Thursday 7 May 2015

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Student, 20, is Britain's youngest MP as SNP surge

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PAISLEY (AFP) - At the age of just 20, Mhairi Black has become Britains youngest member of parliament since 1667 in a victory which symbolises an expected nationalist landslide in Scotland.Black still has to complete her final exams at Glasgow University but will now be putting her politics degree into practice as the pro-independence Scottish National Party (SNP) MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire South.The no-nonsense blonde, who pronounces her first name Mary, won a majority of over 5,000 in Thursdays election to topple Douglas Alexander, the Labour partys 47-year-old foreign affairs spokesman and campaign chief.As the result was announced, a roar of approval went up from her supporters at the count centre but Black spoke in a steady voice as she vowed to improve life for ordinary Scots.We will work to put an end to the austerity cuts that are hurting people in communities both north and south of the border, she said.Black grew up in a family that supported Labour but like many in Scotland, has turned her back on the centre-left party that she says has become too distant from its supporters and left-wing roots.Exit polls suggest that the SNP is set to make massive gains, taking all bar one of Scotlands 59 seats, most of them from Labour.Referendum a turning pointBlack says her hometown has been in decline for decades, with one in five people in Paisley now living in poverty and one in three families forced to use food banks.She campaigned for Scottish independence in last Septembers referendum. The vote was lost but she told AFP a few weeks later: It doesnt mean the dream has died.The vote result was absolutely heartbreaking, gut-wrenching. But less than a week later I was raring to go. Everyone is pumped up, saying whats next?Whats next has turned out to be the House of Commons, where Black has promised to stand up for her constituents in a way she says that her Labour predecessor never did.She has called Alexander a career politician, and said during the campaign: Im coming across door after door of people who are tired of having an MP whos never here.In her run for parliament, Black talked up her leftist credentials and her roots, including full-throated support for local football team Partick Thistle.Her biography on the SNPs website says Black campaigned against the war in Iraq and worked for the charity Oxfam -- but said the referendum was a turning point for her.It was always vote Labour, keep out the Tories, vote Labour, keep out the Tories but then the referendum came and suddenly everyone woke up, she said in an interview with news website BuzzFeed.She has been criticised for an abrupt style and threatened to put the nut in (head butt) Labour representatives after the referendum.She immediately said she regretted her words and put them down to excessive passion.To those who criticise her lack of experience, she retorts that she is old enough to pay taxes or fight in a war.Im not the one who should be nervous -- its all of them down there (in London) who have to answer for what theyve done. Theyre the ones who have to be accountable, she said.

Bronislaw Komorowski: former radical turned consensus man

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WARSAW (AFP) - Once a political prisoner jailed for his radical anti-communist views, Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski, who is tipped to win a second term in elections starting Sunday, has evolved into a fatherly consensus-oriented figure.The 62-year-old former defence minister admits to having mellowed over the years -- except on national security, where he is seen as a hawk.We want peace, but we know that weakness is the greatest encouragement for a potential aggressor and there is no better deterrent than a show of force and determination in self-defence, Komorowski, a historian, said days ahead of the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II on May 8.The one-time wild game hunter has been a key player in the modernisation of Polands defence forces since the country of 38 million shed communism along with the Warsaw Pact in 1989 and joined NATO a decade later.The father of five, who is a practising Catholic, has also risked the wrath of Polands powerful Catholic Church by supporting legislation allowing test tube babies and a global human rights convention addressing violence against women.The church sees both measures as undermining traditional family values.Radical pastAnd yet the unflappable incumbent sees his radical days as belonging firmly in the past.I opposed the Round Table, he has admitted, referring to the watershed 1989 deal between the communist regime and the banned Solidarity opposition movement, which steered Poland to democracy that year.I considered the Round Table was a betrayal and that the communists were going to get us, he said.Unlike millions of fellow Poles, Komorowski boycotted the countrys landmark June 1989 elections that helped oust the four-decade regime peacefully from power.But that changed several months later when he was tapped as a senior aide by Tadeusz Mazowiecki, the first non-communist prime minister in what was still the Soviet bloc.He gave me the chance to change from a radical to a man of compromise and moderation, Komorowski said.Eight years earlier, Komorowski had been jailed with Mazowiecki and other anti-communist opposition figures when Polands then leader, General Wojciech Jaruzelski, imposed martial law to try to crush Solidarity.In the 1990s, Komorowski was deputy defence minister in three governments, before taking the helm of the ministry in 2000 and 2001.He was a member of Mazowieckis centrist Freedom Union and in 2001 joined its successor party, the liberal Civic Platform founded by current EU President and former Polish prime minister Donald Tusk.Komorowski and Tusk become close allies, although the former lacks the latters charisma.A historian by training and a former teacher, Komorowski won seats in six successive parliamentary elections since 1991.In 2007, after Civic Platform trounced the then governing conservative Law and Justice party, he became speaker of parliament -- and then interim president after incumbent Lech Kaczynski perished in the April 10, 2010 crash of his presidential jet in Russia.He then went on to win early presidential elections later that year.He has since shaved off his trademark moustache but his thick-lensed glasses remain.Blue bloodKomorowski has aristocratic roots and even a link to the Belgian royal family.His youth was not one of luxury, however. Apart from a few family portraits, the Komorowskis property was all confiscated by the communists.He was born on June 4, 1952 in Oborniki Slaskie, southern Poland, to parents who had been expelled from what is now Lithuania by Soviet forces after World War II.The family later moved to a working-class district of Warsaw.Komorowski became an anti-regime activist, having a baptism of fire as a teenager in a March 1968 student revolt.I learned all about police batons and their use, he recalled.

China seeks new wave of migrants for restive Xinjiang

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HOTAN (AFP) - Newly employed as a hotel receptionist in Xinjiang, Fang Lihua is a foot-soldier on the front line of a demographic contest for the mainly Muslim regions identity as China opens it up for migration.The resource-rich, far-western region is home to more than 10 million Uighurs, a Turkic minority with stronger cultural links to Central Asia than to the rest of China, dominated by the Han ethnic majority.It sees sporadic violence authorities blame on Islamist separatists, which has increased in intensity and spread beyond its borders in recent years.Waves of mass migration from Chinas heartland have raised Xinjiangs Han population from six percent in 1949 to 38 percent in 2011.Now Beijing hopes to trigger a new influx with the most liberal residency rules in China.Fang, who is Han and in her 20s, took a three-day train ride from Chinas ancient capital Xian to reach her new home in Hotan. The oasis town by the Taklamakan desert is renowned for its jade and fruit, but held little charm for her.I hate it here, she said. Its completely foreign, I dont think Ill be able to adjust to life here.She and her builder husband are among the first to take advantage of new rules announced six months ago, and she says they may stay despite her misgivings.Liberal residency rulesIn cities across China, migration is strictly controlled, with new arrivals struggling for years to secure the all-important household registration -- or hukou -- entitling residents to education, healthcare, social insurance and more. Larger cities require advanced degrees, special skills or a job at a well-connected or government-owned company.But in southern Xinjiang, the latest regulations mean a hukou is available with no educational or skill requirements at all.Nationwide changes to the system are in the pipeline with urbanisation a key driver of the Chinese economy, but the fact that the Uighur-dominated area has been chosen for the countrys most liberal rules is striking.More than 200 people died in Xinjiang-linked incidents last year according to official media reports, including a bloody mass stabbing in Kunming in southwestern China.The hukou reforms are about trying to encourage Han migration to southern Xinjiang, even though its not phrased in that way, said James Leibold, an expert on ethnic relations in China at Australias La Trobe University.The idea behind that is to encourage more inter-ethnic mingling and hopefully by bringing more Han, the quality and the civilisation of southern Xinjiang will increase.At the same time the government is trying to stem population growth among minorities.Propaganda throughout rural Hotan encourages residents to have fewer children and get rich quick, with a 3,000 yuan ($480) payout for those who forgo having the third child allowed to many ethnic minority couples under Chinas family planning rules, compared to one or two for Han.Security concerns and poor business opportunities would put off many potential migrants, Leibold said.But that did not stop construction worker Du Yun, from Sichuan, who arrived in November.I prefer the air in Sichuan, we dont have sandstorms, but the social benefits are better in cities, he said.Ghost townAreas of Xinjiang have at times been part of different states, including Russia, sometimes independent, but it has largely been ruled by Beijing since the late 1800s.After the Communists won Chinas civil war in 1949, it saw waves of migration from the east.The semi-military Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps settled demobilised soldiers on work farms and today runs businesses including real estate, insurance, plastics and cement across the region, with its own universities and media.Throughout Xinjiang, the Han and Uighur communities live almost entirely separately.At one bazaar nearly all the patrons and merchants were Uighur, and blamed rising prices on new arrivals.The government has plenty of money but any subsidies were entitled to just get taken by officials, said Abduljan, who was buying lamb. But we cant do anything, we have no voice, no power.Almost none of about two dozen Han Chinese living in Hotan interviewed by AFP spoke Uighur.Even if these policies do manage to attract Han to places like Hotan it doesnt mean they will intermingle, Leibold told AFP.Theyll just live in segregated communities and theyll be guarded by the Peoples Armed Police, he added.To create a truly cohesive society you need first and foremost trust, and interethnic trust is in extremely short supply.More than 300,000 people live in Hotan, but at night it is a ghost town.In 2011, 18 people were killed in an assault on a police station, according to authorities, who say all the attackers who mounted a fatal car crash in Beijings Tiananmen Square 18 months ago were from Hotan.Now most Han are afraid to go out after sunset, and those who gather for nightly dances under a Mao Zedong statue in the main square are guarded by armed police.The security presence is ubiquitous, and many Uighurs similarly avoid the streets during darkness, citing harassment in the form of constant identity checks and probing questioning.The police, the checkpoints, the guns, said a Uighur man who refused to give his name. Its all here to make the Han feel safe.

US behind curve in online war with IS: experts

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - The US government is struggling to counter the Islamic State groups fast-paced online propaganda, which played a role in inspiring a failed attack in Texas this week on an exhibit of caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed.One of the two gunmen had been in frequent contact via Twitter with an American militant from the IS group who was well known to federal authorities, according to groups that monitor extremists online.The failed attempt to storm the cartoon exhibition in a Dallas suburb could be a harbinger of things to come, as the extremist online blitz seeks to encourage violence from a distance, said author Peter Bergen of the New America Foundation non-profit group.The lightning tempo and vast scale of the IS groups social media campaign poses a daunting challenge, particularly for a government bureaucracy ill-equipped to respond quickly or to experiment, experts said Thursday.The IS can rely on a very large number of people to promote their message online and it can afford to have 2,000 people who tweet 150 times a day, said J.M. Berger, a fellow at the Brookings Institution.It can afford to have a ratio of two or three recruiters to every one potential recruit who might carry out a lone wolf attack, Berger, who has researched extremists use of social media, told the Senate Homeland Security committee.The United States or others opposed to the IS are losing the war in social media and will need to deploy similar numbers to have an effect, said Berger, author of Jihad Joe: Americans Who Go to War in the Name of Islam.Although the IS terrorists tried to take credit for Sundays attack, Pentagon chief Ashton Carter said the group had not ordered the assault but had nevertheless inspired the men to carry it out.He said it was concerning that there are individuals like this who draw their inspiration from the group.Emotional connectionsSocial media enabled the IS to find a small but committed group of sympathizers and forge intense connections, Berger said.Somebody tweeting from Syria, whos a member of ISIS (IS), can develop a very emotionally powerful relationship with somebody whos sitting in the United States, he said.Berger and other experts called on US officials to declassify photos, videos, intercepted communications or other intelligence that could expose the failures and excesses of the jihadists in areas in Iraq and Syria under its control.Daveed Garstein-Ross, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said the US government has to be able to be more quick to react, to be able to respond at the same kind of speed as the jihadists online.In some cases, false claims by the IS have been picked by news media, and the US government needs to promptly release information to show an accurate picture that could undercut the extremists, he said.Senator Cory Booker ridiculed the US governments online effort against IS as laughable.Holding up an iPad at the hearing, Booker cited a paltry number of retweets for a State Department-backed Twitter account, Think Again Turn Away, which is supposed to combat IS social media.Private hacktivists -- as well as some foreign governments -- have proven the most effective at combating the terrorists in social media, often by reporting inflammatory posts and getting pro-IS users suspended from Twitter, according to Berger.As a result, the number of pro-IS Twitter accounts has been significantly reduced in recent months, he said.Civil liberties questionChasing IS propagandists off Twitter had a downside, though, because it deprived government authorities of information used to track recruitment, he added.The problem also raised questions about balancing civil liberties with security.US intelligence and law enforcement agencies have an interest in looking at extremist social media accounts that have been closed or suspended -- or demanding companies keep an archive of such accounts.But the appetite in the country probably is not very friendly to the idea that the FBI should be vacuuming up thousands and thousands of social media accounts, Berger said.Although some plots have been detected on social media, online posts more often provide an evidence trail after a suspect is identified, he said.

US behind curve in online war with IS: experts

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - The US government is struggling to counter the Islamic State groups fast-paced online propaganda, which played a role in inspiring a failed attack in Texas this week on an exhibit of caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed.One of the two gunmen had been in frequent contact via Twitter with an American militant from the IS group who was well known to federal authorities, according to groups that monitor extremists online.The failed attempt to storm the cartoon exhibition in a Dallas suburb could be a harbinger of things to come, as the extremist online blitz seeks to encourage violence from a distance, said author Peter Bergen of the New America Foundation non-profit group.The lightning tempo and vast scale of the IS groups social media campaign poses a daunting challenge, particularly for a government bureaucracy ill-equipped to respond quickly or to experiment, experts said Thursday.The IS can rely on a very large number of people to promote their message online and it can afford to have 2,000 people who tweet 150 times a day, said J.M. Berger, a fellow at the Brookings Institution.It can afford to have a ratio of two or three recruiters to every one potential recruit who might carry out a lone wolf attack, Berger, who has researched extremists use of social media, told the Senate Homeland Security committee.The United States or others opposed to the IS are losing the war in social media and will need to deploy similar numbers to have an effect, said Berger, author of Jihad Joe: Americans Who Go to War in the Name of Islam.Although the IS terrorists tried to take credit for Sundays attack, Pentagon chief Ashton Carter said the group had not ordered the assault but had nevertheless inspired the men to carry it out.He said it was concerning that there are individuals like this who draw their inspiration from the group.Emotional connectionsSocial media enabled the IS to find a small but committed group of sympathizers and forge intense connections, Berger said.Somebody tweeting from Syria, whos a member of ISIS (IS), can develop a very emotionally powerful relationship with somebody whos sitting in the United States, he said.Berger and other experts called on US officials to declassify photos, videos, intercepted communications or other intelligence that could expose the failures and excesses of the jihadists in areas in Iraq and Syria under its control.Daveed Garstein-Ross, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said the US government has to be able to be more quick to react, to be able to respond at the same kind of speed as the jihadists online.In some cases, false claims by the IS have been picked by news media, and the US government needs to promptly release information to show an accurate picture that could undercut the extremists, he said.Senator Cory Booker ridiculed the US governments online effort against IS as laughable.Holding up an iPad at the hearing, Booker cited a paltry number of retweets for a State Department-backed Twitter account, Think Again Turn Away, which is supposed to combat IS social media.Private hacktivists -- as well as some foreign governments -- have proven the most effective at combating the terrorists in social media, often by reporting inflammatory posts and getting pro-IS users suspended from Twitter, according to Berger.As a result, the number of pro-IS Twitter accounts has been significantly reduced in recent months, he said.Civil liberties questionChasing IS propagandists off Twitter had a downside, though, because it deprived government authorities of information used to track recruitment, he added.The problem also raised questions about balancing civil liberties with security.US intelligence and law enforcement agencies have an interest in looking at extremist social media accounts that have been closed or suspended -- or demanding companies keep an archive of such accounts.But the appetite in the country probably is not very friendly to the idea that the FBI should be vacuuming up thousands and thousands of social media accounts, Berger said.Although some plots have been detected on social media, online posts more often provide an evidence trail after a suspect is identified, he said.

UK General Elections 2015: Vote Count Continues

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London (Webdesk) – Vote count for UK’s general election 2015 continued on Friday. Polling was closed and the final results are to be announced by Firday evening. Current vote count shows Ed Miliband’s Centre Left Labor Party in the lead, followed by David Cameron’s Centre Right Conservative Party. The Democratic Unionist Party is in the third position.The Labor Party has secured 13 seats while the Conservatives secured 4 seats up until now. The Democratic Unionist Party secured 3 seats. According to the exit poll results issued before, the conservatives are expected to secure 316 seats, while the Labor Party was suggested to secure 239 seats.2 Pakistani MP’s also secured their seats in the elections. Labor Party’s Naz Shah beat George Galloway form Bradford West, while Labor Party’s Sadiq Khan was also elected.The final results for the UK elections will be revealed by Friday afternoon.Approximately 50 million people will be voting in the elections. A clear defined winner is not expected as 326 seats are needed to form a majority and may lead to negotiations with smaller parties.UK’s General elections will also have a global impact as the whole world watches the elections unfold with a critical eye. Britain is a permanent member of UN Security Council and NATO state. Relations between United States and the UK have been strained due to defense cuts. Another issue is that David Cameron has called for a referendum on whether Britain should remain within the European Union or leave it by 2017 if Conservatives win.The major effects of the suspense filled elections will not be clear immediately.

Football: Slumping Milan look to dent Roma Euro push

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ROME (AFP) - AC Milan, at the centre of takeover uncertainty and with coach Filippo Inzaghi unlikely to survive until next season, can have a hand in the Champions League shake-up when they face Roma on Saturday.The 18-time Serie A champions and winners of the European Cup on seven occasions are marooned in mid-table with just 43 points, a huge 36 behind Juventus who wrapped up the title last weekend.They go into their home clash with second-placed Roma on the back of three straight defeats and a winless run of five matches.To make matters worse, they will be without top scorer Jeremy Menez who is injured and defender Mattia De Sciglio who was red-carded after just 50 seconds into his sides clash with Napoli last Sunday -- the fastest sending-off in Serie A this season.As a consequence, Milan went down to a 3-0 loss to the Europa League semi-finalists.Despite their problems, Milans former Roma defender Philippe Mexes believes the only way is up for the San Siro giants as they have one eye on next season.We really cant do much worse. We have to stay united. We know the fans are not happy and its up to us to get them back on our side, Mexes, who spent seven years at Roma, told the clubs TV channel.They are fighting for second place, are a united side and have a fine coach. After a bit of a wobble, they are doing well again with two wins in a row.Rudi Garcias Roma need to finish second to guarantee entry into the Champions League group stages.They are currently one point ahead of city rivals Lazio who host Inter Milan on Sunday.Roma leapfrogged Lazio into second place last weekend thanks to a 2-0 win over in-form Genoa.Seydou Doumbias second goal in Italy and a wonderful Alessandro Florenzi solo strike in stoppage time secured the three points.Lazio, meanwhile, were outplayed for large periods at Atalanta and could only manage a 1-1 draw to slip a point behind Roma with four games to play.But Lazio captain Stefano Mauri said he was unconcerned if his team finishes second or third which would require playing in the qualifying round.We hope to get into the Champions League -- its not important whether its second or third place.Inter are eighth, just two places above their city rivals, but still entertain hopes of making the Europa League next season.Juventus won the Italian title for the 31st time last Saturday after Arturo Vidals first half strike saw Massimiliano Allegris side defeat Sampdoria 1-0.It was Juventus fourth league title in a row with as many games to spare this season.They then took that form into their Champions League semi-final duel with Real Madrid, carving out a 2-1 advantage to take to Spain next Wednesday.Juventus host relegation-haunted Cagliari and are hopeful that French midfielder Paul Pogba will be fit to play after a six-week absence caused by a thigh injury.Fixtures (all times GMT)SaturdayJuventus v Cagliari (1600), AC Milan v Roma (1845)SundayChievo v Verona (1030), Cesena v Sassuolo, Palermo v Atalanta, Udinese v Sampdoria (all 1300), Empoli v Fiorentina, Parma v Napoli (both 1600), Lazio v Inter Milan (1845)MondayGenoa v Torino (1845)

NFL: Brady says Super Bowl win not tainted by Deflategate

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady insisted Thursday the teams Super Bowl 49 triumph isnt tainted, despite a report linking him to a cheating scandal.No, absolutely not, said Brady, who could yet face discipline from the NFL after investigators found he likely knew game day footballs were purposely under-inflated by Patriots staffers -- perhaps making them easier to grip.In his first public appearance since the NFLs report was released on Wednesday, Brady was greeted by adoring fans at a question-and-answer session at Salem State University in Massachusetts, an engagement arranged weeks before the report came out.He told moderator Jim Gray that he was not yet ready to discuss the NFLs Deflategate findings.I dont have really any reaction, Brady said. Its only been 30 hours so I havent had much time to digest it fully, but when I do, Ill be sure to let you know how I feel about it -- and everybody else.As to when that might be, Brady said, Hopefully soon.Theres still a process thats going forth right now, he said. Im involved in that process, so whenever it happens, it happens. Ill certainly want to be very comfortable in how I feel about the statements that I make.

Cycling: Giro d'Italia favourites

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SAN LORENZO AL MARE (AFP) - Ahead of the start of the 2015 Giro dItalia in San Lorenzo al Mare on Saturday with a 17.6km team timetrial, AFP looks at the top five contenders:Alberto Contador, Spain, Tinkoff-SaxoMajor results: Tour de France winner (2007, 2009), Giro dItalia winner (2008), Vuelta a Espana winner (2008, 2012, 2014), Paris-Nice winner (2007, 2010), Tirreno-Adriatico winner (2014), Tour of the Basque Country winner (2008, 2009, 2014)The Spaniard has the experience and ability to romp to a seventh Grand Tour victory but two elements may work against him. Contador is also targeting Julys Tour de France, which is arguably a greater aim, and he is no longer the force he once was -- primarily prior to his doping suspension. Even so, he proved in winning last years Vuelta that he is still one of the best climbers in the world and if he can avoid losing too much time to superior time-triallers in the 60km stage 14 race against the clock, it is hard to look beyond the 32-year-old.Richie Porte, Australia, Team SkyMajor results: Giro dItalia 7th (2010), Tour de France 19th (2013), Paris-Nice winner (2013, 2015), Volta a Catalunya winner (2015), Giro del Trentino winner (2015), Volta ao Algarve winner (2012), Criterium du Dauphine 2nd (2013), Tour of the Basque Country 2nd (2013)The Tasmanian has never really kicked on since an impressive seventh-placed finish on his Giro debut in 2011. He has more often than not disappointed in Grand Tours. Yet his form in one-week stage races is impressive, particularly this season. He won Paris-Nice for the second time and also triumphed at the Volta a Catalunya. Back in 2013 he was second in the Criterium du Dauphine despite riding as a domestique for team leader Chris Froome, who won. But it remains to be seen if the 30-year-old can transfer that to the three-week format.Fabio Aru, Italy, AstanaMajor results: Giro dItalia 3rd, plus one stage win (2014), Vuelta a Espana 5th, plus two stage wins (2014), Giro della Valle dAosta winner (2011, 2012)The Sardinian is only 24 but he had a breakout season in 2014 where he finished third at the Giro and fifth at the Vuelta, taking three stage wins along the way. Seen as the natural successor to compatriot and Astana teammate Vincenzo Nibali, the Tour de France champion, much is expected of Aru. But his preparations have been upset by a stomach virus in April and he has only 15 race days in his legs this year.Rigoberto Uran, Colombia, Etixx-Quick StepMajor results: Giro dItalia 2nd (2013, 2014), Olympic Games road race 2nd (2012), Tirreno-Adriatico 3rd (2015), Volta a Catalunya 2nd (2008), Tour de Romandie 5th (2009, 2015)Having finished second the last two years, Uran should be there or there abouts and a top five finish, or even podium finish is a near-certainty. But there are question marks over his ability to actually take the next step and win a major race. Too often the 28-year-old comes close, like the 2012 London Olympics, but without ever claiming the cigar. High finishes are his speciality, winning is not.Ilnur Zakarin, Russia, KatushaMajor results: Tour de Romandie winner (2015), Tour of Azerbaijan winner (2014), Russian timetrial champion (2013), Junior European timetrial champion (2007), GP Sochi winner (2014), GP Adygeya (2012, 2014)A week ago 25-year-old Zakarin was an almost unknown but his stunning victory at the Tour de Romandie, beating the likes of Chris Froome, Vincenzo Nibali and Nairo Quintana, has catapulted him into the pre-Giro limelight. His three-week Tour capabilities are totally unknown but his Romandie win suggests he should be considered a contender. However, having already served a two-year doping suspension earlier in his career, his sudden rise has obviously raised eyebrows and he will be under as much scrutiny for his results as for his biological passport readings in Italy.

Egypt's Sisi says Ethiopians 'rescued' from Libya

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CAIRO (AFP) - President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said Egypt had rescued 27 Ethiopians who were abducted in war-torn Libya, as state television showed him greeting the group at Cairo airport on Thursday.It was not immediately clear how the Ethiopians were rescued, or the details of their abduction, but Sisis office said the group flown in on an Egyptian plane was liberated by Egyptian and Libyan security services.All efforts were made to bring the Ethiopians to Egypt safely... Egyptian services participated in this effort to protect, rescue and secure our Ethiopian brothers, Sisi told reporters at Cairo airport.In a separate statement, the army quoted Sisi as saying that the Ethiopians had been kidnapped in Libya.Sisi hailed... Egyptian efforts to rescue the Ethiopian brothers who were kidnapped in Libya, during a seminar attended by army and police officers, the military said.The army did not provide details on the circumstances of their abduction.Ethiopia hailed efforts of Egyptian security agencies in rescuing its citizens.Such efforts contribute to achieving stability in Egypt as well as in Arab and African countries whose security is linked to that of the Red Sea, Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn told Sisi in a telephone call, according to a statement issued by Sisis office.Sisis comments come weeks after a purported video released by the Islamic State jihadist group showed the executions of some 30 Ethiopian Christians captured in Libya.He said Egypt was pained by the gruesome beheading of innocent Ethiopians in Libya and that the rescued Ethiopians were living in dire conditions in the war-strewn country.What is happening in Libya is a matter that concerns us and we tell the whole world that Libya should return to be a safe and stable country for its people and even to its visitors, Sisi said at the airport.Libya has plunged into chaos since the toppling of long-time dictator Moamer Kadhafi, with rival militias fighting for the control of countrys oilfields and territories.The killing of Ethiopians came weeks after the jihadists posted a similar video showing the beheadings of 21 Coptic Christians, all but one of them Egyptians, on a beach in Libya.The killing of Egyptian Christians had prompted air strikes by Cairo targeting IS targets inside Libya.Sisi has repeatedly called for a joint Arab military force to fight jihadists in the region, and at an Arab League summit in March, regional leaders agreed to establish such a force.The details of the joint Arab force have yet to be worked out.Since his election last year, Sisi has been working to improve relations with Addis Ababa amid a dispute over Nile water rights.Ethiopia began diverting the Blue Nile in May 2013 to build a 6,000 megawatt dam, which will be Africas largest when completed in 2017.This has raised fears in Cairo that Egypts share of the Nile would fall. In March, Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan signed an agreement of principles on the dam to ease tensions.

UN troops ready to move against DR Congo rebels

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UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - UN troops are preparing an offensive against Hutu rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo after plans for a joint operation with the Congolese army fell through, the UN peacekeeping chief said Thursday.Herve Ladsous told reporters following a closed-door meeting of the UN Security Council that the UN mission MONUSCO would carry out unilateral operations to drive out the Hutu militia based in eastern DR Congo.The Security Council has empowered us to act unilaterally. We are planning to that effect, Ladsous said.The United Nations pulled its support for the joint operation against the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) rebels in February after Kinshasa named two tainted generals to lead the offensive.UN officials demanded that the two generals, who are on a UN blacklist of serious rights violators, be sacked.Ladsous said the Congolese government doesnt want to create conditions that would allow MONUSCO to carry out joint operations with the armed forces.The peacekeeping chief did not provide details of the UN missions planned offensive, but said it would require some cooperation with the army.The FDLR was established by ethnic Hutus who fled Rwanda following the 1994 genocide of 800,000 people, mostly minority Tutsis.Opposed to President Paul Kagames Tutsi-dominated government, they are accused of carrying out brutal attacks on civilians in eastern DR Congo and of smuggling gold and charcoal.Two FDLR leaders are wanted for war crimes by the International Criminal Court.The United Nations is pushing for the disarming of dozens of rebel and splinter groups after two decades of conflict in the eastern DR Congo, much of it fueled by the lucrative trade in minerals.

Pub in London's finance district cheers for Cameron

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LONDON (AFP) - Drinkers at a pub near the skyscrapers of the City of London toasted indications that Britain could be headed for a second government led by Prime Minister David Cameron on Friday.As an exit poll showed his Conservative party ahead and results began to filter through, the drink was flowing as one of Britains many election night parties got underway.The mood was upbeat at the Draft House in Seething Lane, a bar that serves a large selection of world beers for connoisseurs in the heart of Londons financial district.I voted for the Conservatives because Labour is not competent on financial matters, said finance industry worker Ben Woodthorpe, 39, as he sipped beer.Its very exciting because its too close to call.Several fellow City workers sent up a Hooray as a television screen announced the exit poll showing Cameron set to take more seats than predicted -- albeit just short of an outright majority.There were smiles all round as several drinkers gave victory signs.Why would you change? The economy is doing well after five years with the Conservatives, said City worker Grant.Polls up to the eve of the election had indicated the vote would be one of Britains closest in decades, but the exit poll confounded expectations by showing the Labour party of Ed Miliband losing seats.If Labour comes back it would be catastrophic for the economy, said banker Sarah as she sipped a glass of white wine.We will follow the result with great interest, because it will be too close to call and we dont want the Labour party to make a mess again of the economyThe City has traditionally been a stronghold of Conservative support and a key source of donors for the party during the campaign.Surprise and shockAs young men in suits mingled with women in dresses and office gear, some pub-goers expressed surprise at the projected result.Im very shocked that Labour has done so well, very very shocked, said Perrine after she saw the centre-left party led by Ed Miliband was predicted to take 239 seats -- 17 fewer than in 2010. Very bad news, I dont like Labour.Others remarked that the Scottish National Party (SNP), which campaigns for Scotland to become an independent country, was predicted to increase their seats dramatically from six to 58.I think Im quite surprised how much the SNP have increased their numbers, said Miranda.The other shock of the night was the apparent dramatic decline of the Liberal Democrats, the centrist party led by deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg that has been in coalition with the Conservatives since 2010.Perrine said she was very surprised that the Liberal Democrats have lost so many seats.Miranda agreed. Im quite surprised... how much the Lib Dems have actually lost in numbers.

Clashes, protests hit Guinea over vote timing

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CONAKRY (AFP) - Guinean security forces on Thursday clashed with protesters in the capital Conakry who demanded a revision of an election timetable that they say stacks the odds in the regimes favour, an AFP journalist and witnesses said.The clashes came a day before President Alpha Conde and opposition chief Cellou Dalein Diallo were due to hold talks, the first such meeting in three years.But Diallo said late Thursday he would not attend the meeting with the president because of the violence against opposition protesters.I will not go there tomorrow, Diallo said. Given the violence and abuses by the security forces against opposition activists, I decline to honour this appointment.Diallos home and those of other prominent opposition leaders were earlier cordoned off by security forces.My family and I are being held against our will, Diallo said earlier.The opposition urged more demonstrations -- this time nationwide -- on Monday.They are calling for local elections to be held before a presidential vote due in October.They believe Conde wants the calendar to remain unchanged because he wants to keep his cronies in local administrations, to help him rig the October vote.The president denies the claims, arguing that local officials will not be involved in the vote.Colonel Ansouma Camara of the Guinean police said the opposition leaders homes were being surrounded in order to minimise violence.Two weeks of violent confrontations in April left several people dead and dozens wounded in the countrys largest towns and cities.Then on Monday, one person died and at least 20 were wounded as fresh clashes broke out in the capital.Thursdays clashes hit several districts in the suburbs of Conakry, where many store owners closed their businesses for the day while the flow of traffic was blocked in some areas.Young men threw stones at the security forces, who responded with teargas in some areas.Some protesters burned tyres and set up barricades on the Fidel Castro highway linking the heart of the capital to the airport.

Brazilian football great Pele stable after surgery

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SAO PAULO (AFP) - Pele was in stable condition in a hospital Thursday after undergoing surgery for an enlarged prostate, doctors said, just the latest health scare for the Brazilian football legend. The 74 year old had the surgery Tuesday and is to have tests to see when he can be released from the Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo, the same facility that treated him for two weeks last year for a urinary infection.It said he was resting in his room after a transurethral resection of the prostate, or TURP.The Urology Care Foundation says the surgery has excellent outcomes and is the gold standard in caring for benign prostatic hyperplasia, or non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate, a common condition in aging men.Brazilian media reports said the surgery was aimed at preventing a repeat of the urinary infection that put him in hospital last year.That health scare, which included five days in intensive care, came after he underwent surgery for kidney stones on November 13.After developing an infection, he was readmitted to hospital.His only kidney -- the other was removed following a rib injury during his playing days -- had stopped working and he had to be treated with hemodialysis, a procedure that involves filtering a patients blood through an artificial kidney.After a hospital stay that worried fans worldwide, he was released on December 9, walking gingerly but joking with reporters: I am preparing for the OlympicsPele, whose real name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento, is widely regarded as the greatest player of all time.The only player to win three World Cup titles, he was named the athlete of the century by the International Olympic Committee in 1999.Nicknamed O Rei (The King), Pele was born in a humble home in the city of Tres Coracoes and exploded into Brazilian football as a young phenom.He made his professional debut for the Brazilian side Santos at 15 and won his first World Cup aged just 17, scoring twice in the 1958 final win over hosts Sweden.He would go on to score a total of 77 goals in 91 games for his football-mad country across a remarkable career that included two more World Cup titles, in 1962 and 1970.In 1977, he inspired the New York Cosmos to the US national title in his final season with the club, which also featured fellow greats Franz Beckenbauer, Italian striker Giorgio Chinaglia and former Brazil captain Carlos Alberto.He scored a total 1,281 goals in his sparkling career.

Tennis: Murray races into Madrid quarters

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MADRID (Agencies) - Andy Murray recovered from his win in the early hours of Thursday to beat Spanish wildcard Marcel Granollers and reach the Madrid Masters last eight.The British number one, 27, recorded a 6-2 6-0 victory in his second match of the day, having started the tie against Philipp Kohlschreiber after midnight.I felt very tired today, said Murray.If they want to see the top players playing the best tennis, dont have them play matches at three oclock in the morning.He added: I tried to pump myself as much as possible for this match and bluff [Granollers] to show I was feeling OK.Murray broke the Spaniard in the fourth and eighth games of the opening set, before breaking a further three times in the second set - including fighting back from 0-40 down on his opponents serve in the final game - to seal victory.The number two seed, who won the title in 2008, will face fifth seed Milos Raonic on Friday after the Canadian defeated Argentinas Leonardo Mayer 6-4 6-3.I got through this one fairly quickly, added the Scot, who completed his win in 64 minutes. Its been a good start for me. Hopefully, Ill play a good match in the quarters.Earlier, Spanish third seed Rafael Nadal remained on course for a third successive Madrid title following a 6-2 6-2 win over unseeded Italian Simone Bolelli. He will now face Bulgarian 10th seed Grigor Dimitrov in the quarter-finals.Yeah, everything worries me about Dimitrov, Nadal said of the player who defeated eighth-seeded Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka 7-6 (7-5) 3-6 6-3.Hes a very good player. He serves well, very good forehand. Backhand, too. Slice also.Sixth-seed Czech Tomas Berdych is also in the last eight after a 7-5 6-2 victory over Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.Berdych will play United States player John Isner, who defeated Roger Federers conqueror Nick Kyrgios 6-3 6-7 (5-7) 6-4.
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