscows annexation of Crimea in March.Moscow is fuming over Hollandes decision to delay delivery of the first of the carriers -- which had been scheduled for this fall -- in view of Western concerns over Moscows involvement in the conflict.Paris faces hefty fines if it breaches the contract with Russia, but is under pressure from its allies around the world not to hand over the technology.Putin claimed after the meeting that the Mistrals were not discussed. Reiterating Moscows position that France must honour the contract or return the money, he said Russia will be understanding whatever the outcome.Hollande, facing the prospect of having two hugely expensive ships on his hands that he cannot sell to another client, has insisted the contract has not yet been broken.Russian officials have also steered clear of ultimatums, with the 400-strong Russian crew of the mammoth assault ships for the time being still in Frances Saint-Nazaire, the city where the shipyard is located and where they are currently training.

NASA craft to probe Pluto after nine-year journey

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - An American probe that will explore Pluto woke up from its slumber Saturday, after a nine-year journey to take a close look at the distant body for the first time.New Horizons is healthy and cruising quietly through deep space, nearly three billion miles from home, but its rest is nearly over, said Alice Bowman, the crafts operations manager at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory outside Washington.The probe came out of hibernation and transmitted a message to Earth.New Horizons was launched in January 2006 and was in hibernation for 1,873 days, about two thirds of its journey, to preserve the crafts electric power and minimize resources needed to monitor it.During its trip, NASA engineers woke the craft every few months to check if its systems were still functioning.The crafts computer has also been sending a weekly message to Earth that travels four hours to get here.It aims to study Pluto, an icy body with several moons near the outer reaches of our solar system.New Horizons begins its exploration of Pluto in January at a distance of about 260 million kilometers (160 million miles) from the body.The probe will pass closest to Pluto, which travels on an elliptical orbit, in July, just before it ends its research.During its mission, New Horizons will collect data on Plutos topography and its largest moon Charon, giving astronomers an up-close look at the dim surfaces that are difficult to see from Earth.The craft carries onboard seven instruments including infrared and ultraviolet spectrometers, a multicolor camera, a high-resolution telescopic camera and a space dust detector.All of the instruments aboard New Horizons draw power from a radioisotope thermoelectric generator, which provides less power than a pair of 100-watt light bulbs, scientists said.After New Horizons finishes its six-month investigation of Pluto, it will pass near other objects in the Kuiper Belt, a vast ring of debris left over from the solar systems birth 4.6 billion years ago.Scientists identified three possible objects in the Kuiper Belt, about 1.5 billion kilometers from Pluto, that New Horizons could also investigate.Pluto is about 2,300 kilometers in diameter, smaller than Earths moon, and has a mass about 500 times less than Earth.Pluto and its five moons circle the sun every 247.7 years.In 2006, the International Astronomical Union withdrew Plutos status as a planet given its small size, reclassifying it as a dwarf planet and leaving the solar system with eight planets.

Hungary mayor wants drug tests for 12-18 year olds

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BUDAPEST (AP) - The mayor of a Budapest district wants to introduce mandatory annual drug tests for children between the ages of 12 and 18, as well as for elected politicians and journalists.Mate Kocsis said the test, which he also would be required to undergo, would be aimed at those most at risk, decision-makers and opinion-formers.I am often astounded to read that numerous experts talk about drug policies, when there are many of us who would instead like to hear about antidrug policies, Kocsis said in a statement first published on his Facebook page late Friday. He was unavailable for comment on Saturday.Kocsis is also the communications director of Prime Minister Viktor Orbans Fidesz party. Fidesz spokesman Bence Tuzson said the proposal will be discussed Monday by the partys parliamentary group.Fidesz has had a two-thirds majority in parliament since 2010, allowing it to pass laws at will and without consultation, sometimes within a few days of the initial proposal.Kocsis, the 33-year-old mayor of Budapests 8th district, was behind an initiative which in August led to the termination of a free needle-exchange program for intravenous drug users. The program was meant to curb the spread of the HIV and infectious diseases like hepatitis C.In September, Laszlo Szekely, Hungarys Commissioner for Fundamental Rights, called on Kocsis to find a compromise solution, saying the needle-exchange program was a service of proven efficiency in line with the National Antidrug Strategy.Since becoming mayor in 2010, Kocsis has also introduced measures banning waste-picking and fines or jail time for homeless people caught sleeping rough.

Calls for justice at funeral of man killed by NY police

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NEW YORK (AFP) - Mourners heard a rallying cry for justice Saturday at the New York funeral of an unarmed black man shot dead by police amid a wave of nationwide protests against similar killings.Akai Gurley, 28, a father of a young daughter, was shot dead when a police officer opened fire in a dimly lit staircase at a Brooklyn apartment building as he walked with his girlfriend late on November 20.Friends and relatives filed past Gurleys open casket to pay their respects at the Brown Memorial Baptist Church, before the lid was closed and a huge spray of red and white flowers placed on top of the gray coffin.Gurley, whose mother lived in Florida, had been planning a surprise Thanksgiving trip to introduce her to his young daughter last month when he was killed.Activist Kevin Powell, who delivered the eulogy, thanked Mayor Bill de Blasio and the city of New York for covering the costs of the funeral and issued a passionate rallying cry for change.Akai was innocent, innocent, innocent, he told the mourners.This is modern-day lynchings, over and over again. Akai Gurley was simply the latest victim of this, he said, calling for homicide charges to be brought.He demanded police reform and spoke of the recent protests that have mobilized thousands of people across the United States to denounce a spate of killings of unarmed black men by white police officers.Lets do everything we can to prevent any more situations like this, he said.Rev. Clinton Miller echoed the same call, saying that clergy and activists would work together to ensure that justice would prevail.We ask that you would allow brother Akais name to live forever in our hearts as we continue to fight for whats right in this country and this world, he said. We will all work together to pursue justice.The Brooklyn district attorney announced Friday that a grand jury would consider charges in one of the cases that has again brought to the fore the distrust felt by many African Americans towards the police.Saturdays funeral included music from gospel singers, accompanied by a drummer and keyboard player, as well as the reading of a poem by Gurleys sobbing young brother, comforted by a relative.A video montage of his life was shown from when he was a toddler to a proud father carrying his young daughter and pointing to the camera grinning.A handful of elected officials, including New York City Public Advocate Letitia James, and various activists also attended the ceremony.Brooklyn district attorney Ken Thompson said he would present all the evidence for a grand jury to decide whether charges should be brought.I pledge to conduct a full and fair investigation and to give the grand jury all of the information necessary to do its job, he said.New Yorks police commissioner has said Gurley was a totally innocent victim.Protests continued on Saturday with civil rights activist Al Sharptons National Action Network holding an event in Harlem attended by actor Spike Lee.On Friday, thousands of demonstrators marched in US cities for a third consecutive night to condemn a grand jury decision not to charge the white officer in the July 17 chokehold death of black father-of-six Eric Garner in New York.New York protesters shouted I cant breathe -- the final words gasped by the 43-year-old man who police wrestled to the ground in New Yorks Staten Island for allegedly selling untaxed cigarettes.A coroners report ruled Garners death a homicide after police held him in a chokehold.Similar protests after a grand jury decision not to prosecute the white officer who shot dead unarmed 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, on August 9 triggered riots as well as peaceful protests.On Friday, demonstrators staged die-ins, by lying on the ground at Columbia University, Grand Central Station and after pouring into Macys flagship store in Herald Square and the Apple store on Fifth Avenue.Further protests took place in Washington DC, Miami, Chicago, Boston and New Orleans.After rookie cop Peter Liang discharged the bullet that struck Gurley, he and partner Shaun Landau did not respond to radio contact for more than six-and-a-half minutes, the New York Daily News said.A neighbor instead phoned for the ambulance that rushed Gurley to the hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival.

Swimming: Atkinson becomes first black woman to win world title

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DOHA (AFP) - Alia Atkinson became the first black woman to win a world swimming title when she triumphed in the 100m breaststroke at the world short-course championships on Saturday as more records tumbled.Jamaican Atkinson, 25, claimed the title and equalled Ruta Meilutytes world record of 1min 02.36sec in the process -- although under governing body FINA rules this still equates to a new record.That took the total of world records set at the Hamad Aquatic Centre to 17.The tone was set in the first event as Russia set a new mark of 1:22.60 in the mens 4x50m freestyle relay with Atkinsons effort in the very next race.That was immediately followed by another stunning display from Florent Manaudou in the 50m backstroke.Katinka Hosszu claimed her fourth world record in the 200m individual medley before the session ended with a new mark for the United States in the mixed 4x50m freestyle (1:28.57).However, it was Atkinson who lit up the pool.Meilutyte appeared on course for a successful defence of her title only for her rival to move on to the Lithuanians shoulder at the final turn.Atkinson then clawed her way down the final length before out-touching the 17-year-old by 0.10sec.She was completely unaware of what she had done, staring up at the scoreboard with an air of resignation before it gradually dawned.Me?, she mouthed, pointing at herself before the enormity of her achievement was absorbed and so started the celebrations.She told AFP: I couldnt believe it It came down to the same thing as the 50 and on the 50 I got out-touched so in my mind I went straight back to that.I just thought oh okay and looked up at the board and it didnt really click yet and then it really started to click. It took a whileAtkinsons role at the International Swimming Hall of Fame in Florida is to encourage greater involvement of different communities in swimming and to promote water safety.Hopefully my face will come out, there will be more popularity especially in Jamaica and the Caribbean and well see more of a rise and hopefully in the future we will see a push, Atkinson mused.Manaudou has dominated the pool in the sprint events this season with four European long-course titles in Berlin in August.The 24-year-old sunk the 50m freestyle world record on Friday and Saturday he returned to take 0.39sec off Peter Marshalls 50m backstroke mark from 2009 in 22.22.The 6ft 6in Frenchman now has four medals in Doha -- three of them gold -- and he still has the 100m freestyle final to come.I am already three-time world champion and I have a silver in the relay so there is no pressure on me anymore, he said.I didnt think I could do that (break the world record by such a large amount) and I didnt think anyone could do it. And its me.Hosszu set her fourth world record of the meet with 2:01.86 for victory in the 200m individual medley with Great Britains Siobhan-Marie OConnor claiming her third silver in a new British record 2:05.87.Chad le Clos set a championship record of 21.95 as the South African added the 50m butterfly title to his 100m gold.

Football: Meteb's injury-time goal gives Ahly final triumph

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JOHANNESBURG (AFP) - An Emad Meteb stoppage-time goal gave Egyptians Al Ahly a dramatic CAF Confederation Cup final triumph over Ivorians Sewe Sport in Cairo Saturday.The veteran striker struck in the sixth minute of injury time to earn Ahly a fortunate 1-0 second-leg victory against opponents who wasted several great scoring chances.Ahly, who lost the first leg 2-1 in Abidjan last weekend, won on away goals to lift the second-tier African club competition trophy for the first time.Meteb, the lone link to the great Ahly teams of the previous decade, rose unchallenged to nod a Walid Soliman cross past goalkeeper Sylvain Ghobouo.The final whistle sounded almost immediately and Juan Carlos Garrido darted on to the Cairo Stadium pitch to celebrate becoming the first Spanish coach to win a CAF title.It was a record-extending 19th African title for Ahly, whose collection includes eight CAF Champions League titles, six CAF Super Cup triumphs and four African Cup Winners Cup titles.But a young, lively Sewe side appearing in a first African final should have had the final wrapped up long before Meteb became the hero of Egypt.Captain Souleymane Dembele struck the crossbar in the first half while Essis Aka and Roger Assale missed great second-half chances to grab a precious away goal.Victory for the Cairo Red Devils lifted some of the gloom hanging over Egyptian football after the failure of the national team to qualify for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.Ahly made four changes for the return match, one of them enforced with first-leg scorer Mahmoud Trezeguet Hassan suspended.But it was Sewe who took the initiative as they sought to become the first Ivorian winners of a CAF club competition since Africa Sports lifted the Cup Winners Cup 15 years ago.The club from San Pedro, a port city 350 kilometres west of commercial capital Abidjan, defended in depth and counter-attacked menacingly.Sewe came closest to breaking the first-half deadlock on 38 minutes when an Assale cross fell loose to Dembele, whose thunderous drive rebounded off the bar with goalkeeper Ahmed Adel helpless.It took uncreative, sluggish Ahly 50 minutes to seriously threaten Ghobouo with a close-range Moussa Yedan shot eluding the giant shot-stopper only to be cleared off the line.Aka should have put the West Africans ahead soon after, but a lack of composure proved his undoing as he blazed an inviting cut-back over.The Mauritian referee had to separate rival players just past the hour as tempers flared after Soliman appeared to stamp on Ghobouo.With nine minutes left, Assale squandered another great chance, shooting wide after breaking through an Ahly defence troubled by the power and pace of Sewe.Soliman was posing the main threat at the other end and the crowd gasped with frustration when he cut in and beat Ghobouo only to see his shot finish off target.But with Garrido frantically urging his team forward, wasteful Sewe were punished by Meteb, who had posed little threat before his title-clinching goal.

Ex Vatican bank heads accused of embezzlement, accounts seized

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VATICAN CITY (AFP) - Two former Vatican bank managers and a lawyer have had their accounts seized as part of an investigation into allegations of embezzlement, the Vatican said Saturday.The bank, officially known as the Institute for Religious Works (IOR), said it had pressed charges against the trio some months ago and the accounts held by the concerned individuals at the IOR have recently been seized.Italian media reports named the accused as former bank president Angelo Caloia, ex-director general Lelio Scaletti, and lawyer Gabriele Liuzzo.While the IOR would not provide details on the case given the ongoing judicial enquiry, Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi told Italian media they were suspected of embezzling money.Reports said they had siphoned off between 50 and 60 million euros ($61 and $73 million) while managing the sale by the bank of 29 buildings.In a statement the bank said the former managers and lawyer were under investigation based on circumstances recorded between 2001 and 2008 that have emerged in the internal review process initiated in early 2013.The IOR has been trying to rid itself of a reputation for shady dealings, following a series of money-laundering scandals in the past.It was the main shareholder of the Banco Ambrosiano, which collapsed in 1982 amid accusations of ties to the Mafia, while its chairman Roberto Calvi -- dubbed Gods Banker -- was found hanging from Blackfriars Bridge in London in a suspected murder by mobsters.Pope Francis was elected last year with a mandate to clean up the Vatican and has focused on improving transparency in the centuries-old institution.We are very pleased that the Vatican authorities are taking decisive action, Jean-Baptiste de Franssu, head of the IOR board, was quoted as saying.

Violent protests take place in 2 Greek cities

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ATHENS, Greece: (AP) - A march through central Athens to mark the sixth anniversary of the fatal police shooting of an unarmed teenager quickly turned violent Saturday, as marchers damaged store fronts and bus stations, and set fire to clothes looted from a shop.Clashes also broke out between police and demonstrators marching through the northern city of Thessaloniki. At night, police fired tear gas and stun grenades after a crowd of marchers beat up two plainclothes policemen there.No casualties were immediately reported in either city.The marches are commemorating the Dec. 6, 2008, police killing of 15-year-old Alexandros Grigoropoulos in the capital, which led to two weeks of the most violent rioting Greece had seen in decades.On Saturday, about 5,000 people were marching in Athens, passing the Greek Parliament and heading toward the spot where Grigoropoulos was killed, police said. At one point during, people broke into a Zara clothes shop, took racks of clothes into the street and burned them.Clashes took in the Athens neighborhood of Exarchia, a haven for extreme leftists and anarchists, where Grigoropoulos was killed. Police cordoned off the neighborhoods central square, firing tear gas and pepper spray. Police also had two vehicles armed with water cannons.The marches come at a time when nearly nightly violent protests are being held by supporters of one of Grigoropoulos friends, jailed anarchist and convicted bank robber Nikos Romanos, 21. He was present when Grigoropoulos was killed and is now on a hunger strike, demanding prison leave to attend lectures after he passed university entrance exams.Romanos, currently hospitalized under police guard, has been on the hunger strike since last month and doctors have said his health is failing. He was jailed with three young men following a February 2013 bank robbery in which they took a hostage as they tried to escape. Police released doctored mug shots of the four at the time to remove signs of severe facial bruising caused during their arrests, leading to an outcry at the time.Prime Minister Antonis Samaras will meet with Romanos parents on Monday morning, following a request made through their lawyer on Saturday, the government said.

Terrorists kill American, South African hostages in Yemen

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SANAA, Yemen: (AP) - An American photojournalist and a South African teacher were killed Saturday during a high-risk, U.S.-led raid to free them from al-Qaida-affiliated militants in Yemen, a turbulent Arab country that is a centerpiece of U.S. counterterrorism efforts in the region.The predawn raid was the second rescue attempt in as many weeks to free Luke Somers, a 33-year-old freelance photographer and editor kidnapped just over a year ago in Yemens capital.South African Pierre Korkie, abducted 18 months ago with his wife in the city of Tazi, also was killed by militants as U.S. forces descended upon the militants compound in southern Yemen. A South African aid group trying to negotiate Korkies release said he was a day from freedom after a deal late last month that included a facilitation fee to the kidnappers. The relief organization had told Korkies wife that the wait is almost over.President Barack Obama said he ordered the raid because Somers was believed to be in imminent danger. The president, in a statement, condemned Somers killing as a barbaric murder, but did not mention Korkie by name, offering condolences to the family of a non-U.S. citizen hostage. The South African government said it was informed that Korkie died during the mission by American Special Forces.It is my highest responsibility to do everything possible to protect American citizens, Obama said. As this and previous hostage rescue operations demonstrate, the United States will spare no effort to use all of its military, intelligence and diplomatic capabilities to bring Americans home safely, wherever they are located.About 40 American special operations forces were involved in the rescue attempt, which followed U.S. drone strikes in the area, U.S. officials said. The rescuers, backed by Yemeni ground forces, advanced within 100 meters of the compound in Shabwa province when they were spotted by the militants. A firefight ensued.Amid the fighting, U.S. forces saw a militant briefly enter a building on the compound. U.S. officials believe it was then that Somers and Korkie were shot. When Americans entered the building, they found both men alive, but gravely wounded.Officials said that based on the location where Somers and Korkie were being held, there was no possibility that they were struck by American gunfire.U.S. forces pulled Somers and Korkie onto V-22 Ospreys, and medical teams began performing surgery in midair. One hostage died during the short flight; the second died after the Ospreys landed on the USS Makin Island, a Navy ship in the region.The raid was over in about 30 minutes.U.S. officials disclosed details of the mission on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the raid.Saturdays operation was the second rescue attempt by U.S. and Yemeni forces to bring Somers home alive. On Nov. 25, American special operations forces and Yemeni soldiers raided a remote al-Qaida safe haven in a desert region near the Saudi border.Eight captives, including Yemenis, a Saudi and an Ethiopian, were freed. Somers was not at that location. He and five other hostages had been moved days earlier, officials later said.Roughly a dozen people are believed held by al-Qaida militants in Yemen.On Thursday, al-Qaida militants released a video showing Somers and threatening to kill him in three days if the United States did not meet the groups unspecified demands or if another rescue was attempted.U.S. officials said that threat prompted Obama to move quickly. Using information obtained during the first raid, U.S. officials believed Somers was being held Shabwa province, a stronghold of al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, the terrorist groups Yemeni branch. Officials believed a second hostage was there, too, but did not know it was Korkie.By Thursday evening, the Pentagon had sent the White House a proposed plan, which Obama approved the following day. Officials alerted Yemens President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, who gave his support.Hadi has been a critical U.S. partner in seeking to undermine Yemens dangerous al-Qaida affiliate. With the permission of Yemens government, the U.S. has for years launched drone strikes against militant targets in the country and provided Yemen with hundreds of millions of dollars in security assistance.When Obama announced U.S. airstrikes this year against militant targets in Syria and Iraq, he held up the Yemen effort as a comparable model.Yemens highest security body, the Supreme Security Committee, issued a rare statement Saturday acknowledging that the countrys forces had carried out the raid with American friends. The committee said all the militants holding the hostages were killed in the operation.No American forces were killed or sustained serious injuries in the raid. Yemens government said four of its forces were wounded.Korkie was abducted in May 2013 along with his wife, Yolande, who was doing relief work. She was released in January without ransom as a result of negotiations by the South African relief group, Gift of the Givers.But al-Qaida militants demanded a $3 million ransom for Korkies release, according to those close to the negotiations. Although that demand was dropped, the kidnappers did insist on the facilitation fee, according to the aid group. The undisclosed amount was raised by Korkies family and friends, according to the South African Press Agency.A team of Abyan (Yemeni) leaders met in Aden this morning and were preparing the final security and logistical arrangements, related to hostage release mechanisms, to bring Pierre to safety and freedom, said Imtiaz Sooliman, the aid groups founder. It is even more tragic that the words we used in a conversation with Yolande at 5:59 this morning was: The wait is almost over.The U.S. government has a policy against paying ransoms to win the release of hostages.Lucy Somers, the photojournalists sister, told The Associated Press that she and her father learned of her brothers death from FBI agents just after midnight Saturday.We ask that all of Lukes family members be allowed to mourn in peace, she said from near London.Somers was kidnapped in September 2013 as he left a supermarket in Sanaa, according to Fakhri al-Arashi, chief editor of the National Yemen, where Somers worked as a copy editor and a freelance photographer during the 2011 uprising in Yemen.Before her brothers death, Lucy Somers released an online video describing him as a romantic who always believes the best in people. She ended with the plea: Please let him live.In a statement, Somers father, Michael, also called his son a good friend of Yemen and the Yemeni people and asked for his safe release.Fuad Al Kadas, who called Somers one of his best friends, said Somers spent time in Egypt before finding work in Yemen. Somers started teaching English at a Yemen school but quickly established himself as a one of the few foreign photographers in the country, he said.He is a great man with a kind heart who really loves the Yemeni people and the country, Al Kadas wrote in an email from Yemen. He said he last saw Somers the day before he was kidnapped.Al-Arashi, Somers editor at the National Yemen, recalled a moment when Somers edited a story on other hostages held in the country.He looked at me and said, I dont want to be a hostage, al-Arashi said. I dont want to be kidnapped.
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