Thursday 22 January 2015

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

New Zealand 360-5 against Sri Lanka

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DUNEDIN (AP) - Luke Ronchi made 170 not out and Grant Elliott an unbeaten 104 in a record 267-run sixth-wicket partnership which blasted New Zealand from 93-5 to 360-5 batting first in Fridays fifth one-day international against Sri Lanka.New Zealand was in deep trouble with five wickets down and leading batsmen Brendon McCullum (25), Kane Williamson (26) and Corey Anderson (8) already dismissed when Ronchi and Elliott came together at the end of the 20th over.Ronchi smashed his 170, his maiden one-day international century, from just 99 balls and Elliott 104 from 96 deliveries as they produced New Zealands highest partnership for all wickets against Sri Lanka and its second-highest against all nations.

Close religious schools, fill jails if demands not met: JUI-F chief

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Lahore (Roznama Dunya) – Jamiat Ulma-e-Islam Fazl’s (JUI-F) chief Fazl-ur-Rehman on Thursday said that if the government does meet our demands we can close religious schools and fill up the jails. He said 22nd amendment should be made in order to pacify reservations regarding the 21st amendment. He expressed these views while adrressing a national seminar on ‘Reservations of religious and political parties on the21st constitutional amendment’.According to the details, the JUI-F while addressing the seminar stated that certain secular forces want to create a conflict between the army and the mullahs. He stated that the politicians and the secular sector are working on the same lines. He expressed that JUI-F was ready for a discussion with the government if it is willing for it. Expressing his disappointment Fazl-ur Rehman stated that it was sad that the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) was taken into confidence regarding the 21st amendment but the allies were not.The JUI-F chief stated that the Federal Finance Minister Ishaq Dar was with me for a discussion on the 21st amendment but voting on the amendment was started at that moment. Even if words of the constituion are added into the constitutional amendment then the problem would be solved.Fazl-ur-Rehman stated that an attempt was conspired through the 21st amendment to segregate the society. He said that religious schools are being harassed by demanding their views. The government should uphold the agreements it made with the religious schools till now. If the agreement is violated then we will close the religious schools and start a rally to fill up the jails. He stated that we will not allow anyone to achieve a success that is against religious schools and the country. We will fight for the survival of religious schools, mosques and the country. The JUI-F chief stated that it was once again a test of their perseverance and we should not be pressurized to make difficult decisions. Those who published the blasphemous caricatures have committed the biggest terrorist act. He stated that previously people from all over the world were brought for fighting in Afghanistan and were treated as VIPs. He asked that who pushed the boys from the religious schools into these scenarios. Now those who taught them are safe, while those learned are the cuplrits. He also stated that the Peshawar incident was the worst example of open barbarity. The seminar was also addressed by Sami-ul-Haq, Professor Sajid Mir and Liaqat Baloch. Sami-ul-Haq stated that the clash of civilizations has been started. After wards Fazl-ur-Rehman in Sahiwal while talking to workers of Jamia-e-Rasheedia stated that the government has assured to eliminate the reservations of the religious parties through the 22nd amendment and a harmony was seen in all religious parties regarding this matter.

Obama hails late Saudi king as warm and candid friend

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - US President Barack Obama on Thursday paid tribute to late Saudi King Abdullah as a bold leader and valued friend who made an enduring contribution to Middle East peace.As a leader, he was always candid and had the courage of his convictions, Obama said in a written statement soon after the royal court announced the kings death.As our countries worked together to confront many challenges, I always valued King Abdullahs perspective and appreciated our genuine and warm friendship, said Obama. The closeness and strength of the partnership between our two countries is part of King Abdullahs legacy.During Abdullahs nearly decade-long reign -- which spanned the Arab Spring and multiple wars that roiled the Middle East -- Saudi Arabia and the United States remained staunch allies.Obama praised Abdullahs steadfast and passionate belief in the importance of the US-Saudi relationship.The 41st US president George H. W. Bush hailed a dear friend and partner whom he described as a wise and reliable ally.King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, believed to be around 90 years old, was hospitalized in December suffering from pneumonia and had been breathing with the help of a tube.He died on Thursday at 2200 GMT and will be buried Friday following afternoon prayers, according to the Saudi government.It was not immediately clear if Obama would attend the funeral.The president nonetheless praised Abdullahs efforts to foster peace between Palestinians and Israelis.He took bold steps in advancing the Arab Peace Initiative, an endeavor that will outlive him as an enduring contribution to the search for peace in the region.At home, Obama said the king was dedicated to the education of his people and to greater engagement with the world.Members of Congress also paid tribute.Republican Senator John McCain described Abdullah as an important voice for reform in Saudi Arabia.He pushed for the modernization of the education system, curbed the authority of the religious police, and extended women the right to vote and run in municipal elections.Abdullahs half-brother Salman, 79, has been named king.

Injured kid's father pressured to write statement of police's choice

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Lahore (Roznama Dunya) – The police on Thursday made the father of the injured kid write a statement of their own choice. Ilyas, the father of the injured kid named Fahad was pressurized into doing so. The police terrorized the father and absolved themselves of any wrongdoing.According to the details, the police baton charged parents and their children who studied in Government Islamia School. The school kids and their parents were protesting against putting the school under government supervision. The school was previously run by a trust. The baton charge injured young Fahad as police lashed out against the protesting students.Fahad’s father Ilyas was bullyied, threatened and terrorized by the police to an extreme extent warning him of seroius consequences if he took any action. The injured kid’s father was so terrified that instead taking any action against the police he locked his house and went to the home of his relatives along with his injured son. This story was also published in Roznama Dunya on 23-01-2015

Saudi King Abdullah passes away

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RIYADH (AFP) - Saudi Arabias King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz died on Friday and was replaced by Crown Prince Salman, the OPEC-kingpins royal court said in a statement.The late monarchs half brother Moqren was named crown prince, according to the statement.Saudi King Abdullah was in his early 80s when he ascended the throne in 2005 but he sprang into action in a campaign to free the kingdom from dependence on oil and the influence of hardline Islamists.Tapping into the absolute monarchys massive oil wealth, Abdullah, who died Friday aged around 90, launched projects to build new economic cities, universities and high-speed railways.He tried to convert the country from a breeding ground for Islamic radicals into a moderate, constructive partner in global politics.In 2011, Abdullah withstood the convulsions of the Arab Spring uprisings that ousted several leaders in the region, splashing out from vast surpluses of cash to try to keep people content.More recently, Saudi Arabia has been among several Gulf countries taking part in a US-led air campaign against the Islamic State jihadist group in Syria.His nation also unflinchingly led Gulf countries in ignoring calls by other producers to cut oil output to curb the sliding price of crude.But over the years, Abdullahs age and commitment to consensus allowed entrenched conservatives to resist his reforms, amid a lack of clarity about the future path of the monarchy.Since the death in 1953 of King Abdul Aziz bin Saud, the founder of Saudi Arabia, the throne has systematically passed from one of his sons to another -- brothers and half-brothers.But many of Abdul Azizs sons are dead or aged. Two crown princes, Sultan and Nayef, died in 2011 and 2012.Abdullahs half-brother Salman, the crown prince who was named king in a royal statement Friday, is in his late 70s and in poor health.In March 2014, Abdullah named another half-brother, Prince Moqren, as a second heir to his throne, in an unprecedented move aimed at ensuring a smooth succession. The royal statement Friday named Moqren, the youngest of Abdul Azizs sons, the new crown prince.Abdullah established the Board of Succession in 2006 to institutionalise the process of transition, which would normally exercise its prerogatives after his death.Unstained by the profligacy tainting many of the Saudi rulers, Abdullah was hugely popular with his subjects, cherishing the traditional desert life of the Bedouin.Behind his thick, always jet-black moustache and goatee and gentle demeanour, he had a shrewd grasp of regional politics.He was the 13th son of King Abdul Aziz, but the only son of Abdul Aziz by his mother, a member of the Shammar Bedouin tribe.That left Abdullah with a relatively weak faction among the many princes of his generation.In the 1960s he was entrusted with the command of the national guard, the countrys second army. He held that job until turning it over to one of his own sons in 2009.The job allowed him to build close relations with the kingdoms myriad tribes who filled the guards ranks, one of the main pillars of his authority.Abdullah became crown prince when his half-brother Fahd ascended the throne in 1982.Yet his path was still not clear when Fahd suffered a debilitating stroke in 1995, and he faced rivalry from within Fahds Sudairy clan.Since the late 1990s, Abdullah fostered important changes. He developed the consultative Shura council, strengthened the countrys finances and began modernising the unwieldy sharia-based legal system.He took Saudi Arabia into the G20 group of leading economies and the World Trade Organisation.And he challenged conservatives by supporting progressive clerics, creating human rights organisations and launching a science university that, for the first time, permitted men and women students to mix freely.Nevertheless, his kingdom is still strongly criticised for a dismal human rights record, including the imprisonment of dissidents.Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world which does not allow women to drive.Women are required to dress in black from head to toe and still need permission from a male guardian to work and marry.Saudi Arabia has stepped up its use of the death penalty, usually by beheading, despite repeated appeals from the United Nations and human rights watchdogs.Abdullah led the nations grudging response to Islamic extremism after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, which bared Al-Qaedas deep roots inside Saudi Arabia.Although he expressed opposition, he permitted the US military to use Saudi facilities and bases for the invasion of Iraq, but only for logistical support.In 2002 he parented the pathbreaking Arab Peace Initiative, which offered Israel blanket recognition from 22 Arab states in return for an independent state for the Palestinians.In public he has been a committed supporter of diplomacy to solve conflicts, calling for a peaceful solution to Irans nuclear threat.But US State Department documents disclosed by WikiLeaks quoted him as privately calling for a US military attack on Irans nuclear facilities to cut off the head of the snake.

Loeb impresses on first day of Monte Carlo Rally

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MONACO (AP) - Nine-time world champion Sebastien Loeb returned to rally racing in style as he took command of the season-opening Monte Carlo Rally on day one Thursday.The Frenchman, who has won the race seven times and ended his full-time rally career in 2012, won the opening special stage held at night in his Citroen, then settled for third behind defending world champ Sebastien Ogier, and Jari-Matti Latvala in second.Loeb was in a class of his own in the first stage, mastering the icy and tricky roads to beat his closest rival, Ott Tanak of Estonia, by 22 seconds.Loeb, who is teaming up with longtime co-driver Daniel Elena, surprised even himself with his stunning scratch time of 15 minutes, 53.5 seconds over the 21 kilometers of the opening stage.I said to Daniel three kilometers before the end that it felt like we were stopped, he said. The road was full of ice everywhere, and it was very, very difficult. But Im happy for this time.Ogier cut his deficit in the standings to 13.3 seconds by winning the second stage, with his Volkswagen teammate Latvala third overall, 36.1 seconds back. The rally continues on Friday with six special stages.In announcing his return last year, Loeb said he does not plan to take part in the whole series, instead focusing on the World Touring Car Championship.

Airlines expect another big year with help from cheaper fuel

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DALLAS (AP) -Leaders of United and Southwest gave an upbeat forecast for 2015 that combined strong travel demand and cheaper fuel. Airline stocks soared on Thursday.The price of jet fuel has dropped by about half since September, boosting airline profits and tamping down fear that global economic weakness could hurt the carriers. Analysts expect all four of the biggest U.S. airline operators to post bigger profits this year than in 2014.United Continental Holdings Inc. predicted first-quarter profit margins higher than many analysts had expected.Southwest Airlines Co. expects its fuel bill for 2015 to be $1.7 billion lower than in 2014. Our earnings outlook is superb if for no other reason than fuel costs are down dramatically, said CEO Gary Kelly.However, both companies reported lower fourth-quarter profit than a year earlier because of losses on contracts to protect against sharply higher fuel prices. Those contracts, called hedges, lose value when oil prices fall.Southwests net income dropped 10 percent to $190 million, as it booked $282 million in hedging write-downs. Uniteds net income plunged 80 percent, to $28 million, because of $433 million in special items, including $225 million in hedging write-downs and $141 million for severance to flight attendants who took early retirement.Southwest said it is now essentially unhedged for 2015, while United has closed out nearly all first-quarter hedges, executives told analysts.Hedging has been practiced by most major U.S. airlines for almost a decade. Despite the hedging losses reported this week by Southwest, United and Delta Air Lines Inc., finance experts say hedging can still be a smart move protection against catastrophically high fuel prices.You are buying insurance, said John Parsons, a member of the finance faculty at MIT. If you buy health insurance and dont get sick, that doesnt mean you made a mistake.Parsons said hedging may be unnecessary for companies that have enough cash to cushion them from higher commodity prices, while it could be critical for companies with lots of investment opportunities but not much cash. Airlines have another reason to hedge, he said when fuel prices spike, the carriers cant raise fares quickly enough to cover the additional cost.Among major U.S. carriers, only American Airlines wasnt hedging. Its executives were running US Airways when that airline was burned by hedging losses during the last big oil-price collapse, in the second half of 2008. They stopped hedging and have stuck to that philosophy since they took over American Airlines Group Inc. after a 2013 merger.American declined to make executives available for interviews. They have previously said that airlines have a natural hedge prices for both oil and airline tickets tend to rise when the economy is strong and fall when the economy is weak.With oil selling below $50 a barrel, some analysts say airlines should start hedging against future spikes in energy prices.I would love to see them in the market today, said Jim Corridore, an analyst for S&P Capital IQ. With oil at $46 a barrel, they should be hedging as much as they can.Fourth-quarter results:While Uniteds net income fell, profit excluding one-time items soared 86 percent to $1.20 per share. That, however, was slightly short of analysts forecast of $1.22 per share, according to FactSet. Revenue dipped 0.2 percent to $9.31 billion, matching expectations. Average fares were 1.3 percent higher per mile, and revenue from extra fees like baggage jumped 9.7 percent to more than $22 per passenger.Shares of United, the nations second-biggest airline company, rose $3.13, or 4.5 percent, to close at $72.34 after hitting a 52-week high of $73.20 earlier in the day.Dallas-based Southwests profit excluding hedges and other one-time costs and gains was a record $404 million, or 59 cents per share. Analysts expected 55 cents per share. Revenue rose 4.5 percent to $4.63 billion, topping analysts forecast of $4.59 billion.Labor costs rose 8.3 percent and surpassed fuel as the airlines biggest single expense in 2014.The shares jumped $3.52, or 8.4 percent, to $45.35 and hit a 52-week high of $45.39 during the session.Alaska Air Group Inc. nearly doubled net income to $148 million. Excluding one-time items, the Alaska Airlines parents earned 94 cents per share, a penny better than Wall Street forecasts. Revenue rose 8 percent to $1.31 billion; analysts predicted $1.30 billion.Alaska announced a 60 percent increase in its dividend, to 20 cents per share. The shares hit a 52-week high of $68 before closing at $67.94, up $2.96, or 4.6 percent.

Journalist linked to Anonymous gets five years' prison

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - A journalist also known as an informal spokesman for the hacker group Anonymous was sentenced to five years in prison Thursday in a case which rallied activists for press freedom, his supporters said.Barrett Brown, arrested in 2012, was originally charged with collaborating with hackers but later pleaded guilty to lesser charges including accessory to the unauthorized access of a protected computer.United States of Injustice: Barrett Brown sentenced to 63 months in federal prison, said a tweet from the group Free Barrett Brown after the sentencing in federal court in Dallas, Texas.Brown was also ordered to pay $890,000 in restitution.Brown, who had written for Vanity Fair, the Huffington Post and other news outlets, became an advocate for Anonymous and was indicted after posting links to data stolen from the security firm Stratfor Global Intelligence in 2011.Browns defense was supported by media rights organizations including the Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters Without Borders, which claimed he was prosecuted for his actions as a journalist.In his statement written for the hearing, Brown said the government exposed me to decades of prison time for copying and pasting a link to a publicly available file that other journalists were also linking to without being prosecuted.Brown and his supporters had asked him to be sentenced to time already served, or 30 months.In a statement after the sentencing, Brown appeared defiant as he mocked the process.Good news -- The US government decided today that because I did such a good job investigating the cyber-industrial complex, theyre now going to send me to investigate the prison-industrial complex, he said.For the next 35 months, Ill be provided with free food, clothes, and housing as I seek to expose wrongdoing by Bureau of Prisons officials and staff and otherwise report on news and culture in the worlds greatest prison system.

Sri Lanka to bowl first against New Zealand

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DUNEDIN (AFP) - Sri Lanka won the toss and opted to bowl first on a green-tinged wicket in the fifth one-day international against New Zealand in Dunedin on Friday.New Zealand lead the series 2-1 with one match washed out.Sri Lanka captain Lahiru Thirimanne, standing in for regular skipper Angelo Mathews who is being rested with a slight leg strain, said conditions were ripe to bowl first.It looks a little bit green and we want to take advantage, he said.Dinesh Chandimal comes in for Mathews while Suranga Lakmal replaces Rangana Herath in the one other change in the Sri Lanka line up.New Zealand have also replaced two, bringing in Nathan McCullum for Daniel Vettori in a straight rotation of spinners, and Trent Boult replaces Adam Milne who suffered a side strain in the fourth ODI in Nelson on Tuesday.Teams:New Zealand: Martin Guptill, Brendon McCullum (capt), Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Grant Elliott, Corey Anderson, Luke Ronchi, Nathan McCullum, Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Mitchell McClenaghanSri Lanka: Tillakaratne Dilshan, Dimuth Karunaratne, Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, Dinesh Chandimal, Lahiru Thirimanne (capt), Jeevan Mendis, Thisara Perera, Sachithra Senanayake, Nuwan Kulasekara, Suranga Lakmal.

Euro plunges, but European brands are not on sale in US

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NEW YORK (AP) -Americans hoping to save on European goods thanks to a falling euro shouldnt rush to uncork that bottle of French Bordeaux. Theres very little to celebrate.Not since September 2003 has the euro traded this low against the dollar. Still, German sports cars, Belgian beers and the latest fashions out of Italy arent going on sale anytime soon. The reason? Theres simply too much demand in the U.S. for any markdowns.The U.S. economy is the one thats doing well in the world right now, notes IHS senior principal economist George Magliano. Weve got a lot of growth in upper-income families and households.Since Americans are willing and able to spend heavily on imported goods, theres no need for companies to cut prices. Any savings thanks to the euros decline will instead be pocketed by manufacturers and distributors.Its been a dramatic fall for the euro. Back in April, the European currency was trading at 1.38 dollars to the euro. That means that one dollar bought you about 72 euro cents.Now the exchange rate is hovering around 1.13 dollars to the euro, so one dollar buys you 88 euro cents. The euro extended its slide against the dollar on Thursday, dropping more than 2 percent against the U.S. dollar, after the European Central Bank pledged to spend 1.1 trillion euros on bond purchases to help revive the regions flagging economy.The problem for Americans: we dont buy enough European goods, except for high-end products. Our clothes might come from Bangladesh or Costa Rica. Our furniture from China. And our cars even foreign brands like Honda are mostly made at home.European brands tend to cater to higher income families who want to buy a bit of prestige.Take German cars. Brands like Audi, BMW and Mercedes are luxury products with strong demand. So theres no incentive to cut prices, says Karl Brauer, senior industry analyst for Kelley Blue Book.Audi sales rose 15 percent last year, while BMW sales were up 6.5 percent and Mercedes rose nearly 10 percent. Each company is likely to pocket the extra money from converting dollars to euros, no matter whether the cars are made overseas or in the U.S., Brauer says.Volkswagen, however, might use the weak Euro to reduce prices and boost struggling sales, Brauer says. VWs U.S. sales fell 3 percent last year even though overall U.S. auto sales across all brands grew 6 percent.Its the same issue with, fine wines, Gucci handbags and those designer stiletto shoes.Bill Earle, president of the National Association of Beverage Importers, which represents 20 to 25 beer, wine and spirits importers, says the price of fancy wines like Brunello or Chianto Classico that are on the shelves now were already set three or four years ago when contracts were signed by U.S. importers. But he says if the disparity continues between the U.S. dollar and the euro, you might see a softening of prices.At most, shoppers will see a two or three percent price dip, says Faith Hope Consolo, who leads retail leasing and marketing at Prudential Douglas Elliman and specializes in the luxury market.Anecdotally, U.S. prices havent gone down on European-made apparel and alcohol, though such declines would take some time to filter through the system, Consolo says. We probably wont see the effects for several months.Thats because the production cycle for European brands takes about a year, so those so-called status products were already produced. Moreover, Nate Herman, vice president of international trade for the American Apparel & Footwear Association, noted a shift in manufacturing away from Europe and more toward Asia like China and Vietnam as factories in that region have improved the quality of making complicated goods.But even if prices go down on high-end European goods, shoppers wont feel it. Price tags have been soaring way out of reach for most Americans over the past few years. For example, Chanels classic handbag, which was priced at $2,250 in 2007, cost $4,900 last year, according to Robert Burke and Associates, a luxury consulting firm. And Louis Vuittons iconic monogram canvas handbag, which sold for $620 in 2007, climbed to $970 last year.The one bright spot for Americans: vacations to Europe are now much cheaper. Thanks to the currency shift, travelers will pay less for hotel rooms, museum admissions and meals out.Its basically a 20-percent-off sale on the whole eurozone for Americans, says Adam Goldstein, CEO and co-founder of airfare search site Hipmunk.There are 19 countries that use the euro. So those considering deals should look at Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain.This is the best time to travel to Europe in years, says Anne Banas, executive editor of SmarterTravel. Americans can now indulge in a fancy pastry and chocolat chaud without the budget-busting guilt.The catch: it will still cost a lot of money to get to Europe during peak summer months. Demand for travel is so strong that most airlines dont have to cut prices to sell seats.

US military bolsters security at European bases

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - The US military has stepped up security at its bases across Europe in the aftermath of deadly attacks by Islamists in Paris, officials said Thursday.Spokesman Captain Greg Hicks said US European Command had ordered additional force protection measures including reinforced random security checks at installations throughout the region.We continually assess threats to our forces with and alongside our host nation counterparts and take appropriate measures based on those assessments, he said, without disclosing specific measures.Pentagon chief Chuck Hagel said he supported the move but added that there was currently no intelligence indicating an imminent threat against American forces or their families in Europe.He said the danger posed by extremists and foreign fighters returning to the West represented a long-term challenge requiring a coordinated effort by governments.This isnt anything thats going to be over soon. This is not a threat that can be fixed by sending great armies in to invade countries, he told reporters.France and other European governments are looking at bolstering counter-terrorism policies to prevent more attacks like the one two weeks ago in Paris, which left 17 people dead.Western intelligence agencies are particularly concerned over foreign volunteers who join up with extremists in Syrias civil war and then travel back to Europe ready to stage an attack.Last month, even before the attacks in Paris, the 67,000 US troops stationed in Europe were advised not to wear their uniforms off base as a precaution.

US man pleads not guilty to charges in Capitol terror plot

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US man pleads not guilty to charges in Capitol terror plotCINCINNATI (AP) -A man accused of plotting to attack the U.S. Capitol and kill federal officials and workers there pleaded not guilty Thursday to all the charges against him.Christopher Lee Cornell, of the Cincinnati suburb of Green Township, entered the pleas during a brief arraignment in U.S. District Court in Cincinnati. He will continue to be held without bond.The 20-year-old Cornell planned to wage jihad by attacking the Capitol with pipe bombs and shooting government officials and employees, the FBI has said in court documents.Two of the charges carry possible sentences of up to 20 years each. They allege attempted murder of U.S. officials and employees and solicitation to commit a crime of violence. He also faces a firearms-related charge that carries a mandatory minimum of five years to a maximum of life in prison, said Tim Mangan, assistant U.S. attorney.Cornell entered the courtroom in handcuffs and leg shackles and responded softly to questions from U.S. Magistrate Stephanie Bowman.Karen Savir, an assistant federal public defender representing Cornell, told the judge at an earlier hearing that her client wants to be addressed by his Muslim name, Raheel Mahrus Ubaydah. But Bowman denied that request Thursday.I have determined that his legal name is Christopher Cornell, she said.Savir and family members of Cornell who were at the hearing left without commenting to reporters.Cornell was arrested Jan. 14 outside a gun shop near his home in suburban Cincinnati. He was taken into custody after he bought two M-15 assault weapons and 600 rounds of ammunition, according to the FBI.Cornells father has said his son was coerced and misled by a snitch trying to better his own legal situation.Savir said previously that Cornell was eager to appear in court to defend himself against the allegations.

Favourite for PM says Greece faces 'big clashes' ahead

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ATHENS (AFP) - The leader of the left-wing anti-austerity Syriza party which is favourite to win Sundays Greek general election said in a feisty final campaign speech there would be major clashes ahead as they sought a reduction in the massive debts saddling the country.We are fully aware that from Monday, we are taking on a difficult task, Alexis Tsipras told tens of thousands of supporters in Athens.The path we have chosen requires determination, conviction and resolution to face major clashes. With a Syriza government, Greece will renegotiate its onerous and unsustainable debt firmly, with determination and together with its allies in Europe.Tsipras, 40, said once his party was in power there is no way we will accept the representatives of Mrs Merkel bringing her points of view, referring to German Chancellor Angela Merkel whose country is seen in Greece as taking the hardest line on its debt.We have no intention of allying ourselves in a government with the representatives of the Memorandum, he added, using the word which in Greece has come to represent the vast catalogue of austerity measures imposed on the country in return for a huge bailout from the International Monetary Fund and the European Union.Tsipras was joined on stage by Pablo Iglesias, the leader of Spains anti-austerity Podemos party, who said: A wind of democratic change is blowing over Greece. In Greece, this change is called Syriza. In Spain, its called Podemos.Polls show that Syriza has a lead of at least four points over the incumbent conservative New Democracy party of Prime Minister Antonis Samaras.

S.Africa police arrest 92 after looting of foreign-owned shops

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JOHANNESBURG (AFP) - South African police said Thursday they arrested 92 people after mobs went on a looting spree of grocery stores owned by foreign nationals in Johannesburgs Soweto township.The violence erupted after a foreign shopkeeper shot dead a teenager who had tried to rob him on Monday night in the iconic township.Young boys wanted to rob a shop and the owner opened fire and killed one of them, police spokesman Kay Makhubela told AFP. That made the community angry, and thats what started all this.At least 80 shops, most of them owned by Somalis, have been looted over the past three days, he said.In a statement late Thursday, police reported a further deployment of a large contingent of officers to Soweto. which was a crucible of the fight against apartheid.Of those arrested 83 are facing public violence charges, one is being held for murder while eight will answer firearms charges.A second person was killed on Wednesday night, and police said they were still investigating the circumstances.Amid widespread poverty and unemployment, frustration in Johannesburgs run-down neighbourhoods often boils over into anti-immigrant violence.In 2008, deadly xenophobic violence broke out around Johannesburg townships, killing 62 people.

Canada's ambassador presses Obama on Keystone pipeline

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - Canadas envoy to Washington urged US President Barack Obama Thursday to approve the long-delayed Keystone XL oil pipeline, saying he wants to correct the myths about the controversial project.Ambassador Gary Doer met in the US Capitol with two senators -- one Democrat, one Republican -- who support the pipeline that would transport Alberta oil sands crude to refineries along the US Gulf Coast.Doer said environmental studies, along with Obamas own criteria for a pipeline, would allow and require the president, notwithstanding symbolism, to go with science and facts.Our job is to correct the facts and correct the myths that are established, he said in support of the pipeline.The project by builder TransCanada has been under review for more than six years. Republicans, now in full control of Congress, are eager to speed the process by passing legislation authorizing Keystones construction.The House of Representatives has already passed such a measure, and the Senate is currently debating it.Obama has warned he would veto such a bill, and Republicans appear short of the necessary votes to override such presidential action.The State Department concluded in its environmental impact statement last January that Keystone would likely not have significant effects on global greenhouse gas emissions.I heard him at the State of the Union talk about science, Doer said, referring to Obamas Tuesday speech.Hallelujah Bring on the science, because the science is in the State Department report, he added.Doer noted that transporting oil by pipeline is cheaper and safer than by rail or road. He also downplayed the prospect that the clash over Keystone might bruise ties between the US and Canada.The State Department said it maintained a dialogue with Canadian officials regarding the pipeline. US agencies have until February 2 to weigh in on whether Keystone is in the national interest.
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