Saturday 31 January 2015

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Karachi: 4 militants killed in police encounter

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – According to police, four militants of banned outfit were killed in an encounter with CID police in Manghupir area on Saturday while two other were arrested in injured condition.A CID police source said that the accused belonged to Tehrik-Taliban Pakistan. A large quantity of arms was also recovered from their possession. SSP SIU, Farooq Awan informed that the accused were involved in several cases of murder, robbery and other street crimes.On the other hand, five people were killed in acts of violence in different parts of the city on Saturday. According to details, some unidentified persons shot dead an MQM worked in Orangi Town area.Firing incidents in New Karachi, Lyari Kumharwara and North Karachi claimed lives of three people while police have recovered a dead body from a house at Abul-Isphahani Road.

Obama condemns Japanese hostage's 'heinous murder'

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - President Barack Obama condemned Saturday the heinous murder of a Japanese hostage after the Islamic State group released a video purportedly showing his beheading.The United States condemns the heinous murder of Japanese citizen and journalist Kenji Goto by the terrorist group ISIL, Obama said in a statement, using an acronym by which the IS group is known.Through his reporting, Mr Goto courageously sought to convey the plight of the Syrian people to the outside world.The claim was made in a video released online that included no mention of a Jordanian pilot also being held by IS, whom the jihadist group has also threatened to kill.Japanese journalist Kenji Goto is seen kneeling next to a standing masked man who speaks with a British accent and blames the Japanese government for his slaughter.He was the second Japanese hostage beheaded by IS, after the group claimed responsibility last week for the killing of self-described contractor Haruna Yukawa, after the expiration of a 72-hour deadline during which the jihadists had asked Tokyo to pay a $200 million ransom.Our thoughts are with Mr Gotos family and loved ones, and we stand today in solidarity with Prime Minister Abe and the Japanese people in denouncing this barbaric act, Obama said. We applaud Japans steadfast commitment to advancing peace and prosperity in the Middle East and globally, including its generous assistance for innocent people affected by the conflicts in the region.The apparent execution came after Japan said negotiations to win Gotos release in a prisoner exchange had stalled.The IS group had vowed to kill Goto and Jordanian pilot Maaz al-Kassasbeh by sunset Thursday unless Amman handed over an Iraqi female jihadist.White House National Security Council spokeswoman Bernadette Meehan said earlier that the United States was working to confirm the videos authenticity.Standing together with a broad coalition of allies and partners, the United States will continue taking decisive action to degrade and ultimately destroy ISIL, Obama vowed.His Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Gotos execution, along with that of Yukawa, reminds the world of the threat we confront in the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, while it reinforces our global coalitions commitment to degrade and ultimately destroy ISIL.The United States and its military will continue to stand alongside our Japanese allies, and we send our thoughts and prayers to Mr Gotos loved ones and all the people of Japan, Hagel added.Secretary of State John Kerry also spoke out, condemning what he described as Gotos barbaric killing.

Bahrain strips 72 of citizenship after unrest

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DUBAI (AFP) - Sunni-ruled Bahrain said Saturday it had revoked the citizenship of 72 people convicted of harming the interests of the kingdom, which has experienced unrest by its Shiite majority since 2011.The official BNA news agency said their nationality had been rescinded in a decree as part of measures to preserve security and stability and fight the danger of terrorist threats.BNA published a list of names of the 72 people affected by the measure adopted by the interior ministry and approved by the cabinet.Proper legal procedures will be taken by the interior ministry to implement this decision, it added.Information Minister Isa Abdulrahman al-Hammadi said that most of those deprived of their citizenship are abroad and can challenge the decision legally.They do not represent a single terrorist formation, he added, suggesting that those named do not belong to one single Muslim denomination.Among the reasons for the decision, Hammadi cited membership of terrorist cells and groups, financing terrorist acts, incitement to regime change through force and spreading deviant ideologies, a reference to extremist Islamist groups.This is the largest number of Bahrainis to be stripped of their nationality since a law passed in 2013 on the punishment of those convicted of terrorist acts.Al-Wefaq, the kingdoms main Shiite opposition group, denounced the withdrawal of nationality, calling it a weapon used by the regime to punish opponents.Most of those deprived of their citizenship are opponents in exile, it added in a statement, estimating at around 50 the number of opposition activists it said supported a democratic transition in Bahrain.The list also includes the names of foreign fighters alleged to have links with Daesh, the Arabic acronym for the Islamic State group, Al-Wefaq noted.Al-Wefaqs leader, Sheikh Ali Salman, was arrested in late December and is currently on trial charged with attempting to overthrow the regime.His trial began on Wednesday amid tight security.Last November, three Shiites were sentenced to 10 years in prison and stripped of their citizenship for planning to attack the police.Their case followed that of another 18 deprived of their citizenship after the authorities in 2012 revoked the nationality of 31 Shiites for endangering state security.Bahrain, ruled by the Sunni Al-Khalifa dynasty, is home to the US Navys Fifth Fleet and sits across the Gulf from mainly Shiite Iran.The tiny but strategic Gulf nation has been rocked by unrest since a 2011 Shiite-led uprising demanding a constitutional monarchy and more representative government.At least 89 people have been killed in clashes with security forces since 2011, while hundreds have been arrested and put on trial, rights groups say.On Saturday, the interior ministry said on its Twitter feed that two policemen had been injured in a terrorist bomb blast at a gas station in the Shiite village of Al-Muqsha, near the capital.

Japan PM vows to 'never forgive terrorists' after IS hostage killing claim

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TOKYO (AFP) - A visibly upset Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Sunday vowed to never forgive terrorists after the Islamic State group released a video purportedly showing the beheading of hostage Kenji Goto.I am extremely angry about these heinous and despicable terrorist acts. We will never forgive terrorists, Abe told reporters in Tokyo.We will cooperate with the international community to make them atone for their crimes.Meanwhile, Japan on Sunday said it was outraged after the Islamic State group released a video purportedly showing the beheading of Japanese hostage Kenji Goto.We cant help but feel extremely outraged at the repeat of another heinous and despicable terrorist act, government spokesman Yoshihide Suga told a press conference in Tokyo.Again, we strongly condemn it.Suga did not comment on whether Tokyo thought the video was credible. In it, Goto is seen kneeling, dressed in an orange outfit, as a masked man standing beside him with a knife blames the Japanese government for his slaughter.It ends with a still photo of the body with the head resting on the back.Yasuhide Nakayama, Japans deputy foreign minister, had said negotiations with the militant group were deadlocked, local media reported on Saturday.Last week, a video appeared in which Goto and Haruna Yukawa, a self-described contractor, were seen kneeling in the desert.A masked, knife-wielding militant said Tokyo had 72 hours to pay a $200 million (175 million-euro) ransom if it wanted to spare their lives.When that deadline expired, new pictures appeared to show Yukawa had been beheaded.

Mob captures, tortures to death 2 dacoits in Karachi

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – According to details, the dacoits were caught by mob when they were fleeing after committing a robbery in Korangi area on Saturday night.The citizens subjected the dacoits to severe torture due to which both of them died on the spot. The angry mob set ablaze one of the deceased.Police have shifted the dead bodies of the dacoits to Jinnah Hospital for autopsy.

Football: Equatorial Guinea stun Tunisia to reach semis

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BATA (AFP) - Former Real Madrid winger Javier Balboa scored twice as hosts Equatorial Guinea reached the Africa Cup of Nations semi-finals with a stunning 2-1 extra-time victory over Tunisia on Saturday.The quarter-final winner came 12 minutes into extra time in port city Bata when Balboa superbly curled a free-kick into the top corner of the net past goalkeeper Aymen Mathlouthi.The result was among the greatest upsets in the 58-year competition with Tunisia 96 places above Equatorial Guinea in the FIFA world rankings.Ahmed Akaichi put Tunisia ahead on 70 minutes with a close-range shot and Balboa levelled in stoppage time by converting a controversially awarded penalty. Furious Tunisians protested for several minutes over what appeared a soft decision by the Mauritian referee as Ivan Bolado fell after being challenged by Hamza Mathlouthi. The reward for 28-1 pre-tournament long shots Equatorial Guinea is a semi-final with Ghana or Guinea in capital Malabo next Thursday.Earlier, the Democratic Republic of Congo staged a stunning comeback in the first match of a Bata double-header to defeat Congo Brazzaville 4-2 and secure a last-four showdown with Algeria or the Ivory Coast.Aymen Mathlouthi was a virtual spectator during a goalless opening half largely bossed by the Carthage Eagles.The hosts survived an early scare when the ball flashed menacingly across the goalmouth of Equatorial Guinea shot-stopper Felipe Ovono without anyone getting a touch.Midfield enforcer Houcine Ragued was yellow-carded on nine minutes for fouling Ellong Doualla as the North Africans made their physical presence felt.Ovono dropped a corner and needed medical attention after being challenged for the loose ball by Tunisian defence marshal Aymen Abdennour.A wild swing at the ball by Wahbi Khazri saw the ball fly wide and a few minutes later his close-range shot was deflected for a corner.The best Tunisian chance of the half came on the half-hour when Ferjani Sassi evaded several defenders only to nod an Akaichi cross wide.Equatorial Guinea finally troubled Aymen Mathlouthi six minutes before half-time and his weak punched clearance almost led to a goal.Balboa pounced on the loose ball just outside the box and his low, goal-bound shot was cleared by Syam Ben Youssef.Tunisia finished the half stronger with Akaichi delivering another good cross that captain Yassine Chikhaoui handled as he battled for possession.Akaichi brought out the best in Ovono soon after half-time with a snap shot that the young goalkeeper tipped over.The goal that ended the stalemate stemmed from a midfield pass by Chikhaoui to Mohamed Yaakoubi on the right wing.His cross was aimed at Akaichi, who got in front of Diosdado Mbele and steered the ball past Ovono to stun the crowd. But two minutes into stoppage time home supporters erupted in joy as Balboa sent Aymen Mathlouthi the wrong way from the spot.

Football: Sturridge strikes on Reds return while United go third

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LONDON (AFP) - Daniel Sturridge put nearly five months of injury frustration behind him by coming off the bench to score in Liverpools 2-0 win at home to West Ham in the Premier League on Saturday.The 25-year-old striker had been sidelined with thigh and calf injuries since September, with his inital fitness problems coming while on England duty.Raheem Sterling broke the deadlock in the 51st minute at Anfield before Sturridge, a 67th minute replacement for Lazar Markovic, marked just his fourth Liverpool appearance of the season by scoring 10 minutes from time as the Reds bounced back from their League Cup semi-final loss to Chelsea.Its a team game and I am happy the team won, Sturridge told the BBC. Its just good to be back.Meanwhile delighted Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers said: Daniel Sturridge is a top-class player...He worked very hard and the first opportunity that came his way he took.Premier League leaders Chelsea will go eight points clear of second-placed Manchester City if they beat the defending champions in Saturdays late kick-off at Stamford Bridge. Manchester United climbed into third place with a 3-1 win over basement club Leicester at Old Trafford.The Foxes produced one of the upsets of the season in coming from 3-1 down to beat United 5-3 when the teams last met in September.But there was no danger of a similar revival in the return fixture as Louis van Gaals men went 3-0 up before half-time through goals from Robin van Persie, Radamel Falcao and an own-goal by Wes Morgan.Marcin Wasilewski pulled a goal back for Leicester 10 minutes from time.Afterwards Blind said Uniteds players were adapting to the demands of their manager.We come closer every week to the way Louis van Gaal wants us to play, he explained. We are on the right track and we are happy.United will only be in the top three briefly if Southampton regain third place by avoiding defeat at home to Swansea on Sunday when Arsenal, also vying for a top-four finish, face Aston Villa at the Emirates.Tottenham Hotspur completed a fine week with a 3-0 win away to West Bromwich Albion where Harry Kane scored twice to take his tally for the season to an impressive 20 goals.Christian Eriksen scored his third goal in two matches to give Mauricio Pochettinos men the lead at the Hawthorns.Eriksen, who scored twice in the midweek League Cup semi-final draw at Sheffield United that gave Spurs a 3-2 aggregate victory, has become renowned as a late-goal specialist.But the Denmark midfielder needed just six minutes to put Spurs in front on Saturday when, as he did against the Blades, he curled in a superb free-kick from outside the box.Kane doubled Spurs lead in the 15th minute before beating Baggies goalkeeper Ben Foster from the penalty spot in the 64th minute after Kyle Walkers cross hit the hand of Joleon Lescott.Crystal Palace saw a run of four successive wins in all competitions since manager Alan Pardew arrived from Newcastle end with a 1-0 home loss to Everton.Romelu Lukaku scored in just the second minute at Selhurst Park after Steven Naismiths shot was blocked by Palace goalkeeper Julian Speroni.Second-from-bottom Queens Park Rangers dreadful away record continued as they suffered a 3-1 defeat to former manager Mark Hughess Stoke City.Stoke forward Jonathan Walters scored his first top-flight hat-trick as QPR suffered an 11th straight league defeat on the road.QPRs run of 10 successive away defeats was already a Premier League record and they fell behind in the 21st minute at the Britannia Stadium when Walters capitalised on some poor defending. Walters made it 2-0 and, after Niko Kranjcar pulled a goal back for QPR, completed his treble with a 90th-minute header.Jermain Defoe scored his first goal since returning to English football from Toronto as he netted Sunderlands second in a 2-0 win at home to Burnley after Connor Wickham put the Black Cats ahead.The Premier League is the best in the world and thats where you want to be, said Defoe. I feel like I have a lot of goals left in me.Saturdays early kick-off saw John Carver enjoy his first win as Newcastle boss after a 3-0 success away to Hull ended a run of four games without a victory since Pardews exit.Remy Cabella put Newcastle ahead five minutes before half-time with his first goal for the Magpies.Hull claimed an equaliser in first-half stoppage time but Ahmed Elmohamadys effort was rightly disallowed after the Egyptian punched a cross into the net. Sammy Ameobi made it 2-0 with a 25-yard shot before substitute Yoan Gouffran put the result beyond doubt 12 minutes from time.

Golf: Teen Ko loses title but takes historic top ranking

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ORLANDO (AFP) - New Zealand teen star Lydia Ko became golfs youngest-ever world number one Saturday even though she only settled for a share of second at the season-opening LPGA Coates Championship.The South Korean-born prodigy took the top spot at 17 years, nine months and seven days to eclipse the age marks of US star Tiger Woods, who was 21 when he ascended to world number one for the first time in 1997, and South Korean Shin Ji-Yai, who was the youngest prior womens world number one at age 22 in 2010.Ko squandered a four-stroke lead and struggled on the final holes to help South Korean Choi Na-Yeon capture the title on 16-under par 272 with Ko, American Jessica Korda and South Korean Jang Ha-Na sharing second on 273.That was just enough for Ko to overtake Park In-Bee for the top ranking after the South Korean shared 13th on 284.Ko fired a 71 Saturday while Choi fired a 68 in the final round, staged a day earlier than usual to avoid a last-day conflict with American footballs Super Bowl.It was another taste of history for Ko, who won the 2012 and 2013 LPGA Canadian Womens Open titles as an amateur, the first of those at age 15 making her the youngest winner in LPGA history.That success prompted Ko to turn professional and the LPGA to allow Ko to join the tour in 2014, when she won three titles, was named LPGA Rookie of the Year and captured the season-ending Tour Championship and the season points prize for a record $1.5 million payday last November.Ko began the final round with a one-stroke lead and opened with back-to-back birdies to seize a four-stroke lead on the field.Choi answered the challenge and took her first victory since 2012. Choi birdied three holes in a row starting at the third. While Ko birdied the par-5 fifth hole but took a bogey at the eighth, Choi birdied the par-5 seventh but closed her front nine with a bogey.Choi birdied the par-5 12th and another birdie at the 14th put her on 17-under, one stroke ahead of Ko, who missed an eight-foot birdie putt at 14 and settled for her sixth par in a row.Ko responded with a birdie putt from halfway across the green at the par-3 15th, raising her right fist in celebration with a look of surprise on her face after watching the ball roll in. When Choi missed a three-footer for par, Ko was alone in the lead at 17-under with two holes to play.At the 17th, Ko found a bunker and sent her second shot into the trees, then chipped into the fairway. Her fourth shot rolled off the front right edge of the green. She chipped 15 feet shy of the cup but hit a tension-packed putt for double bogey and only fell to 15-under, one back of leader Choi as they walked to the par-5 18th tee.Choi put her approach 20 feet past the pin while Ko was in rough left of the green, then chipped over the green and into a bunker and blasted out two feet from the cup. Ko tapped in for history while Choi two-putted for the triumph.

Athletics: Lavillenie sees off Holzdeppe in Karlsruhe

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BERLIN (AFP) - World record-holder Renaud Lavillenie of France saw off Germanys world champion Raphael Holzdeppe as their anticipated pole-vault duel fizzled out at the IAAF Indoor meet in Karlsruhe.Lavillenie, fresh from going over 6.00m in Rouen last Saturday, took the competition by clearing 5.86 metres ahead of Russian pair Aleksandr Gripich and Ilya Mudrov.Holzdeppe, who won the world title in Moscow in 2013, bombed out by failing all three attempts when he came in at 5.40m in a disappointing display.With the competition won, Lavillenie, who set the world record of 6.16m last February, then failed with his three attempts to clear 6.01m which would have been a world seasons best.In the evenings other results, Chinas Xie Wenjun finished second in the mens 60m hurdles final as Frances Dimitri Bascou won in a world seasons best time of 7.53 sec.Britains Lawrence Clarke finished third in a personal best time of 7.63sec.Kenyas Paul Kipsiele Koech won the mens 3,000m in a time of 7min 45.41sec ahead of Germanys Richard Ringer, who ran a personal best 7:46.18, and Russias Yegor Nikolayev.

IS claims it beheaded Japanese hostage Goto

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BEIRUT (AFP) - The Islamic State group said in a video Saturday it had beheaded a second Japanese hostage, drawing outrage from Tokyo and condemnation from Washington.The claim was made in a video released online that included no mention of a Jordanian pilot also being held by IS, whom the jihadist group has also threatened to kill.Japanese journalist Kenji Goto is seen kneeling next to a standing masked man who speaks with a British accent and blames the Japanese government for his slaughter.The man, dressed head-to-toe in black with his face covered, appears to be the same IS militant who has featured in the groups previous execution videos.Goto is dressed in an orange outfit similar to those worn by prisoners at the US-run prison in Guantanamo Bay, also in keeping with hostages in previous IS videos.The executioner, who is standing against a mountainous background, addresses Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, saying the murder of Goto would mark the beginning of the nightmare for Japan.Gotos killing, he said, was the result of reckless decisions by the Japanese government.The brief video ends with the image of a body dressed in orange with a decapitated head on top of it.In Tokyo, a government spokesman said Japan was extremely outraged at the heinous and despicable terrorist act.And in Washington, National Security Council spokeswoman Bernadette Meehan said the United States strongly condemned the execution and was working to confirm the videos authenticity.The apparent execution came after Japan said negotiations to win Gotos release in a prisoner exchange had stalled.It has become deadlocked, Deputy Foreign Minister Yasuhide Nakayama, who is leading Tokyos emergency response in Jordan, told reporters in Amman late Friday, Japanese media reported.IS had vowed to kill Goto and Jordanian pilot Maaz al-Kassasbeh by sunset Thursday unless Amman handed over an Iraqi female jihadist.On Saturday morning Abe met with Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida and Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga.He renewed orders for officials to maintain close cooperation with Jordan in a bid to secure Gotos release.Jordan demanded evidence that the pilot, who crashed in Syria on December 24, was still alive before freeing would-be suicide bomber Sajida al-Rishawi, who is on death rowThe latest video made no mention of Kassassbehs fate.Last week IS claimed responsibility for the beheading of another Japanese man it had been holding, self-described contractor Haruna Yukawa, after the expiration of a 72-hour deadline during which it the jihadists had asked Tokyo to pay a $200 million (175 million euro) ransom.Jordan has offered to free Rishawi, who was convicted for her part in triple-hotel bombings in Amman in 2005 that killed 60 people, if IS releases the pilot.The government has been under heavy pressure at home and from Japan -- a major aid donor -- to save Kassasbeh as well as Goto.On Thursday, government spokesman Mohammad al-Momani said Rishawi was still in Jordan and would only be released if IS gave it proof of life.IS had set the Thursday sunset deadline for Rishawi to be released at the Turkish border in return for Goto but there was no news of a swap by nightfall.Friday morning Jordans military said it was still awaiting proof that Kassasbeh was safe.The pilots father Safi Kassasbeh begged Amman to save his sons life at any price.We believe in God and we will accept whatever he has in store for us, said Safi Kassasbeh.Gotos wife Rinko also broke her silence this week also to plea for her husbands return.My husband is a good and honest man who went to Syria to show the plight of those who suffer, she said.I beg the Jordanian and Japanese governments to understand that the fates of both men are in their hands.IS has imposed a brutal version of Islamic law in territory it controls in Syria and Iraq and has executed since August two US journalists, an American aid worker and two British aid workers.

Summit meeting: Chelsea, City draw in Premier League

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LONDON: (AP) - Manchester City ended Chelseas perfect home record in the Premier League this season with a 1-1 draw between the top two teams on Saturday.Loic Remy, deputizing for suspended striker Diego Costa, put Chelsea in front in the 41st minute, but the leaders couldnt hold on for an 11th successive league win at Stamford Bridge.David Silva quickly leveled for City before halftime after turning in Sergio Agueros shot. Although the defending champions were in complete control in the second half, they couldnt break through the defensive-minded hosts.After a third league game without a win, City remains five points behind Chelsea. Although there are still 45 points to play for, this was being portrayed as a decisive day in the title race.A league-record 26 broadcast crews from across the globe descended on the stadium to witness a fast-paced opening from two teams humiliated last weekend by lower-league clubs in the FA Cup.But it was a game littered with mistakes, and not the greatest exhibition of quality from the worlds top football league. What a different outcome it might have been for Chelsea if midfielder Cesc Fabregas was fit and Diego Costa had not been suspended for three matches for a stamp in Tuesdays League Cup semifinal win over Liverpool.The reaction to Costas stamps infuriated Mourinho, who attacked the medias coverage, having also turned his fury on referees in recent weeks. If Mourinho wanted to sustain the siege mentality he has built around Stamford Bridge in recent weeks, it seemed to work. Even some fans were chanting abuse about a television pundit during the game, but the team wasnt as animated on the pitch.When Branislav Ivanovic gave the ball away, James Milner seized possession and fed Sergio Aguero, whose shot was batted away.And Chelsea captain John Terry was caught out when a deep ball flew over his head to Aguero, who eventually skimmed a shot past the post from a tight angle.But the hosts went in front when Ivanovic picked out Eden Hazard, who volleyed low across the face of goal. The ball went past City defender Vincent Kompany and was perfectly placed for Remy to stab into the net.City wasnt intimidated, producing an instant response after Nemanja Matic gave the ball away inside his own half. It led to Jesus Navas whipping in a cross from the left flank which goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois flapped at as he tried to punch it clear. The ball fell to Aguero whose shot was turned in by Silva.In the second half, Chelsea seemed to settle for a draw.Courtois, though, had only one save of note to make, tipping over Fernandinhos awkwardly bouncing header.In the reserve fixture, Frank Lampard grabbed an equalizer for City. But on his return to Chelsea on Saturday, the second-half substitute didnt inflict further misery on the club the midfielder left after 13 years in May.Initially booed by some Chelsea fans when he came off the bench wearing the light blue of City, he was eventually cheered. It was a rare moment of bonhomie during a game where the vitriol exceeded the quality on show.

Obama budget sets up battle with Republican-led Congress

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WASHINGTON: (AP) - Its been a year of relative peace in Washingtons budget battles.But on Monday, President Barack Obama will lay out a $4 trillion budget that needles Republicans with proposals for higher taxes on the wealthy and businesses to pay for education, public works projects and child care.The plan is expected to be dismissed by Republican lawmakers now running Capitol Hill.The proposal is rolling out as the deficit is dropping and Obamas poll numbers inch higher.Though Republicans will march ahead on their own, they ultimately must come to terms with Obama, whose signature is needed on anything that is going to become law.

Tatiana Ivanova of Russia wins World Cup luge race

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LILLEHAMMER, Norway: (AP) - Tatiana Ivanova of Russia won a World Cup luge race Saturday on the track used at the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics.Ivanova was timed in 1 minute, 35.306 seconds and followed by Canadas Alex Gough in 1:35.732 and Germanys Dajana Eitberger in 1:35.753.Erin Hamlin of Remsen, N.Y., led the American effort with an 11th-place finish.Tobias Wendle and Tobias Arlt won the doubles, ahead of German teammates Toni Eggert and Sascha Benecken. Alexander Denisyev and Vladislav Antonov of Russia earned the bronze.

Drone attack kills four Qaeda suspects in Yemen

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ADEN (AFP) - A drone strike killed four suspected Al-Qaeda militants in Yemen Saturday, tribal sources said, the second attack in a week since Washington vowed to pursue its campaign against the terrorists.Tribal sources said the unmanned aircraft, which only the United States operates in the region, targeted a car carrying four militants in the southern province of Shabwa, a stronghold of the terrorist network.A similar strike on a car on Monday in a desert area between Shabwa and the neighbouring province of Marib killed three suspected members of Al-Qaeda.That vehicle was hit by four missiles.The previous day US President Barack Obama had vowed no let-up in Washingtons campaign against terroristsin Yemen.He dismissed suggestions that deepening chaos in Yemen since the resignation of Western-backed President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi last week had forced a change in Washingtons campaign against Al-Qaeda.Obama ruled out US troop deployment in Yemen but said Washington would continue to go after high value targets inside Yemen, admitting however that this was a long, arduous process.According to the New America Foundation, the United States has carried out more than 110 strikes on targets in Yemen since 2009, mostly using drones.One such attack in September 2011 killed US-Yemeni cleric Anwar al-Awlaqi, a leader of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula accused of instigating a string of attacks against the United States.AQAP, which Washington considers the most dangerous branch of the global terror network, also claimed responsibility for the deadly January 7 attack on French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo.

Vatican: 2 prelates are investigated in child porn case

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VATICAN CITY: (AP) - A Vatican spokesman says two Polish-born prelates are being investigated by Holy See authorities for alleged possession of child pornography.The Rev. Federico Lombardi on Saturday identified one of them as Monsignor Bronislaw Morawiec, an administrator at St. Mary Major Basilica, a Rome church where Pope Francis sometimes prays.The spokesman said Morawiec has already been convicted by the tiny city-states justice system of fraud, part of efforts to assure that the Holy Sees financial practices meet international standards.He identified the other child-porn suspect as Josef Wesolowski. A Vatican church tribunal already found Wesolowski guilty of sexually abusing boys while serving as papal ambassador in the Dominican Republic.Lombardi gave no details on the pornography investigations, which Vatican prosecutor Gian Piero Milan referred to in an annual report Saturday.
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Friday 30 January 2015

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Golf: Teen star Ko seizes lead in Florida

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ORLANDO (AFP) - Teen star Lydia Ko birdied five straight holes on the back nine to take a one-stroke lead after the third round of the season-opening LPGA Tours Coates Golf Championship on Friday.The 17-year-old from New Zealand is a shot ahead of rookie Jang Ha-Na and could become the youngest male or female player ever to reach number one in the world rankings with a victory on Saturday.I have been putting good the last few days. I just have to stay in that mood, Ko said.Ko, who finished 54 holes at 14-under 202, has five career LPGA Tour wins with three of those coming last year.Jang, the second-round leader, posted a one-under 71 at Golden Ocala Golf course in Florida and is alone in second place at 13-under.Choi Na-Yeon, another South Korean, carded a six-under 66 to jump into third place at 12-under-par 204.American Stacy Lewis shot two-under 70 for the second straight round and the world number three is alone in fourth at 10-under 206.Amy Yang equalled Kos 65 and jumped into a share of fifth at nine-under. Yang was joined there by Jessica Korda (69) and Austin Ernst (70).Ko had a strong front nine with four birdies. But she began the back nine with back-to-back bogeys before catching fire and then surging to five straight birdies. She closed with two pars.I was kind of shocked, Ko said of the bogeys. But it got me fired up. I jammed my putter in the bag and said, Youve got to start working again, and I made good birdies on 12 to 16.Ko said she plans to manage her game in Saturdays final round and not think about what others are doing.There are so many great players one to four shots back and you just never know whats going to happen, she said. Im just going to concentrate on my game, just stay really positive, and if somebody else shoots a much better score than I do, I cant really do much about it.Ask about the possibility of becoming the youngest No. 1, Ko said: It would be great and it would be a huge honour to be in that position, but weve still got another long 18 holes to go and you just never know whats going to happen in those holes.Ko said she can always hear her father shouting encouragement from the sidelines and this round was no different.I told my dad, Dad, the only crowd voice I can hear is you saying like, Nice, Lydia.I can always spot it. Its a voice I always hear. And he actually has quite a loud voice just even talking, so hes always verbal out there.When theres like no one and my dad does it, Im like, Oh, there goes my dad.But in a way its good, it kind of gives me a little bit of oomph and its good to have the support.

Aircraft set for minute-by-minute tracking

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MONTREAL (AFP) - All commercial flights worldwide could soon send out an automated signal every minute in times of distress to help rescuers find downed aircraft more easily.The new measures are in response to last years disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing in what remains one of historys great aviation mysteries.The aircraft, with 239 people on board, has never been found, nearly a year on. The new tracking rules, prepared by an industry working group, would be phased in by the end of this year, said the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a United Nations agency.The initiative will now be presented to delegates from all 191 ICAO member states at a meeting in Montreal from Monday to Thursday, and a final proposal will be submitted to the ICAO Council within six months for ratification.The measure has unanimous support among ICAO member states, a source said Friday, meaning it is virtually assured to be brought in.Currently, radar can track a plane, however coverage fades when aircraft are out at sea or the plane is flying below a certain altitude.Under the new rules, airlines will be required to track their aircraft using a system that gives their location at 15-minute intervals. If an abnormal event is detected, including a change in direction or deviation from a flight path, the signal rate hastens to every minute.Airlines would be responsible for sharing the data with authorities in cases of emergencies.Its the start of tracking (flights) every minute in emergency situations that is the most effective in the short term, the source said.Following a distress signal, search and rescue teams would be able to zero in on an aircraft within six nautical miles (11 kilometers) of its last known position.The ICAO will also ask airlines to equip their aircraft with ejectable black boxes. These would float and be more easily retrievable in case of a crash over water.They will be mandatory on new aircraft built after 2021, the source told AFP.The ejectable black boxes would be in addition to existing commercial flight data recorders and cockpit voice recorders that continually record flight information.

New Zealand win toss, bowl first against Pakistan

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WELLINGTON (AFP) - New Zealand won the toss and opted to bowl in the first of two one-day internationals against Pakistan at Wellington Stadium on Saturday.The series offers a final chance for both sides to fine-tune before the World Cup begins on February 14.New Zealand have made four changes to the side that completed a 4-2 series win over Sri Lanka on the same wicket two days ago.Captain Brendon McCullum returns along with Nathan McCullum, Adam Milne and Trent Boult, replacing Kane Williamson, Daniel Vettori, Tim Southee and Mitchell McClenaghan.Pakistan have not played a one-dayer since a tied series against New Zealand before Christmas in the United Arab Emirates, but captain Misbah-ul Haq felt they had acclimatised well in two warm-up games this week against a New Zealand XI.Weve had a chance to get used to the conditions and I think were ready for this game, he said.The Pakistan side includes all-rounder Haris Sohail who claimed he was woken by a ghost in his hotel room when the team were training in Christchurch last weekend.Teams:New Zealand - Martin Guptill, Brendon McCullum (capt), Tom Latham, Ross Taylor, Grant Elliott, Corey Anderson, Luke Ronchi, Nathan McCullum, Kyle Mills, Adam Milne, Trent Boult.Pakistan - Mohammad Hafeez, Ahmed Shehzad, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul Haq (capt), Haris Sohail, Umar Akmal, Sarfraz Ahmed, Shahid Afridi, Bilawal Bhatti, Ehsan Adil, Mohammad Irfan.Toss: New Zealand.Umpires: Chris Gaffaney (NZL), Michael Gough (ENG).TV umpire: Rod Tucker (AUS).Match referee: Javagal Srinath (IND).

3 Chad soldiers, 123 Boko Haram militants killed in Cameroon

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NDJAMENA (AFP) - Three soldiers and 123 Boko Haram militants were killed when the Islamist group attacked a Chadian army contingent in northern Cameroon, the Chadian military said Friday.Twelve soldiers were wounded in the attacks staged by the Islamist group on Thursday and Friday near the border town of Fotokol, according to a military statement read out on national television.Chad sent a convoy of troops and military vehicles into neighbouring Cameroon on January 17 to deal with the growing threat Boko Haram poses in the region.The enemy was repelled by our defensive forces, the general staffs statement said, adding that the troops had routed the Islamists in the second attack.The soldiers were killed by improvised explosive devices, the statement said.A senior Cameroonian security source said the Chadian troops were deployed to the town, which sits opposite a Nigerian town under Boko Haram control and is also close to the border with Chad, on Wednesday.Boko Haram frequently stages attacks on Fotokol from their base in the Nigerian town of Gamboru, which is just 500 metres (yards) away.Chad has called on countries in the region to form a broad coalition in the fight against the Islamist group. The country has already deployed its army along its borders as well as sending the additional contingent to Cameroon. Chads President Idriss Deby has also expressed intentions of taking back the strategic Nigerian town of Baga from Boko Haram, situated on Lake Chad.The African Union called Friday for a regional five-nation force of 7,500 troops to defeat the horrendous rise of Boko Haram. The groups uprising has become a regional crisis, with the four directly affected countries -- Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria -- agreeing along with Benin to boost cooperation to contain the threat and to form a Multinational Joint Task Force.More than 13,000 people have been killed and more than one million made homeless by Boko Haram violence since 2009.

14 Shikarpur blast victims blast airlifted to Karachi

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – A Pakistan Army C-130 Hercules plane carrying 14 seriously wounded victims of Shikarpur Imambargah blast landed at the Faisal Airbase in Karachi on Saturday night.At least 16 relatives of the injured people also reached Karachi on the same flight. The injured were shifted to Agha Khan Hospital from airport.Earlier, at least 56 people were killed and 40 others injured in a suicide attack at an Imambargah in Shikarpur district of Sindh, around 470 kilometres (300 miles) north of Karachi. According to police, the explosion took place inside an Imambargah in Lakhi Dar area during Friday prayers.

English cricket set for new chairman as shake-up continues

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LONDON (AP) - The shake-up at the top of English cricket continued on Friday when Colin Graves was nominated for chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board.Graves, who is the chairman of county Yorkshire, is set to be elected unopposed for the biggest job in the English game as no other nominations were received by the governing body from Englands first-class counties. He will replace Giles Clarke, who has had three terms in the position since 2007.The ECB recently hired Tom Harrison as its new chief executive.Since the Ashes whitewash to Australia at the end of 2013 and start of 2014, England has also seen team director Andy Flower and coaches Graham Gooch and Mushtaq Ahmed depart.

Air strike kills IS 'chemical weapons expert': US

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - A US-led coalition air strike killed a chemical weapons specialist with the Islamic State group in Iraq who once worked for Saddam Hussein, US military officers said Friday.The air raid carried out last Saturday near Mosul took out Abu Malik, whose training provided the terrorist group with expertise to pursue a chemical weapons capability, the military said in a statement.Malik had worked at a chemical weapons production plant under Saddams regime and later forged an affiliation with Al-Qaeda in Iraq in 2005, before joining the extremist IS group, according to Central Command.His death is expected to temporarily degrade and disrupt the terrorist network and diminish ISILs ability to potentially produce and use chemical weapons against innocent people, it said.There has been no sign that the IS group possesses a major chemical weapons arsenal. But there have been allegations the jihadists have employed chlorine gas, which is classified as a choking agent, though not as lethal as nerve agents.The US-led coalition has carried out more than 2,000 air raids against the IS group in Syria and Iraq since August 8, including some bombing runs that targeted senior militants.

Euro falls as Greece rejects bailout talks with troika

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NEW YORK (AFP) - The euro retreated against other major currencies Friday as struggling Greece refused to meet with its international creditors and rejected fresh loans, and the eurozone showed weaker inflation.The finance minister of Greeces new anti-austerity government, Yanis Varoufakis, said that despite warnings Greece would shortly run out of money, his government preferred to do without the instant fresh cash, and instead renegotiate the entire bailout package.This government was elected on the basis of analytically questioning the very logic of the program now being applied, he said, referring to the reforms and budget cuts demanded by Athenss international troika of creditors -- the European Union, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund.Our first act as government will not be to reject the logic of questioning this program by requesting to extend it, he added.At a strained press conference with Eurogroup chief Jeroen Dijsselbloem, Varoufakis said Athens was willing to negotiate with its lenders but not with the troika auditors who he said were merely a committee built on rotten foundations.Athens had been promised another 7.2 billion euros in funds from the troika if it completed reforms required by its lenders by February 28.Greece is clearly creating more headaches for the eurozone because if they do not allow the troika into the country, they may not receive the next aid disbursement that they desperately need to avoid default, said Kathy Lien of BK Asset Management.Adding to the gloom over the eurozone was the latest official data showing consumer prices fell by a record 0.6 percent in January, after a drop of 0.2 percent in December, suggesting deflation could be taking hold in the 19-nation currency bloc.The dollar, meanwhile, was little-changed after the Commerce Department reported the US economy grew at a 2.6 percent annual pace in the fourth quarter, slower than the 3.2 percent expected by economists.There were aspects of the report that should keep optimism around the US economy (at least relative to the rest of the world) elevated through early-2015, said Christopher Vecchio, currency analyst at DailyFX.

Third time no charm: Romney won't run for president

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - Former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney said Friday he will not run for the White House again in 2016, ending weeks of intense speculation that he would mount a third campaign.After putting considerable thought into making another run for president, Ive decided it is best to give other leaders in the party the opportunity to become our next nominee, Romney said during a conference call with supporters.I believe that one of our next generation of Republican leaders, one who may not be as well-known as I am today, one who has not yet taken their message across the country, one who is just getting started, may well emerge as being better able to defeat the Democrat nominee.The announcement essentially ends Romneys three-week public flirtation with a another run, after he came up short as the Republican nominee in 2012 and lost the nomination to Senator John McCain in 2008.On January 9, he told donors he remained interested in the White House. He subsequently gave two speeches laying out his vision for themes to embrace should Republicans want to regain the White House after eight years of President Barack Obama.Romney, 67, said Friday it was unlikely that circumstances would change his mind about running.Accordingly, Im not... taking donations; Im not hiring a campaign team, he said.And yet Romney may have left the door open. He expressed confidence he would have had enough funding to mount a campaign and noted he was well ahead in a recent Republican poll.With his foreign policy focus and call for battling income inequality, I would have the best chance of beating the eventual Democrat nominee, Romney said.Kevin Madden, a Romney 2012 spokesman, said he was very surprised by Romney bowing out.Every single indication we got suggested another presidential run, Madden told CNN.Potential candidate Jeb Bush, perhaps the person with the most to gain from Romneys departure because the two operate within the Republican establishment, was quick to praise his would-be rival as a patriot and party leader.Though Im sure todays decision was not easy, I know that Mitt Romney will never stop advocating for renewing Americas promise, Bush, a former Florida governor and the son and brother of two presidents, said in a statement.Bush announced in December that he was actively exploring a presidential run.Romney and Bush were destined early for a campaign clash, battling for crucial donor support and political endorsements, and hiring top campaign staff. The pair met in Utah last week.Politics is a zero sum game, (and) the winner is Jeb Bush, Quinnipiac University Poll assistant director Peter Brown told AFP of Romneys announcement.Bush just lost his major competitor to be the center-right candidate in the Republican Party.Romney, a wealthy businessman and former governor of Massachusetts, said in recent speeches that the party needed to make poverty alleviation a key campaign plank.He amassed a fortune as a venture capitalist, and Obamas 2012 team successfully painted him as an out-of-touch millionaire.Romney joked about his own financial comfort Wednesday, saying money was no motivator for a presidential run.As you no doubt heard, Im already rich, he quipped.But when Obama took a swipe at Romney in an address to Democratic lawmakers Thursday, mocking him for suddenly (being) deeply concerned about poverty, Romney responded.Mr Obama, wonder why my concern about poverty? The record number of poor in your term, and your record of failure to remedy, the Republican tweeted.A day later, the White House praised Romney for tremendous loyalty to his country, and as a party veteran could draw more attention and focus on policies that actually benefit middle-class families.Romneys 2012 campaign suffered when a tape surfaced of him saying 47 percent of Americans would never vote for him because they were dependent on government benefits.He also struggled to counter the image that was stuck on him in those primary battles and beyond -- that of a policy flip-flopper with questionable concern for Americas struggling middle class.Romney would have faced a crowded political horse race for 2016, with a dozen Republicans poised to launch presidential campaigns.One is Senator Rand Paul, who emitted the equivalent of a political sigh of relief on Twitter after Romneys withdrawal.I hope to work together with Mitt to grow our party and lead our country forward, Paul said.

Football: PSG edge Rennes to close gap on Lyon

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PARIS (AFP) - Ezequiel Lavezzi scored the only goal as champions Paris Saint-Germain edged Rennes 1-0 on Friday to maintain their undefeated Ligue 1 home record and cut the gap on leaders Lyon to just one point.The win was PSGs sixth consecutive home win in all competitions while stretching their Ligue 1 record at the Parc des Princes to eight wins and three draws.However, Lyon, who face PSG in 10 days time, can restore their four-point lead with victory at Monaco on Sunday.Lavezzi grabbed the decisive goal after 29 minutes after a neat interchange of passes down the left between Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who was involved twice, Adrien Rabiot and Javier Pastore.Argentine star Lavezzi, who has been linked with a move to Liverpool before the transfer window shuts on Monday, was then on hand to tuck the ball past Benoit Costil in the Rennes goal for his third goal of the season.Rennes may have gone into Fridays game having not won a game in Ligue 1 since December 3 but they had defeated PSG 2-1 on their last visit to the capital in May.They showed they would not be intimidated by the champions and came close to an equaliser moments later.Pastore played a poorly-weighted back pass which was intercepted by Abdoulaye Doucoure.The midfielder was clean through but his tame shot was well saved by an alert Salvatore Sirigu in the PSG goal.Five minutes after the interval, it was the turn of Costil to keep his team in the hunt.Brazilian defender Marquinhos found Edinson Cavani with a neat pass which dissected the Rennes backline but the Uruguayan striker was denied his 17th Ligue 1 goal of the season by a fine diving save from Costil.Cavani missed another close-range opportunity before he was hauled off by manager Laurent Blanc.At the other end, Sirigu kept PSGs advantage intact with a save from Christian Bruls after Lavezzi had given the ball away.

Football: Australia, South Korea clash for Asian Cup

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SYDNEY (AFP) - Hosts Australia take on South Korea in the Asian Cup final on Saturday in a blockbuster clash between two of the regions heavyweight teams.The match pits the tournaments most prolific attack against its meanest defence, with Australia looking to breach a Korean rearguard which has yet to concede a goal.South Korea beat Australia 1-0 in the group stage but the result will count for little when they meet in front of 80,000 fans at 8:00 pm (0900 GMT) in Sydney.Tens of thousands of Korean fans are expected at a sold-out Stadium Australia as the Taeguk Warriors look to end a title drought which stretches back to 1960.Television shows have been rescheduled and the match will be broadcast live on two free-to-air channels as Asian Cup fever grows in South Korea.The build-up in Australia, not traditionally a footballing nation, has been more measured and was disrupted by reports of opposition to the countrys membership of the Asian confederation.But a home win could be hugely significant for the sport as football looks to challenge Australias more established rugby codes, Australian rules and cricket.Australia have 12 goals through 10 different scorers and coach Ange Postecoglou said the Socceroos would not change their attacking philosophy for the final.It will be up to them to try to stop us scoring goals -- well just do what weve been doing, said Postecoglou. Its proven successful so far and well continue to do that. There wont be any secrets about how we go about it tomorrow, he added. Well take the game to our opponents and put pressure on them as we have in every game.South Korea won the first two Asian Cups in 1956 and 1960, when it was a round-robin event, but have yet to claim a third title despite reaching finals in 1972, 1980 and 1988.As 2002 World Cup semi-finalists, South Koreas frustrations at Asian level are a curious anomaly but Uli Stielikes side have already exceeded the modest expectations their fans had before the tournament.Their performance at last years World Cup was considered so humiliating that the players were pelted with toffee, a traditional Korean insult, when they arrived home from Brazil.But Stielike, tasked with rebuilding the side, has quickly moulded a formidable unit which has weathered severe disruptions through injury and illness.We have a lot of young players, and its the first time they will be in a big final, a big event like this with 80,000 people so I dont know what the reaction will be, said the German.If we can play with calm and with conviction then we will have every possibility of winning the game -- but this will be the main point, how strong our mentality is.

France opens criminal investigation into AirAsia crash

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PARIS (AFP) - France has opened a formal criminal investigation into the crash of an AirAsia plane in the Java Sea last month while a French co-pilot was at the controls, a judicial source said FridayA judge will investigate possible manslaughter in connection with the crash that killed all 162 people on board.Flight QZ8501 went down in stormy weather on December 28 in the Java Sea during what was supposed to be a short trip from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore. Only 72 bodies have so far been recovered.On Thursday, Indonesias National Transportation Safety Committee, which has been analysing the planes black boxes, said that prior to the crash, the aircraft had climbed fast in an area packed with huge storm clouds, and the stall alarms started going off.They also revealed that the Airbus A320-200s less experienced French co-pilot, Remi Plesel, was flying the plane before it went down, rather than Captain Iriyanto, a former fighter pilot who had around 20,000 hours of flying time.Plesels family in France separately filed charges against AirAsia Indonesia for endangering the life of others as the airline did not have permission to carry out the flight between Surabaya and Singapore on the day of the crash.Remi Plesels family are delighted at this criminal investigation which, we hope, will reveal the truth, said their lawyer Eddy Arneton.It will allow us to finally ask the right questions.

Kurd allies fighting IS in north Iraq hampered by rivalries

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SINJAR, Iraq: (AP) - Kurdish forces in recent weeks have retaken parts of the strategic Iraqi town of Sinjar, whose Yazidi population was driven out in a humanitarian disaster last year that triggered U.S. intervention. But sniping among Kurdish factions makes the hold on the town seem shaky and is threatening the wider fight against Islamic state militants.Overlooking the strategic northern Iraq town of Sinjar, peshmerga fighters representing the recognized authorities of Iraqi Kurdistan fume against what they see as the recklessness of their supposed allies in militias drawn from neighboring Syria and Turkey.Within the bomb-scarred warrens of the town below, foot soldiers in those militias complain that the much more heavily armed peshmerga have done too little during the fight against Islamic State fighters holed up within easy range of a snipers bullet.The immediate issue is ownership of Sinjar, the town that once was home to many of Iraqs Yazidi religious minority. Tens of thousands fled to the nearby mountains, creating a humanitarian disaster, when IS militants seized the town in August and unleashed a wave of terror involving killings, imposed conversions and forced marriage.But there is a wider concern as well: The Kurds, in their various forces, have provided the most effective ground resistance to date against the jihadis who have taken large swaths of Iraq and Syria and so the outside world has a stake in their ability to continue that struggle.Since December, the peshmerga and their Kurdish comrades in arms have regained the mountains in this area thanks in part to increased weapons supplies and airstrikes from coalition warplanes.But the fight has bogged down around Sinjar itself, inflaming intra-Kurdish tensions just as their fight was gaining momentum.Todays divisions reflect decades of conflict between peshmerga supporters of the Kurdish Democratic Party (KDP), headed by Iraqi Kurdish President Massoud Barzani, and the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) of Abdullah Ocalan in Turkey. The two groups were opponents in 1990s civil warfare, which ended in an accord that allowed PKK fighters to remain on the KDPs Iraqi turf. The U.S. State Department regards the PKK as a terrorist organization because of its history of violence in Turkey.The commander of peshmerga forces around Sinjar, Brig. Gen. Salam Warti, described the PKK and other militias as loose cannons unwilling to stick to an agreed strategic plan. He said they rushed into Sinjar too quickly last week, when the Kurdish regional government announced that its forces had wrested nearly a third of the town from IS forces. That boast proved short-lived as peshmerga troops retreated to the hills, and other Kurdish soldiers took refuge in the urban outskirts.We had planned to take the surrounding areas first and then take the town, Warti told the Associated Press. But they (allied militias) decided to show off and take a section of the town, and now were paying for it with many casualties. Militarily, it was a bad move.Warti said allied fighters decision to maintain positions within the town was making it more difficult for coalition aircraft to distinguish friend from foe.But a journey through Sinjar itself reveals another perspective on the fight. This town of ancient, narrow streets lined with modest stone homes many damaged or destroyed from weeks of guerrilla fighting now houses rival tiny barracks of IS fighters in the center and the peshmergas allies on the outskirts. The factions include the Turkey-based Kurdish Workers Party (PKK), the Syria-based Peoples Protection Units better known as the YPG, and Yazidi-led forces billing themselves as the Sinjar Resistance. The militias say they often arm themselves by taking weapons from slain enemies.One PKK fighter, 35-year-old Shakho Shakh, invited a visitor to peek through narrow holes in a wall of sandbags in a forward observation post. Beyond, a pile of concrete rubble marked what Shakh called the front line for IS fighters. He said PKK forces had held that position last week, when it was still a building.A suicide bomber destroyed the house and killed one of us, he said.The PKK and other anti-IS forces in this part of Old Sinjar transport soldiers between a rear headquarters and front-line posts using a home-armored Nissan Patrol that, weighed down with extra metal plating, struggles to navigate the towns rain-soaked dirt roads. Fighters here say they have grown tired of waiting for the peshmerga to reinforce them, and accuse them of breaking promises.Peshmerga said: We will come on the 5th (of January), then 10th, and 20th, and we will liberate Sinjar. And it never happened, said Marwan Shingali, a town native from the Sinjar Resistance. You go to the front line. You will only find our comrades fighting.On a peshmerga-held hill overlooking the town, some express confusion about exactly who their allies are.We cant identify them. We just call all of them PKK, said Shalaw Hassan Abdullah, 26, a peshmerga soldier. They all look the same. I dont know who is who.From Abdullahs position behind a wall of sandbags, fighters fired occasional rounds at suspected IS positions in the town below Thursday. Contrary to the primitive weaponry used by fighters with the other Kurdish factions, the peshmerga front line is equipped with heavy machine guns and mortars. The night before featured intense fighting capped by airstrikes.As Abdullah spoke, another peshmerga fighter behind him fired a rocket that passed overhead, bound for the town. Men grabbed their binoculars to see the strike, but it overshot the target.Pull it back a little or youll hit Mosul, joked one fighter, referring to the Islamic State-held city 125 kilometers (75 miles) to the east. A second rocket salvo soon produced plumes of smoke rising from the town center.Kurds drawn from Iraq, Turkey, Syria and Iran all seek the establishment of an independent Kurdistan against the desires of all four existing nations. The semi-autonomous Kurdish region in northern Iraq is the closest the Kurds have come to reaching their goal.But the PKK and YPG remain suspicious of Barzanis intentions, particularly because of his peshmerga forces efforts in recent years to dig defensive trenches all along the Iraqi borders with Syria and Turkey.Allied fighters express a determination not to allow the peshmerga to exert sole control once the Islamic State is forced out of Sinjar.We will not accept any one group raising its flag in Sinjar. It is for all Kurds, said PKK fighter Farhad Ali, a hairdresser from northeast Syria who joined the anti-IS fight in August.But atop the hill, Abdullah described the other fighters as outsiders with no credible claim.They are new here, he said.

Judge: Funeral home wrongly sold Lee Harvey Oswald's casket

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FORT WORTH, Texas: (AP) - A judge says the original casket in which Lee Harvey Oswald was buried belongs to Oswalds brother, not the funeral home that auctioned it off for more than $87,000.Oswalds brother, Robert, had sued Baumgardner Funeral Home after it sold the pine coffin for $87,468 in 2010.A judge on Friday ordered the funeral home to pay the same amount of money in damages to Robert Oswald, saying its conduct was malicious and wanton.Lee Harvey Oswald, accused of assassinating President John F. Kennedy, was fatally shot during a jail transfer two days after Kennedys death. His body was exhumed in 1981, but the casket was too damaged for reburial.The lawsuit says Oswalds family thought the casket had been thrown away but was actually kept in storage.

Oil soars on signs US oil companies curtail production

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NEW YORK: (AP) - The price of oil is up 7 percent on indications that production in the U.S. has slowed following the big drop in prices since last June.U.S. oil surged $3.18 to $47.71 a barrel.Baker Hughes reported that the number of rigs drilling for oil in the U.S fell by 94 in the past week to 1,223. Thats down 199 from this time last year.The price of oil plummeted about 60 percent since June as global supplies grew faster than demand. OPEC has declined to cut back on its production, putting pressure on U.S. companies to curtail drilling as oil prices fall to a level that makes some production unprofitable.Futures prices for wholesale gasoline and heating oil also rose sharply, up more than 5 percent.
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Thursday 29 January 2015

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Football: 'Aussies out' - Cup hosts hit by shock AFC revolt

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SYDNEY (AFP) - Australias football body reeled from shock revelations about a movement to oust it from the Asian confederation on Friday as the Socceroos prepared to play the Asian Cup final.The head of Australian football said he was extremely surprised after Asias soccer chief said some countries want Australia out and advised them to raise the issue formally.Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, president of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), told the Arabic-language Al Ittihad newspaper there was discontent about Australia in the Gulf region and more widely.Yes, it is true there are indications that there is a desire among West Asian federations to kick Australia out, the Bahraini royal was quoted as saying.But I also know that the Arabs are not the only ones who are not convinced of the usefulness of the continuation of Australia in Asia.Shaikh Salman also referred to Australias presence as an experiment. An AFC spokesman declined to comment on the report, which comes as the Socceroos prepare to play Saturdays Asian Cup final against South Korea in Sydney.Australia joined the AFC in 2006 and its teams have enjoyed success, qualifying for two straight World Cups and two Asian Cup finals, and winning the Champions League club showpiece last year.Australia also won the Womens Asian Cup in 2010. Victory on Saturday would make Australia the first country to hold both the Asian Cup and the Champions League titles.But their presence also appears to have caused disquiet with other nations missing out on a World Cup spot and other honours. As examples, Western Sydney Wanderers beat Saudi Arabias Al Hilal in the Champions League final, and the Socceroos ousted UAE in the Asian Cup semi-finals.The issue could come to a head at the AFC Congress expected in Kuala Lumpur in May, when Shaikh Salman will seek re-election. He was first elected in 2013 by a landslide.This decision (Australia joining the AFC) was made years ago, before my arrival to the presidency of the AFC, Shaikh Salman was quoted as saying. At that time there were no conditions talking about the AFC Congresss assessment of the experiment to see whether Australia will stay in Asia or not.He added: There are other Asian associations in different regions of the continent that see the need of disengagement between us and Australia.Therefore we cant just monitor the feedbacks or statements, but the movement and the decision should be from within the AFC Congress, because its the authority that can make the decision of reconsidering Australia joining Asia or any other decision.Football Federation Australia chief executive David Gallop expressed surprise over the comments, which come at the end of an Asian Cup described within the AFC as the best yet.We were extremely surprised to hear of these press reports from west Asia, Gallop told Fairfax newspapers. We are newcomers to AFC but our commitment to participate in competitions, membership of important AFC committees and general sharing of ideas and programs increases every year.We celebrate the diversity of the Asian region and this tournament has shown our contribution can go beyond football to create and foster social and political bridges between key trading partners in the region.Star forward Tim Cahill also defended Australias contribution, with the Asian Cups total attendance set to touch 650,000 over 32 games in five cities. Politically for us I think weve brought a lot (to Asia), Cahill told reporters. If you look at all the nations thats come to Australia and every stadium that weve filled together. The multi-culturalism that we have in this country and the way weve embraced football I feel is very important for the growth of the game.But I feel that being Australian and being who we are will always help to grow the game any country we play regardless of AFC or Europe or wherever it may be.

Comic festival honours cartoonists of Charlie Hebdo

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ANGOULME (AFP) - One of the worlds leading comics festivals opened in France on Thursday under tight security as it dedicated this years event to the murdered cartoonists of Charlie Hebdo.The festival in the southwestern town of Angouleme also created a first when it gave its coveted Grand Prix lifetime achievement award to a manga artist, with Japans Katsuhiro Otomo scooping the prize.This years guests -- including some of the biggest names in comics and graphic novels from around the world -- found themselves under unprecedented protection after the attacks on satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris on January 7 that left 12 dead.The 2015 festival will be a time for remembering but we also want to show that life goes on, festival director Franck Bondoux said.Graphic novel writers, press cartoonists and animators were among the stars in attendance at the festival, which this year features special displays on Asian cartoons and Jack Kirby, creator of Captain America, Hulk and the X-Men.Comic books are hugely popular in France, with 35 million sold in the country last year.But three weeks on from the attacks in Paris, it was the spirit of Charlie that weighed heaviest on this 42nd edition of the festival.A number of special commemorations were planned, including the inauguration of a new Charlie Award for Freedom of Expression.The prize will this year go to the cartoonists killed in the assault on the magazine, whose past caricatures of Prophet Mohammed have sparked controversy and were cited by the attackers as the reason for their killing spree.In the future, the prize will be awarded to artists fighting for free speech around the world.The festival organisers also collected over a thousand contributions from artists around the world in homage to Charlie Hebdo and a special album entitled Comics are Charlie was being prepared with the help of 173 well-known cartoonists.Past front pages from the magazine were plastered all over the town in the style of an electoral campaign.And an exhibition gathering together documents and drawings by Charlie Hebdos cartoonists -- dead and alive -- attracted the crowds.Priests, rabbis, the pope, imams, presidents, left-wing and right-wing politicians. Everyone was a target for satire in cartoons that denounced issues as serious as homophobia, paedophilia or racism.Their death had an awful impact on the world of cartoonists. Some called me in tears. For many, they were role models, Jean-Pierre Mercier, one of the managers of the exhibition, said.On Thursday night, Japans Otomo, creator of the cult manga series Akira, was awarded the Grand Prix, which last year went to Calvin and Hobbes creator Bill Watterson.Set in a post-apocalyptic Tokyo built on the ashes of a city that was destroyed by a blast that triggered World War III, the Akira series are known the world over.The awarding of the prize to Otomo highlights the importance of mangas in France, where they represent a quarter of all comic book sales.The festival also awarded a special Grand Prix to the Charlie Hebdo cartoonists killed in the attack -- Cabu, Wolinski, Charb, Tignous and Honore.Among other stars in attendance was godfather of manga Jiro Taniguchi, presenting a retrospective in Europe for the first time.In an interview with AFP before he left Japan for Angouleme, Taniguchi said he constantly had in mind the impact his drawings may have on others.The human being is an animal for whom the visual sense reacts first, and words and analysis come after, he said in his little Tokyo workshop.I know the expressive power of drawings and their risks, which is why I always did my utmost to handle them with precaution by always keeping in mind the impact that my story and my way of drawing may have on certain people.

Woods stumbles with chipping in return to golf

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SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) - Tiger Woods helped attract a record, raucous crowd to the Phoenix Open on Thursday, the first big event in a week that concludes with the Super Bowl.They didnt see much of a game at least not from Woods.In his first appearance at the TPC Scottsdale in 14 years and only his second tournament in six months Woods couldnt hit the green with three chip shots and was near the bottom of the leaderboard until two key shots on the back nine salvaged a 2-over 73.It was the first time in his career that Woods shot over par in his first round of the year. And he already was nine shots behind Ryan Palmer, who opened with a 7-under 64 to build a one-shot lead when play was suspended by darkness.This is my second tournament in six months, so I just need tournament rounds like this where I can fight through it, turn it around, grind through it and make adjustments on the fly, Woods said.He was 5 over through 11 holes when Woods hit a 5-iron to a foot for a tap-in eagle on the 13th hole. After making it through the par-3 16th hole, where he twice had to back off shots when someone shouted as he stood over the ball, he hit his best drive of the day that bounded onto the green at the par-4 17th and set up a two-putt birdie.The fans didnt seem to mind. They were happy to see golfs biggest star at their outdoor party for the first time since 2001, back when Woods was No. 1 in the world and headed for an unprecedented sweep of the majors.The attendance was 118,461 more than the Super Bowl will get on Sunday and broke the Thursday record at the Phoenix Open by just over 30,000.What they saw was a player who suddenly has developed grave issues with his short game particularly his chipping.Woods is working with a new swing consultant, Chris Como, who is not in Phoenix this week. He still has trouble taking his game from the practice range to the golf course, which is nothing new. But when he last played, at the Hero World Challenge, what stood out was a series of chips that he either stubbed or bladed.Two months later, nothing changed.The focus on Woods quickly shifted from a chipped tooth to simply his chipping.Woods twice chipped with 4-irons, which he called my old-school shots from Augusta. On two other occasions, one after a chip he knocked across and over the green, he opted for a putter. It wasnt a bad play, but it used to be rare to see Woods choose to putt from the fairway instead of chip.He attributed it to the change in his swing.Im just having a hard time finding the bottom, Woods said. Because of my old pattern, I was so steep on it that I have a new grind on my wedge and sometimes its hard to trust. Some of my shots were into the green with tight pins and either Ill flop it or bump it, one of the two. I chose to bump it.Palmer was 10-under par through 10 holes last week in the Humana Challenge and settled for a 61. He was 7 under through 12 holes on Thursday and then closed with six straight pars for a 64.That gave him a one-shot lead over Keegan Bradley, who made seven birdies in the morning, and Masters champion Bubba Watson, whose tee shot on the 17th hole rolled a few inches from the cup and settled 4 feet away.Woods was in the group ahead of him, and its customary for players to step aside when theyre on the 17th green to let the others hit their tee shots. Woods smiled when Watson approached and told him, Good shot.Watson also got caught up in the crowd, a benefit of playing so close to Woods.I could feel his crowd was really big, Watson said. You could feel it, the energy, even with the weather the way it was. People still showed up. People still had a blast. And obviously, Tiger created a lot of that.Bradley could sense it, too, even though he played on the opposite side of the draw. Bradley finished his round on No. 9 and hit what he thought was a great approach, except that he wasnt sure because no one was clapping. He turned to his caddie and asked him if it went over the green, or maybe even short of the green. And then he walked up to the green and saw it was 10 feet away. Thats when the light came on.Tiger was on the second green. No one was watching me, Bradley said with a laugh. Its just amazing to see the draw that Tiger has. Wow, there was a lot of people.They saw some good golf just not very often from Woods.The crowd rose to its feet as Woods walked from the putting green to the first tee, and the anticipation began to build when the starter announced him as the winner of 79 PGA Tour events and 14 majors. He had 24 wins and five majors the last time he played.And then Woods sent his tee shot off the backyard wall of a house and back into the desert. He made the turn in 39 his age.But he didnt have to chip again on the back nine, played better, hit two great shots (for eagle and birdie) and walked off with reasonable hopes of making it to the weekend. Woods hasnt played much of late from back injuries and recovery time. Even so, he made it clear that it could take time to heal certainly quicker than getting his teeth fixed.

Moscow: Mother of 7 accused of treason for giving details about Russian military movements

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MOSCOW (AFP) - A mother of seven has been accused of treason for calling the Ukrainian embassy about Russian troop movements in the latest sign of Moscow attempting to cover up its intervention in its neighbouring state.Svetlana Davydova, 36, was arrested last week by a group of men in black uniforms who burst into her apartment in the town of Vyazma, west of Moscow, her husband Anatoly Gorlov told AFP.She was still breastfeeding their youngest child, a two and a half month old girl, when she was taken away, he said.The woman -- who faces between 12 and 20 years in prison -- is being held at the high-security Lefortovo jail in Moscow, her lawyer Andrei Stebenev told AFP.She called where she was not supposed to call and said what she was not supposed to say, said Stebenev, who has been appointed by the state.He said he could not comment further because the Russian General Staff said details of the case constituted a state secret.He added that the woman managed to keep her composure in detention. She is keeping her chin up.A spokeswoman for Moscows Lefortovo district court confirmed the existence of the secret case.The FSB security service, successor to the Soviet-era KGB, whose investigator is in charge of the case, declined to comment.Davydovas husband told AFP that his wife, who had taken an anti-war stance over the Ukraine conflict, phoned the Ukrainian embassy last April and apparently told them the local military base in Vyazma was empty, suggesting soldiers there had been deployed across the border.She also apparently informed embassy staff she had overheard a serviceman saying troops of the Russian military intelligence service, the GRU, would be sent on a mission.The troops would wear plainclothes and remain away at least until elections.Davydova suspected the troops would be deployed to Ukraine which held presidential elections last May, Gorlov said.The fighting between Moscow-backed separatists and government troops broke out in eastern Ukraine in April.The Kremlin has denied Russian troops have been fighting alongside insurgents.Last year Russia charged an elderly rights activist with fraud after she challenged Moscows denials that its troops were on the ground in Ukraine.Lyudmila Bogatenkova was released in October after an outcry but her criminal case remains open.Davydova has four children with Gorlov and they are also raising three children from his previous marriage.He insisted that his wife did not betray her country.She does not want our military to take part in some kind of plot, Gorlov said, adding that they both opposed Russias seizure of Crimea last March.He said he was told to cooperate with the investigation or risk losing custody of his children.We were in shock, said Davydovas sister, Natalya Gorlova, This is a monstrous mistake.I first thought they were bandits, she added, referring to the men who raided the familys apartment.Vladislav Yusupov, a lawyer and rights activist, said the case was an embarrassment for authorities who have enforced a virtual blackout on any information related to Russias intervention in Ukraine.The opening of this case is an acknowledgement that troops have been deployed to Ukraine.President Vladimir Putin said in December that any Russians fighting in Ukraine had gone there following the call of the heart.The case brings to mind some of the worst excesses of the Soviet repressive machine.When reports of the arrest first appeared online, some appeared reluctant to believe such a case was even possible in modern Russia.There is no war but there are spies, one woman, Tatiana Tutaeva, wrote on Facebook.Opposition lawmaker Dmitry Gudkov said he had requested that the General Prosecutors Office provide more details about the case, while a leader of the opposition party Yabloko, Sergei Mitrokhin, said he had filed an inquiry with the FSB security service.

Nigerian fighter jets bomb town held by Boko Haram: Military

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KANO (AFP) - Nigerian fighter jets have bombed the northeast town of Malam Fatori, controlled by Boko Haram Islamists, the military said Thursday.Witnesses and some media reports said troops and airforce planes from neighbouring Chad were involved in the operation on Nigerian soil but Abuja neither confirmed nor denied the claim.There was no initial word on casualties or whether Boko Haram fighters had fled the area.Malam Fatori is within the area of operation covered by the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) of which Chad has always been a part, defence spokesman Chris Olukolade told AFP in a text message.The Nigerian airforce has also been conducting (an) air mission there for two days now, he added. It is all part of the ongoing efforts against terrorism.The MNJTF was set up more than a decade ago to combat smuggling in the remote region but as the Nigerian Islamist insurgency in the area intensified, the mandate of the force changed.Residents in the town of Bosso, which lies next to Malam Fatori but across the border in Niger, said the bombardment began early on Wednesday and lasted for several hours.At around 8:00 am (0700 GMT) we started seeing three military jets encircling Malam Fatori and soon after (they) began dropping bombs, said Idrissa Ari, a Bosso resident.Reaching locals inside Malam Fatori is difficult given the collapse of the mobile phone network on the Nigerian side of the border.The authorities in NDjamena did not respond to requests seeking comment on their alleged involvement in the operation.The Boko Haram uprising has become a regional crisis, with the four directly affected countries -- Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria -- agreeing to boost cooperation to contain the threat.The African Unions annual summit in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa is this week expected to focus heavily on the threat from Boko Haram.AU chief Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma has called the insurgency a threat to the whole continent.A brutal attack this month on the Nigerian town of Baga, near Chad and Niger, killed several hundred people and raised fresh questions about the Nigerian militarys capacity to face Boko Haram alone.An aerial bombardment inside Nigeria by the Chadian airforce, if confirmed, would mark a major development in bilateral security cooperation.While it was unclear whether Chadian troops had begun operating in Nigeria, security sources said soldiers from Chad had arrived in Cameroon ahead of an expected campaign against the Islamists.The first Chadian soldiers were deployed yesterday (Wednesday) in Fotokol, a Cameroonian security source told AFP, requesting anonymity.Fotokol is just 500 meters (0.3 miles) from the Nigerian town of Gamboru, currently controlled by Boko Haram.A senior Cameroonian officer said the deployment was part of preliminary action for the Chadian army to take on Boko Haram alongside troops from Yaounde.The insurgents control large parts of Nigerias Borno state, which shares borders with Cameroon, Chad and Niger.Meanwhile, local sources in three areas of Cameroons far north reported that 10 people had their throats slit by suspected Boko Haram militants this week.

Alibaba loses $4.45 revenues expected by analysts

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NEW YORK (AFP) - Alibaba shares plunged Thursday as the Chinese e-commerce giants quarterly report showed weaker-than-expected sales growth.Alibaba shares closed down 8.8 percent at $89.77.The online shopping platform posted a 40-percent jump in sales to $4.219 billion, but that missed the $4.45 billion in revenues that analysts were expecting.Net profit for the three months ending December plunged 28 percent to $964 million, while earnings per share rose 13 percent to 81 cents.Alibaba performed very well this quarter, with revenue growing 40 percent year on year, chief financial officer Maggie Wu said in a statement.We continue to execute our focused growth strategy, and the fundamental strength of our business gives us the confidence to invest in new initiatives to add new users, improve engagement and customer experience, expand our products and services and drive long-term shareholder value.But investors and analysts gave a less enthusiastic response.Analyst Youssef Squali at Cantor Fitzgerald called the results mixed and added, While we expect Alibaba to continue to dominate the rapidly growing Chinese e-commerce market for years to come, we believe that near-term predictability of growth and margins has deteriorated given the companys continued transition to mobile and changes to its user experience.China makes up by far its biggest market with sales of $3.429 billion, as Alibaba operates the countrys most popular online shopping platform Taobao.Alibaba meanwhile hit back against unfair Chinese government allegations that it failed to crackdown on illegal transactions.The State Administration for Industry & Commerce (SAIC), charged with maintaining market order in China, Wednesday accused Alibaba of allowing illegal operations to flourish on its online shopping websites and ordered the companys executives to overcome arrogance.The sharp criticism came after a SAIC survey published last week on Taobao that found only about a third of products sampled to be genuine.We believe the flawed approach taken in the report and the tactic of releasing a so-called white paper specifically targeting us was so unfair that we felt compelled to take the extraordinary step of preparing a formal complaint to the SAIC, Alibaba Vice-Chairman Joe Tsai said Thursday.Headquartered in the eastern city of Hangzhou, Alibaba completed the worlds biggest IPO with its $25 billion listing on the New York Stock Exchange in September, making its founder Jack Ma Chinas richest man overnight.Ma, who started the company in 1999, last week told business and political elites gathered in Davos that he wants to take Alibaba beyond China and turn it into a global e-commerce platform serving two billion customers.Alibaba now counts 334 million active buyers.In November, Ma said he planned a global version of Taobao, allowing buyers and sellers in different countries to connect with each other.Taobaos foreign efforts to date have focused mainly on overseas Chinese communities but Alibaba has launched a US shopping website, 11 Main.Although Alibaba is often described as the Chinese version of eBay, it bested the US platform more than a decade ago.Its earnings also far surpass that of US e-commerce giant Amazon.Alibaba has been investing in apps to attract users of mobile devices like smartphones.Revenues generated from such mobile devices leapt five-fold (448 percent) to $1.035 billion for the third quarter, to make up 42 percent of total sales. This figure has been rising steadily, from 36 percent in the previous quarter and from 20 percent one a year ago.Earlier this week, Yahoo, which owns a 15 percent share in Alibaba, announced a spinoff to create a separate investment group to hold that stake worth nearly $40 billion.

PM Nawaz to visit Karachi today

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will reach Karachi today to personally review the law and order situation in the city.The Prime Minister were also chair a high level meeting which will also be attended by Governor Sindh Dr Ishratul Ebad, Chief Minister Sindh Qaim Ali Shah and top officials from law enforcement agencies.Earlier on Thursday, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday called Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Babar Ghauri and vowed to console with the family of the deceased MQM worker Sohail Ahmed in person. In a telephonic conversation with Ghauri, PM vowed to address all concerns of MQM.

Google profit jumps, short of market expectations

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SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - Google on Thursday reported that its profit in the recently ended quarter jumped, but the leap fell short of market expectations.The Internet colossus reported net profit up 41 percent from last year at $4.76 billion in the final three months of last year.Revenues were up 15 percent in the quarter to $18.1 billion, also slower that anticipated as Google saw slowdowns in some of its online advertising metrics such as costs per click.Google shares fell 1.7 percent in after-hours trading on the news.Even though Google is the leader in online advertising and search, it faces increased competition and has been diversifying in services and investing in projects such as Google Glass and self-driving cars.

Health of Saudi blogger sentenced to 1,000 lashes worsening: Wife

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OTTAWA (AFP) - The health of a Saudi blogger sentenced to 1,000 lashes for insulting Islam and whose case attracted international concern is worsening, his wife said Thursday.Raef Badawi, who could receive a round of 50 lashes on Friday, is suffering from hypertension and more flogging could weaken him further, his wife told reporters and lawmakers in Ottawa.Raefs health condition is bad and its getting worse. I am very concerned about him, said wife Ensaf Haidar, who sought asylum in Canadas French-speaking province of Quebec with her three children after Badawi was jailed in June 2012.It is impossible for a human being to withstand 50 lashes every week, she added, surrounded by representatives from the Amnesty International charity.Badawi, also sentenced to 10 years in prison, is expected to have 20 weekly whipping sessions until his punishment is complete.He received the first 50 lashes outside a mosque in the Red Sea city of Jeddah on January 9. Two subsequent sessions were postponed due to health concerns.Haidar urged Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper to press Saudi authorities to release her husband.Liberal lawmaker Irwin Cotler, Badawis international legal counsel, denounced what he called a standing violation of Saudi Arabias obligations under international law, a frontal assault on the fundamental freedoms of religion and speech.

US warns Russia to mull fresh sanctions over Ukraine issue

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States warned Russia on Thursday that it is mulling fresh sanctions over the fighting in Ukraine and welcomed an EU move to broaden existing measures imposed on Moscow.State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the agreement by EU foreign ministers to expand existing European sanctions is just a further sign that the actions of the last several days and weeks are absolutely unacceptable and that there will be new consequences put in place.The move in Brussels, where EU foreign ministers were meeting, was building on a large sanctions effort thats been going on for months now, Psaki said, dubbing Thursdays announcement a positive step.She had no prediction about when the next round of US sanctions would come into force, or who would be targeted.Sometimes we add names, sometimes we add sectors or companies, and thats the same thing for the EU, Psaki said.Well continue to consider others that we could add.Earlier this week President Barack Obama pledged to increase pressure on Russia and, in cooperation with US allies including Europe, to look at other options to tackle the issue.I will look at all additional options that are available to us, short of military confrontation, and try to address this issue, he said.Psaki also condemned intensifying attacks on Debaltseve, in eastern Ukraine, where rebels have almost surrounded the town.The town lies 13 kilometers (about eight miles) beyond the ceasefire line set in a September accord, she said.Over the past week, the separatists have fired countless rockets at the city, killing and wounding scores of innocent people and prompting the Ukrainian government and local NGOs to organize a city-wide evacuation, Psaki told reporters.There can also be no mistake about Russias role in the escalation of violence, she said, adding Moscow had equipped the separatists with tanks, armored vehicles, heavy artillery, rocket systems and other military equipment.

South Korean: State report shows industry output rose 3% in Dec

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SEOUL (AFP) - South Korean industrial output rose 3.0 percent in December from a month earlier for a second consecutive monthly increase, state data showed Friday.Thanks to increases in automobiles, semiconductor memory chips and their parts and components, the industrial output grew for the second straight month, Statistics Korea said.From a year earlier, industrial output in December was up 0.4 percent.The increase in production in the mining, manufacturing, gas and electricity industries followed a 1.3 percent on-month rise in November.For the whole of 2014, industrial output was flat from a year earlier, as growth in auto and metals was offset by cuts in transport machinery and video, audio and telecom equipment.The service sector remained flat on-month but expanded three percent from a year earlier.

UN to open inquiry into killings in northern Mali

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UNITED NATIONS, United States (AFP) - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will open an inquiry into the fatal shootings allegedly by UN troops of three protesters during demonstrations in northern Mali, his spokesman said Thursday.Witnesses said the three Malians were shot in Gao by UN troops during protests on Tuesday against a UN plan to assert control over an area north of the town.Ban said he was saddened by the violence and that an inquiry would determine the facts surrounding this tragic incident, spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters.The UN mission MINUSMA initially denied it was behind the deaths but later said it would investigate to establish its role in the violence.A UN peacekeeping official said UN police forces used tear gas and fired warning shots in the air, but it is unclear how the three protesters were killed.The protesters were angry about a UN plan to create a buffer zone in the northern town of Tabankort, which they said would undermine loyalist armed groups fighting rebels in the area.The UN official said the plan was under discussion and leaked by one side apparently to whip up tensions ahead of a new round of peace talks on northern Mali starting in Algiers on February 8.The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the incident underscored the low level of trust between the multiple factions seeking a settlement to end the violence in northern Mali.Tabankort is part of a large swathe of desert which is the cradle of a Tuareg separatist movement that wants an independent homeland it calls Azawad, and from which several rebellions have been launched since the 1960s.Mali descended into crisis in January 2012 when an insurgency by Tuareg rebels led to a coup in the capital Bamako. Militants linked to Al-Qaeda then overpowered the Tuareg to seize control of Malis northern desert.A French-led military operation launched in January 2013 drove the extremists into the bush, while the Tuareg rebels remain active throughout the northeast of the country.The Islamists also remain active, launching attacks on UN forces, with 34 peacekeepers killed since MINUSMA was deployed in July 2013 - the highest toll for any UN peace mission.Malis President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita scrapped plans to attend an African Union summit to visit Gao on Thursday.

Sydney: Clarke to bat local game after hamstring surgery

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SYDNEY (AFP) - Australia captain Michael Clarke will bat in a local game this weekend as he embarks on a gradual return to competitive cricket in a bid to be fully fit for the World Cup after hamstring surgery.Cricket Australia said the 33-year-old, who also suffers from a chronic degenerative back condition, would turn out for Sydneys Western Suburbs on Saturday and Sunday.Then, if all goes well, for a Cricket Australia XI against a Bangladesh XI on February 5, adding a limited fielding capacity to his batting.He remains on track for a return in Australias second ICC Cricket World Cup match on 21 February, a statement said Friday.Michael is making good progress following his injury and the subsequent surgery six weeks ago, said physiotherapist Alex Kountouris.Clarke had surgery in December after badly tearing his right hamstring during the first Test against India.That ruled him out of the following three Tests and threatened his involvement in the world one-day tournament which begins on February 14 in Australia and New Zealand.Kountouris said Clarke was on track to play the second match of Australias World Cup campaign against Bangladesh in Brisbane on February 21.Clarke said the weekend knock was a positive step on my road to a return to full fitness.It is exciting to be at this stage where I can consider walking onto a cricket field again ... the signs are positive.I know I need to take things one step and one day at a time and so, for now, all I am doing is focusing on things day by day and with a belief in a positive outcome.The news came after a week of headlines suggesting Clarke was on a collision course with Cricket Australia over World Cup selection if he failed to regain fitness in time.Fairfax Media has also reported that the team are very settled and successful under laid-back young stand-in captain Steve Smith, raising questions about whether the more aggressive Clarke would get his place back.A Cricket Australia XI will also play against the Bangladeshis on February 3 as part of the tourists build up to the World Cup.

Tokyo: Stocks up at least 1.04%

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TOKYO (AFP) - Tokyo stocks opened 1.04 percent higher on Friday, helped by gains on Wall Street and the dollars rise against the yen.The Nikkei 225 index at the Tokyo Stock Exchange rose 182.52 points to 17,788.74 at the start.Investors seemed to largely shrug off Japanese government data released early Friday showing consumer inflation slowed for a fifth straight month in December with household spending falling.In New York on Thursday the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 1.31 percent after two days of losses, following generally solid corporate earnings and a gain in oil prices.The dollar rose against the yen on upbeat expectations for the first estimate of fourth-quarter US gross domestic product, due out Friday.The dollar was at 118.25 yen early Friday, slightly down from 118.34 yen in New York Thursday afternoon but still up from 117.70 yen in Tokyo earlier Thursday.A weak yen is positive for Japanese exporters as it makes them more competitive abroad and inflates profits when repatriated.The euro bought $1.1327 and 133.91 yen against $1.1317 and 133.93 yen in US trade.

Targeted operation to continue in Karachi: DG Rangers

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – According to details, Director General (DG) Rangers, Major General Bilal Akbar has said that targeted operation will continue without any discrimination in Karachi.This was decided in a high level meeting which was presided over by DG Rangers on Thursday. It was also agreed in the meeting to ensure protection of citizens, traders and industrialists.DG Rangers also urged the people to inform at Rangers helpline about any suspicious activity. He further said that the name of the informer will be kept secret.
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