Saturday 16 May 2015

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Burundi accused of crackdown after failed coup

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BUJUMBURA (AFP) - Burundis government was Saturday accused of launching a campaign of repression against independent media, the day after loyalist troops defeated an attempted coup against the central African nations president.Seventeen alleged coup plotters, including a former defence minister and two top police commissioners, also appeared before a state prosecutor to face accusations of attempting to overthrow the state. Their lawyer alleged they had been severely beaten.Rights activist Innocent Muhozi said journalists were being subjected to threats of arrest and even death, and that the head of the prominent independent radio station RPA had been forced to flee the country.In a sign of ongoing tensions, European aid groups also evacuated their foreign staff, a diplomat said.On Friday President Pierre Nkurunziza thanked loyalist forces for crushing the coup attempt and warned demonstrators to end weeks of protests against his controversial bid to seek a third consecutive term in office.After two days of heavy battles, the attempt by high-ranking security and defence figures to seize power ended in failure as its leaders admitted defeat and were arrested or forced to go on the run.Chief coup plotter Godefroid Niyombare, a general and former intelligence chief, was said to be on the run.The capital itself was largely calm on Saturday, AFP correspondents said.They want to break the journalists morale. There is harassment, phone calls, threats, blacklists. Some have gone into exile, others are in hiding, said Muhozi, head of the Burundian Press Observatory.He said African Public Radio (RPA) boss Bob Rugurika had been threatened and had fled abroad. There was no immediate reaction from the authorities.Burundis main independent radio stations were attacked and put off the air by loyalist troops during the coup attempt, which began on Wednesday and ended on Friday morning after a failed attempt by the plotters to seize Burundis state broadcaster.Authorities said 12 rebel soldiers died in the fighting, although there was no independent confirmation of casualty figures.General Niyombare had used an independent radio station to announce his bid to overthrow Nkurunziza, and independent media have been accused of stirring weeks of protests against the president that have left around 25 people dead.Among the 17 alleged coup plotters who appeared before a prosecutor in the capital on Saturday were General Cyrille Ndayirukiye and top police commissioners Zenon Ndabaneze and Hermenegilde Nimenya.They were seriously beaten, in particular General Ndayirukiye, lawyer Anatole Miburo said, adding that the general had been forced to record a confession for broadcast on state media.President calls for end to protestsOpposition and rights groups insist that it is unconstitutional for Nkurunziza, who has been in office since 2005, to run for more than two terms. He has also been accused of intimidating opponents and failing to lift the fortunes of the impoverished country.The president, however, argues his first term did not count as he was elected by parliament, not directly by the people. A former rebel leader from the Hutu majority, Nkurunziza is also a born-again Christian who believes he ascended to the presidency with divine backing.In his speech broadcast by state media, in which he thanked loyal security forces, Nkurunziza called for an immediate end to what he called uprisings against his third term.It is obvious that the current upheavals are related to the group that wanted to overthrow government institutions, he said.The government has banned the demonstrations since they began weeks ago, describing the protesters as terrorists.Some activists said protests would restart on Monday, although other residents said they were afraid for their lives if civil unrest on the streets kicked off again. The militia-like youth wing of Burundis ruling CNDD-FDD party was particularly feared.We are all scared, said Ghislaine, a 28-year-old housewife. They destroyed the radio station so we have no idea what is happening and were afraid theyll come at night and kill us.In the city centre, some residents were out shopping to replenish their basic supplies to last them through any more unrest.Its not the first time theres a crisis here, shrugged Alexandre, a 56-year-old bank worker. People are used to stocking up.The coup attempt had raised fears of a return to widespread violence in the country, which is still recovering from a 13-year civil war that ended in 2006 and left hundreds of thousands dead.More than 100,000 Burundians have fled the violence to neighbouring nations, the United Nations said Friday.

FBI asked to probe if derailed train was struck by projectile

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - The FBI is being called in to determine if a projectile struck a commuter train before it crashed in the US city of Philadelphia this week, killing eight people.An assistant conductor aboard the locomotive reported that she heard the trains engineer say it was struck by something shortly before the crash, National Transportation Safety Board member Robert Sumwalt said during a press conference Friday.The woman also said that she heard a report over her radio that a separate local train had been hit by a rock or shot at, causing that engineer to make an emergency stop.The NTSB said it had asked the FBI to provide technical assistance to examine the front of the derailed locomotive, where the train may have been hit.Sumwalt described the possible impact area as a circular pattern radiating outwards on the left-hand side of the windshield.The agency said on Twitter that it has also obtained video from the local train which it will examine.Amtrak Train 188 was traveling from Washington to New York Tuesday when it crashed as it entered a curve, killing eight people and injuring more than 200.The engineer, or train driver, has said he has no recollection of the last minutes before the derailment, as the seven-car train accelerated into a turn at twice the speed limit.Sumwalt said investigators have not confirmed the reports of a projectile and had not drawn any conclusions about how the crash occurred. It is unclear how a projectile impact may have factored into the derailment.Reports of Amtrak locomotive being struck will be subject to inspection and verification, the NTSB tweeted.Sumwalt is scheduled to speak on several major US television networks Sunday.Investigators say the 32-year-old engineer, identified by US media as Brandon Bostian, has been very cooperative and that he described what seemed to be a routine train operation leading up to the crash.

Peru declares emergency after huge cracks in earth threaten village

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LIMA (AFP) - Peru declared a state of emergency in part of the country Saturday after deep cracks caused by heavy rains appeared in a village, terrifying residents.The gaping crevasses have worsened over several weeks in the northern Ancash region, making some houses uninhabitable and prompting the emergency resolution by the government.The cracks looked similar to faults caused by earthquakes, but experts said heavy rains in March and April caused soil shifts and the expansion and contraction of earth, causing the ground to split.The earth does not shake, we saw a crack in the morning and in the afternoon it grew, Socosbamba resident Leopoldo Egusquiza told a local television station.The state of emergency will last for 60 days, during which authorities will try and respond to the crisis.

Football: Carver ready for Newcastle's do or die finale

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LONDON (AFP) - Newcastle manager John Carver admits next weekends final-day do-or-die showdown with West Ham will be one of the biggest matches in the clubs history.The Magpies fight to stay in the Premier League will go down to their last game after Leroy Fers stunning winner condemned them to a 2-1 defeat to already-relegated QPR on Saturday.Newcastle remain just two points clear of 18th-placed Hull and only a victory at home to West Ham next weekend would leave them absolutely certain of survival due to the Tigers superior goal difference.Carvers side had led at half-time at Loftus Road following Emmanuel Rivieres first league goal yet once again the frailties which have characterised Newcastles slide down the table under Carver in recent months were exposed.Chris Ramseys team responded with two second-half goals in seven minutes, with Matty Phillips and Fer restoring some pride following last weekends humiliating thrashing by Manchester City which confirmed their relegation.Carver now wants the embattled club to unite with its disenchanted support for next weekends St James Park showdown, which he has referred to as a do-or-die situation, as they bid to avoid a repeat of their disastrous relegation in 2009.I am really disappointed about today as I thought we were in control of the first half but 10 minutes after half-time we shot ourselves in the foot, he said.We could have put it to bed today but we havent. This will be the biggest game this football club has had for a long, long time.I want the same atmosphere as we had against West Brom (in the 1-1 draw) last week as it could be the fans which get us over the line and keep our Premier League status.They want this team to stay in the Premier League and if it means them giving us that extra 5-10 percent that will keep us in the Premier League then we need it.Then once we get the season out of the way - and we have hopefully kept our Premier League status - then we can have the post-mortem.Maintain focusCarver added that he would do everything in his power to keep his players minds focused on the job in hand, but conceded he is unlikely to do anything different on the training field next week.I have tried everything in the book, we have eight days to get our heads around this situation, he said.It is still in our hands and if you want it enough then we can do something about it.I will try to keep it as low key as we can to maintain our focus.Newcastle took the lead when Riviere got the wrong side of Steven Caulker before scuffing a shot beyond Rob Green.But 10 minutes after the restart QPR got the equaliser their improvement deserved as Phillips rose highest at the far post to head home Charlie Austins pinpoint delivery.Seven minutes later the comeback was complete as Phillips showed commendable desire, beating Ryan Taylor to a ball he had no right to win before feeding Fer, who unleashed a 25-yard strike which arrowed into the top corner.I am not going to make excuses but when you look back at the season he has been a massive miss for us, Ramsey said of Fer.Unfortunately last weekend (against City) we didnt perform in a way that befits a club of this stature.It is important we finish the season strongly.Ramsey is still waiting to discover whether he will be in charge next season and added: Hopefully I will get the job. I am looking for the post everyday

Football: Liverpool prepare for life after Gerrard

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LIVERPOOL (AFP) - Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers braced supporters for a close-season rebuilding process after long-serving captain Steven Gerrard played his final home game for the club.Gerrard, 34, declared himself devastated following Saturdays 3-1 loss to Crystal Palace at a sold-out Anfield and must now prepare for his last ever Liverpool appearance at Stoke City next weekend.Gerrards departure echoes that of his fellow stalwart Jamie Carragher, who bowed out in 2013, and with Luis Suarez still to be satisfactorily replaced following his move to Barcelona last year, Rodgers knows there is a pressing need to bolster his squad.Asked if it would be possible to replace Gerrard -- who joins the Los Angeles Galaxy in July -- with one player, Rodgers told his post-match press conference: I dont think there is that.He is a player and a person who is irreplaceable for the club. What hes given over his time here and the standards hes set are second to none.Well go forward at the end of the season and well have to plot a way to improve in the summer. Thats our challenge.Having pushed Manchester City all the way in last seasons title race, Liverpool have slipped back in 2014-15 and are yet to secure even the consolation of a Europa League place after missing out on a Champions League berth.But asked if he felt optimistic about the future, Rodgers replied: We have to (be).In my time here, weve lost a couple of players with 700-odd games for the club in Jamie Carragher (737) and Steven Gerrard (709).Those two guys have been monumental players for the club, so losing both of those is a big blow. Throw in a world-class player like Luis Suarez, and of course its difficult.This year has been very difficult for us in many aspects. But the players have given everything they possibly can and hopefully in the summer we can add that quality that the group clearly needs and take the opportunity next year.Pardew targets top eightShould Liverpool falter again next season, they should not necessarily expect Gerrard to appear on a white charger.There is a feeling that Gerrard could return to Anfield on loan -- following the examples of David Beckham and Thierry Henry during their stints in Major League Soccer -- but he told the BBC that he would only consider returning in an emergency situation.Rodgerss side took a 26th-minute lead when Adam Lallana seized on a misplaced pass from former Liverpool player Martin Kelly before beating Wayne Hennessey.But Palace equalised through Jason Puncheons free-kick just before half-time and second-half goals from substitutes Wilfried Zaha and Glenn Murray secured a first league win at Anfield since November 1991.Rodgers complained with justification that Zaha had been offside when he tapped in Yannick Bolasies low cross on the hour and that the foul on Zaha by Lucas Leiva that led to Murrays stoppage-time penalty had occurred outside the box.But he also conceded that his side had been punished for committing poor defensive errors.Former Palace midfielder Alan Pardew has rejuvenated the club since returning as manager in January and he hopes that performances such as Saturdays win will help the club make transformative signings.For the chairman (Steve Parish) and the board, it must be quite exciting, said Pardew, whose side had lost their four previous games.Were in a good position financially. Put two or three quality players into that group and we could attack the top eight, top 10.I want to be knocking on (Parishs) door. Hes been receptive to my opinions. Its still difficult to get quality players through the door, and I think todays performance will have helped us.Players abroad can see weve produced performances against top teams. Now we need that little bit of extra quality. Hopefully weve shown players in Europe that they can come here and have a great future.

Lahore: Police fires at youngster for not stopping at checkpoint

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – Police on Sunday opened fire on a youngster for not stopping at a police checkpoint near Mutlan Chungi area of Lahore.19 year old Hafiz Umar was on his way to participate in a Shab-e-Miraj gathering when he was shot by the police.Umar has been shifted to Jinnah Hospital in critical condition.

Lahore: 6 children burnt as fire erupts in home

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – 6 children lost their lives as they were burnt by a fire on Sunday that erupted in a home. The incident occurred in Kot Khawaja Saeed area on Sher Shah Road in Lahore. 12 year old Minahil, 11 year old Zain, 8 year old Dua, 5 year old Hanan, 2 year old Azlaan and 2 year old Azaan were burnt alive as flames engulfed the 2nd floor of their house. One woman and individual sustained minor injuries who were then shifted to a nearby hospital for treatment.The families of the victims were inconsolable due to the death of the children. Families of the children informed that the fire started due to a short circuiting in the air-conditioning system.Neighbors looked grief-stricken as well after the tragedy. They informed that the rescue teams arrived late and a fire brigade also broke down during the rescue. Neigbors stated that precious lives could have been saved had the rescue team arrived in time and if the pump of the fire brigade had not broken down.Police arrived at the scene and has started an investigation in to the event.

Gunmen kill 2 Egypt judges, prosecutor in Sinai

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CAIRO (AFP) - Gunmen killed two Egyptian judges and a prosecutor Saturday in the Sinai Peninsula, where security forces are battling an insurgency spearheaded by an Islamic State group affiliate, officials said.The shooting in North Sinais provincial capital El-Arish also killed the officials driver and wounded another prosecutor, the health ministry said.Police initially said three judges were killed in the attack that came hours after a court in Cairo sentenced ousted president Mohamed Morsi to death for his role in a mass jailbreak during the 2011 uprising.Some of Morsis fellow defendants included terrorists in Sinai, where militants often attack members of the security forces.Police said the officials came under attack while being driven to a court hearing in El-Arish.Health ministry spokesman Hossam Abdel Ghaffar told AFP four people were killed.Two judges, a prosecutor and the driver of the car were killed, while another prosecutor was wounded, he said.Following the attack, the first of its kind in Sinai, the interior ministry put police on high alert across the country and suspended all leave, a ministry official said.The justice ministry also decided to move, starting on Sunday, some court hearings in El-Arish to Ismailiya to protect the judges, a ministry official said.

Macedonian PM defiant ahead of major opposition rally

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SKOPJE (AFP) - Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski insisted Saturday that he would not step down, on the eve of a major anti-government rally calling for his resignation.The tiny ex-Yugoslav republic has been rocked by a months-long political crisis, deepened by a huge wire-tapping scandal and an eruption of deadly violence last weekend.In the Balkan nations worst unrest in 14 years, a shootout in the northern town of Kumanovo between police and ethnic Albanian rebels left 18 people dead, including eight police officers.I have no intention neither to resign nor to accept a transitional government, Gruevski told the private pro-government Sitel television channel.Conservative Gruevski has been been premier since 2006, but the opposition Social Democratic Union of Macedonia (SDSM) has boycotted parliament since his re-election in April last year, claiming he committed fraud.Political tensions have risen further since February, when SDSM leader Zoran Zaev accused the government of tapping the phones of 20,000 people, including politicians and journalists.Zaev has over recent months released snippets of the alleged recordings that appear to show widespread government corruption, a murder cover-up and other wrongdoings.Thousands are expected to turn out in the capital Skopje on Sunday to demand the cabinet step down.But the prime minister, whose VMRO-DPMNE party is due to hold its own protest on Monday, stood firm in his latest interview.There must be a solution for the political crisis and it has to be in accordance with the will of the citizens of Macedonia expressed at the latest elections, he said.There must be no solution through violence, as someone may have planned, and a solution will be found.Thirty alleged gunmen, including 18 ethnic Albanians from neighbouring Kosovo, have been charged with terror offences following last weekends shootout -- Macedonias worst unrest since an ethnic Albanian insurgency in 2001.Authorities initially said 22 had died, but later gave the total as 18.But the opposition and analysts suggested the timing of the unrest was suspicious, given the huge pressure facing Gruevskis government.The government denies making the phone recordings released by Zaev, but not that the voices are authentic -- although it says some are heavily edited or out of context.Gruevski accuses Zaev of spying on behalf of a foreign country, and claimed in his interview that the scenario of ousting the government had been created by someone outside Macedonia.It would be a cowards act to withdraw. I will face the attack against us, he said.

Football: United into Champions League after Liverpool defeat

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LONDON (AFP) - Manchester United will feature in next seasons Champions League after arch-rivals Liverpools 3-1 defeat by Crystal Palace on Saturday assured them of a top-four finish in the Premier League.The pain for Liverpool fans at Reds great Steven Gerrards final match at Anfield, before the 34-year-old midfielder joins the LA Galaxy next season, ending in a loss was intensified by the fact this result ended their clubs slim hopes of Champions League qualification.It also left fourth-placed United six points clear of Liverpool, who can only take a maximum of three from their final league match of the season away to Stoke next week.United, currently fourth in the table, face third-placed Arsenal at Old Trafford on Sunday.The top three clubs in the Premier League at the end of the season go straight into the Champions League group stage, with the fourth-placed side entering a qualifying round.

Thousands protest presidential election results in Togo

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LOME (AFP) - Thousands of opposition supporters marched through the Togolese capital on Saturday to protest the results of presidential elections that extended the Gnassingbe familys nearly five decades in power.Observers have called the April 25 election free and transparent and the United Nations has approved of the conduct of the vote, but the opposition in the west African nation of some seven million people has labelled the results fraudulent.President Faure Gnassingbe won a third term in office with 59 percent of the ballots while his closest rival, longtime opposition leader Jean-Pierre Fabre, finished with 35 percent.We need people to be aware of the seriousness of the situation and that, together, we are working to stop it, Fabre, who has declared himself the elected president, told AFP on Saturday.Adele Wavisso, a 32-year-old bread seller among the protesters in Lome, said those in power know very well that we did not vote for Faure. Our president is Fabre, and we will not give up.The opposition has said it decided not to challenge the results at Togos Constitutional Court because it was biased in favour of the president.Gnassingbes father, Gnassingbe Eyadema, seized power in a coup and ruled with an iron fist for 38 years over the former German- and French-administered colony until his death in 2005.The military then installed his son as leader and elections later that year were marred by allegations of rigging as well as violence which left up to 500 people dead and thousands injured.Gnassingbe then won 2010 elections that the opposition also declared fraudulent but which were judged acceptable by the international community.

Founder of Israeli settler movement dies at 80

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JERUSALEM (AFP) - Rabbi Moshe Levinger, who founded the militant Gush Emunim movement which pushed Jewish settlements in the West Bank, died aged 80 on Saturday, relatives said.Born in 1935 in Jerusalem to a family of German origin, Levinger studied in his youth under Rabbi Tzvi Yehudah Kook, the spiritual father of religious nationalism.Shortly after the 1967 Six-Day War in which Israel captured east Jerusalem and the West Bank, Levinger and a group of like-minded people decided to settle in the occupied territory.Their goal was to create a Jewish presence in Palestinian cities which are important sites from Jewish history, such as Hebron and Bethlehem.In September 1967, the Labour government authorised the creation of the first settlement at Kfar Etzion, on the ruins of a kibbutz destroyed by the Arab Legion on the eve of the 1948 declaration of the state of Israel.Levinger founded Gush Emunim, an ideological movement which has championed the establishment of Jewish settlements in the West Bank since 1974.He was implicated in but never convicted after the arrest of an extremist Jewish network in the 1980s that carried out several anti-Palestinian attacks.But in 1990, he was convicted of manslaughter for shooting into a crowd in Hebron, killing a Palestinian.Levinger, who had 11 children, was sentenced to five months in prison but released after three months for good behaviour.

Malaysia seeks Myanmar help on migrant 'catastrophe'

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LANGSA (AFP) - Malaysias prime minister said on Saturday he would seek help from Myanmar to address the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe involving a wave of people fleeing on boats to Southeast Asia, thousands of whom are ethnic Rohingya escaping oppression in the mainly Buddhist country.Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand have come under increasing pressure to rescue starving and helpless Rohingya and Bangladeshi migrants after triggering outrage by turning them back out to sea with scarce food and nowhere to go.Prime Minister Najib Razak said we are liaising with the Myanmar government to get their response, according to Malaysias official Bernama news agency.I hope they will give a positive response as the refugees were due to internal problems that we cannot interfere with, but we want to do something before it gets worse, he said.Myanmars cooperation is deemed vital to solving Southeast Asias biggest influx of migrants since the end of the Vietnam War.But its government -- which denies the Muslim Rohingya citizenship -- has already rejected a Thai call for a regional summit on the issue on May 29, saying it was not their problem.The UN refugee agency has reported a surge in departures from Bay of Bengal ports in recent months.Activists say 8,000 people may be adrift on overcrowded vessels, with starvation and disease claiming lives, after a Thai crackdown crimped busy routes and spurred people-smugglers to abandon men, women and children at sea.Throwing people overboardIn one of the grimmest episodes yet, survivors of a boat that sank off the east coast of Sumatra island -- among roughly 900 people rescued off Indonesia on Friday -- described a bloody struggle for survival between Bangladeshis and Rohingya on board.They were killing each other, throwing people overboard, said Sunarya, police chief of the city of Langsa near where they were rescued.The packed boat had set off two months ago but was deserted this week by captain and crew, survivors said.It was then turned away, first by Indonesia and then Malaysia, as the Rohingya won an onboard fight for the remaining food, said Bangladeshi survivor Muhammad Koyes.When we asked for food, they beat us. The Bangladeshis were very weak, so we could not fight back, he said.Another survivor, Absaruddin, gave harrowing details of being kidnapped in the Bangladeshi town of Teknaf by traffickers determined to fill the boat with their lucrative human cargo.A group of men pounced on the 14-year-old and three of his teenage friends while they were having breakfast.They beat us, tied us up and took us onto the ship, he told AFP, after he was rescued of Aceh.Before we could do anything we were at sea with hundreds of Bangladeshis and Rohingya.Nearly 600 migrants were already sheltering in Sumatras Aceh province after managing to get ashore in recent days, while more than 1,100 had reached Malaysia.Fixing and refuellingAbout 100 made it to a southern Thai island late Thursday, while a boat found by journalists in waters further south earlier that day drifted between Malaysia and Thailands maritime boundary Saturday, authorities said.Thai Navy Lieutenant Commander Weerapong Nakprasit told reporters Thailand towed the wooden boat crammed with Rohingya migrants into Thai waters Saturday afternoon upon liaising with the Malaysian coast guard, fixing and refuelling the engine for a second time.We are not pushing them out, we are helping them, he said, echoing earlier official comments that the migrants did not want to enter the kingdom amid calls by rights groups to allow desperate passengers to disembark.He added that the navy later escorted the vessel westwards towards international waters.The appalling scenes have triggered global calls, including by UN chief Ban Ki-moon and Washington, for Southeast Asia to open its ports to migrants.The US State Department said John Kerry phoned his Thai counterpart to discuss the possibility of Thailand providing temporary shelter for them.The Bangladeshis are believed to be mainly economic migrants.But Rohingya have fled western Myanmars Rakhine state in the thousands -- bound largely for Malaysia -- in recent years to escape sectarian violence and discrimination in Buddhist-majority Myanmar.Each spring, boats stream out of the Bay of Bengal for Southeast Asia, trying to beat seasonal monsoon storms. Hundreds die every year, according to the UN refugee agency.The flow has surged recently as smugglers dupe migrants by waiving payment for passage, according to Rohingya leaders in a refugee camp near Rakhines capital, Sittwe.Instead, they later demand ransoms from migrants families once at sea, or ashore in Thailand or Malaysia. The trend has contributed to boats being kept at sea for weeks.

Nasrallah: Hezbollah making gains on Lebanon-Syria border

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BEIRUT (AFP) - Hezbollahs chief said Saturday his movement had expelled Syrian opposition fighters from most of Syrias Qalamun region bordering Lebanon but the battle was not over.Hassan Nasrallah, in a televised speech, said the battle in the mountainous area was ongoing in terms of time and place, but that Hezbollah had dealt resounding defeats to rebels there.Hezbollah and the Syrian regime have kicked out the armed groups from the battlefield, retaking control of 300 kilometres (nearly 200 miles) of territory, Nasrallah said.He dismissed reports that Hezbollah had lost dozens of fighters in the battle, saying 13 had been killed.The Qalamun region straddles the Syria-Lebanon border and was a stronghold of rebel forces until a major operation by Syrian regime troops backed by Hezbollah fighters last year.While most of the region was recaptured, opposition militants and extremists remain entrenched in the area along the porous and ill-defined border.From there, terrorists have launched attacks inside Lebanon, including in August 2014 when fighters from Al-Qaedas Syria affiliate Al-Nusra Front and the Islamic State group briefly overran the eastern Lebanese town of Arsal.As they withdrew from Arsal, the groups took several dozen Lebanese security forces with them as hostages and remained hidden in the towns outskirts.As long as the armed groups are present in Arsals outskirts and in the remaining parts of Qalamun... we cannot talk about full security, Nasrallah said.He said Hezbollah was fighting from hill to hill, from valley to valley to push back armed groups, and that Lebanese border villages were safer as a result.

Golf: Britons Howell, Morrison lead in Spain

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BARCELONA (AFP) - British duo David Howell and James Morrison share the lead in the Spanish Open, two shots clear of Italys Francesco Molinari, after Saturdays third round.Morrison improved on rounds of 70 and 71 with a four-under par 68, achieved despite a double bogey at the par five second.He was joined on a three-round total of 209 by Howell who signed for a 68, helped by a birdie at the last.Im delighted to be in the mix again, said the Englishman who has three top five finishes already this season.I havent managed to win this year but Ive given myself three chances and this is going to be a fourth chance -- hopefully Ill do it tomorrow (Sunday).Morrison, reflecting on his performance so far at the El Prat course, said: Its been three very silly days -- the first day I was three over after five holes and today made a seven at the second out of nowhere and fought my way back again.Its what youve got to do really -- it takes one good shot to get back in it.Ive done that all week; Ive really maintained my process and my game plan.Third-placed Molinari is one shot clear of Emiliano Grillo and Darren Fichardt with Frances overnight leader Edouard Espana slipping down to sixth, four shots off the pace, after a 76.World number seven Sergio Garcia shot the lowest round of the day, 67, to lie five shots off the top of the leaderboard.He said: If the leaders dont go much lower than what they are, with another great round tomorrow I have a chance. If it doesnt rain the course is not going to play any easier.Defending champion Miguel Angel Jimenez trailed compatriot Garcia by a shot.
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