Wednesday 22 April 2015

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

France foils church attack after suspect shoots self in leg

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PARIS (AFP) - France said Wednesday it had foiled a terrorist plot to attack a church after an Algerian who accidentally shot himself was found with a stash of weapons and documents mentioning Islamist militant groups.The 24-year-old IT student Sid Ahmed Ghlams plans were exposed purely by chance after he called an ambulance saying he had been shot during an armed robbery at his Paris home, prosecutor Francois Molins told journalists.However, police uncovered an arsenal of weapons in his car and home, and detailed plans to attack one of two churches, as well as DNA evidence linking him to the murder of a woman who was found shot dead in her car over the weekend near the capital.The suspect, who was admitted to a Paris hospital after his arrest, was known to intelligence services over comments on social networks expressing his desire to go and fight in Syria alongside extremists, said Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve.Paris is still on high alert with memories fresh from a extremist killing spree that left 17 dead in January.Police called to the scene where Ghlam was wounded found traces of his blood in the car as well as a Kalashnikov rifle, handguns, bulletproof vests, several cellphones, a laptop and documents on potential targets and how to carry out attacks, said Molins.Another three Kalashnikovs, police armbands and vests, and documents in Arabic mentioning groups Islamic State and Al Qaeda were found at his home.The city prosecutor said that Ghlam had told police far-fetched tales of how he had received the bullet wound to his leg, such as that he had shot himself while trying to throw his weapons into the Seine river.Analysis of his communications equipment indicated Ghlam was in touch with another person who could be in Syria on how to carry out an attack, with the latter clearly asking him to target a church, said Molins.A source close to the investigation said Ghlam appeared to have carefully calculated how long it would take police to respond.Several members of his entourage and family have since been detained, some of whom sympathise with radical Islam, sources close to the investigation said.On Wednesday, his 25-year-old girlfriend was taken in for questioning. The sources said she was a convert to Islam and was the only woman in her neighbourhood who wore Islamic garb.Unprecedented terrorist threatThe arrest comes some three months after extremists gunned down 12 people at the Charlie Hebdo magazine, a policewoman and four others at a Jewish supermarket in a three-day reign of terror in the French capital.The attack sent shockwaves around the world, and prompted several reforms in France including controversial new spy laws that are currently being debated in parliament.French Prime Minister Manuel Valls on Wednesday reiterated government warnings that the country was facing an unprecedented terrorist threat.To target a church is to target a symbol of France, the very essence of France, he said after visiting the two churches in Villejuif that had been possible targets.A terrorist act has been averted. It is not the first, there have been others in recent weeks and recent months, President Francois Hollande said.French bishops urged followers not to give in to fear.The terrorist threats, whatever they may be, seek to sow fear. Catholics will not give in, they said in a joint statement.Mystery murder linkDuring their investigations police discovered one of Ghlams guns had been used to shoot young mother Aurelie Chatelain, an unemployed dance enthusiast who was found dead in the town of Villejuif near Paris on Sunday.It is the same town where the suspect planned to carry out his attack, according to Molins.Ghlams link to the woman was not clear.Chatelain was found shot once in the passenger seat of the vehicle, with her laptop still plugged in. There were also traces of blood on the drivers seat.Molins said Chatelains blood was found on one of Ghlams jackets.The 32-year-old mother had just come to the area from northern France to take a pilates training course and had written of how happy she was to be there on her Facebook page on Saturday evening.Hundreds of French nationals have joined terrorist ranks in Iraq and Syria, accounting for almost half the European fighters there, according to a report released this month by the upper house Senate.Authorities fear some will return and commit attacks on home turf.

Moderate earthquake rattles New Zealand capital

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WELLINGTON (AFP) - A moderate 4.7-magnitude earthquake hit the New Zealand capital Wellington on Thursday, the US Geological Survey reported, rattling office blocks but causing no apparent damage.The quakes epicentre was at the top of the South Island at a depth of 22 kilometres (14 miles), the USGS said. New Zealands official GeoNet monitoring service put its intensity at magnitude 5.2.Wellington is separated from the quakes epicentre by the Cook Strait and the temblor was felt in the capital as two distinct jolts, a few seconds apart, that shook windows.The fault that generated the seismic tremor is the same one that caused two 6.5-magnitude quakes in July and August 2013, which caused power cuts and sent panicking Wellington office workers fleeing into the streets.Wellington is criss-crossed with fault lines and memories are still fresh of a devastating quake that hit the South Island city of Christchurch in February 2011, killing 185 people.The capital was the scene of the countrys most powerful earthquake in 1855, an 8.2-magnitude monster that caused four deaths and changed the citys entire geography, pushing the shoreline out 200 metres (660 feet) as it thrust the harbour floor upwards.New Zealand is on the boundary of the Australian and Pacific tectonic plates, forming part of the so-called Ring of Fire, and experiences up to 15,000 tremors a year.

As gang violence surges, El Salvador fears bloody war

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SAN SALVADOR (AFP) - Clad in bullet-proof vests and balaclavas, elite squads of soldiers and police are preparing to wage a guerrilla-style war on El Salvadors gangs, trying to fight a surge in violence that experts warn may only intensify.El Salvador had its bloodiest month in a decade in March, as gang members armed with high-caliber assault rifles repeatedly attacked police stations and army posts.The small Central American country of six million people registered 481 homicides for the month.That capped a bloody first three months of the year, in which 23 police and six soldiers were killed in clashes with gangs.In response, President Salvador Sanchez Ceren has created four new rapid response battalions -- one for the police and three for the army.The country is now in a defining moment in its drawn-out fight against the ultra-violent gangs Mara Salvatrucha and Barrio 18, said security expert Juan Ramon Medrano.The government has not given up on prevention and rehabilitation, (but) it is fighting the gangs with intensifying repression, which has unleashed an escalation of violence, he told AFP.The killings underscore the breakdown in a truce the gangs declared in March 2012, which was brokered by the Catholic Church with behind-the-scenes help from then president Mauricio Funes.In response to the new wave of violence, Sanchez Ceren has reversed a key concession of the controversial truce, ordering more than 50 jailed gang leaders who were being held in flexible detention centers transferred back to maximum-security prison.Seeking to break the logistical and communications networks with which the leaders have continued to exercise power, he also ordered jailed groups of rank-and-file gangsters be dispersed to prisons far from their families and each other.While the gangs have not officially rescinded the truce, the new attacks have fed a collective panic, with people screaming for excessively repressive measures, said criminologist Carlos Ponce.The new battalions will only give the security forces more power, with no effect on criminal networks, which are complex organizations that cannot be easily dismantled, he said.Together, Mara Salvatrucha and Barrio 18 have an estimated 10,000 members in jail and 60,000 on the streets, who fight bloody turf wars to control the drug trade and extortion rackets.The gangs, which emerged in the 1980s in Latino neighborhoods in Los Angeles, arrived in Central America when the United States deported thousands of immigrants who had fled there to escape the civil wars that gripped the region in the late 20th century.Echoes of civil warEl Salvador now risks sliding back into violence reminiscent of that bloody era, said one of the mediators of the failed gang truce, Raul Mijango, a former leftist guerrilla commander turned activist.Were going to war, one that has some of the same characteristics as the civil war, such as conventional forces fighting irregular forces, he said.He condemned the closing of the space for dialogue opened up by the truce, which initially saw the daily homicide rate fall from 14 to five. In March, it surged back to 15.5.In some ways the gangs resemble the armed groups that fought in El Salvadors 1980-1992 civil war, which killed 75,000 people.According to Defense Minister David Munguia, surveillance has detected regular trips by groups of 12 to 16 gang members to remote areas where they receive some kind of training. The army has increased its presence in the areas in response.Last September, the government launched a Public Security Council tasked with addressing the growing violence.In January it presented a security plan calling for $2.1 billion in investment over the next five years on both prevention and policing.It aims to create 250,000 jobs for young people, rehabilitate jailed gangsters, strengthen institutions and aid victims, all while intensifying the security forces crack-down.That dual approach has its critics.The plan is a political facade for repression, said Mijango.

Japan minister goes to Yasukuni hours after China talks

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TOKYO (AFP) - Just hours after Japans Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sat down for his first substantial talks with Chinas Xi Jinping, one of his cabinet ministers visited the Yasukuni shrine on Thursday, a symbol for Beijing of Tokyos attitude to its wartime past.A shrine official said National Public Safety Commission chief Eriko Yamatani paid homage at the site early Thursday, the day after her nationalist boss sat down with the Chinese president on the sidelines of a regional summit in Jakarta.I offered my sincere appreciation for the people who fought and sacrificed their precious lives for the sake of the country, Jiji Press quoted Yamatani as saying after her pilgrimage.I pledged efforts for building a peaceful country, said the minister, known for her strident nationalistic views.More than 100 Japanese lawmakers visited the shrine on Wednesday to coincide with its spring festival, even as officials were making final arrangements for the Xi-Abe meet.Abe had asked his ministers not to go to the shrine before the talks happened, according to Jiji Press.Xi and Abe met for about 30 minutes, their first substantial meeting since both men came to the helm of nations that are bitterly at odds over history and territorial disputes.Abe later told reporters that they had a very meaningful summit meeting and bilateral relations were improving.But in a speech earlier Wednesday, he had soft-pedalled on the subject of Japans World War II rampage through Asia, expressing deep remorse but not the heartfelt apology former prime ministers have proffered.I hope the Japanese side can take seriously the concerns of its Asian neighbours, CCTV News reported Xi as saying.The Yasukuni shrine honours those who fought and died for Japan, but also includes a number of senior military and political figures convicted of the most serious war crimes.Yamatani was one of three conservative female ministers who visited the shrine during its autumn festival last year.Abe, who has not visited since December 2013, sent a symbolic offering of a small tree on Tuesday, sparking anger from Beijing and Seoul.

Chile declares emergency as Calbuco volcano erupts

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SANTIAGO (AFP) - Southern Chiles Calbuco volcano erupted on Wednesday for the first time in nearly half a century, spewing a giant funnel of ash high into the sky and prompting authorities to declare a state of emergency.Officials ordered an evacuation for a 20-kilometer (12-mile) radius around the volcano and the interior ministry rushed in the army to temporarily take control of the province of Llanquihue and the town of Puerto Octay.People are very, very frightened, said Gervoy Paredes, the mayor of the largest city in the area, Puerto Montt, which was blanketed in a cloud of ash.The situation is pretty complicated, he added, saying reports indicated the Blanco river was flooding because of ice melt triggered by the eruption.Airlines cancelled flights as a towering, mushroom-shaped ash cloud rose from Calbucos snowy peak.Schools also suspended classes for the region.Television images showed large traffic jams and long lines at gas stations in Puerto Montt, where a red alert was declared, along with nearby Puerto Varas.I would like to call on the population to remain calm and stay informed, said Interior Minister Rodrigo Penailillo.The police have given orders and begun to evacuate.The initial evacuation involved about 270 families, but could be expanded, officials said.Police called on residents to keep roads as clear as possible to aid the evacuation.Calbuco had been inactive for 43 years.It was a rather explosive eruption, said Gabriel Orozco, a volcanologist at the National Geology and Mines Service.He said the 10-kilometer-high ash cloud risked collapsing, and warned: River beds are very dangerous at the moment because of the risk of ice and snow melting and causing floods.The 2,000-meter (6,500-foot) volcano is located in the Los Lagos region, some 1,400 kilometers south of the capital Santiago.It is the second volcano in southern Chile to have a substantial eruption since March 3, when the Villarrica volcano emitted a brief but fiery burst of ash and lava.That eruption caused authorities to evacuate more than 3,500 people.No lava was seen in the latest eruption, which began around 6:00 pm (2100 GMT).But the ash cloud, which could be seen from 20 kilometers away, loomed over the crater, turning hues of pink and yellow as the sun set over the area.Chile has about 90 active volcanoes, of which Calbuco is considered one of the most dangerous.

Islamic centre tied to Australian terror accused shuts down

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SYDNEY (AFP) - An Islamic centre in Australia linked with several men accused of terrorism-related offences shut down Thursday, citing harassment and insidious campaigns against it.The Al-Furqan Islamic Centre in Melbourne came under increased scrutiny after five men were arrested last weekend over an alleged plot to attack Anzac Day commemorations on April 25 -- when Australia honours its war dead.Police said at the time that Al-Furqan and a number of other centres around Australia have come to our attention.Two of the teenagers, Sevdet Besim and Harun Causevic, have been charged with conspiring to commit a terrorist act while another faces weapons offences. The others were released pending further inquiries.The young men were associates of Numan Haider, who was shot dead after stabbing two anti-terror police officers in September, police said. Haider had visited the Al-Furqan centre.This statement is to announce that, effective immediately, Al-Furqan Islamic Centre is ceasing its activities and closing its doors, the centre, run by cleric Harun Mehicevic, said in a statement on its website.We believe that given the constant harassment, pressure and false accusations levelled against the centre -- particularly by media and politicians -- this is the best course of action.It added that shutting down was for the protection of the local community, its members, and the broader Muslim community that is often implicated in these insidious campaigns.After the raids on Saturday, Al-Furqan distanced itself from the men.We wish to clarify that there was no connection between Al-Furqan centre and these raids, and that claims to the contrary are unfounded and misleading, it said.The Melbourne Age newspaper and other media reported that Australias most senior Islamic State recruiter in Syria, Neil Prakash, also used to visit the centre before leaving Australia in 2013.In a video posted online this week, Prakash, also known as Abu Khaled al-Cambodi, urged brothers of Islam to stage terror attacks on Australian soil, while speaking of my dear brother Numan.Australia raised its threat level to high last September and has since carried out a series of counter-terrorism raids, with alarm fuelled by the departure of more than 100 of its nationals to Iraq and Syria to fight with terrorists.

Tokyo stocks open 0.46% higher

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TOKYO (AFP) - Tokyo stocks opened 0.46 percent higher on Thursday following solid gains on Wall Street and as the dollar rose against the yen, continuing to rally after hitting a 15-year high.The Nikkei 225 index at the Tokyo Stock Exchange, which closed above 20,000 for the first time in 15 years on Wednesday, added 93.38 points to 20,227.28 at the start.The dollar was at 119.96 yen early Thursday, edging up from 119.89 yen in New York late Wednesday and 119.54 yen in Tokyo earlier Wednesday.The euro bought $1.0726 and 128.66 yen against $1.0725 and 128.58 yen in US trade.US stocks Wednesday posted solid gains following a big jump in US existing-home sales.The Dow Jones Industrial advanced 0.49 percent while the broad-based S&P rose 0.51 percent.

S. Korea's economy perks up in first quarter

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SEOUL (AFP) - South Koreas economy picked up momentum in the first quarter due to increased construction and consumer spending, the central bank said Thursday.The economy grew 0.8 percent on-quarter in the January-March period, up from a revised 0.3 percent growth in the previous quarter, the Bank of Korea said.From a year earlier, the fourth-largest Asian economy expanded 2.4 percent.The central bank has already cut its 2015 growth forecast twice this year, from 3.9 percent to 3.4 percent in January and down again in April to 3.1 percent.In April, it held its key interest rate at a record low of 1.75, following a 25 basis point reduction the previous month.Construction made a turnaround from a 7.8 percent contraction in the fourth quarter of 2014 to a 7.5 percent expansion in the January-March period on increased residential building projects.In a bid to bolster the sagging economy, the government eased restrictions on housing loans last year.In contrast, facility investment and exports remained flat.

All set for NA-246 by-polls today

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KARACHI (Dunya News): By-election in the National Assembly constituency NA-246, Karachi–VIII will be held today. Polling will start at 8:00am in the morning and will continue till 5:00pm without any break.This National Assembly seat fell vacant after the resignation of Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s (MQM) Nabeel Gabol.All arrangements have been finalized to hold by-election in the constituency in a peaceful manner. At least 213 polling stations have been set up in the constituency. More than 4,000 Rangers personnel have been deployed for the security of the polling stations. Police officials will be deployed at the main gates of all the polling stations according to the security plan.Ban on pillion riding has been imposed in Karachi’s district central while public holiday has been announced. On the other hand, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has banned voters from carrying mobile phones inside the polling stations. The polling staff is exempt from the ban.According to the West Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Feroz Shah, as many as 7,373 policemen would perform their duties at the polling stations. At least two Senior Superintendents of Police (SSPs), 15 Superintendents of Police (SPs), nine Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSPs) and at least 18 SHOs would remain in the constituency during the polling, he added. He said that as many as 16 policemen would perform their duties inside the polling stations while 12 outside.

Brazil's Petrobras reveals graft cost $2.1 bn

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RIO DE JANEIRO (AFP) - Petrobras lost $2.1 billion to the largest corruption scheme in Brazilian history, the state oil giant said Wednesday, releasing its first audited accounts of a scandal that has enveloped the company and badly wounded the government.Petrobras, the largest company in the worlds seventh-biggest economy, announced losses of 21.6 billion reals ($7.2 billion) for 2014.By finally releasing its long-delayed results, the company is seeking to turn the page on five tumultuous months in which its chief executive and entire board were forced to resign and ratings agencies hit it with a string of downgrades.Prosecutors accuse Petrobras executives of colluding with construction companies to massively inflate contracts and bribe politicians, including members of President Dilma Rousseffs Workers Party (PT) and its allies.Rousseff, who is facing calls to resign and popularity ratings of 13 percent just months into her second term, chaired the Petrobras board during much of the period under investigation, but is not accused of wrongdoing.The annual results, which were audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), included losses to the kickbacks scheme from 2004 to 2012.Petrobras also announced losses of $1.8 billion for the third quarter of 2014, and posted an asset devaluation of $14.8 billion, largely because of the slide in international oil prices and postponed refinery projects.Releasing the results is a fundamental step toward fully salvaging the companys credibility, said the state-controlled firms new chief executive, Aldemir Bendine.He told journalists at Petrobras headquarters in Rio de Janeiro that the companys second challenge was to draft a new business plan for the next five years, which he said would be released within 30 days.Seeking to regain trustAnalysts said the company still has work to do to restore the confidence of the market and the country.This could be an excellent first step, but it doesnt say much in and of itself, said Daniel Marques, chief analyst at consulting firm Gradual Investimentos.Petrobrass problem isnt about oil or finance, its about trust. The first thing the company needs to do is recover its credibility, because today the market doesnt believe it.Petrobras said it had calculated overpayments of three percent on contracts with 27 companies that formed what investigators call a cartel that paid bribes to company directors to win tenders.It also added in bribes funneled through other companies in cases where investigators said their witnesses had told them about other incidents of corruption.Prosecutors are building their case on testimony from suspects who have agreed to cooperate with the investigation in return for lighter sentences.Analysts say the companys effort to come clean should help it avoid a partial default on its massive debt of nearly $140 billion.Petrobras had twice delayed releasing its third-quarter results, initially due in November, because PwC would not sign off on them without accounting for losses to corruption.The standoff wiped billions off the companys stock value as the share price plunged to eight reals. But shares have been creeping back in recent weeks, regaining nearly 60 percent, to more than 13 reals.Those accused in the scandal include the treasurer of the ruling PT, Joao Vaccari, who was arrested last week.Thirteen senators, 22 congressmen, two governors and several former cabinet officials are also being investigated.

PM, Army Chief depart for Riyadh today

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ISLAMABAD (Online): Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will be accompanied by Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif on his visit to Saudi Arabia on Thursday.PM Nawaz chaired a high-level consultative meeting on the latest situation in Yemen on Wednesday, during which it was decided that the premier will visit Saudi Arabia on a day-long visit along with Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif.Apart from the army chief, the prime minister will be accompanied by Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Special Assistant to the PM on Foreign Affairs Tariq Fatemi and Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry.Official sources said that the meeting was attended by senior foreign policy officials and military leaders and the premier took them into confidence over his visit to Riyadh for continuing deliberation on the Yemen conflict.While speaking to the participants, the premier also welcomed Saudi Arabias decision of halting air strikes in Yemen and said this would pave the way for a peaceful resolution of the conflict.PM Nawazs visit coincides with developments in Yemen, where a Saudi-led coalition claimed success in thwarting the threat from Houthi militia and announced the conclusion of the Operation Decisive Storm and start of the next phase that has been codenamed Operation Hope.This will be the premiers second visit to the kingdom in two months. He last travelled to Saudi Arabia on March 3.

Cook closes in on England record

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ST. GEORGES (AFP) – England were 74 without loss in reply to the West Indies first innings total of 299 at stumps on the rain-affected second day of the second Test against England on Wednesday.Alastair Cook closed in on becoming Englands highest Test run-maker on Wednesday as his team began their pursuit of West Indies 299 all out on the second day of the second Test.England skipper Cook and fellow opener Jonathan Trott negotiated 26 overs without real alarm as the visitors reached 74 without loss at the National Cricket Stadium.Cook achieved a milestone during his unbeaten 37, going past former player Alec Stewart as his countrys second-highest run-getter in Test history with a tally of 8,484. Only Graham Gooch, the former opening batsman and captain, remains ahead of him in the list of prolific English batsmen with an aggregate of 8,900.Earlier, Englands bowlers eventually overcame the determination of Marlon Samuels and an entertaining last-wicket partnership to dismiss the West Indies for 299 in their first innings on a rain-affected second day.Devendra Bishoo (30) and Shannon Gabriel (20) got their Test-best scores in lifting the home side from 247 for nine after Samuels dismissal for a determined 103 triggered a lower-order collapse as the tourists seamers made effective use of the second new ball.Stuart Broad led the English effort, taking four for 47, while James Anderson and Chris Jordan claimed two wickets each. It was left to Moeen Ali to close off the West Indies innings however, trapping Bishoo leg-before to end the visitors frustration and still leave them reasonably satisfied with the days work.Persistent morning showers restricted the pre-lunch session to just 40 minutes play with the hosts resuming at the overnight position of 188 for five.When the action eventually resumed in mid-afternoon, Samuels, 94 not out at the start of the day in partnership with Denesh Ramdin, reached his seventh Test hundred with his 14th boundary off 226 deliveries shortly after the second new ball was taken.However the 34-year-old, who was dropped on 32 by Cook at first slip off Jordan on the first afternoon, seemed to lose concentration upon reaching the treasured landmark in his 100th Test innings. He missed a big drive at the next delivery from Anderson before edging the following one to Ian Bell for 103.His effort in a 94-run sixth-wicket stand with Ramdin appeared to be in vain with the West Indies losing four wickets for 24 runs. The captain fell to a catch at the wicket off Broad for 31. He added the scalp of Jason Holder, who perished in a similar manner in a rush of attacking strokeplay.When Broad had Kemar Roach caught by Joe Root at slip from an inside-edge off his pads, a swift end to the innings seemed inevitable. However Englands bowlers lost their discipline and the pair of Bishoo and Gabriel capitalised in taking their team to within a single of the 300-run mark.On a pitch as benign as the one in Antigua for the drawn first Test last week, the West Indies bowlers could suffer heavily should they depart from the fundamentals of line and length on the third day.

Zuma vows action over immigrant attacks as army deployed

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JOHANNESBURG (AFP) - President Jacob Zuma on Wednesday pledged to tackle xenophobia in South Africa as troops were sent in to support police in a crackdown against attacks on immigrants that have left at least seven people dead.Overnight Tuesday, 11 men were arrested in a joint police and army raid on a hostel in downtown Johannesburg, hours after the military was deployed.After meeting business, civil and religious leaders, Zuma said his government would take decisive steps to address underlying problems behind the attacks and ensure foreigners were not targeted.South Africans are not xenophobic, he said. If we dont deal with the underlying issues, it will come back.We have taken a decision that we dont want to see it again and therefore we are going to be working together with that determination.Zuma gave few details of government plans, but said the violence was driven by criminal elements as well as friction between foreigners and locals.Many South Africans believe poverty and a severe jobs shortage is one driving factor behind mobs in Johannesburg and in the port city of Durban targeting migrants from Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique and other African countries.The spate of attacks has revived memories of xenophobic bloodshed in 2008, when 62 people were killed, tarnishing South Africas post-apartheid image as a rainbow nation of different groups living in harmony.The South African army was deployed to restore order in the 2008 unrest, and was also used against violent strikers in 2012.UN chief Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday condemned the latest wave of violence and called for all efforts to be made to avoid future attacks.He welcomes the public expressions of the many South Africans who have been calling for peaceful coexistence and harmony with foreign nationals, Bans spokesman said in a statement.A mass anti-xenophobia march is planned in Johannesburg on Thursday, and Zuma is due to hold talks with groups representing foreign nationals living in South Africa on Friday.Police overwhelmed?Jessie Duarte, deputy general secretary of the ruling ANC, said the recent targeting of migrants was well organised and coordinated and that the army would only play a supporting role in preventing unrest.The army is there to assist the police (and) to ensure police are able to conduct searches, she told a press conference.The issue we have here is poverty, inequality and unemployment -- it is huge for us.Bene MPoko, the Democratic Republic of Congo ambassador, told reporters at the event that the three weeks of violence threatened South Africas reputation for tolerance.This is a sad day for South Africa... and also for the continent, he said.The deployment of the army indicated that police are overwhelmed, he added, accusing police of being slow to react.Late Tuesday, dozens of soldiers surrounded the workers hostel in eastern Johannesburg that has been a hotspot for xenophobic clashes, and police stormed inside.As a helicopter hovered overhead, officers moved from floor to floor conducting searches as residents lay face down in corridors.Eleven suspects were arrested in Jeppe hostel for possession of dagga (cannabis) and stolen property, they were aged between 24 and 49, police spokesman Solomon Makgale said.The involvement of soldiers was criticised by the opposition Economic Freedom Fighters party as a overreaction and a misuse of the military.(The) government is losing control over society and now resorting to extreme measures in the same manner done by the apartheid regime, it said.Regional relations have been strained by the attacks, with Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique organising for some worried citizens to return home.Neighbouring Mozambique said more than 2,000 citizens had fled the violence.Five buses also arrived back in Zimbabwe on Wednesday.I dont know what to do next, said Wonder Nyamutowa who worked as a construction worker in Durban.I am a breadwinner and I could manage to send money back to my family but I wont go back.

UN raises alarm over stalled nuclear disarmament

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UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - The failure of the worlds nuclear powers to make headway on disarmament is threatening to unravel a landmark treaty coming up for review next week, the UNs disarmament chief warned Wednesday.The 190 countries that have signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) are opening a month-long conference on Monday at the United Nations to take stock amid much gloom over the lack of progress.We have a stalling in the path to a nuclear-free world, said Angela Kane, the UN high representative for disarmament affairs.The nuclear-weapons states are not living up to their side of the bargain, Kane told a meeting organized by the International Peace Institute.Reached in 1968, the NPT has been billed as a grand bargain between the five nuclear powers -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States - and non-nuclear states which agreed to give up atomic weapon ambitions in exchange for disarmament pledges.But 45 years after the NPT entered into force, non-nuclear states are feeling increasingly frustrated about the outcome.Right now, the non-nuclear states need to be given the sense that they are taken seriously, said Kane.Delegates to the NPT conference are working on a document laying out priorities on the disarmament agenda for the next five years, but some diplomats have not ruled out that disagreements could lead to a collapse of the conference.Kane warned that the next five years will be crucial to ensure that the NPT retains credibility.She suggested that there be a roadmap with targets that are not far off in Never-Never-Land to reassure non-nuclear states that they have signed on to a treaty that is worthwhile.Frustration over the slow pace of disarmament has focussed on the United States and Russia which have made little effort on cutting their nuclear arsenals since 2011.A proposed nuclear weapons-free zone for the Middle East has failed to materialize despite a plan agreed at the last NPT conference to begin talks on the proposal in 2012.On a brighter note, Kane welcomed the framework nuclear deal reached for Iran and said it could give pause to the nuclear threshold states that have yet to join the NPT: Israel, Pakistan and India.

Football: Real Madrid, Juventus complete semi-finals line-up

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PARIS (AFP) - Real Madrid and Juventus scraped into the Champions League semi-finals on Wednesday, joining already qualified Bayern Munich and Barcelona.Defending champions Real edged city rivals Atletico 1-0 thanks to an 88th-minute winner from on-loan striker Javier Hernandez after a goalless first leg.Juventus also made it to the last-four after a 0-0 draw in Monaco allowed them to qualify courtesy of their 1-0 first leg win in Italy last week.Bayern and Barcelona had made sure of their places on Tuesday leaving Fridays semi-final draw to feature four teams with 21 European Cup triumphs between them.The tie in Madrid was a repeat of last seasons final, won by Real 4-1 after extra-time, but Atletico had gone unbeaten in seven previous meetings against their city rivals this season.However, the visitors had to play the final 14 minutes with 10 men as Arda Turan was shown a second yellow card for a high challenge on Sergio Ramos.Hernandez then finally got the all-important goal after brilliant work from James Rodriguez and Cristiano Ronaldo left the Mexican (on loan from Manchester United) with the simplest of finishes from close range.Obviously it is my most important goal because the present is what is important, said Hernandez.It is a derby which hasnt brought good memories since winning the 10th European Cup. I was the one who scored, but it belongs to everyone. The people who believed in me, my teammates and my family.Atletico boss Diego Simeone hailed his players efforts.I go away proud of my team. Once more we competed very well in a very difficult competition like the Champions League, said the Argentine.Juventus made the last four of the Champions League for the first time since 2003 after a goalless draw in their quarter-final, second leg with Monaco saw them progress 1-0 on aggregate.A controversial Arturo Vidal penalty in the first leg in Turin last week ultimately proved enough for the Serie A leaders, who relied on their defensive strength to see off opponents again let down by their lack of quality in the final third.A Monaco side full of youthful enthusiasm pushed forward for long spells, but Juventus -- who had let in just one goal in their previous nine matches -- always looked in control and veteran keeper Gianluigi Buffon was never seriously threatened.The Italian giants came closest to scoring from a 90th-minute Andrea Pirlo free-kick that clipped the bar.Tonight was important. There was a lot of pressure on the players after 12 years of waiting, Juves French full-back Patrice Evra told beIN Sports.Juve were the favourites but credit to Monaco because they deserved more. Its the Italian way, its ugly but it works.On Tuesday, doubles from Robert Lewandowski and Neymar inspired Bayern Munich and Barcelona into the semi-finals.Lewandowskis brace came in a crazy first half where Bayern rattled five goals past a demoralised Porto side, who had gone into the game leading 3-1 after the first leg and with real hopes of reaching their first semi-final since they won the trophy in 2004.The game ended 6-1 and a 7-4 aggregate victory for Bayern, extending coach Pep Guardiolas remarkable record in the competition where he has never failed to reach the last four.Neymar also scored his double in the first half for Guardiolas former side Barcelona as they eased to a 2-0 win on the night and a 5-1 aggregate win over French champions Paris Saint Germain.While Barcelona reached their seventh semi-final in eight seasons, for PSG it was their third successive exit at this stage.
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