Friday 24 April 2015

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Imam-e-Kaaba leads Fajr prayers at Mansoora

Posted:

LAHORE (Dunya News) - Imam-e-Kaaba, Sheikh Khalid Bin Ali al-Ghamidi, led Fajr prayers at the Jamia Mosque Mansoora on Saturday. Hundreds of people attended the prayer amid tight security arrangements, Dunya News reported.Imam of Kaaba while addressing the faithful after the Fajr prayers said that Islam is a religion of peace, love and compassion. He said that Saudi Arabia government and its citizens are proud of their Pakistani brethren. He also prayed for the solidarity of Muslim Ummah.Earlier, Jamaat-e-Islami chief and other leaders accorded a very warm welcome to Sheikh Khalid Bin Ali al-Ghamidi at his arrival at Mansoora.

Football: Arsenal aim to redraw lines of Chelsea rivalry

Posted:

LONDON (AFP) - Chelseas trip to Arsenal this Sunday is being billed as a Premier League title decider, but in reality it is likely to have more of a bearing on next season.With 11 wins and two defeats since the turn of the year, Arsenal have amassed more points per game in 2015 than any other team in Europes top five leagues, but still they trail Chelsea by 10 points.Chelsea will be champions if they beat Arsenal and win at Leicester City on Wednesday, but even though defeat on Sunday would probably only delay their coronation, it could herald the start of a north London revolt.Fixtures between Arsene Wengers Arsenal and Jose Mourinhos Chelsea have traditionally represented a collision of competing ideologies, with Wenger the style-obsessed romantic and Mourinho the cold, hard pragmatist.While clubs around the world fell over themselves to ape the possession-based approach of Barcelona and Spain during the high point of tiki-taka -- emboldening Wenger to cram even more small, technical midfielders into his starting XIs -- Mourinho remained true to his counter-attacking convictions.Those principles were in evidence last weekend when Chelsea beat Manchester United 1-0 at Stamford Bridge despite seeing only 30 percent of the ball.It had been a similar story last October, when Chelsea beat Arsenal 2-0 after enjoying less possession and mustering only five attempts at goal to their opponents 10.Wenger reacted to Mourinhos provocations that day by shoving the Portuguese in the chest during a touchline confrontation, and it was not the first time the Chelsea manager has got under the Frenchmans skin.Speaking on Friday, Mourinho declared that Wenger was not my rival, adding: Hes the manager of a big club in the same city where I work. It is a big club with the same objectives we have.The retort was seen as an attempt to deflect attention away from the pairs frosty relationship, but with Wenger having never beaten Mourinho in 12 attempts and having claimed only two major trophies to the Chelsea managers six during the time they have both spent in England, might it have been intended as a statement of fact?Coquelin contributionThe hope, for Arsenals fans, is that the savvy shown by their team in recent weeks will yield a transformative victory.After years of parsimony, Arsenal can now compete with Chelsea for the games star names -- as demonstrated by the acquisitions of Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez -- and the gap may be closing on the pitch, too.Arsenal have experienced an uncommon number of heavy losses to rivals in recent years -- including a 6-0 annihilation by Chelsea last season -- but belatedly, the penny appears to have dropped for Wenger.With former fringe player Francis Coquelin anchoring the midfield, Arsenal have begun to beat their rivals in a fashion that even Mourinho might be moved to admire.They had only 35 percent of possession in a 2-0 win at Manchester City in January and saw only 42 percent of the ball in a 2-1 victory at Manchester United in the FA Cup last month.And with Ozil, Sanchez, Aaron Ramsey and Santi Cazorla supplying the bullets for Olivier Giroud, they can still put teams to the sword, as shown by the 4-1 victory over Liverpool three weeks ago.We know we have passed many tests recently where we were questioned, says Wenger, whose side have won their last nine games in all competitions.Its the first time weve won away from home against Manchester City (since 2010) and other things like that. We have passed many tests and we have another test on Sunday that we want to pass.Arsenal centre-back Gabriel is in line to deputise for Per Mertesacker, who has an ankle problem.Mourinho will make a late decision on whether to pick top scorer Diego Costa, who has missed two games with hamstring trouble, while Cesc Fabregas is expected to start against his former club.

'Stress test' will flush out desire for Syria peace: UN envoy

Posted:

UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - The United Nations envoy to war-torn Syria said Friday that he will know by the end of June if there is any appetite among the opposing sides to find a peaceful way out of the conflict.During closed discussions with the 15-member UN Security Council, Staffan de Mistura acknowledged that the odds and conditions for launching a political transition are no better now than six months ago, diplomats at the briefing said.The Damascus regime and opposition forces are not showing much new willingness to negotiate in the four-year war that has left 220,000 people dead, de Mistura said, according to diplomats.But the UN remains convinced about the need for a political solution and the envoy will hold separate consultations with the Syrian government, opposition groups and regional powers including Iran from May to see if they are ready for negotiations.The Islamic State extremist group, which has grabbed large areas of Syria in a brutal campaign, will not be consulted.We cannot just wait, there is no excuse to wait... despite the lack of progress we remain convinced that the only way to do so is a stress test, to test the willingness to narrow the gap (between the parties), de Mistura told reporters.By the end of June we will be in a position to reassess if there is any convergence on the issues of substance.A UN spokesman said earlier that the new round of meetings would begin May 4. These consultations will last four to six weeks, said UN spokesman Ahmad Fawzi.Iran, which was excluded from two international conferences on the conflict, has been invited.Iran is a major player in the region, it has influence in Syria, said de Mistura, whose latest efforts come after a failed initiative to negotiate local truces in the field, starting in Aleppo.The freeze in Aleppo has not worked but it is still on the table because well consider any option to reduce violence, he said.

Football: Deila expects Celtic to surge to title finish

Posted:

GLASGOW (AFP) - Ronny Deila has backed Celtic to sweep to the finish line as the champions look to secure the points they need to retain the Scottish Premiership title.The Hoops, who are eight points clear with five matches remaining, could clinch their fourth consecutive title if they win their next three games against Dundee United, Dundee and Aberdeen.However, the Glasgow giants could be crowned champions sooner if nearest rivals Aberdeen slip up before their clash on May 10.But Celtic boss Deila says his side will concentrate on their own matches, starting with Dundee United on Sunday, as they aim to add the title to the League Cup they won in March.If we just keep continuing to win and if Aberdeen keep winning thats the first chance to do it, but we have been good to focus on the next game, Deila said.We have another important game on Sunday and you can see it getting closer but also the games are getting bigger.Sundays trip to Tannadice to take on United will be the seventh time the two sides have clashed after meeting in the League Cup final and Scottish Cup quarter-final.The Hoops have won five of those encounters and lost just once, but after some fiery fixtures between the sides already this season Deila is still expecting a hard game.I have a lot of respect for Dundee United. They have had a good season but it was tough for them after they lost two players when we got Gary Mackay-Steven and Stuart Armstrong, but its going to be a tough game on Sunday, he said.I expect itll be a high intensity game but hopefully without any red cards and we can play 11 v 11 as thats the most fun thing to do and thats what were aiming for.Despite just one win in their past 12 matches, Dundee United are still chasing third position and the final Europa League spot.And manager Jackie McNamara, who could welcome back John Rankin and Aidan Connolly for the match, is hopefully of testing his former side.We know whats at stake and we want to finish the season as strongly as possible, McNamara said.You always hope an occasion like this can bring out the best in the players. Thats the way weve got to look at it and hopefully it will come Sunday.We know theyre a strong side but we just have to look after ourselves.We have to focus on what were good at and hope to play that way on Sunday.Adam Matthews and Stefan Johansen return to the Celtic squad, but defenders Charlie Mulgrew and Mikael Lustig are still out.

Football: Defiant Pellegrini defends City's progress in season to forget

Posted:

LONDON (AFP) - Manuel Pellegrini insists Manchester City are still heading in the right direction under his leadership despite surrendering the Premier League title without a fight.Pellegrinis side have limply allowed the English crown to slip from their grasp after falling 12 points behind leaders Chelsea with only five games remaining.City also struggled once again in the Champions League, barely making it out of the group stages before bowing out in tame fashion against Barcelona.After slumping down to fourth place, they must focus on securing enough points to hold off fifth placed Liverpool in the race to qualify for next seasons Champions League.Inevitably Pellegrinis future has been called into question, with Jurgen Klopp, who will leave Borussia Dortmund at the end of the season, among the names linked with his job.But the Chilean is adamant City have shown enough progress in his two-year reign to warrant another season in charge.I think this club is growing every year. For me you are never satisfied if you do not win the title but if you cannot win it you must try to be as near the top of the table as you can, Pellegrini said ahead of Saturdays home clash with FA Cup finalists Aston Villa.It is difficult when you have a stamp put in your chest that you must be the best because you are the only club that has money. It is difficult for this club to fight against that.We try to do the best we can. I dont think it is so, so bad what this club is doing, and not just in my two years.Chelsea eye coronationOn Sunday, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger will hope to make it 13th time lucky against Jose Mourinho as his side attempt to delay Chelseas coronation as Premier League champions.Wenger has never prevailed against Mourinho in 12 attempts and even if he redresses that statistic at the Emirates Stadium, it is unlikely to prevent Chelsea from claiming the title.Having recorded an efficient 1-0 win over third-place Manchester United last weekend, Chelsea are 10 points clear of Arsenal at the top of the table with six games remaining.Victory would leave them needing three points from next Wednesdays trip to Leicester City, currently embroiled in a relegation battle, to claim a first league crown since 2010.But while the championship seems destined for Stamford Bridge, Arsenal have drawn encouragement from a run of nine consecutive wins, including an FA Cup semi-final defeat of Reading that took the holders into the final.Sundays derby will see Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas return to the club where he previously spent eight years -- including three as captain -- and Wenger hopes he will be spared a hostile reception.I want every player to be respected, and Cesc Fabregas when he comes to the Emirates on Sunday to be respected like he deserves, said the Frenchman, who clashed with Mourinho on the touchline in Octobers reverse fixture.Eden Hazard netted Chelseas winner against United -- his 18th goal of the season -- and is hotly tipped for honours in Sundays Professional Footballers Association (PFA) awards.He is flying. In my opinion its been the best season of his career, team-mate Branislav Ivanovic told the Chelsea website.Hes the guy who, when you pass him the ball, you just have to leave him alone. He will do everything. Hes something different.Hazards strike ended Uniteds six-game winning run and saw their lead over City trimmed to a point as the champions won 2-0 at home to West Ham United.United travel to Everton on Sunday, a year on from a 2-0 defeat at Goodison Park that preceded David Moyess dismissal as manager.Liverpools hopes of a top-four finish are fading fast, with City seven points above them in the standings, albeit having played a game more.But news of Jordan Hendersons new long-term contract has alleviated some of the gloom around Anfield ahead of Saturdays game at West Bromwich Albion.FixturesSaturday (1400 GMT unless otherwise stated):Southampton v Tottenham Hotspur (1145 GMT), Burnley v Leicester City, Crystal Palace v Hull City, Newcastle United v Swansea City, Queens Park Rangers v West Ham United, Stoke City v Sunderland, West Bromwich Albion v Liverpool, Manchester City v Aston Villa (1630 GMT)Sunday:Everton v Manchester United (1230 GMT), Arsenal v Chelsea (1500 GMT)

Cycling: Nibali focussed on Liege as Astana doping troubles fade

Posted:

LIEGE (AFP) - Tour de France champion Vincenzo Nibali said he was focussed on Sundays Liege-Bastogne-Liege one-day classic now that his Astana team had seen the threat of suspension lifted.Astana discovered on Thursday that their World Tour licence, permitting them to take part in major races such as the Grand Tours, like the Tour de France, or Monuments, such as Liege-Bastogne-Liege, had been confirmed by the world governing body UCIs Licence Commission.A series of doping scandals that saw five Kazakh riders from Astanas professional World Tour and subsidiary Continental Tour teams banned for taking prohibited substances had seen the UCI recommend to its own Licence Commission that Astanas right to race be revoked.But with that weight off his shoulders, Nibali, who while riding for Liquigas came second in Liege in 2012 to future Astana teammate Maxim Iglinsky -- ironically one of the five Astana riders banned for doping last year -- can now concentrate on landing a first Monument success.The news (of their licence being confirmed) came, we didnt celebrate but we were happy everything was resolved in the best way for Astanas riders and staff until 2016, said Nibali, who finished eighth in Liege in 2011 and 10th in 2008.For me and the team there was never any pressure, except from the media.Nibali was beaten by a surprisingly strong showing from Iglinsky in 2012, despite the Kazakh not being known for his one-day classic prowess.That was the closest Nibali came to winning La Doyenne (the oldest) when he attempted to break away alone.He was overhauled by Iglinsky, who had counter-attacked with Ardennes Classics specialist Joaquim Rodriguez, before also leaving the Spaniard in his wake in the run-in.Nibali knows he may need to make another solo bid on Sunday if he is to beat the in-form pair of Michal Kwiatkowski and Alejandro Valverde, the respective winners of Amstel Gold and Fleche Wallonne over the last week.Both of those are more explosive finishers on an uphill run-in such as at Ans on Sunday at the end of the Liege race.Liege has 10 categorised climbs -- and that doesnt include the finish in Ans -- ranging from the brutal 1km Cote de Stockeu at a thigh-burning 12.5 percent average gradient, up to the 4.4km long Col du Rosier, although with a relatively mild 5.9 percent gradient.In terms of the amount of climbing done and the total vertical distance tackled, it makes it similar to an Alpine stage on the Tour de France.Changed routeBut Nibali needs a fast race to give him a chance to break free from the specialist punchers before the end.We (Astana) need to make the race tough unlike the race last year with 60-70 riders arriving together on (the final categorised climb) Saint-Nicolas, said Nibali.This year the route has changed again. At the end theres no longer Mont-Theux or the variety before the Roche-aux-Faucons (climb).Many riders will be obliged to try their luck before (the end).He added: Its returned to the old route. Ive done Liege many times and its different every year. Some years the key was la Roche-aux-Faucon, some years it was (the finish in) Ans and some years Saint-Nicolas, so its never the same.Its clear a Valverde in the condition weve seen, who managed great results at Amstel and Fleche-Wallonne, can wait until the end (for a sprint-finish in Ans).The other (favourites) are Katusha. Weve seen the Italian (Giampaolo) Caruso going well, and Dani Moreno and Joaquim Rodriguez wont be waiting (for the final climb).Nibali said: Itll be a very different race to the first two (Ardennes Classics). Its difficult to say how the others will be but I think overall Kwiatkowski will be in competition with Valverde (for the win).

Australia fears worst for drug traffickers in Indonesia

Posted:

SYDNEY (AFP) - Australia has made a last-ditch appeal for Indonesian President Joko Widodo to spare the lives of two drug traffickers facing execution, but Foreign Minister Julie Bishop admitted she was fearing the worst.Indonesia has advised consular officials to head Saturday to Nusakambangan, the high-security prison island where its executions are carried out and where nine foreign drug convicts have been taken.They include two Australians, Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan, ringleaders of the Bali Nine heroin trafficking gang.Jakarta must give 72 hours notice of execution and Bishop said that with the diplomats being summoned I fear the worst.I fear that Indonesia will seek to proceed with the execution of the two Australian citizens. I am deeply and profoundly concerned by this, she told reporters in Brussels late Friday, where she was attending NATO meetings.Bishop said she was seeking contact with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi to see if there was any opportunity for a change of heart.I again appeal to president Widodo to show mercy, to have a change of heart and to grant clemency to these two Australian citizens, both of whom have been rehabilitated, she said.He is the leader of a great nation, a dear and close friend of Australia. We ask that he take into account our considerations.The government in Jakarta has said an exact date for the executions has not been decided yet, as a judicial review is still pending for the sole Indonesian in the group of 10, who face death by firing squad.The foreigners also include one each from Brazil, France and the Philippines, and four from Africa. All have lost appeals for clemency from Widodo, who argues that Indonesia is fighting a drugs emergency.Bishop said she had discussed the matter with French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius and he shared her concern.I have met with the French Foreign Minister, Laurent Fabius, and he likewise expressed his deep dismay at the prospect of a French citizen being put to death in Indonesia at this time, she said.Australia has long lobbied for Sukumaran and Chan to be spared, but all previous appeals have failed.Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss said every effort had been made to save the men.We have sought to lobby directly, leader to leader. Ordinary Australians have made their views known to ordinary Indonesians, he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.Theres been an enormous effort by Australians to make it clear to the Indonesian government that this is a process we find abhorrent and well continue to do that.Sukumaran and Chan, who have exhausted their legal appeals, were sentenced to death in 2006 for trying to smuggle heroin out of Indonesia.Family members are reportedly rushing to Indonesia for what could be their final goodbyes.

Boko Haram retakes NE town from Nigerian army: witnesses

Posted:

MAIDUGURI (AFP) - Suspected Boko Haram insurgents have forced hundreds of soldiers to flee Marte, a border town along the shores of the Lake Chad, a local official and witnesses said Friday.The terrorists, numbering over 2,000, appeared from various directions on Thursday and engaged the soldiers in Kirenowa town and adjoining communities in Marte, said Imamu Habeeb, a local community leader.They fought with soldiers over the night and the fight continued today (Friday), forcing hundreds of soldiers to flee, he added from Borno state capital Maiduguri.Local fighter Shehu Dan Baiwa said the more than 2,000 fighters had been armed with bombs and tanks. They used the weapons without restraint and succeeded in killing several people, he said.This is the third time Boko Haram has seized control of Marte in restive Borno state, a key battleground of their six-year insurgency, which has killed more than 13,000 and left 1.5 million homeless.The city is among several retaken in recent weeks by Nigerias military, which has launched an offensive against the terrorists as part of a regional operation supported by Chad, Cameroon and Niger.But Boko Haram have been fighting back, and Nigerian troops were also forced to retreat from Boko Harams Sambisa Forest stronghold this week after a landmine blast killed one soldier and three vigilantes.A senior local politician confirmed, on condition of anonymity, that the insurgents had retaken Marte.We lost many (people) because some of our people that fled to Chad and Cameroon have return after Nigerian troops recovered the town recently, he added.A senior military official confirmed the attack on Marte, but refused to say whether Boko Haram had retaken the town, describing the armys retreat as strategic.

LB election in 42 Cantonment Boards to be held today

Posted:

LAHORE (Dunya News) – The local body election in 42 Cantonment Boards across the country will be held today (Saturday) after a period of seventeen years.According to details, the boards have been divided into 199 wards and at least 1151 candidates are contesting election. As many as eighteen lakh seventy six thousand voters will elect their representatives in landmark election.The preparations for the cantonment board elections have been completed. The Karachi’s Cantonment Board has the most wards i.e. 32 whereas Lahore Cantt has 20. Rawalpindi, Chaklala, Wah Cantt, Sargodha and Hyderabad have ten wards each while Sialkot, Peshawar, Okara, Quetta and Abbottabad Cantts have five wards each.The cantonments in Nowshera has four wards, Kohat, Rasalpur and Bahawalpur have three wards each while the remaining two cantonments have two wards each.At least fourteen candidates have been elected unopposed thus far out of which Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) have two each, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) one, and nine independent candidates.At least 541 candidates belonging to as many as 18 parties will contest the cantt board elections. PTI has the most candidates i.e. 135, PML-N has 128 while PPP has 89 candidates. MQM and PAT have 27 candidates each. The remaining 610 candidates are independent.

Make Karachi a separate province, demands Altaf Hussain

Posted:

KARACHI (Dunya News) - Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain has demanded to make Karachi a separate province, Dunya News reported.Addressing a large number of his party workers gathered at Jinnah Ground, Azizabad to celebrate the victory in NA-246 by-poll, Altaf Hussain said that the people of Karachi seek a separate province for themselves.Altaf Hussain further said that there was a need for more provinces in the country, especially in areas dominated by the Hazara and Siraiki speaking people.He further said that Hyderabad, Sukkur, South Waziristan, and Gilgit-Baltistan should be made separate provinces.Altaf Hussain asked Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to give justice to people specially to the people of Karachi, saying if he fails to do so, he should resign from his office.

Historic week for US stocks as Nasdaq breaks 15-year record

Posted:

NEW YORK (AFP) - Fifteen years after its bubble exploded dramatically costing tens of thousands of hopeful tech millionaires their savings, the Nasdaq finally made its way back this week.And this time, underpinning the markets new record are real earnings at reasonable price measures, suggesting investors need not fear a repeat of the dot-com crash of 2000.The Nasdaq led Wall Street higher for the week through April 24, putting on 3.25 percent. Marking the long crawl back from a near-80 percent plunge, it pierced the previous record set on March 10, 2000 on Thursday by more than five points, closing at 5,056.06.Then, with a flourish from both the old and new leaders of the New Economy (as it was heralded before the 2000 crash) -- Amazon, Microsoft and Google all surged on strong quarterly earnings reports -- the Nasdaq Composite added to that Friday with another 36 points, to end the week at 5,092.08.Dragged up in its wake were the Dow Jones Industrial Average, which put on 1.43 percent to 18,080.14 for the week, and the broader S&P 500, up 1.76 percent, itself ending at a new high, by a fraction of a point.Its the return of the New Economy, but a New Economy that makes money, said Gregori Volokhine of Meeschaert Financial Services.That was a reference to the more sane price-earnings multiples for the tech-heavy exchange today. Back in 2000, the p/e ratio was an unsustainable 190 times, mainly because the Nasdaq was full of new tech companies full of hopes and ideas but no earnings.Today, the Nasdaq exchange is more mature, with a broader base of Internet, tech, biotechnology and pharmaceutical, and non-tech consumer goods companies all with proven earnings track records. The p/e ratio is around 25.Some cautionsEven though it still loses money, Amazon, the online retailing power, showed investors in the first quarter that it could grow income by 15 percent, helped by its cloud services, the newest big thing in tech. That was enough to propel Amazons shares up 14.8 percent on Friday.Microsoft, a contender in the cloud computing sector, followed suit with a 10.5 percent gain and Google 3.3 percent -- all huge surges from companies valued at more than $200 billion (nearly $400 billion for Microsoft).There were some cautions.Company earnings and revenues have come in generally weaker, many reporting that the strong dollar and weak global growth has eroded overseas earnings.FactSet reported Friday that of the 201 companies in the S&P 500 that have released first quarter earnings, sales have declined 3.5 percent from a year ago and earnings 2.8 percent.It noted that when Apple, which was only the 45th biggest company on the Nasdaq in March 2000 and now ranks the worlds largest, reports on Monday, it will singlehandedly prop up overall market sales and earnings numbers.The blended earnings decline for the entire S&P 500 is -2.8 percent. Excluding Apple, the blended earnings decline for the S&P 500 would increase to -3.9 percent, FactSet said.Tom Cahill of Ventura Wealth Management said the market has held up in the first quarter because companies were hitting already understated earnings forecasts.The earnings expectations for the first quarter were lowered enough that companies are easily meeting expectations. It puts enough of a floor in the market to sustain it, he said.With US economic growth sluggish and the rest of the world in a real slump, some analysts say even the prospects of extended ultra-low interest rates from the Federal Reserve might not be enough to take US stocks to a higher stage.I think the market is going to stall... the indexes are overvalued, said Hugh Johnson of Hugh Johnson Advisors.Even if earnings are good, valuations still matter.

Greek parliament okays controversial cash reserve transfer

Posted:

ATHENS (AFP) - Greeces parliament on Friday adopted a controversial decree ordering all public institutions to hand over their cash reserves to the central bank to help Athens meet its financial obligations.The decree was adopted by the ruling Syriza party and its junior partner ANEL by 156 votes in favour and 104 against in a noisy debate.The decree says the reserves will be used to cover the states urgent needs, which amount to three billion euros over the next 15 days.As talks bog down between Athens and its international creditors to unlock 7.2 billion euros ($7.7 billion) in bailout funds, the cash-strapped leftwing government last week moved to call in reserves, triggering a wave of anger.The measure will require some 1,400 public institutions -- including hospitals and universities -- to hand over their reserves to help pay civil servants wages and debt servicing costs.It underlines the urgency of the cash crunch faced by Athens and heightened fears that Greece was lurching closer to defaulting on its debt and a potentially chaotic exit from the eurozone.The government estimates the move will raise some 1.5 billion euros, but local media have put the figure at around 400 million euros.Local authorities have complained bitter about the government decree, warning that the raid on their reserves could bring public services to a halt.It is unjust and unacceptable for the state to manage municipalities funds, Giorgos Patoulis, who heads the Central Union of Municipalities, said last week during a meeting attended by deputy finance minister Dimitris Mardas.But Mardas defended the governments move as no more than a short-term loan by the state, adding that the funds would be reimbursed according to the needs, within a period of 15 to 20 days.Meanwhile in Riga on Friday, the eurozones 19 finance ministers ended a meeting without a breakthrough towards unlocking bailout cash, with the threat of a messy exit by Greece from the euro still hanging in the balance.Increasingly irate ministers are refusing to release any cash without a comprehensive list of reforms that the hard-left Syriza government has so far refused to accept.

Kerry urges Yemen rebels and their allies to enter talks

Posted:

IQALUIT (AFP) - US Secretary of State John Kerry called Friday on Shiite Huthi rebels in Yemen and those who have influence over them to come to the negotiating table and end the unrest in the Gulf nation.This has to be a two-way street, Kerry told reporters, saying Saudi Arabia was moving to a humanitarian phase of its Yemen campaign and we need the Huthi and we need those that can influence them to make sure that they are prepared to try to move... to the negotiating table.The United Nations had already appointed a facilitator and both sides appeared ready to discuss a location for peace talks, Kerry said.Now the key is to get that up and running and get to the talks as fast as possible because a political solution is absolutely essential, the top US diplomat said.Innocent civilians were being caught up in the violence in Yemen and it was a top priority to try to minimize it, he added.Hopefully in the next days this will de-escalate even more and we can get to a place where negotiations take hold.

Tennis: Nishikori, Ferrer into Barcelona semis

Posted:

BARCELONA (AFP) - Reigning champion Kei Nishikori moved into the semi-finals of the Barcelona Open with 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 win over Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut on Friday.The Japanese is the heavy favourite to retain his title after Rafael Nadals shock defeat to Fabio Fognini on Thursday and impressively romped through the deciding set after being forced all the way for the first time this week.Nishikori eased through the first set after breaking in the first game, but Bautista Agut responded by breaking for 4-2 in the second and held off three break points to serve out for the set.The world number five upped his game in the third, though, as the depth and power of his groundstrokes forced Bautista Agut onto the back foot as Nishikori cruised through the final five games to take his place in the last four where he will meet Martin Klizan.In the second set he started to play well and I had to raise my level a little bit, said top-seeded Nishikori.I concentrated really well in the third set, got ahead early and came through really strong in the end.I feel sorry for Rafa, but Fognini is a very tough player and there are plenty other good players in the draw like Klizan or David Ferrer.Klizan ended the hopes of veteran home favourite Tommy Robredo in straight sets 7-6 (7/5), 6-4.Third seed Ferrer is also into the last four after he overcame some stiff resistance from Germanys Philipp Kohlschreiber to win 6-3, 7-6 (7/5).The Spaniard will play either Fognini or compatriot Pablo Andujar in Saturdays semi-finals.

UN envoy sees slim chances for success of Syria talks: diplomats

Posted:

UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - UN envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura told the Security Council Friday he sees slim chances for success in the latest round of talks next month to end the internecine conflict, diplomats said.During closed discussions with the 15-member council, de Mistura acknowledged that the odds and conditions for launching a political transition are no better now than six months ago and the Damascus regime and opposition forces arent showing much new willingness to negotiate in the four-year war.But the UN remains convinced about the necessity to revive a political solution, he said, according to diplomats.The mediator explained that he will hold separate consultations with the parties in May to probe the positions of the Syrian regime, the opposition and civil society groups, and see if they are ready for negotiations based on the Geneva statement.The Geneva statement is a plan signed by major powers in June 2012 as a political settlement for the conflict following international discussions.A UN spokesman said earlier that the new round of meetings would begin May 4. These consultations will last four to six weeks, said spokesman Ahmad Fawzi.Iran, which was excluded from two international conferences on the conflict, has been invited, Fawzi said.The latest efforts from de Mistura come after a failed initiative to negotiate local truces in the field, starting in Aleppo.
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)