Monday 18 May 2015

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Kerry plays Russian roulette gambling on easing ties

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - US Secretary of State John Kerry took a risky gamble facing derision and much skepticism when he flew to Russia last week for the first time in two years to meet President Vladimir Putin.But his bet may be beginning to pay off, as two top American diplomats were welcomed in Moscow on Monday for top-level talks for the first time in months on two crises bedeviling global affairs -- Ukraine and Syria.Kerrys trip ran counter to international efforts to isolate the Russian president for his actions in Ukraine.Critics were swift to line up to lambast the top US diplomat, accusing him of merely bolstering Putins image for little in return.Writing for CNN, Leon Aron, director of Russian Studies at the conservative American Enterprise Institute, bitingly dismissed Kerrys Sochi press conference alongside his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov as a gooey stream of unctuous cliches, non sequiturs, tautologies and euphemisms that underscored Putins diplomatic victory.But even though there was no concrete breakthrough after eight hours of talks at the Black Sea resort of Sochi, there are signs of a different tone in a relationship long marred by animosity, but vital in dealing with a host of issues from the Middle East to nuclear non-proliferation.Assistant Secretary for Europe Victoria Nuland met with senior Russian officials to discuss ways of deepening our engagement in implementing a shaky Ukraine ceasefire, a senior State Department official said.Meanwhile, special US envoy for Syria Daniel Rubinstein was also in the Russian capital to discuss with the foreign ministry how to create the conditions for a genuine, sustainable political transition in Syria, the State Department said.Digging inA fluent Russian speaker, Nuland has not traveled to Moscow since late 2013 just before Putin incurred global wrath by moving to annex the southern Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea and backing separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine.She told reporters in Moscow that we particularly dug in on how the United States might be able to support the process of implementing the Ukraine ceasefire, including discussing concrete steps.Washington, along with its European allies, has slapped sanctions on Moscow, punishing it for its role in Europes worst post-Cold War crisis in hopes of reversing Putins policies.But in the intervening months as fighting in Ukraine has dragged on, US-Russian ties have plunged and US efforts to engage Moscow have stalemated -- except on the issue of the Iran nuclear talks where Russian officials are a key player.Kerry has for some time been eager to talk to Putin, amid US fears that the Russian leader is increasingly relying on only a tiny circle of loyal advisors.The aim of the Sochi trip was to keep the lines of communication open, stressed Kerry, saying there was no substitute for direct talks.This was an important visit at an important time, and we didnt come here with an expectation that we were going to define a specific path forward with respect to one crisis or another, or have a major breakthrough, he said.Lavrov said the trip had allowed us to better understand each other.Some analysts highlighted that in the current climate, US President Barack Obama cannot travel to Russia and risk humiliation by the belligerent Putin.Having a face-to-face meeting with Putin is very important, but it would be very risky for President Obama to do that, Brookings Institution expert Fiona Hill told AFP.But she cautioned: Its too soon to talk about the reset of the reset.US officials said privately they had been surprised by the new tenor of the conversation with Putin in Sochi, who appeared ready for in-depth discussions, eschewing his usual lengthy anti-West diatribes.At the end of their talks hosted by the Russian leader in his summer residence, the two men even shared some small talk, cracking a bottle of local wine.Approach with cautionHill cautioned that the United States would have to be very, very careful going forward, warning Russian intentions are extremely difficult to figure out.Both countries needed the other, she stressed.Russia does not want to be left out in this strategic interplay in the Middle East, Hill explained.Joerg Forbrig, expert on Eastern Europe with the German Marshall Fund, said Kerrys visit was very symbolic, with very little substance.Nothing really happened and it was a gesture by the Americans for the Russians, he told AFP.The Americans acknowledge that there are issues that need to be resolved with Russia, but I dont believe that Russia is sincere because their main objective is to confront the West.

BHP chief says Australia iron ore inquiry 'a terrible signal'

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SYDNEY (AFP) - The head of global miner BHP Billiton on Tuesday warned an inquiry into the iron ore industry in Australia would send a terrible signal about the nations competitiveness and turn off key buyer China.The government is considering a parliamentary probe amid claims mining giants BHP and Rio Tinto have been flooding the market, driving down prices, to wipe out smaller competitors.BHP chief executive Andrew Mackenzie said this was absolutely not the case and warned an inquiry could backfire on Australia, which earns billions of dollars from the steel-making commodity -- the nations largest export.This is a ridiculous waste of taxpayers money on providing a basic economics course on supply and demand, he told ABC radio. Its red tape, pure and simple.Calls for an inquiry came to a head this week with Andrew Forrest, chief executive of Fortescue Metals, another Australian iron ore producer, spearheading the charge, backed by independent Senator Nick Xenophon.Forrest alleges BHP and Rio have deliberately flooded the market, leading to smaller mining companies, which have higher production costs, battling to survive the challenging conditions.Prime Minister Tony Abbott has indicated he is leaning towards an inquiry but Mackenzie said he should seriously consider the signal it would send, with the government potentially being seen as regulating the market.He added that it would be an amazing gift to our major competitor Brazil, suggesting an inquiry would drive customers away from Australia.It sends a terrible signal to our customers and flies in the face of commitments weve made at the highest levels in places like China, Japan and Korea that they can turn to us for a secure supply at fair prices, he said.Mackenzie said the Chinese were already serious investors in Brazil.And Im certain when they see some of these things happening they will be only more concerned to increase their investments in Brazil so they can stimulate an alternative and competitive supply to Australia.So this inquiry is very bad for Australias competitiveness, he added.Rios head of iron ore Andrew Harding has also denied the company is manipulating the market.Treasurer Joe Hockey on Tuesday said the government would discuss the call for an inquiry with the Labor opposition and other stakeholders as part of a carefully thought-through, methodical process.The price of ore has dived by 60 percent over the past 12 months to reach a decade-low of US$47.08 per tonne in early April, badly hurting Australian government revenue.Budget figures last week showed that Australias forecast tax receipts will be cut by Aus$52 billion (US$41.6 billion) over the four years to 2017-18, largely driven by the plunging iron ore price.

At least 52 dead in Colombia landslide: officials

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SALGAR (AFP) - A massive landslide tore through a ravine in northwest Colombia Monday before dawn, killing 52 people and injuring 37, authorities said.Most residents were sleeping when the landslide hit the municipality of Salgar around 3:00 am, burying a large area in mud and debris.The rush of mud and water tore down everything in its path, Salgar Mayor Olga Osorio told RCN Radio.The small town of Santa Margarita was practically wiped off the map, she said.Aerial images showed a broad river of mud that had inundated a large area, dragging houses and trees along with it.Residents shoveled out piles of mud on Monday afternoon, trying to salvage what belongings they could, as dump trucks arrived to begin hauling away the mess.President Juan Manuel Santos flew over the affected area and met with local officials.No one can bring the deceased back to you, that is something we deeply regret. But we have to get through this disaster and look to the future with bravery and strength, he said.Several children were orphaned and are being cared for by the Colombian Institute for Family Wellbeing, he said.He announced that each family affected -- 30 in all -- would receive $7,000, and promised infrastructure improvements to try to prevent such disasters in the future.Ex-president turned opposition leader Alvaro Uribe also visited the area, which is near where he grew up.I met a woman who was holding her three-day-old grandson. His parents are lost, he told radio station RCN.Its very painful what we saw.Santa Margarita, the hardest-hit town, is one of four that make up Salgar, a municipality of 17,000 people in the department of Antioquia.It was cut off from the rest of the municipality because of damage to an access road and a bridge, local media said.The area was left without electricity, drinking water or gas, and 31 homes were damaged, officials said.Extra emergency teams, rescue dogs and humanitarian aid have been sent, said Red Cross spokeswoman Ana Carolina Gutierrez.The area had been hit by several days of heavy rain.Colombias tropical climate and mountainous landscapes make it prone to landslides.In 2010-2011, heavy rains caused flooding and landslides that killed 1,374 people and destroyed more than 100,000 homes.

China PM on Brazil visit, promising big investment

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BRASILIA (AFP) - Chinese Premier Li Keqiang began a three-day visit to Brazil on Monday armed with a promise of some $50 billion in infrastructure investments as his hosts finalize preparations for next years Rio Olympics.Li will hold talks Tuesday with President Dilma Rousseff, for whom the investment bonanza will be a major boon as Brazil battles a fifth straight year of poor growth and spiraling inflation.The Chinese leader will then head for Rio to see some of Chinas investment in the city, due to host South Americas first ever Olympic Games in August 2016.On Thursday, Li will continue a Latin American swing designed to increase Chinese influence in the region, heading to Colombia before visiting Peru and Chile.His tour comes days after Beijing signed accords worth $25 billion with Russia and $22 billion with India.Chinese trade with Brazil has grown exponentially over the past decade, with the Asian giant becoming Brazils main trading partner in 2009.Trade between China and Latin America as a whole exploded from barely $10 billion in 2000 to $255.5 billion to 2012.Boom in Sino-Brazilian tradeSino-Brazilian trade mushroomed from $6.5 billion in 2003 to $83.3 billion in 2012, though China is just the 12th largest investor in Brazil.The trade agenda is very important -- but at the moment the investment agenda is to a degree more important still, Trade Minister Armando Monteiro told AFP.Jose Graca Lima, head of Asian affairs in the Brazilian foreign ministry, said that a second generation of Chinese investment is under way.The first involved trade in raw materials and the focus now is on heavy industry and infrastructure.Brazilian growth rose prior to the current slowdown amid high Chinese commodity demand that has since dropped off.But Brazilian financial daily Valor quoted Chinese ambassador and former vice-foreign affairs minister Li Jinzhang as saying that the overdependence on commodity trade could not continue and needed to be transformed on a wider scale.Despite that comment, Li Keqiang earlier told Valor in an interview that, despite commodity price volatility, healthy Chinese demand for these products will hold up long term.One major mooted long-term infrastructure project is a proposed Chinese-financed $10 billion rail link stretching some 3,500 kilometers (2,175 miles) from the key Brazilian port of Santos to the Peruvian Pacific port of Ilo via Amazonia.Brazil has seen its reputation hit by a huge graft scandal at oil giant Petrobras. But the firm received a boost earlier this year when it signed a $3.5 billion financing deal with the China Investment Bank.China is fulfilling a desperately-needed role of investor in Latin America and the Caribbean -- Brazil desperately needs investment, said Charles Tang, chairman of the Rio-based Brazil-China Chamber of Commerce and Industry.The US back yard is growing a Chinese back garden - not just in Brazil but all over Latin America.We believe in the fundamentals of Brazil, Tang said in an interview.Monteiro said Brazil hoped China would see it as an important production platform for industrial goods in the region and beyond, using Brazil as a fulcrum for serving wider markets.Extending exports to China is something we want -- but I do not know if we shall be able obtain significant results short term, Monteiro said.It would be a better strategy for China to produce in Brazil a range of goods that today we import and China exports -- such as electronics.Li Keqiangs visit will feature trade delegations some 130-strong from both countries during his Brasilia stay.In Rio, he will attend the unveiling of Chinese-made trains for a new subway line to bolster public transport in time for the Olympics.

Football: Mourinho outraged by Fabregas red card

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WEST BROMWICH (AFP) - Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho expressed his frustration after Cesc Fabregas was sent off in bizarre fashion as the champions were defeated 3-0 at West Bromwich Albion.The Spanish midfielder is set to miss the first two matches of next season plus the final game of this campaign at home to Sunderland on Sunday following his first half dismissal after he kicked the ball against Chris Brunt.Mourinho felt that a more experienced referee than Mike Jones would have resolved the situation with a mere lecture after tempers flared following a Diego Costa and Gareth McAuley off the ball coming together 29 minutes into the action at the Hawthorns.Ive not seen a sending off like that, said Mourinho.I would like to see it again. What is this for a sending off? Where is the danger of the situation to get a red card in a friendly game almost?I dont understand. Darren Fletcher was aggressive yes, he pushed in the chest. Hes experienced. It was much more aggressive than what Fabregas did.A top referee with big personality has a few words and controls the game. Its a bizarre red card.Three game ban for this? Jesus Christ. Of course its harsh. We lose all the time (when we appeal) but Ive not spoken to him.Diego Costa was targeted, of course. But its the same story.It depends on the referee. If the referee wants to protect the talent and punish the bully it is easy for him.Congratulations to West Brom for the season and this three points. And lets go home.Mourinho felt this first defeat in 19 matches was the net result of claiming the title three games ago as Saido Berahino scored on nine minutes and added a penalty two minutes after the break before Brunt scored a third on the hour.The ideal scenario is to be champions and dont play again, go home and have holidays, he said.When you have three more matches it can happen with Bayern Munich three defeats in three and we claim one point in two.When you play since August with motivation and commitment and feeling the pressure, when you are champions you breathe and everything changes.It is difficult to play. Lets blame the players a bit, myself and the top contenders for the title as they were not good enough to fight with us. This is a consequence of being champions so early.West Brom manager Tony Pulis insists any criticism of Chelsea is unwarranted.Its a great finish, we will finish 13th in the table but I dont think anything should be taken away from the team we played, he said.The team weve played have been by far the best team in England. They have won the league by a country mile and they have been much better than anyone else.Although we have won this game, all the praise should go to Jose, his coaching staff, the people of Chelsea and the players.Jose was very good. Ive managed against him twice and managed to beat him twice with Palace and West Brom.He was very gracious in defeat and for all what we have done, they have been worthy champions. They are a fantastic football club with wonderful players and for some people to criticise them is unbelievable.We were so on edge after we lost at home to QPR and Leicester but the lads have bounced back.The attitude has been wonderful, we got the breaks in this game, we played really well at times and defended well. The discipline was good and we made it very difficult for Chelsea.

Rid of CDs, Starbucks teams up with Spotify

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NEW YORK (AFP) - Months after ending its tradition of CD sales, coffee giant Starbucks on Monday confirmed the rapid growth of music streaming as it announced a partnership with Spotify.The Swedish streaming leader will give accounts to its premium service to Starbucks 150,000 employees in the United States starting this fall, allowing them to create playlists for stores.Starbucks in turn will promote Spotifys premium service -- which costs $9.99 a month --in part by making the playlists accessible on the coffee chains own smartphone app.The tie-up also marks the first time that Starbucks will link its loyalty program to a third party, with Spotify users offered chances to earn stars that go toward free items at the coffee chain.Through the two companies technological capacities, we are reinventing the way our millions of global customers discover music, Howard Schultz, the chairman and chief executive officer of Starbucks, said in a statement.Given the evolution of the music industry and the proliferation of streaming technology, it was natural that we would partner with Spotify in offering our customers a new way to engage with their favorite music, added Kevin Johnson, president and chief operating officer of Starbucks.The partnership will start later this year at Starbucks 7,000 company-owned stores in the United States.Starbucks said it would later roll out the tie-up to stores in Canada and Britain.Starbucks was once seen by the music industry as a great hope for selling CDs, with a selection offered on racks as customers waited for their coffees.In 2004, Starbucks also introduced in select stores a burning service, allowing customers to select tracks to make their own CDs.But Starbucks in March stopped selling CDs, saying at the time only that it was exploring new options.In 2014, streaming overtook CD sales in revenue generation for the first time in the United States, by far the worlds largest music market.Streaming, however, has caught on at different paces around the world. CDs remain the preferred format in Germany and Japan, while Nordic countries have rapidly embraced streaming.

Tokyo stocks open 0.44% higher

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TOKYO (AFP) - Tokyo stocks opened 0.44 percent higher on Tuesday, backed by record-setting advances on Wall Street and a weaker yen against the dollar.The Nikkei 225 index at the Tokyo Stock Exchange gained 86.87 points to 19,977.14 at the start.In New York the Dow and S&P 500 closed at fresh highs on Monday, following acquisitions in the pharmaceutical and apparel sectors and a rise in Apple.The dollar rose against the yen in a positive move for Japanese exporters.The dollar was at 119.95 yen early Tuesday, compared with 119.97 yen in New York late Monday and up from 119.63 yen in Tokyo earlier Monday.The euro bought $1.1320 and 135.77 yen against $1.1315 and 135.75 yen in US trade.The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.14 percent to a record 18,298.88, while the S&P 500 notched its third successive record, rising 0.30 percent to 2,129.20.The tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index jumped 0.60 percent to 5,078.44.All three indices got a lift from the latest call from activist Carl Icahn for more share buy-backs from Apple.

Greece in final stretch of troubled loan talks

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ATHENS (AFP) - Greece on Monday entered the final stretch of tortuous talks with its international creditors on a bankruptcy-saving loan deal, with the government calling for a breakthrough by the end of the month.A deal is required immediately, this is why we are talking about the end of May, to resolve these critical liquidity issues, government spokesman Gabriel Sakellaridis told reporters.Greeces new radical Syriza-led government and its EU-IMF creditors have been stuck in a deadlock for four months over the reforms needed to release a final 7.2 billion euros ($8.2 billion) in bailout funds.European economic affairs chief Pierre Moscovici lamented that the Greek anti-austerity government seemed more interested in ditching promised reforms than in making proposals of its own.They are more eager to say what they dont want to keep in the programme than to propose alternatives, Moscovici told a news conference in Berlin, while insisting that some progress had been made in some areas in recent days.Later Monday, To Vima daily reported a European Commission proposal to break the deadlock.It offered to give Athens next month a combined 3.7 billion euros in EU and ECB funds from the ongoing bailout in return for legislation on fiscal measures worth 5.0 billion euros, To Vima said.Both the Greek government and the European Commission could not confirm the reported proposal.We are not aware of such a proposal. We continue to work towards a comprehensive deal, together with the ECB and the IMF, as well as the Eurogroup. Progress is being made, albeit at a slow pace, Commission spokeswoman Annika Breidthardt said in Brussels.Moscovici insisted that the only scenario we consider at the Commission is a strong Greece in the eurozone.He added that nobody is working on others. We all consider that its possible to reach an agreement.Athens objects to further wage and pension cuts in an economy sapped by a six-year recession, but has offered to make a number of privatisations and step up tax collection.The delay has led to concerns Athens is running critically short of cash and may soon end up defaulting, which could set off a messy exit from the euro.The country faces a hefty repayment schedule to the International Monetary Fund and the European Central Bank in the coming months, and also needs to continue paying salaries and pensions.Third bailout?I think we are very close to an agreement, Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis said on Greek television late Monday, pointing to maybe in a week.A break with creditors is not in our plans nor a change of currency, he said.At the same time, Varoufakis said pensions and salaries were sacred... an absolute priority and that he would prefer a default with the IMF rather than on salaries.Over the weekend, Greek newspapers reported that the country came close to not making a 750-million-euro debt repayment to the International Monetary Fund last week.Creditors had been warned in writing of the risk, Varoufakis confirmed, expressing confidence Greece would not arrive at the point of being unable to pay the IMF.He also criticised creditors of bringing nothing new to the discussions, unlike Greece.Around 1.5 billion euros are now due to the IMF in June, and then more than six billion euros must be paid to the European Central Bank in July and August.This year is Greeces toughest in terms of bond maturities until 2030, Sakellaridis said.German Economy Minister Zigmar Gabriel over the weekend floated the idea of a third bailout package if reforms are implemented.The country is on the tail end of back-to-back bailouts totalling 240 billion euros, and the prospect of another lifeline remains controversial for many eurozone partners.However, as Greece remains unable to borrow on the markets, another bailout seems inevitable, Greek daily Naftemboriki said Monday.By the end of December, the state must repay 12.55 billion euros in (principal) debt and 2.95 billion in interest, and therefore the 7.2 billion euros left in its current bailout does not suffice.Another 1.5-1.6 billion must be paid in salaries and pensions each month, plus 8.2 billion in state support must be given to pension funds between June and December, it said.

Karachi: 6 arrested in raid at guest house

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – According to details, police conducted a raid at a guest house in Guzri area of Defence in Karachi on Monday and arrested at least six people.Sources informed that a foreigner was also among the persons arrested from the guest house. The arrested persons were shifted to some undisclosed location for further investigation.

Gene breakthrough sparks 'home-brewed morphine' fears

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PARIS (AFP) - Scientists on Monday said they had unlocked a pathway for producing opiates from genetically-engineered yeast but feared the discovery could one day be a bonanza for drug lords.Other experts agreed, saying anyone with basic skills could use such a yeast to churn out morphine, codeine and drugs using a simple home-brew beer kit.The discovery, published in the scientific journal Nature Chemical Biology, comes on the heels of a study published last month in the journal PLOS ONE.Together, the papers describe key steps towards bio-engineering yeast that would feed on sugar and exude opiates and other therapeutic drugs.The goal is to provide cheaper and possibly less addictive painkillers from a dependable source, as compared to the poppy.In Mondays study, synthetic biologists at the University of California at Berkeley inserted an enzyme gene from beets to coax yeast into converting tyrosine -- an amino acid easily derived from sugar -- into a compound called reticuline.Reticuline is a molecular hub, meaning it is the springboard for making morphine, codeine and oxycodone, as well as anti-spasmodic drugs like papaverine.The team did not go on to make these drugs, but the process of going from reticuline to codeine and morphine in yeast is already known. What had been missing in the knowledge chain was getting from tyrosine to reticuline.The discovery may be a boon in pharmaceutics, but it also dramatically speeds up the clock for when home-brewing drugs could become a reality, the researchers cautioned.Were likely looking at a timeline of a couple of years, not a decade or more, when sugar-fed yeast could reliably produce a controlled substance, said John Dueber, who co-led Mondays paper.The time is now to think about policies to address this area of research. The field is moving surprisingly fast, and we need to be out in front so that we can mitigate the potential for abuse.A group of leading academics rammed home a similar message.In a bluntly-worded commentary in Nature, the leading journal of the Nature group, the trio said the way was now open for engineering a yeast strain that would do the whole drug-making trick.That, in turn, offered golden opportunities for criminals if this strain fell into the wrong hands.In principle, anyone with access to the yeast strain and basic skills in fermentation would be able to grow morphine-producing yeast using a home-brew kit for beer-making, said the commentary, headed by Kenneth Oye, a political scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).If the modified yeast strain produced 10 grams of morphine, users would need to drink only one to two millilitres of the liquid to obtain a standard prescribed dose.In addition to tighter lab security and tougher laws, the trio called for yeast strains to be engineered to produce drugs with limited street value, such as the painkiller thebaine.Strains could also be engineered so that the yeast requires unusual food or laboratory conditions to thrive, thus raising the technological bar for gangs.But another commentator wondered if the genie was not already out of the bottle.One would not have to obtain the safeguarded strain, Christopher Voigt, an MIT professor of biological engineering, was quoted as saying by Britains Science Media Centre.The information in this paper, combined with DNA synthesis, could be readily applied to rebuild the strain without ever gaining access to the physical DNA or strain from the authors.

UN chief concerned at death sentence for Egypt's Morsi

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UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed serious concern on Monday after an Egyptian court sentenced ousted president Mohamed Morsi to death.Morsi was among more than 100 defendants given the death penalty Saturday for their role in a mass jailbreak during the 2011 uprising.The secretary-general understands that the verdict is still subject to an appeal, said UN spokesman Farhan Haq. He will continue to monitor the process very closely.Ban reaffirmed the United Nations position against capital punishment.The UN chief also underscored the importance of all parties taking steps to promote - and avoiding those that could further undermine - peace, stability and the rule of law in the region.The United States and the European Union also expressed concern after the verdict was announced against Morsi, the Islamist president who held office for a year until he was overthrown by the military in 2013.

Football: Liverpool star Sterling to ask for transfer -- reports

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LONDON (AFP) - Liverpool forward Raheem Sterling is set to rock the Premier League club by telling them he wants to leave in the close-season, according to reports on Monday.Sterling and his agent Aidy Ward put contract negotiations on hold earlier this season despite being given what Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers described as a fantastic offer.It was reported that offer would have increased the 20-year-olds wages to around 100,000 pound a week and, in response to mounting criticism of his attitude from frustrated Liverpool fans, the England international was forced onto a public relations offensive in which he denied he was a money-grabber.But Liverpool have been unable to convince their prize asset to sign the new deal and the BBC and the Daily Express say Sterling and his agent have asked to meet Rodgers and Reds chief executive Ian Ayre, possibly as soon as Friday, for showdown talks when he is expected to demand a move.Sterling is believed to want to play in the Champions League and Liverpool will be missing from Europes elite club competition next term after a disappointing Premier League campaign, which sees them in fifth place, seven points behind fourth placed Manchester United, heading into the final round of fixtures.Manchester City are said to be interested in signing Sterling, with Real Madrid, Arsenal and Chelsea also reported to be watching the situation with interest.Liverpool are believed to be determined to hold onto the youngster, whose current contract runs until 2017, and US-based owners Fenway Sports Group will demand a fee of around 50 pound million before they would consider selling.Sterlings bombshell announcement is another blow to Rodgers, who has struggled to replace Luis Suarez following the Uruguay forwards move to Barcelona last year.Rodgers has also had to cope with the continued injury problems of England striker Daniel Sturridge, while also planning for life without captain Steven Gerrard, who will end his 17-year association with Liverpool when he joins LA Galaxy at the end of the season.

Tweeter-in-chief Obama gets own account

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - Hello, Twitter Its Barack. Really Six years in, theyre finally giving me my own account.With that inaugural Tweet sent from a smart phone in the Oval Office before jumping on Marine One Monday, the President of the United States Barack Obama -- or @POTUS -- cast off security and bureaucratic chains in place since he was elected.The account -- which already had nearly 150,000 followers in the first half hour and a million followers shortly after -- instantly became one of the worlds top hacking targets, but will also allow Obama to tweet directly for the first time.Until now Obama has tweeted through his executive staff @WhiteHouse or the remnants of his campaign staff @BarackObama.The @POTUS Twitter account will serve as a new way for President Obama to engage directly with the American people, with tweets coming exclusively from him, the White House said.The already verified account features the customary headshot of Obama, but also a background photo of him walking over the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, in March, when he marked the 50th anniversary of a civil rights march that changed America.Obama describes himself as Dad, husband, and 44th President of the United States.He is following 65 assorted alma maters, sports teams, cabinet members and senior staff, as well as wife Michelle Obama. Its about time, @POTUS -mo she tweeted in response.Obamas arrival on Twitter was also greeted by Justin Biebers mother, the Chicago Bears and former president Bill Clinton, husband of 2016 presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton. Welcome to @Twitter, @POTUS One question: Does that username stay with the office? askingforafriend, he tweeted.Obama responded: Good question, @billclinton. The handle comes with the house. Know anyone interested in @FLOTUS? -- referring to the first lady of the United States account.If Hillary were elected, Bill Clinton would become the first American First Gentleman.Since Calvin Coolidge made the first presidential radio address in 1923, presidents have often tried to speak directly to voters.Similarly Obama has embraced social media to sidestep the medias filter, appearing on YouTube, posting selfies and hosting question-and-answer sessions on Reddit.

Euro sinks vs dollar after striking 3-month high

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NEW YORK (AFP) - Forex traders sent the euro falling 1.1 percent against the dollar Monday after ending last week at a three-month high, as worries about Greece continued to weigh on the market.The euro lost more than 1.3 cents to $1.1315 as of 2100 GMT, at least pausing a one-month surge on optimism over growth recovering in the euro area.The euro also fell 0.6 percent to 135.75 yen, with the European Central Banks repeated pledges to stick to its quantitative easing program also limiting the euros upside.The euro was simply pressured... by concerns about Greece, said Boris Schlossberg of BK Asset Management, after news reports saying the country did not have the capacity to make its next debt payments without a deal with creditors.But he added that there was room for profit taking after the euros run since mid-April.Given the significant move in the anti-dollar rally over the past several weeks, this may be the week where the greenback finally catches a bid, he said.

Zimbabwe brings international cricket back to Pakistan

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LAHORE (AFP) - The Zimbabwe cricket team landed in Pakistan in the early hours of Tuesday, becoming the first Test-playing nation to visit the militancy-wracked South Asian country in six years, Lahore airport officials said.Zimbabwe are set to play two T20s and three ODIs in a mini-series under high security involving 6,000 police and constant surveillance by commandos and helicopters.The tour is a first by a full ICC member since Sri Lanka visited in 2009, when their team bus was attacked by RPG and machine-gun wielding militants, with eight people -- six police and two civilians -- killed and seven players wounded.Forced to host home games in neutral venues like the United Arab Emirates, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) estimates it has lost $120 million in TV rights and extra overheads.Even hosting Zimbabwe will cost PCB more than $1 million, half of which is for the visitors fees and expenses. Not much of the outlay will be recouped by sponsorships and gate proceeds.An incident-free series is seen as crucial to Pakistans hopes of ending its sporting isolation.But risks remain high and the massacre of 45 minority Shiites in an attack on a bus in Karachi last week nearly prompted Zimbabwe to pull out at the last minute.While the March 2009 attack on the Sri Lankans forced the long hiatus, it wasnt the first time a cricket team had been caught up in Pakistans militant violence.In 2002, 14 people died in a suicide blast outside a Karachi hotel as New Zealand and Pakistan prepared to leave for the second Test, prompting the tour to be abandoned.The PCB now says it has foolproof security involving thousands of police to protect Zimbabwe as they shuttle between their five-star hotel and Lahores Gaddafi Stadium. The area around the venue will be cordoned off, with various security checkpoints for fans, and paramilitaries will watch the area around the clock with constant surveillance from rooftops and helicopters.The players will not be allowed to leave their hotel without security and their movements will be restricted within the stadium.It is our first step towards the goal of reviving international cricket and we will leave nothing to chance to make this tour safe and successful, PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan told AFP.For players like Umar Akmal, Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq -- all of whom have played more than 50 internationals -- it will be their first chance to represent Pakistan at home.Tickets are not yet sold out, given the uncertainty surrounding whether the tour would go ahead, but officials are reporting a surge in demand.
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