Wednesday 8 April 2015

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Football: Bayern into cup semis after penalty shoot-out

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BERLIN (AFP) - Holders Bayern Munich reached the German Cup semi-finals after beating Bayer Leverkusen 5-3 in a penalty shoot-out on Wednesday as their last eight clash finished goalless after extra time.This is the sixth year in a row that Bayern have reached the semi-finals.Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer was Bayerns hero at Leverkusens BayArena after saving Swiss striker Josip Drmics first spot-kick penalty to give Bayern the advantage.Thomas Mueller, Robert Lewandowski, Xabi Alonso, Mario Goetze and finally Thiago Alcantara, who is just back from a years absence with injury, all then drilled home their spot kicks to put Munich in the last four.No-one deserved to lose a game like that, said Neuer.You could really see that no-one wanted to make a mistake.Of course, its a bitter result for Leverkusen, they really put a lot into it.In the semi-finals, Bayern will host Borussia Dortmund with Wolfsburg home to third-division Arminia Bielefeld when the semi-finals are played on April 28 and 29.Thats ok for us, if you want to win the cup you need to beat the best teams, so its Dortmund for us, said Bayern coach Pep Guardiola.Earlier, minnows Bielefeld produced a classic German Cup upset by knocking out Bundesliga high-fliers Borussia Moenchengladbach as their quarter-final was also decided by a penalty shoot-out.Lucien Favres Gladbach, who are set to play Champions League football next season, become the third Bundesliga side after Werder Bremen and Hertha Berlin to lose to Arminia on their march to the semi-finals.Bielefeld held their nerve to win the penalty shoot-out 5-4 as it finished 1-1 after extra-time.Arminia took the lead at their sold-out Schueco-Arena after midfielder Manuel Junglas fired home with 26 minutes gone.But Gladbach, who are third in the Bundesliga table, drew level six minutes later when striker Max Kruse converted a penalty.Third-division leader Bielefeld will pick up at least two million euros ($2.1m) for reaching the semi-finals.On Tuesday, a thunderbolt of a shot from veteran midfielder Sebastian Kehl sealed Borussia Dortmunds 3-2 extra-time win over Hoffenheim to book their place in the last four.The 35-year-old Kehls speculative half-volley flew perfectly off his boot and into the Hoffenheim net on 107 minutes to put Dortmund in the semi-finals for the third time in four years.Dortmund had taken an early lead but Neven Subotics 19th-minute goal was cancelled out by Hoffenheims Kevin Volland just 102 seconds later.Brazil international Roberto Firmino put Hoffenheim 2-1 up at half-time before Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang equalised midway through the second-half as it stayed 2-2 at the end of normal time.Wolfsburg took a step towards their first silverware since winning the 2009 Bundesliga title when a Ricardo Rodriguez penalty sealed their 1-0 quarter-final win at home to Freiburg.

UN launches aid appeal for North Korea

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UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - The United Nations on Wednesday launched an appeal for $111 million dollars to help 70 percent of North Koreas population now facing a food crisis.The funding will help five UN agencies working on the ground to continue providing North Koreans with food, clean water and other basics in 2015.About 70 percent of North Koreas population, or 18 million people, are not able to access an adequate and diverse nutritious diet to live healthily, a UN statement said.Malnutrition rates are high, with 27.9 percent of children under five suffering from chronic malnutrition, according to a 2012 national nutrition survey quoted by the UN.North Korea has suffered regular chronic food shortages, with the situation exacerbated by floods, droughts and mismanagement.Hundreds of thousands are believed to have died during a famine in the mid- to late-1990s.

Football: Ronaldo hits 300 mark, Messi, Suarez propel Barca

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MADRID (AFP) - Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 300th Real Madrid goal as the European champions remained four points adrift of La Liga leaders Barcelona with a 2-0 win at Rayo Vallecano on Wednesday.Earlier, Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez were on target as Barca eased past Almeria 4-0.Barca took over half an hour to make the breakthrough, but Messi did so in style as he curled home his 44th goal of the season into the far corner.Suarez made the game safe when he fired into the top corner 10 minutes after the break and bagged his second of the evening in stoppage time after Marc Bartra headed home the third from Xavis corner.It is the stage of the season where we have a lot to play for, said Suarez.We ought to show our personality because we are Barcelona.In the league we depend on ourselves and we need to continue in this vein.Madrid endured a much more uncomfortable evening in a capital derby at Rayo before Ronaldo and James Rodriguez struck midway through the second-half.We suffered, but in the end we won which is the most important thing, said Rodriguez, who again impressed in just his second game back after two months out with a foot injury.In the first-half they were intense, we knew that in the second they would get a bit tired and not be able to pressure so much and it was like that.Rayo dominated the first period in terms of possession, but it was still Madrid who had the better chances as Rodriguez shot straight at Diego Cobeno when unmarked inside the area before Ronaldo headed over from the Colombians free-kick.At the other end, Iker Casillas made a fine save to keep the visitors level at the break as he parried Roberto Trashorrass back post header to safety.Madrid started much stronger after the break and were inches away from an opener when Gareth Bales header from Rodriguezs cross looped just wide.There was then a huge moment of controversy when Ronaldo was booked despite appearing to be clearly brought down by Antonio Amaya inside the area meaning he will miss Saturdays visit of Eibar to the Santiago Bernabeu.The chances continued to come and go for Real as Benzema, Marcelo and Bale fired just off target in a matter of minutes, and the goal finally arrived when a fine run and cross from Dani Carvajal picked out Ronaldo and he sealed his triple century of goals for Madrid in just 288 games.Six minutes later it was 2-0 as Ronaldo turned provider this time for Rodriguez to curl home.Barcelona also started slowly at the Camp Nou as boss Luis Enrique made six changes with one eye on Saturdays tough trip to Sevilla.However, Messi opened the scoring in brilliant fashion when he found space on the edge of the area and curled into the far corner with pinpoint accuracy.Suarez made sure of Barcas 20th win in their last 21 games in all competitions with a little help from Cuesta the keeper got a hand to the Uruguayans powerful effort but couldnt keep it out.A consistent feature of that run has been the Catalans sudden ability to score from set-pieces and they did so for the third consecutive game 15 minutes from time when Bartra rose highest to power home Xavis in-swinging delivery.And Suarez was gifted his second when Pedro Rodriguez unselfishly picked out the former Liverpool man to roll into an empty net.At the other end of the table Deportivo la Coruna sacked manager Victor Fernandez after Cordoba ended a 10-game losing streak with a 1-1 draw against the Galicians at La Riazor.Granadas survival hopes also suffered a huge blew as Theo Bongonda struck a 93rd minute equaliser for Celta Vigo to secure a 1-1 draw at Nuevo Los Carmenes.

Cuban regime backers jeer dissidents before summit

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PANAMA CITY (AFP) - Some 100 Cuban government supporters jeered dissidents as they arrived at a Latin American civil society forum in Panama on Wednesday ahead of a historic Summit of the Americas.The communist regimes sympathizers shouted sell outs and imperialists as the government opponents neared a hotel in the Panamanian capital, getting louder when prominent dissident Manuel Cuesta Morua arrived.The government supporters left the forum in disgust.There are criminals and terrorists at this forum who want to speak in the name of Cuban civil society, said Luis Morlote Rivas, vice president of the Cuban Writers and Artists Union.Abel Prieto, a top aide to Cuban President Raul Castro, was present during the heated moment.Those who organized this, who are not the Panamanian government but a network of organization in Panama ... really made a strange selection over who can or cant attend this forum, Prieto said.Morua and other dissidents had announced in Havana that they would bring to the forum a plan for political reforms.The tense moment came ahead of the 35-nation summit on Friday and Saturday that will bring together US President Barack Obama and Castro for a historic encounter in their effort to restore diplomatic ties.

US to provide $952 million military aid to Pakistan

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WASHINGTON (Agencies) – The US State Department has approved a transfer of weapons worth dollar 952 million to Pakistan.The move still has to be approved by Congress, the State Department acting spokesperson Marie Harf told reports on Wednesday.Harf said the “foreign military sale to Pakistan for helicopters and associated equipment, parts and support” will be at an “estimated cost of about USD 952 million,” and will provide Pakistan with military capabilities in support of its counterterrorism operations inside the country.” She affirmed the US maintains “a very close counterterrorism relationship with Pakistan” due to the ongoing threat “from terrorists who have either attacked the United States or American soldiers in Afghanistan and who have tried to plot and plan against the west.”“Obviously, the remnants of core Al Qaeda are in the mainly tribal area of Pakistan,” she added.It is in the US natural interest to assist the Pakistani government, Harf noted. As to whether those weapons will be used against Yemeni targets alongside Gulf states, Harf said, “Every county can make their own decisions about if and how they participate in Operation Decisive Storm.“In the Saudi-led coalition, we have said that we are supporting them logistically, as I said, with munitions and other arms, as well. Every country can make their own decisions about that. That’s not for us to decide,” she concluded.

French TV5Monde channel hit by pro-Islamic State hackers

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PARIS (AFP) - French television network TV5Monde said Wednesday it had been hacked by individuals claiming to belong to the Islamic State group, bringing television broadcasts to a halt and taking over its websites and Facebook page.We are no longer able to broadcast any of our channels. Our websites and social media sites are no longer under our control and are all displaying claims of responsibility by Islamic State, the broadcasters director general Yves Bigot told AFP.The hackers posted documents on TV5Mondes Facebook page purporting to be the identity cards and CVs of relatives of French soldiers involved in anti-IS operations, along with threats against the troops.The attack began at around 10:00 pm (2000 GMT), but the global French-language broadcaster appeared to have regained control of its Facebook page by midnight and TV broadcasts by 1:00 am Thursday. Its websites were still offline, however, displaying an under maintenance message to visitors.Soldiers of France, stay away from the Islamic State You have the chance to save your families, take advantage of it, read one message on TV5Mondes Facebook page. The CyberCaliphate continues its cyberjihad against the enemies of Islamic State, the message added.It also accused French President Francois Hollande of having committed an unforgivable mistake by getting involved in a war that serves no purpose.Thats why the French received the gifts of Charlie Hebdo and Hyper Cacher in January, it said, referring to the twin attacks by gunmen in Paris that left 17 people dead over three days and deeply shocked France.France is part of a US-led military coalition carrying out air strikes against IS in Iraq and Syria, where the terrorist group has seized swathes of territory in recent months and declared an Islamic caliphate.Paris-based TV5Monde is broadcast in more than 200 countries worldwide.

Tokyo stocks open 0.31% higher

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TOKYO (AFP) - Tokyo stocks opened 0.31 percent higher Thursday as the dollar held up against the yen on speculation over the timing of a US rate hike.The Nikkei 225 index at the Tokyo Stock Exchange, which closed at a fresh 15-year high on Wednesday, added 61.31 points to 19,851.12 at the start.The dollar held steady after rising on the minutes of the Federal Reserves last policy meeting that showed a split over the timing of an interest-rate increase.Differences of views within the Fed countered an earlier market conviction that a June hike was now off the table.The dollar was at 120.12 yen early Thursday, compared with 120.14 yen in New York late Wednesday and up from 119.91 yen in Tokyo earlier Wednesday.The euro bought $1.0778 and 129.49 yen against $1.0780 and 129.52 yen in US trade.US stocks firmed Wednesday as the Royal Dutch Shell acquisition of BG Group alongside a large potential pharma deal offset concerns about earnings season and US monetary policy.The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.15 percent while the broad-based S&P 500 gained 0.27 percent.

British terror police probe murder of Syrian Assad critic

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LONDON (AFP) - British counter-terrorism police are investigating the murder of a Syrian preacher described as a prominent critic of President Bashar al-Assad, London police said on Wednesday.Abdul Hadi Arwani, 48, was found dead in his car with gunshots to the chest in north-west London on Tuesday.The Counter Terrorism Command or SO15, a specialist branch of the Londons Metropolitan Police Service, is taking charge of the investigation, police said in a statement.SO15 are now carrying out the investigation because of their expertise in the management of investigations with international dimensions and an established liaison network abroad, the Metropolitan Police said in a statement.Police said that the investigation was in early stages and that officers remain open-minded about the motive.Arwanis family dismissed speculation that his opposition to the Assad regime could have been a factor in his murder.We have no idea what happened, Arwanis daughter Elham Arwani, 23, told newspaper the Evening Standard.Any Syrian who is free and who knows the truth is against Assad. Its not going to be because he was against Assad. It must be for another reason, but we cant think of anything.Arwanis son Murhaf said in a statement that the family were in a state of shock and appealed for anyone with information to come forward.He was the most peaceful man you could ever wish to meet. He just loved to help people. He did not care what your background, race or status was, Murhaf Arwani said.He did not care if you were rich or poor. He just wanted to help people in need.Arwani reportedly fled Syria as a teenager after surviving the 1982 Hama massacre, in which the current presidents father Hafez al-Assad sent troops to brutally crush an Islamist uprising.From 2005 to 2011 Arwani was a preacher at the An Noor mosque in Acton in West London. The mosque said in a statement he would be sadly missed.Friends and supporters of Arwani paid tribute to him on social media, and former Guantanamo Bay detainee and activist Moazzam Begg wrote on Twitter May Allah have mercy on him.

Obama and Castro to break Cold War ice in person

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PANAMA CITY (AFP) - US President Barack Obama and Cubas Raul Castro will have a historic face-to-face encounter at the Summit of the Americas this week, breaking the ice after decades of glacial relations.The image of US and Cuban presidents sitting across from each other at the 35-nation summit for the first time after decades of Cold War-era animosity will be the highlight of the gathering in Panama on Friday and Saturday.While the meeting will mark a major milestone -- no Cuban leader has attended a Summit of the Americas -- the two sides have yet to reopen embassies and lingering differences have been evident at negotiations that started in January.A major sticking point has been Cubas inclusion on a list of state sponsors of terrorism.The White House indicated this week that the State Department was in the final stages of deciding whether to recommend Havanas removal from the list, and that Congress would then have 45 days to decide whether to override the decision.Were trying to get it done quickly, a US State Department official told AFP on condition of anonymity.In another sign of warming ties, the US State Department said Secretary of State John Kerry could meet with Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez on the sidelines of the summit.Venezuelan wildcardOne wildcard is Venezuelas leftist President Nicolas Maduro, Havanas main ally in the region, who could overshadow the summit with grievances over US sanctions against Caracas officials over an opposition crackdown.Maduro plans to bring a petition with 10 million signatures from Venezuelans demanding that Obama remove the executive order declaring Venezuela a national security threat.The Obama-Castro meeting will still punch through as the highlight, but certainly (Venezuela) will complicate that story and weaken it, Ted Piccone, a foreign policy advisor during the Bill Clinton presidency, told AFP.Maduros petition could become a major polarizing issue at the summit, said Piccone, now an expert at the Brookings Institution think tank.The White House is seeking to ease tensions, saying it does not really believe that Caracas threatens US national security, and sending a senior official to meet with Venezuelan officials in Caracas.Senior State Department official Thomas Shannon met Wednesday with Venezuelan Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez, whose office said that she demanded again that Obama withdraw his executive order.Separately, the Brazilian government said President Dilma Rousseff spoke with Maduro, who expressed his willingness to promote a reduction of tensions with the United States on the basis of mutual respect of national sovereignty.Brasilia said Maduro had spoken with US Vice President Joe Biden by telephone.Castro and other Latin American leaders have defended Venezuela.But neither the United States nor Cuba will let Venezuela insert itself in this process in any way, said Frank Mora, a Latin America expert at Florida International University and former Pentagon official.From Eisenhower to ObamaAll eyes will undoubtedly be on how Obama and Castro interact during the summit.The last substantive talks between US and Cuba leaders was also in Panama in 1956, when President Dwight Eisenhower met with Fulgencio Batista, who was toppled by Fidel Castro three years later.For Obama, the gathering comes on the heels on last weeks tentative nuclear accord with Iran, another historic US foe.For Castro, it marks another milestone amid modest economic reforms that he has implemented in Cuba since taking over for his brother Fidel after an illness in 2006.Obama and Castro briefly shook hands at Nelson Mandelas memorial service in Johannesburg in 2013, and they spoke by telephone before their December announcement that they would seek to restore full diplomatic ties.White House officials say that while the two leaders will have a chance to meet, they may not sit down for a formal bilateral get-together.Their negotiators, meanwhile, have met several times since January for complex talks to reopen embassies that closed in the 1960s, with the US demanding that its diplomats get unfettered access to ordinary Cubans.When you have two countries that havent really spoken to each other like this in over 50 years, you have a lot of issues to work through as you aim to open up embassies, said White House aide Ben Rhodes.

Canadian planes carry out first strikes in Syria: army

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OTTAWA (AFP) - Canada carried out its first air strikes in Syria on Wednesday the military said, expanding Ottawas contribution to the US-led coalition against Islamic State, after parliament approved a larger role in the conflict.Two F-18s using precision-guided munitions struck a IS position near the Syrian city of Raqqa, before safely returning to base, the military announced.The strike near Raqqa, an IS stronghold, was carried out with a group of 10 aircraft, including six US planes.Canadian strikes had been limited to Iraqi territory, but at the end of March Canadian lawmakers narrowly passed a measure to allow the countrys aircraft to target IS targets in Syria.Opposition lawmakers argued Canada should not deepen its involvement in the long-running and complex war.Canada first joined the anti-IS coalition in November and it has also deployed about 70 special forces troops to train Kurds to fight IS in northern Iraq.Despite a sustained air campaign and ground advances in Iraq, the radical group still holds large swaths of territory straddling Syria and Iraq.

Ex-Guantanamo inmate among arrests for murder of Uganda prosecutor: US

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States said Wednesday a former Guantanamo prison detainee was among several suspects it helped Ugandan authorities arrest in connection with the murder of a prosecutor overseeing the trial of men linked to 2010 Shebab bombings in Kampala.US State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf did not elaborate on exactly what assistance the country gave in the operation.Harf confirmed one of those arrested in the raid had been a former detainee at the controversial Guantanamo military jail who was released in 2006.Ugandan authorities made the arrests in connection with the murder of Joan Kagezi, acting assistant director of public prosecution, who was killed in Kampala on March 30.Kagezi was shot dead by men on a motorbike as she drove home in a suburb of the capital. She had been prosecuting 13 men on trial for involvement in twin 2010 suicide bombings in the capital which left 76 people dead.One of the suicide bombers detonated explosives in an Ethiopian restaurant while a second attacker targeted a packed rugby club bar screening the World Cup final in South Africa. Somalias Al-Qaeda linked Shebab militants claimed responsibility for the attack.The 13 men on trial include seven Kenyans, five Ugandans and a Tanzanian national. The case opened on March 17 but has been postponed indefinitely since Kagezis murder.

US begins aerial refueling for Saudi-led air war

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States has started daily aerial refueling for warplanes in the Saudi-led coalition carrying out air strikes in Yemen, the Pentagon said Wednesday.The first refueling flight took place on Tuesday night with a US Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker providing fuel for a F-15 fighter jet operated by Saudi Arabia and an F-16 flown by the United Arab Emirates, spokesman Colonel Steven Warren told reporters. We will have a tanker sortie every day, Warren said, adding that all flights will be outside of Yemeni air space. Pentagon had announced plans for aerial refueling earlier and officials say American forces stand ready to fly early warning radar aircraft if necessary. The move signaled an expanding role for the US military as Washington said Tuesday it was stepping up intelligence sharing with the coalition and expediting the delivery of precision-guided bombs to the Saudis and their Gulf allies.But US officials and military officers insisted the American assistance was limited and would not escalate with aircraft taking part in any bombing raids in Yemen.President Barack Obama approved intelligence and logistics support for the Saudi-led coalition after Riyadh announced its armed intervention in Yemen against Iranian-backed rebels.About 12 US military troops are working with the Saudis at a joint fusion center in Riyadh, led by a two-star US Marine Corps general, officials said.US forces, including a helicopter, helped rescue two Saudi pilots on March 26 from the Gulf of Aden after their F-15 fighter suffered engine trouble.Huthi rebels have seized control of large parts of Yemen including the capital Sanaa and joined forces with security forces who have remained loyal to longtime strongman Ali Abdullah Saleh, forced from power in 2012 after a year-long, Arab Spring-inspired uprising.Riyadh accuses Tehran of backing the rebels and has vowed to bomb them into submission to prevent them establishing a pro-Iran state on its doorstep.

Islamic State revenues hit by lost Iraqi oil fields: report

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BERLIN (AFP) - The Islamic State group has lost control of at least three large oil fields in Iraq, depriving the terrorists of a crucial source of income, a German newspaper report said Thursday.In the face of a large-scale Iraqi counteroffensive, the extremist group now controls just a single oil field in the country, the Sueddeutsche Zeitung said in its Thursday edition, citing the BND federal intelligence services.Ousted from the strategic northern city of Tikrit by Iraqi security forces and militias just over a week ago -- in Baghdads biggest victory to date after the militants overran large parts of the country last June -- the terrorists now have only five percent of the extraction capabilities they had before, according to the BND report seen by Sueddeutsche Zeitung.The group had lost at least three large oil fields, the daily said, adding that satellite images from last month showed the group had set fire to two of them -- the Himrin and Ajil fields -- in the face of the advancing counteroffensive.In the eyes of the BND, that is proof that IS itself does not believe in a quick recapture (of lost territory), the newspaper said.IS has only held onto the northern Qayara oil field, which has a total output capacity of around just 2,000 barrels a day, according to the German intelligence services.The report added that IS also lacked the technical expertise to fully exploit the oil fields, including some in Syria, still under its control.IS can hardly sell oil anymore, cutting off a significant income source for the group, the newspaper added.There are no exact figures detailing the extremist groups finances, but as well as oil revenues IS income is supplemented by various other activities, including the smuggling of antiques, taxes imposed on local businesses and ransom demands.

Canadian planes carry out first strikes in Syria

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OTTAWA (AFP) - Canada carried out its first air strikes in Syria on Wednesday the military said, expanding Ottawas contribution to the US-led coalition against Islamic State, after parliament approved a larger role in the conflict.Two F-18s using precision-guided munitions struck a IS position near the Syrian city of Raqqa, before safely returning to base, the military announced.The strike near Raqqa, an IS stronghold, was carried out with a group of 10 aircraft, including six US planes. Canadian strikes had been limited to Iraqi territory, but at the end of March Canadian lawmakers narrowly passed a measure to allow the countrys aircraft to target IS targets in Syria.Opposition lawmakers argued Canada should not deepen its involvement in the long-running and complex war.Canada first joined the anti-IS coalition in November and it has also deployed about 70 special forces troops to train Kurds to fight IS in northern Iraq.Despite a sustained air campaign and ground advances in Iraq, the radical group still holds large swaths of territory straddling Syria and Iraq.

Venezuela wants US to revoke decree calling Caracas a threat

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CARACAS5 (AFP) - Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez said Wednesday she pressed a visiting US diplomat over Caracas wish to haveWashington revoke an order calling Venezuela a national security threat.Rodriguez, who met with Thomas Shannon, top counselor in the State Department, urged Shannon to have Obama revoke the order.President Nicolas Maduro has said it could be used as a pretext for invading Venezuela to get hold of the worlds largest proven oil reserves.A ministry statement said Rodriguez reaffirmed Venezuelas demand that US President Barack Obama revoke his March 9 executive order in which Venezuela is deemed an unusual and extraordinary threat to US national security.The Venezuelan diplomats meeting comes on the eve of Obamas scheduled encounters with Maduro at the Summit of the Americas, set to get under way on Friday in Panama.Ongoing friction between Washington and socialist Venezuela -- Communist Cubas main ally in the region -- threatens to overshadow the two-day Americas summit just as Washington had hoped to herald its improved relations in the region.Maduro plans to bring a petition with 10 million signatures from Venezuelans demanding that Obama remove the executive order.The White House on Tuesday sought to ease tensions, saying the designation of Venezuela as a threat was merely bureaucratic wording used in such executive orders.
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