Thursday 5 February 2015

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Tennis: Sharapova targets Olympics as Russia tackle Poland

Posted:

PARIS (AFP) - Maria Sharapova leads Russia in their Fed Cup World Group opener against Poland this weekend looking to take a step closer to the 2016 Olympics.It will be the first meeting between the two countries and a rare Fed Cup appearance by 2012 Olympic silver medallist Sharapova, who must compete in the womens team event if she wants to bid for gold in Rio next year.The Russian star, runner-up to Serena Williams at the Australian Open last Saturday, has played just three ties for Russia since her 2008 debut and has a 3-1 singles record.Champions the Czech Republic open their defence against Canada in Quebec City, as 2014 runners-up Germany host Australia in Stuttgart and France travel to play Italy, last years semi-finalists, in Genoa.The hardcourt clash on Saturday and Sunday at Krakow Arena will see 27-year-old Sharapova return to Fed Cup for the first time since February 2012.Attention will also be focussed on her new team captain Anastasia Myskina, who a decade ago threatened to pull out of the Russian team if Sharapova was selected.Myskina, the first Russian woman to win a Grand Slam at Roland Garros in 2004, the year she spearheaded their first Fed Cup victory, retired as a player in 2007 and took over the Fed Cup captaincy in 2014.Russia are favourites with world number two Sharapova joined by 27th-ranked Sveltana Kuznetsova, a two-time Grand Slam winner, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (34), and Vitalia Diatchenko (82).World Group newcomers Poland will be led by former Wimbledon finalist Agnieszka Radwanska, ranked eighth, after her run to the fourth round of the Australian Open, alongside her younger sister Urszula, ranked 135.Alicja Rosolska and Klaudia Jans-Ignacik will be on doubles duty for Poland.In Quebec City, the Czech holders are favourites having won all five of their previous meetings with the Canadians, despite being without top players Petra Kvitova and Lucie Safarova.World number 20 Karolina Pliskova, 68th-ranked Tereza Smitkova, 107th-ranked Denisa Allertova and doubles specialist Lucie Hradecka, will line out in the first meeting between the two sides since 2002.I think the team thats going to Canada is good enough to succeed, said Czech team captain Petr Pala, whose side have won three of the last four titles.Canada, whose best result was a semi-final in 1988, will be without world number seven Eugenie Bouchard.In Stuttgart, Australia face Germany for the third time in four years.Germany won last years semi-final in Brisbane, but Australias Samantha Stosur believes their chances are improved with three players ranked inside the top 60.I dont think weve had a team this solid on the rankings for quite a while, 25th-ranked Stosur said.Stosur will be joined by 35th-ranked Casey Dellacqua, Jarmila Gajdosova (54) and Olivia Rogowksa (157).Seven-time winners Australia have not lifted the trophy since 1974, but are boosted by winning in Stuttgart in 2012 to secure their return to the competitions top tier.Germany have a strong side with world number 10 Angelique Kerber, Andrea Petkovic (12), Sabine Lisicki (28) and Julia Goerges (69).France captain Amelie Mauresmo also arrives from Melbourne and her coaching role with Australian Open mens runner-up Andy Murray.Mauresmo will be counting on Alize Cornet (19), Caroline Garcia (36), Kristina Mladenovic (71) and Pauline Parmentier (86) for their claycourt tie in Italy.Italy, winners of four titles in the last decade, are without top ranked Flavia Pennetta, but their team includes Sara Errani 14th, Camilia Giorgi (31), Roberta Vinci (40) and Karin Knapp (53).World Group II also has a smattering of stardust with both Serena and Venus Williams appearing for the United States against Argentina in Buenos Aires.

Karachi: Kidnaper killed in police encounter

Posted:

KARACHI (Dunya News) – According to details, a kidnaper was killed when Rangers and police launched a joint operation in Sohrab Goth area of Karachi on Thursday.Police sources said that the kidnaper was wanted in several case of abduction for ransom. Police also recovered a vehicle during the operation.In a separate incident, police arrested a dacoit in injured condition after an encounter from Defence Khayaban-e-Badar while a dead body was recovered from Bilal Colony in Korangi area.

Hong Kong: Stocks rise at least 0.31 percent

Posted:

HONG KONG (AFP) - Hong Kong stocks rose 0.31 percent in the first few minutes of trade Friday, following a strong lead from Wall Street as oil prices extended a recent recovery.The benchmark Hang Seng Index added 77.71 points to 24,843.20.

Shanghai Composite Index fall at least 0.51 percent

Posted:

SHANGHAI (AFP) - Chinese shares were lower in morning trade Friday despite an earlier announcement of monetary easing through a cut in bank reserve requirements, dealers said.The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index fell 0.51 percent, or 16.12 points, to 3,120.41.The Shenzhen Composite Index, which tracks stocks on Chinas second exchange, slipped 0.10 percent, or 1.53 points, to 1,524.58.

Australia wont be in final just to make up numbers: Sam Stosur

Posted:

BERLIN (AFP) - Sam Stosur says Australia will not be there just to make up the numbers when they face 2014 finalists Germany in this weekends first round Fed Cup tie.The 30-year-old Stosur is the top-ranked in a relatively inexperienced Australia side looking to repeat their 2012 win over the Germans at Stuttgarts Porsche Arena.Three of the quartet for the World Group tie helped Australia to a 3-2 win over Germany two years ago and are looking to avenge their 3-1 semi-final defeat to the Germans in Brisbane last April.Weve got as good a chance as anyone, but because there are only eight teams its never going to be easy, said Stosur, ahead of her 27th Fed Cup tie.Weve come up against Germany again so its definitely a tough one.Australia lead the head-to-head series 8-5, but the Germans field a strong team with three players in the top 30, including 2013 Wimbledon finalist Sabine Lisicki and tenth-ranked Angelique Kerber.The hosts want a convincing win to banish memories of their 3-1 defeat to the Czech Republic in the 2014 final.The Germans are feeling the pressure to perform at home after all four of their team were knocked out in the opening round of the Australian Open.People forget that we have all lost before in the opening round, said Andrea Petkovic.The fact it happened to all of us at the same time is just a stupid accident.

Syria strikes kill 66 after rebel fire on Damascus: monitor

Posted:

BEIRUT (AFP) - At least 66 people were killed Thursday as Syrias regime pounded a rebel stronghold with air strikes after a barrage of opposition fire hit the capital Damascus, a monitor said.The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 12 children were among those killed in the opposition-held Eastern Ghouta region outside Damascus, and an AFP photographer there described chaotic scenes.In the capital, meanwhile, a barrage of at least 120 rockets and mortar rounds fired by rebel forces killed 10 people, among them a child.The fire left usually busy streets of the city deserted and prompted Damascus University to close for the day, sending students home.The assault on the capital began early on Thursday and came two days after the leader of rebel group Jaysh al-Islam (Army of Islam) warned it would attack in response to repeated government strikes on rebel-held Douma in Eastern Ghouta.Within minutes, our busy street was empty, a resident of Damascus Baramkeh neighbourhood told AFP after the mortar fire began, adding that the head teacher of a local school had been forced to take her students to a shelter.The middle class district of the capital is home to several university buildings, as well as the headquarters of state news agency SANA.In the city centre, traffic was light and many people stayed home from work.If the terrorists think that by shelling Damascus they will ease the pressure on them, they are making a big mistake, a senior military official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.We will continue to hunt them down and destroy them.Jaysh al-Islam leader Zahran Alloush had warned that Damascus would be considered a military zone during the bombardment, which follows a similar attack by the group on January 25 that killed six.The governments response was swift and deadly, with more than 60 air strikes hitting areas across Eastern Ghouta, along with surface-to-surface missiles, the Observatory said.AFP photographer Abd Doumany said the assault caused chaos.This is the worst day in Douma in four years, he said.The situation in the hospitals is very bad. There are shortages of everything.He said medics had been wounded in the shelling and residents were hiding in basements.Local field hospitals were overwhelmed by arrivals, some of whom lay on the floor to receive treatment.On one bed was an infant, his red and white striped sweater lifted up to allow medics to apply a defibrillator to his bloodied chest.Eastern Ghouta is a key rebel bastion on the outskirts of Damascus, and has been under siege for nearly two years.Since mid-2012, the government has carried out frequent air raids on rebel-held areas. It is accused by human rights groups of indiscriminately killing both civilians and insurgents.Elsewhere in the country, the Observatory reported that at least 16 members of the Islamic State jihadist group were killed in strikes by the US-led coalition fighting the group.The strikes in northeastern Hasakeh province hit a building containing a weapons and explosives depot, where secondary explosions were reported, the Observatory said.More than 200,000 people have died in the Syrian conflict, which began with anti-government protests in March 2011 and escalated into a civil war.

Jordan warplanes strike IS after pilot murder

Posted:

AMMAN (AFP) - Jordan said its warplanes launched dozens of new strikes Thursday against the Islamic State group, after vowing a harsh response to the burning alive of a pilot captured in Syria.The news came as scores of people were killed when rebels unleashed rocket fire on Damascus and President Bashar al-Assads forces retaliated.Jordans military said dozens of jet fighters struck IS targets on Thursday morning, hitting training camps of the terrorist groups as well as weapons and ammunition warehouses.It did not say where the targets were located -- IS holds swathes of Syria and Iraq -- but said they were destroyed and the aircraft returned home safely.Jordans military pledged to destroy this terrorist group and kill the evil in its own place, saying it would punish IS for the heinous act of burning the pilot alive.In Washington, a US defence official told AFP the military has deployed aircraft and troops to northern Iraq to boost capabilities to rescue downed coalition pilots.Personifying Jordans grief and deep anger over the horrifying murder, King Abdullah II visited the airmans family, which has urged the government to destroy the jihadists, to pay his condolences.Jordan has conducted regular raids against IS across the border in Syria as part of a US-led campaign against the Sunni extremist group.More than 200,000 people have died since anti-government protests erupted in Syria in early 2011, escalating into a multi-sided civil war that brought jihadists streaming into the country.At least 66 people, including 12 children, were killed by regime air strikes and shelling on rebel areas around Damascus Thursday, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.The assault on the Eastern Ghouta region came after rebels fired more than 100 rockets at the city, killing 10 people including a child, the Britain-based group said.The gruesome murder of Maaz al-Kassasbeh, captured by IS in December after his F-16 crashed in Syria, has increased support in Jordan for stepped-up military action against the jihadists.Jordan will wage all-out war to protect our principles and values, government newspaper Al-Rai wrote in an editorial.The execution has sparked outrage in Jordan and protests in Amman and Karak, bastion of Kassasbehs influential tribe.Solidarity demonstrations with the family are planned for nationwide after Fridays weekly Muslim prayers.Abdullah cut short a US visit and returned to Amman Wednesday after the video of Kassasbehs killing emerged.The blood of martyr Maaz al-Kassasbeh will not be in vain and the response of Jordan and its army after what happened to our dear son will be severe, he said afterwards.On Wednesday, in response, Jordan executed two Iraqis on death row -- female would-be suicide bomber Sajida al-Rishawi and Al-Qaeda operative Ziad al-Karboli.Abdullah travelled Thursday 120 kilometres (74 miles) south of Amman to Karak, where a traditional mourning tent was set up for Kassasbehs family.Hundreds of people gathered as the king sat next to the 26-year-old first lieutenants father.Safi al-Kassasbeh branded IS infidels and terrorists who know no humanity or human rights, and said the international community must destroy the group.IS had offered to spare Kassasbehs life and free Japanese journalist Kenji Goto -- who was later beheaded -- in exchange for Rishawis release.Rishawi, 44, was sentenced to death for her role in triple hotel bombings in Amman in 2005 that killed 60 people.She was closely linked to ISs predecessor organisation in Iraq, and seen as an important symbol for the jihadists.Jordanian television suggested Kassasbeh was killed on January 3, before IS offered to spare him and free Goto in return for Rishawis release.Following the airmans capture, another member of the US-led coalition, the United Arab Emirates, withdrew from air strike missions over fears for the safety of its pilots, a US official said.On Thursday, the US military said it was repositioning some assets to northern Iraq in a move designed to shorten the response time needed to reach pilots who end up in IS-held territory, officials said.US President Barack Obama, who hosted King Abdullah in a hastily organised meeting before his return to Jordan, decried the cowardice and depravity of IS.Benjamin Netanyahu also extended his condolences to the king in a phone call on Thursday, the Israeli premiers office said.IS had previously beheaded two US journalists, an American aid worker and two British aid workers in similar videos. It has also killed a second Japanese hostage.

IS growing in Libya, warns Libyan official

Posted:

UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - The Islamic State group is gaining ground in Libya and a new international approach is needed to address the growing threat, a senior Libyan official said Thursday.Aref Ali Nayed, Libyas ambassador to the United Arab Emirates and an adviser to Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thani, was in Washington and New York this week to discuss the new challenges on Libyas security front.ISIS is growing in Libya, exponentially. ISIS is committing atrocities every day, Nayed said in an interview with AFP, using the acronym for the Islamic State.Its not possible to fight ISIS in Iraq and Syria without also addressing the Libyan component.The United Nations has blacklisted one of Libyas jihadist groups, Ansar al-Sharia, for its ties to IS, but Nayed said the militias are adept at rebranding to maintain and expand their links with IS.Nayed estimates that IS is active in seven Libyan cities and has carried out attacks in a dozen areas.An attack on the luxury Corinthia Hotel in Tripoli last week was claimed by IS while an assault on an oil field this week may have also been carried out by an IS-linked group.Nayed raised concerns about an influx of foreign fighters into Libya -- from Yemen, Tunisia, Algeria and from Chechnya -- whom he said were recruited by IS.He warned that Libya could be used as a base for attacks in Europe -- only an hour away by plane. We see a distinct absence of strategy to address ISIS globally, said Nayed. It is the most existential threat to my country.Libya has been wracked by conflict for the past four years, with rival governments and powerful militias battling for control of key cities and the countrys oil riches.Libyas internationally recognized government is based in the far east of the country, near the Egyptian border, while the Islamist-backed Fajr Libya militia alliance took control of Tripoli last summer.

Iraq PM orders end to years-old Baghdad curfew

Posted:

BAGHDAD (AFP) - Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi ordered an end to a years-old nightly curfew in Baghdad in a bid to ease restrictions on daily life despite persistent violence, officials said Thursday.Lifting the curfew is a major change to a longstanding policy aimed at curbing violence in the capital by limiting movement at night, which has failed to stop frequent bombings.The prime minister ordered that the curfew in the city of Baghdad be completely lifted starting from this Saturday, said Brigadier General Saad Maan, the spokesman for the Baghdad Operations Command.Abadi wants there to be normal life as much as possible, despite the existence of a state of war, his spokesman Rafid Jaboori said, referring to the battle against the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group.This is part of the response to terrorism and the war against it, he said.A statement from Abadis office said he had also directed that important streets in the capital be opened to facilitate the movement of citizens, and that the Adhamiyah and Kadhimiyah neighbourhoods of north Baghdad be demilitarised zones.The statement did not provide details on which streets would be opened, or on what the plan for the two adjacent neighbourhoods -- the former mainly Sunni, the latter Shiite -- entails.Army and police checkpoints across Baghdad cause massive traffic jams that are a major source of irritation for Iraqis, and often follow lax security procedures that are unlikely to hamper the movement of militants.The hours the curfew has been in force have varied over the years, but it has most recently lasted from midnight to 5:00 am.We were restricted by this, said Ayman Hassan, a culture ministry employee, later adding: Thank God this decision happened.For Hassan, it is a sign that security is returning after being gone for a long time.Ahmed Ali, a teacher, said the decision to scrap the curfew has pros and cons -- while people will be able to move easily at night if the need arises, the gangs will move freely too.Doing away with the curfew has the potential to boost business for restaurants and cafes that stay open late.Abu Saif, owner of a central Baghdad restaurant, said he would consider remaining open later if enough people end up staying out. The decision to lift the curfew comes as Iraqi forces battle to regain ground from IS jihadists, who spearheaded an offensive that overran large areas north and west of Baghdad last June.It was initially feared that Baghdad itself could be assaulted by the militants.But federal forces that were swept aside in the early days of the offensive have regained significant territory with support from Shiite militiamen, Sunni tribesmen and US-led air strikes.In the north, forces from Iraqs autonomous Kurdish region are also making gains against IS, and evidence of atrocities probably committed by the group has been found in retaken areas.But gains by security forces have not stopped militants from carrying out attacks in Baghdad, which they were able to do even when violence was at a low ebb in 2011-2012.Bombs still ripped through markets, cafes and crowded intersections, and militants also frequently targeted security forces in the city.Scrapping the curfew does away with a measure that restricted the lives of ordinary people while doing little to stop the near-daily attacks they have suffered for years.

NATO agrees to boost defences after Russian 'aggression'

Posted:

BRUSSELS (AFP) - NATO agreed Thursday to dramatically boost its defences with six command centres in eastern Europe and a spearhead force of 5,000 troops, to counter what the alliance called Russian aggression in Ukraine.Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg insisted that the increase approved by defence ministers in Brussels was purely defensive, but it is likely to rile a Moscow that is more wary than ever of Western military intentions.This is the biggest reinforcement of our collective defence since the end of the Cold War, Stoltenberg told the ministers.He said the decision to step up the 28-nation groups defences to the east were as a response to the aggressive actions we have seen from Russia, violating international law and annexing Crimea.France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Poland and Britain agreed to take the lead in forming the spearhead rapid reaction force, which would be available to deploy within a week in a crisis, Stoltenberg said.The six command and control centres that will help the deployment of the force will be in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Bulgaria, with a corps headquarters in Szczecin, Poland, he added.All six countries were formerly in the orbit of the Soviet Union and have voiced deep concern about Russias actions in Ukraine.NATO is also set to boost its wider response force -- which would take weeks or months to deploy in a crisis -- from 13,000 to 30,000 troops.Moscow has long been wary of NATOs relations with its former allies, especially in the case of Kievs new pro-Western president Petro Poroshenko, who has said he wants Ukraine to join the alliance.Russian foreign ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said earlier Thursday that Moscow would fully consider such decisions in our military planning after reviewing the details.He said Moscow was deeply concerned about the plan because it is nothing else but a buildup of military capacities of the alliance near Russias borders.NATO accuses Russia of sending troops and equipment to support separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine who have been fighting troops loyal to the western-backed government since April, with the loss of nearly 5,400 lives.The Kremlin denies giving any backing to the rebels.Ukraine has recently urged the West to send weapons to help Kiev fight the rebels, but former Norwegian prime minister Stoltenberg refused to say whether he thought it was a good idea.He said NATO itself, an alliance set up after World War II to counter a growing Soviet threat, does not officially have weapons and that has to be up to each individual ally to decide whether to arm Ukraine.Stoltenberg however welcomed the news that French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel were heading to Kiev and Moscow to present a new peace plan.US Secretary of State John Kerry was in Kiev for talks with Ukraines leaders who are asking for defensive weapons.Asked about reports that Washington was considering sending weapons to Kiev, US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel would only say that it was reviewing its assistance.Stoltenberg said the NATO measures were also motivated by new threats to the 28-nation military alliance from Islamist militants in the Middle East and North Africa, who are fuelling violence within Europe.NATO aims to have the new 5,000-member spearhead force operational by 2016, officials said. It will involve member nations having troops ready to deploy within a few days in case of a crisis, with them taking it in turns to lead the force for one year.The command and control centres are being set up to make it easier to deploy them. In a further blow to Moscow, NATO will set up a joint training centre in the former Soviet state of Georgia, with which Russia fought a war in 2008.

New York: Dow jumps 211.86 points

Posted:

NEW YORK (AFP) - The Dow Thursday finished more than 200 points higher on surging oil prices and merger activity on the eve of the closely watched US jobs report.The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 211.86 points (1.20 percent) to 17,884.88.The broad-based S&P 500 rose 21.01 (1.03 percent) to 2,062.52, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index advanced 48.39 (1.03 percent) to 4,765.10.US oil prices gained more than four percent to close above $50 a barrel, lifting petroleum stocks. Dow member ExxonMobil climbed 1.0 percent, while oil-services giant Halliburton added 2.3 percent.Dow member Pfizer gained 2.9 percent on news that its $17 billion deal to buy Hospira would add a new portfolio of sterile injectable treatments and biosimilar drugs to Pfizers broad pharma offerings.Dow component DuPont jumped 3.1 percent following its announcement of two new board members as it continued to spar with activist investor Nelson Peltz. Peltz has called for a split-up of the company and proposed four board nominees.The Walt Disney Company, another Dow member, rose 1.3 percent after tapping Disney parks and resorts chief Thomas Staggs as chief operating officer. The move was seen as succession planning for chief executive Robert Iger.21st Century Fox, part of Rupert Murdochs media empire, fell 5.4 percent as the company lowered its forecast for 2015.Amazon jumped 2.5 percent on a bullish report by Morgan Stanley which said the online retailer is entering a phase of improving profitability.Oil services company Weatherford International rose 3.0 percent after announcing it would cut 8,000 jobs in response to low oil prices.Markets are expecting a modestly solid jobs report from the Labor Department on Friday. It is expected to show the US economy added 235,000 jobs, a slowdown from December, and the unemployment rate holding at 5.6 percent.Bond prices fell. The yield on the 10-year US Treasury rose to 1.81 percent from 1.74 percent Wednesday, while the 30-year advanced to 2.42 percent from 2.34 percent. Bond prices and yields move inversely.

Two dead in US college murder-suicide: police

Posted:

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Two people died in what appeared to be an isolated murder-suicide Thursday at the University of South Carolina, police said, after the campus was placed on lockdown.The deaths occurred at the universitys school of public health, the Columbia Police Department said on Twitter. No further details were available.Appears to be a murder-suicide... Isolated incident at USC school of health, said the tweet.A spokesman for the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division was not immediately available for comment.The states emergency warning system had earlier issued an alert after gunshots rang out at the campus in the state capital Columbia.Shots fired at New School of Public Health. Building is locked down. Seek safe shelter. Remain indoors. Obey officials, Carolina Alert tweeted.About 45 minutes later, the online emergency system reported there was no longer an existing threat on campus, but it said the school of public health and surrounding streets were closed.The State daily newspaper reported that the building has been evacuated, and that police SWAT teams were at the scene.

Indian PM Modi to visit France in April

Posted:

NEW DELHI (AFP) - Indias Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to France in April for what would be the one-time pariahs first trip to Europe since his election, his office said Thursday.Modi is looking forward to his visit to France in April, his office said in a statement, confirming an invitation from Frances top diplomat.Frances Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius earlier told AFP the Indian premier had been invited to a summit with President Francois Hollande in the spring.We will be extremely happy to welcome Mr. Modi and that is one of the messages that I have come to pass on from the president, said Fabius ahead of talks with Modi during a trip to New Delhi.We shall be very honoured to welcome him.The trip would be Modis first to Europe since his sweeping victory in general elections last May.Modi was effectively blacklisted by the European Union for a decade in the aftermath of deadly communal riots in Gujarat in 2002, soon after he came to power as the states chief minister.The EU and then the United States ended their boycott of the right-wing Hindu nationalist when it became clear he could be elected leader of the worlds largest democracy.France and India have a strategic partnership and Fabius said the two leaders would have much to discuss in Paris, including nuclear energy and aviation technology on which the countries are already working closely.This will be an extremely important visit for us and India, he said.The exact dates for Modis visit will be announced later.

Obama hails Dalai Lama as good friend

Posted:

WASHINGTON (AFP) - President Barack Obama on Thursday hailed the Dalai Lama as a good friend during a symbolic first public encounter between the two men that is sure to enrage Beijing.Speaking at a high-profile Washington prayer breakfast, Obama heaped praise on the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, who is reviled by China as a separatist.I want to offer a special welcome to a good friend, said Obama, describing the Dalai Lama as a powerful example of what it means to practice compassion.He inspires us to speak up for the freedom and dignity of all human beings, Obama said before an audience of around 3,000 people.It is the first time the two men -- both Nobel peace laureates -- have been seen together in public.Three previous encounters have been held behind closed doors -- and outside the Oval Office -- to avoid risking relations with China.There had been much speculation about whether a meeting would actually take place, with the White House keen to play down talk of any formal sit-down.Beijing accuses the Dalai Lama of seeking to split Tibet from the rest of China and calls him a wolf in sheeps clothing.It vigorously lobbies against foreign leaders meeting the Dalai Lama in any form.But during Thursdays prayer breakfast, Obama and the Dalai Lama saluted each other across a plush ballroom.Wearing his familiar maroon robes, the Dalai Lama was not seated at the head table with Obama and other speakers, but was a short distance away from the dais.The Buddhist leader put his hands together, bowed and made a peace sign with his fingers as he was acknowledged by hosts.Obama placed his hands together in response.Even before the encounter, China had decried interference in its domestic affairs.We hope that the American side will act upon its commitment on Tibet-related issues and properly deal with relevant issues in keeping with the overall interests of bilateral relations, said a foreign ministry spokesman.The government-published China Daily newspaper said: Should a president of the United States meet with the Dalai Lama, it will unquestionably step on Chinas toes and therefore cast a shadow over US-China relations.Obama is acquiescing to the Dalai Lamas attempt to split Tibet from China.Since becoming president, Obama has made a pivot to Asia a cornerstone of his foreign policy.Although Thursdays meeting will certainly draw Chinas ire, the concrete consequences remain unclear.The Dalai Lama has lived in exile in India since 1959 after a failed uprising in Tibet.More than 130 ethnic Tibetans have set themselves on fire since 2009 in protest at Beijings rule, campaign groups and overseas media have said. Most of them have died.The International Campaign for Tibet welcomed Obamas comments.It is the first time that the Dalai Lama and a US President have been present together at a public event since the Tibetan religious leader was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 2007.The Dalai Lama then appeared next to George W. Bush.

Twitter chief confirms relationship with Google

Posted:

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - Twitter chief Dick Costolo said Thursday that a relationship with Google has been rekindled, but he was coy on the details.The deal will make Twitter messages more visible on the Internet, according to reports by Bloomberg News and The New York Times, with tweets showing up in Google searches as soon as they are posted.I do want to confirm that we have a relationship that we have agreed to with Google, Costolo said during a quarterly earnings call with analysts.I dont have any more details to share with you at this time.Deutsche Bank analyst Ross Sandler said in a research note that the tie-up could be the catalyst to push shares meaningfully higher, and help Twitter add users.When pressed, Costolo said that renewing its alliance with Google was driven, in part, by the opportunity to drive tremendous amounts of attention to Twitter given the online search giants scale and scope.This is not something that you are going to see launched or rolled out for several months, Costolo said. I just want to make that very clear.Twitter chief financial officer Anthony Noto declined to provide analysts perspective on any revenue considerations stemming from the Google alliance.
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)