Saturday 13 June 2015

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Western 'haggling' a risk to nuclear deadline: Rouhani

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TEHRAN (AFP) - Irans president warned Saturday that haggling by world powers could jeopardise the June 30 deadline for a nuclear agreement, admitting many differences remain on the details of the potentially historic deal.Hassan Rouhani, who has placed his credibility on ending more than a decade of international concern that the Islamic republic is developing a nuclear bomb, also acknowledged sanctions would not be lifted immediately under the accord.He made the remarks in Tehran a day after Russias senior negotiator spoke of a very worrying slowdown in painstaking diplomacy which has lasted 21 months.With the finishing line in sight, Rouhani, speaking at a press conference marking two years since his unexpected election victory, accused the other side of agreeing terms in one meeting only to try and improve on them during later discussions.They start to haggle, he said, without naming any of the six global powers in the talks.If the other party respects the agreed framework and does not add other demands, the differences can be resolved but if they choose the path of haggling then it can prolong the negotiations, he added.Iran and the P51 group (Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States plus Germany) agreed the outlines of the nuclear deal on April 2 after intensive talks went past a March 31 deadline.In Washington on Friday, State Department spokesman Jeffrey Rathke admitted the process was proving complicated, but the US believes a deal can still be reached by the end of June.A day earlier French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius -- seen as a hawk in the negotiations -- said tighter UN inspections of Irans nuclear facilities, under an additional protocol, were not yet sewn up.Iranian officials have insisted there can be no inspections of military sites and Rouhani appeared to muddy the waters further.Iran will not allow its secrets to be disclosed or put in the hands of others, he said, noting there can be some access but not detailing which sites he was referring to.We have secrets in technology. Our secrets will be protected, he added.With deputy foreign ministers and technical experts currently meeting in Vienna in the run up to the final talks, Russias senior negotiator spoke Friday of slow progress.Months to lift sanctionsThere is very little time before the deadline and we urgently need to enter the final stage, said Sergei Ryabkov, a deputy foreign minister.Alluding to those concerns, Rouhani said despite many differences under the deal, which aims to guarantee that Irans nuclear activities are peaceful, he remained hopeful of an agreement.The proposed accord would mothball large parts of Tehrans atomic programme in exchange for a lifting of extensive sanctions that have severely damaged its economy.But the process of implementing each sides obligations under a complex agreement lasting at least a decade remains unsettled.Iranian lawmakers and hardliners maintain that sanctions must be lifted when the deal is signed, despite most experts agreeing it will take significant time to do so.We are currently discussing it, Rouhani said, when asked about the timing of sanctions being removed, conceding that weeks or even months will pass between signing and implementing the deal.A UN Security Council resolution to cancel previous resolutions on nuclear matters will be the first major step and a guarantee he said.Then it will take several months to implement all the commitments, he added, referring to sanctions imposed by the European Union and the United States.Those sanctions, implemented in 2012, targeted Irans oil and financial sectors and plunged the country into a deep economic crisis which led to inflation above 40 percent.Rouhani said the talks were so far a great victory for the Iranian nation, insisting that the major powers have recognised Irans right to possess a uranium enrichment programme.But he also hit out at those in Iran who sought to downplay the effect of sanctions, saying they had halted foreign investment.OK, the country can survive... but if we want to compete in the world we need them removed, he said. No big country can thrive behind closed doors.

Football: Scotland's Maloney frustrates Ireland again

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DUBLIN (AFP) - Shaun Maloney was the Republic of Irelands nemesis once more as Scotland delivered a massive blow to their hosts Euro 2016 qualification hopes with a 1-1 draw at Lansdowne Road on Saturday.The Chicago Fire midfielder scored the only goal when the sides met in Glasgow in November and it was his second-half strike that took a massive deflection off Ireland skipper John OShea to cancel out Jon Walters first-half goal.The result leaves Ireland five points behind Group D leaders Poland in fourth place, but the point will be welcomed by Gordon Strachans men, who knew avoiding defeat would make Irelands task of going to France next summer incredibly difficult.We are still in with a good chance of qualifying, Strachan told Sky Sports. And after the amount of games we have played, to have a good chance is terrific from the lads.His opposite number Martin ONeill said: Scotland will be delighted to get out of here with something but there is still a distance to go, we have not given this up by a long way.Neither manager gave much away in the build-up to this game, keeping their selection cards close to their chest, and it became clear why when the teams were announced.For Ireland, nothing less than victory would do, and the inclusion of Jeff Hendrick, Walters and Daryl Murphy in the starting line-up was unexpected.Robbie Keane was only on the bench after two of his cousins were killed in a tragic accident earlier in the week, while Aiden McGeady, James McClean and Shane Long were left out as ONeill plumped for strength and fitness.Charlie Mulgrew started in central defence for Scotland despite only recently returning from injury, while there was no room for Ikechi Anya or Andy Robertson, with Matt Richie also making a first start.Steven Naismith and Steven Fletcher had the best chances in the opening 10 minutes, but neither troubled Shay Given in the Ireland goal and the efforts were against the general run of play with the home midfield and wing backs controlling the game.There was passion and patience in Irelands play, with Murphy holding possession well up front, while Wes Hoolahan, James McCarthy, Robbie Brady and Seamus Coleman pushed forward at every attempt.The home support were growing in confidence but Colemans crossing in advanced positions was disappointing and it appeared Ireland would not be rewarded for their endeavour.A Murphy header was palmed over by David Marshall but the breakthrough finally arrived from the resulting corner on 38 minutes, although goalscorer Walters was in an offside position.Bradys corner was nodded goalward by Murphy, but it took a nick off Walters and Marshalls smart save merely pushed the ball back to Walters who prodded home.Cruel deflectionIreland almost added a second just before the break, when a wicked Brady corner bounced in the six-yard box, but there was no player in green there to finish it off and James Morrison cleared the danger.Ritchie was replaced at the break by Anya, and the Watford wingers first touch set up Maloney to shoot in the 47th minute.His effort was going wide, but a cruel deflection off OSheas back diverted the ball past Given and into the corner of the Irish goal.Ireland nearly bounced back immediately when Hoolahan broke from midfield, rode the challenge of Scott Brown and found Murphy on the edge of the box. Marshall saved well with his legs and Mulgrew got back to clear Walters cutback at the near post.Anya continued to be an outlet for Scotland on the left wing and provided another half chance on 65 minutes, his chip being batted down by Given before Fletchers follow-up overhead kick was cleared by Marc Wilson.McClean and Keane were introduced by Ireland as they chased a winner, but neither could alter the scoreline as Scotland held on stubbornly to a point that could be priceless come the conclusion of Group D.

Thousands protest in Macedonia demanding PM's resignation

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SKOPJE (AFP) - Several thousand people protested in Macedonias capital Skopje on Saturday demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, AFP reporters said, with negotiations over the countrys deep political crisis in a deadlock.Organised by the Besa protest movement, which is dominated by Macedonias Albanian minority, the protesters also called for the resignation of Ali Ahmeti, leader of the main Albanian party DUI, which is allied to Gruevskis conservatives.Macedonias leaders agreed this month to hold elections in early 2016 in order to overcome a crisis that has embroiled the country for months.Opposition socialists have been boycotting parliament, claiming electoral fraud and refusing to recognise the results of polls held last year.In addition, the centre-left opposition accuses Gruevski of wiretapping some 20,000 people, including politicians and journalists, as well as of corruption, a murder cover-up and other wrongdoings.Gruevskis government, in return, has filed charges against socialist leader Zoran Zaev, accusing him of spying and attempts to destabilise the country.The crisis further deepened last month when police clashed with an ethnic Albanian armed group, whose members were mostly from Kosovo, in the northern town of Kumanovo. Eighteen people were killed in the clashes, including eight police officers.Fearing a repeat of a six-month conflict in 2001 between Macedonian armed forces and ethnic Albanians demanding more rights for their community, the international community stepped in after the Kumanovo incident and initiated political talks among political leaders.But talks in Brussels this week broke up without a deal, with EU enlargement commissioner Johannes Hahn saying he was very disappointed about lack of responsibility and leadership by some.Macedonia has been in a decade-long stalemate in the process of accession to both the European Union and NATO due to a veto by Greece. Athens denies its neighbour the use of the name Macedonia, claiming to have a historical right to it.

US moves six Yemeni Guantanamo detainees to Oman

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States transferred six Yemeni inmates from its Guantanamo Bay prison to Oman, the Pentagon said Saturday, part of a drive by President Barack Obama to close the controversial jail.The United States is grateful to the government of Oman for its humanitarian gesture and willingness to support ongoing US efforts to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility, a statement said.The men arrived in the sultanate on Saturday for a temporary stay, said an Omani foreign ministry statement carried by the official ONA news agency. It did not elaborate on their subsequent travel plans.The six were named as Idris Ahmad Abd Al Qadir Idris, Sharaf Ahmad Muhammad Masud, Jalal Salam Awad Awad, Saad Nasser Moqbil Al Azani, Emad Abdallah Hassan and Muhammad Ali Salem Al Zarnuki.Yemenis make up the largest portion of the prison population at Guantanamo. A total of 69 are still left at the jail, accounting for more than half of the 116 inmates remaining at the US naval base in southeastern Cuba.The Pentagon said that the United States coordinated with the government of Oman to ensure these transfers took place consistent with appropriate security and humane treatment measures.The interagency Guantanamo Review Task Force conducted comprehensive reviews of each of these cases, and a number of factors, including security issues, had been examined, it said.The decision to transfer a detainee is made only after detailed, specific conversations with the receiving country about the potential threat a detainee may pose after transfer and the measures the receiving country will take in order to sufficiently mitigate that threat and to ensure humane treatment, said Lieutenant Colonel Myles Caggins, a Pentagon spokesman.The measures taken must be tailored to mitigate the specific threat that the detainee may pose. If we do not receive adequate assurances, the transfer does not occur.It was the second Guantanamo prisoner transfer this year, after the Pentagon announced in January that it had moved four men to Oman and one to Estonia.A total 28 inmates were transferred out of Guantanamo in 2014.Struggling to empty GuantanamoThwarted by Congress in his effort to close the prison, Obama has had to rely on a handful of countries that have agreed to accept detainees.The prison was set up to hold alleged terror suspects after the September 11, 2001 attacks.But human rights groups have condemned the jail as a legal black hole where inmates languish for years without being tried.Caggins said the Pentagon took any attempt by the freed detainees to reengage with violent extremists very seriously, insisting that few former Guantanamo inmates have attempted to do so.More than 90 percent of the detainees transferred under this administration are neither confirmed nor suspected by the intelligence community of reengagement, Caggins said.But House Homeland Security Chairman Michael McCaul disagreed, saying a third of released detainees have engaged in terror, and calling the latest transfers reckless.The lack of a comprehensive detainee policy has led this president to make reckless decisions affecting American security, McCaul said.The president needs to be upfront with the American people, rather than have the release of dangerous detainees buried in a Saturday news dump.Of the 122 detainees transferred by the Obama administration, 75 have been resettled in third countries.We are working feverishly to transfer each of the 51 detainees currently approved for transfer, said Ian Moss, senior State Department advisor to the envoy on Guantanamo closure.Of those, 43 are Yemeni nationals.It is not in our national security interest to continue to detain individuals if we as a government have determined that they can be transferred from Guantanamo responsibly, Moss said.

Britain pulls spies as Moscow cracks Snowden files: reports

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LONDON (AFP) - Britain has been forced to remove some of its spies after Russia and China accessed the top-secret raft of documents taken by former US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden, British media reported.The BBC and the Sunday Times cited senior government and intelligence officials as saying agents had been pulled, with the newspaper saying the move came after Russia was able to decrypt more than one million files.It is the case that Russians and Chinese have information. It has meant agents have had to be moved and that knowledge of how we operate has stopped us getting vital information, a Downing Street source said, according to the newspaper.The BBC said on its website, meanwhile, that a government source said the two countries have information that spurred intelligence agents being moved, but said there was no evidence any spies were harmed.Snowden fled to Russia after leaking the documents to the press in 2013 to expose the extent of US online surveillance programmes and to protect privacy and basic liberties.The Sunday Times said other government sources claimed China had also accessed the documents, which reveal US and British intelligence techniques, leading to fears that their spies could be identified.Snowden worked as a contractor at the CIA and National Security Agency, where he was able to download 1.7 million secret documents that showed how hundreds of millions of people had been surveilled by the authorities.He previously claimed that no intelligence service could crack the documents, saying he was able to keep such information from being compromised even in the highest threat counter-intelligence environments.But an intelligence source told the Sunday Times: We know Russia and China have access to Snowdens material and will be going through it for years to come, searching for clues to identify potential targets.

US policeman who shot dead boy 'feared for his life'

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - The Cleveland police officer who shot dead a 12-year-old black boy seen waving around a replica gun was distraught and acted out of fear for his life, according to an official report released Saturday.It comes two days after a judge ruled the two police officers involved should face criminal charges over the death of Tamir Rice in November -- a time of heightened racial tensions in the United States following a series of fatal incidents involving black men and boys.Rice was fatally shot after police responded to a 911 call that someone was waving around a gun in a park. It turned out to be an airsoft gun and the boy died of his injuries a day later.The chaotic immediate aftermath was revealed after prosecutors released the results of a police investigation into Rices fatal shooting at the hands of police officer Timothy Loehmann.The report details an FBI special agents memory of his interaction with Loehmann, whom the agent described as distraught.He seemed like a guy that was put in a very difficult situation and had to make a very quick decision based upon what he believed was an imminent fear of death or serious physical injury to himself and reacted to it, he told investigators.The agent said he did not prompt Loehmann to explain his actions and Loehmann started talking spontaneously.He said (Rice) had a gun, and he reached for it after he told him to show him his hands, the agent told investigators.The evidence from the investigation will be handed over to a grand jury, which will decide whether to press charges against officers Loehmann and Frank Garmback, who was driving the patrol car that fateful day.Transparency (i.e. the actual facts) is essential for an intelligent discussion of the important issues raised by this case, said Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Timothy McGinty.If we wait years for all litigation to be completed before the citizens are allowed to know what actually happened, we will have squandered our best opportunity to institute needed changes in use of force policy, police training and leadership.On Thursday, Cleveland Municipal Court Judge Ronald Adrine ruled there was probable cause to bring charges of murder, involuntary manslaughter, reckless homicide, negligent homicide and dereliction of duty against Loehmann.Adrine found there was probable cause to bring charges of negligent homicide and dereliction of duty against Garmback, ABC News reported.But the judge cautioned that his opinion was advisory in nature and it was ultimately up to the discretion of the citys prosecuting authority to file charges, the local ABC News station reported.The ruling comes after community leaders took advantage of an unusual law which allows residents to bypass prosecutors and ask judges to issue arrest warrants.

Readying White House bid, Jeb Bush seeks focus on present

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - While White House hopeful Jeb Bush makes his candidacy official Monday, he has run a de facto race for six months, one that has yet to meet backers high hopes.For Bush, the former Florida governors political pedigree as son and brother of two former presidents could end up as either a blessing or a curse.His last name guarantees him the highest visibility of any of the many Republicans in the field. But while US media and polls anointed him his partys early frontrunner for 2016, he has not yet lived up to the hype.Back in December, when he announced he was exploring a presidential bid, there were signs Bush would handily dominate the Republican competition, but that has not proved true.There was talk, fueled by aides speaking privately to reporters and fundraisers, that the main pro-Bush outside spending group was on track to raise a historic $100 million by the end of June, confirmation that he was scooping up support from many billionaire donors.But a recent widely circulated Washington Post story citing two individuals close to his campaign said the Right to Rise super PAC could fall well short of the nine-digit threshold.Jeb Bush waded into a quagmire last month when he repeatedly waffled over whether he would have authorized an invasion of Iraq.The series of bungled on-air responses, while potentially damaging for Bush in their own right, highlighted what will likely be one of the candidates distracting challenges: overcoming the legacy of his brother George W. Bush and his unpopular Iraq policy.I hope that the message will be a hopeful, optimistic one. It wont dwell too much on the past, Jeb Bush said Friday in Tallinn, Estonia, during a trip to Europe before his campaign launch.Turbulent timesAmplifying the pre-campaign turbulence, Bush announced last week he was shuffling his team, reportedly naming operative Danny Diaz as his campaign manager instead of David Kochel, an Iowa strategist who was widely seen as preparing for the job.There are some real problems for Jeb, conservative columnist Erick Erickson wrote in TownHall.com.First, there are too many cooks in the kitchen, who profit even if he loses, Erickson said of the many advisors Bush has scooped up in early months, in part to prevent them from joining rival candidates.Second, his last name is an anchor. Third, his post-gubernatorial rhetoric seemingly deviates from his gubernatorial record, which is objectively solid and probably more conservative than George W. Bushs record in Texas.Dwelling on past?Jeb Bushs Florida record has impressed many, but he left office eight years ago. And grass roots conservatives have expressed skepticism, saying he has not since put forward a compelling conservative message.Two issues could keep core conservatives away: his support for comprehensive immigration reform, which places him to the left of virtually all Republicans in the field on the issue, and his backing of Common Core, a set of national education standards loathed by conservatives.Evidence of Bushs struggle is apparent in Iowa, the state that votes first in the primaries and caucuses which determine the party nominees, and where in a poll last month he finished seventh among declared or potential candidates.Nationally, Bush is bunched at the top of most polls, but he is not the dominant figure in the race that many had expected.In a RealClearPolitics poll average, he leads with 11.3 percent. But six other Republicans are within just four percentage points, including Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, who topped the Iowa poll.Fellow Floridian and US Senator Marco Rubio, 44, who has shot from the back of the pack to the front, has cast himself as one in a new generation of politicians who represent the Washington establishment.Bush, while never serving in Washington as a politician, may have trouble casting off the charge that he is merely a relative of presidents.Bush no doubt is personable as he meets with voters, seeking to connect with Americans and convince that he is, as he said early this year, my own man.I need to share my heart, to show a little bit about my life experience, Bush said in a 90-second campaign-style video released Friday.

Football: Paraguay fightback stuns Argentina at Copa

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LA SERENA (AFP) - Argentinas dreams of a first major title in 22 years were given a reality check on Saturday as Paraguay came from behind to snatch a last-gasp 2-2 draw in a Copa America classic.English Premier league star Sergio Aguero and captain Lionel Messi looked to have put Argentina on the road to a routine victory in Group B after firing the tournament favourites into a 2-0 first-half lead.But a long-range strike from Nelson Valdez hauled Paraguay back into the contest before Argentine-born forward Lucas Barrios grabbed a dramatic 90th-minute equaliser.The stunning comeback left Argentina in shock and could complicate their route through the knockout rounds in Chile.It is a sin, to give away an equaliser in the final minute, Argentina coach Gerardo Martino said afterwards, lambasting his teams neglect.We lost control and the other team had four or five chances to get a draw, Martino told a news conference.We had many chances to win, he added, saying that the team in the second half were totally different from the side that played in the first half.I do not think we need to change anything. What we have to look back at the two games we played in the 90 minutes today.Like a victoryParaguay goal hero Barrios was jubilant after his teams heroics.This group is so tough that getting a draw in the last minute against Argentina is like a victory, said Barrios, who plays for Montpellier in France.Paraguays other goalscorer, Valdez, paid tribute to the spirit shown by his team-mates.Individually we are less than Argentina, but as a team we are better than them, he said. We needed a slap in the face at half-time.Argentina, runners-up in the World Cup final last year, are aiming to win their first major tournament since victory in the 1993 Copa America.They now face a crucial second match on Tuesday against holders Uruguay, who struggled to impress in a lacklustre 1-0 win over Caribbean minnows Jamaica earlier Saturday.Uruguay, the defending champions, badly missed their suspended striker Luis Suarez, who is still serving a ban for biting Italys Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup.Improvement demandedLa Celeste captain Diego Godin demanded improvement on Saturday after a solitary goal from Cristian Rodriguez saved their blushes against the Reggae Boyz.Its a good result to start with, now we need to correct some mistakes, Godin told Chilean television.Its very important to win the first game in the Copa America, as it is in any big tournament, the Atletico Madrid defender added. We have to go game by game, but we will have to improve and keep working hard.Uruguay barely created a chance against Jamaica, one of two teams from the North America, Central America and Caribbean zone (CONCACAF) invited to take part in the Copa America, along with Mexico.Uruguay finally broke the deadlock seven minutes after the break with a cleverly worked set-piece routine.Boca Juniors midfielder Nicolas Lodeiro floated a free-kick from wide on the left for defender Jose Maria Gimenez, who lost his marker to head back into the area for Rodriguez, on loan with Brazilian side Gremio from Atletico Madrid, to finish.Sundays Copa America action sees the entrance of five-time world champions Brazil, who face Peru in Group C.Colombia play Venezuela in the other match on Sunday.

US data better, but Fed likely to hold off on rate rise

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - Evidence is piling up that the US economy is rebounding from the past few months stall, with consumers spending more, a rebound in job creation, and wages beginning to rise.But analysts believe the Federal Reserve will want to see more when it meets in the coming week to again weigh hiking interest rates.The Federal Open Market Committee meets on monetary policy on Tuesday and Wednesday, about the very time that, a year ago, it expected to be announcing a rise in its benchmark federal funds rate.The rate has sat at an extraordinarily low zero percent since 2008 in an effort to rebuild the US economy from the Great Recession with a flood of cheap dollars.Persistent underemployment, extremely low inflation and weak wage growth has kept the rate in place, with the Fed worried the economy could still be vulnerable to tighter monetary conditions, six years after the recession ended.The surprise economic contraction of the first quarter put any action on hold, though the FOMC has said that it views the causes of the stall of the past few months as transitory.Since April, though, key data which the FOMC looks at to decide whether the economy can handle higher rates -- inflation, employment and wages -- have all shown signs of improvement.Fed Chair Janet Yellen has repeatedly stressed the need for signs of firm tightening in the jobs market, even if inflation stays low.Released on June 5, the May job creation report was surprisingly strong, with the jobs market absorbing a surge of returnees, and wages turning up at the same time, all signs of tightening.Good new numbersData this week backed that up: job vacancies rose and employers said they are and expect to be paying people more.But the other data is mixed. Consumer spending has risen, but mainly on cars; otherwise, US shoppers seem very cautious.Prices are weaker than the Fed -- which wants to see inflation around two percent -- favors.Analysts say that because the FOMC needs to see steady improvement over time, it will likely wait a couple months more to move, even if Fed policy-makers seem anxious to get past the initial increase.The June FOMC (policy) statement will largely be a placeholder for what we continue to believe will be a September rate hike, said Deutsche Bank Friday.A June rate hike is not entirely off the table, but is highly unlikely. September is more likely, but that first hike is data-dependent, said economists at IHS.Normalizing hikes down the lineWhen it does, it will likely be the first in a series of increases aiming to normalize US monetary policy, the Fed says.That prospect has driven volatility in global markets for two years now, pushing the dollar higher and spurring capital flows out from emerging markets, which has left many struggling to shore up growth.Partly for that reason, in the past two weeks both the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank have encouraged the Fed to hold off rate increases until 2016.Worried about the impact of higher interest rates on poorer countries, the IMF said the Fed should remain data-dependent and defer its first increase in policy rates until there are greater signs of wage or price inflation than are currently evident.Barring upside surprises to growth and inflation, this would put lift-off into the first half of 2016.

AU chair urges dialogue to end Burundi crisis

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JOHANNESBURG (AFP) - The head of the African Union Commission, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, on Saturday urged rival sides in Burundi to engage in dialogue to solve the political crisis gripping the central African nation.The country has been embroiled in turmoil since President Pierre Nkurunziza announced his bid in April for a third consecutive five-year term.Violent protests have left about 40 people dead and scores more injured in weeks of unrest, mostly in the capital Bujumbura, while more than 100,000 people have fled the country.We would like to encourage all the parties to engage in constructive dialogue placing the interest of the country and the people, welfare and lives of their people and the stability and peace above all else, said AU chairwoman Dlamini-Zuma at a peace and security meeting in Johannesburg on the eve of an African Union summit.The security situation in Burundi is expected to the at the centre of the African heads of state meeting which starts on Sunday. But it was unclear if Nkurunziza himself would attend the meeting.Since surviving a coup attempt last month Nkurunziza has faced international pressure to reconsider his attempt to stay in power, which observers fear could plunge the country back into war.The country will hold parliamentary elections on June 29 and a presidential poll on July 15.

Clinton calls for 'better deal' at first major rally

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NEW YORK (AFP) - Hillary Clinton held the first major rally Saturday of her campaign to become the first woman president of the United States, promising a better deal for struggling middle-class Americans.She chose home turf in New York, where she has a trenchant fan base and served as senator for eight years, to deliver a personal speech outlining why she was running again and to promise tax breaks and universal pre-school.Several thousand of her most devoted admirers braved scorching heat and a strict security cordon to pack a relatively small venue at a memorial to famed World War II and New Deal president Franklin D. Roosevelt.I may not be the youngest candidate in this race, but I will be the youngest woman president in the history of the United States, the 67 year old said to cheers and applause. And the first grandmother as wellThe former secretary of state was joined on stage by husband and former president Bill, daughter Chelsea and their son-in-law Marc Mezvinsky, embracing, holding hands and waving to a rapturous sea of waving flags.With chants of Hillary and whoops of delight, it was a festival of wholesome middle-class America, decked with red, white and blue flags, bordered by leafy trees and overlooked by the skyscrapers of New York.She drew on the disadvantaged background of her mother, who was forced to work as a maid aged 14 during the Great Depression, to tell voters that she understood first hand their problems.My mother taught me that everybody needs (a) chance and a champion. She knew what it was like not to have either one, Clinton said.Prosperity just cant be for CEOs and hedge fund managers. Democracy cant be just for billionaires.Americans need a better deal.Tax breaks, universal pre-schoolThe Democratic frontrunner for the 2016 race to the White House promised tax relief to small business owners, to lead the way in climate change, to make pre-school available to every child and lift the crushing burden of college debt.She called for equal rights for all and promised to keep America strong, countering threats from Russia, North Korea and Iran, cyber attacks and from the Islamic State extremist group in Syria and Iraq.She sought to present herself as warm, caring and relaxed, someone with a sense of humor and the most qualified candidate, with a raft of credentials learnt over four decades in public service.Those at the venue lapped it up, but outside a small group of protesters held up banners denouncing her as a hypocrite, chastising her as out of touch, nepotistic and untrustworthy.Clintons campaign, announced in April, has been clouded by criticism about her charitable work with the Clinton Foundation, paid speeches, private email accounts and her record as secretary of state.A CNN poll found last week a growing number of Americans say she is not honest and not trustworthy (57 percent, up from 49 percent in March).Critics not silencedIn her speech, she launched a stinging attack on the Republican Party, painting her conservative foes as out of touch and lampooned their tax breaks in favor of the super wealthy, at the expense of the middle class.Republican National Committee spokeswoman Allison Moore denounced the speech as chock full of hypocritical attacks, partisan rhetoric and ideas from the past that have led to a sluggish economy.Progressives on the left welcomed her proposal for debt-free college and said her words showed that the center of gravity in the Democratic Party was moving away from corporate priorities toward populist ideas.But Americans need to see specifics. We need a Democratic nominee ready to take on the powerful financial interests that keep our economy down, said Adam Green from the Progressive Change Campaign Committee.At Roosevelt Island subway station, Howard Cash sat dismayed as he watched thousands of people stream home, two bags still overflowing with unsold Clinton buttons and fridge magnets.Its got to get better, he told AFP. Shes just not motivating people. Shes an analytical speaker, not an inspirational speaker.Cash, who is also a photographer, said he has sold pins for decades, but that civil rights campaigner Jesse Jackson, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama -- who saw off Hillary Clinton last time around -- all whipped up such fervor that his merchandise flew off the shelves.And this is New Yorkers, he said. Thats her base.

Riot police disperse migrants as tempers fray at France-Italy border

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VENTIMIGLIA (AFP) - Italian police moved Saturday to disperse around 200 migrants who were staging a sit-in at a border crossing with France after French police refused to let them enter the country.Officers in riot gear pushed the migrants back towards the town of Ventimiglia, five kilometres (three miles) from the border.However, a group of around 50 men slipped away from the police cordon and took refuge on rocks near the border post.Where are our human rights? some of the men shouted, claiming they had been treated roughly by the police.An Italian official said the protesters would be taken by bus to reception centres in the western province of Imperia.Some of the migrants refused entry into France had gone on hunger strike and others organised a sit-in at the border crossing and tried to block traffic.They included men, women and children, with many coming from Somalia, Eritrea, the Ivory Coast and Sudan. They reached Italy by taking the often precarious boat crossing from Libya.Many hoped to travel onwards to Germany, Britain or Sweden to request asylum, but French border police told AFP earlier they had been ordered not to let the migrants through.We are not going back, we need to pass, read a large banner held aloft by one group of migrants, while another read: We need freedom.Men refused to eatBefore the Italian police made their move, the migrants curled up on pieces of cardboard and sheltered under trees and bushes.While the women and children ate food provided by the Red Cross, the men refused.We wont eat, said 20-year-old Mustapha Ali. We spent all of yesterday in the heat, and last night in the rain and cold. If we must die here, there is no need to eat.A record number of 1,439 migrants were intercepted this week by French police in the Alpes-Maritimes region of southeast France, with 1,097 returned to Italy.Mohamed from Sudan told AFP he had arrived in Sicily with his brother and travelled by car and train as far as Menton in France -- just across the border -- where he had been arrested at the train station and escorted back to Italy.The Schengen open borders accord means migrants landing in Italy can usually easily travel through neighbouring France, Austria, Switzerland and Slovenia as they seek to make it to Britain, Germany and Scandinavia.But border controls have been temporarily reintroduced due to a recent summit of G7 leaders in Germany.A source close to French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve told AFP Saturday that the police action was designed to catch people smugglers and to stop more migrant camps being set up in France.We cannot allow illegal migrants into France with Europe facing this exceptional wave of migration, the source added.Not a magic wandItalys foreign ministry appeared to be on the same page, with a source telling Ansa news agency that the migrants do not have the right to leave Italy, because they have to stay in their first port of call under European rules.They should not get their hopes up, he said.But the mayor of Ventimiglia, Enrico Ioculano, told journalists that some of the migrants appeared to be getting through to France anyway by train.The suspension of Schengen has increasing the pressure on Italy, where reception centres are at breaking point with about 76,000 people accommodated nationwide.The build-up has seen hundreds of migrants including three-month-old infants bedding down in train stations in Milan and Rome.Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi is expected to raise the immigration issue with his British and French counterparts when they travel to Milan for an Expo 2015 visit this week.The EUs proposed migrant distribution plan -- under which 24,000 refugees would be redistributed to other countries -- has been plagued by problems, leaving tempers fraying.The proposal is not a magic wand but if Europe does not take at least this step (to help Italy), it would be a terrible defeat, Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni said.The head of Italys anti-immigration Northern League party, Matteo Salvini, summed up the countrys frustration, simply saying Europe doesnt give a damn.

Football: Uruguay skipper seeks improvement after Jamaica win

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ANTOFAGASTA (AFP) - Uruguay captain Diego Godin demanded improvement on Saturday after his team opened the defence of their Copa America crown with a lacklustre 1-0 win over Jamaica.The Uruguayans, badly missing suspended striker Luis Suarez, eked out victory over the Caribbean minnows thanks to a second half goal from Cristian Rodriguez.Godin expressed relief at claiming all three points but said Uruguay would need to improve in their coming Group B games against mighty Argentina and Paraguay.Its a good result to start with, now we need to correct some mistakes, Godin told Chilean television.Its very important to win the first game in the Copa America, as it is in any big tournament, the Atletico Madrid defender added. We have to go game by game, but we will have to improve and keep working hard.Uruguay, surprise winners of the 2011 tournament in Argentina, are fielding a new-look side in Chile under the guidance of long-serving coach Oscar Tabarez.The absence of Barcelona star Suarez, still serving an international ban for biting Italys Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup last year, has deprived La Celeste of their most potent attacking weapon.Suarez had sought to rally his team-mates shortly before Saturdays game in the northern Chilean city of Antofagastas, taking to Twitter to voice his support.Everyone in Uruguay is behind you...Vamos Uruguay, VAMOSSS, he tweeted.Suarezs absence was all too apparent during a lacklustre opening 45 minutes at the 21,000-capacity Antofagasta Regional Stadium.Uruguay barely created a chance against Jamaica, one of two teams from the North America, Central America and Caribbean zone (CONCACAF) invited to take part in the Copa America.Uruguay finally broke the deadlock seven minutes after the break with a cleverly worked set-piece routine.Boca Juniors midfielder Nicolas Lodeiro floated a free-kick from wide on the left for defender Jose Maria Gimenez, who lost his marker to head back into the area for Rodriguez, on loan with Brazilian side Gremio from Atletico Madrid, to finish.Jamaica, whose squad is made up largely of players based in Major League Soccer and England, rarely looked like threatening the Uruguay defence.Their best chance came five minutes from time when New York Red Bulls defender Kemar Lawrence saw his free-kick from 20 yards turned over the bar by Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera.

Hong Kong democracy groups take to streets as key vote looms

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HONG KONG (AFP) - Pro-democracy campaigners will take to the streets of Hong Kong Sunday ahead of a vote on the political reform package that has divided the city and sparked mass protests.The controversial electoral roadmap, which lays out how Hong Kongs next leader should be chosen, goes for debate at the legislature on Wednesday and will be voted on by the end of the week.It is the culmination of a fraught chapter which saw tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters bring parts of the city to a standstill late last year.Those rallies were sparked by a ruling from Beijing that candidates in the citys first ever public vote for its leader in 2017 must be vetted.Opposition lawmakers have vowed to vote down the election package, which sticks to the Beijing ruling.Currently the chief executive is elected by a 1,200 pro-Beijing committee.Sundays march is the first of a series of rallies which pro-democracy activists say will take place each day until lawmakers vote on the bill.Organisers say they expect 50,000 to turn out -- but are not planning to occupy the streets again.Despite fragmentation in the pro-democracy camp, all the key players from last years protests, which became known as the Umbrella Movement, are set to take part.We want to show the public that we have a united front, said Daisy Chan, spokeswoman for organisers Civil Human Rights Front.We want to demonstrate to the international community that those opposing fake democracy is a majority, Chan said.Latest figures from one joint university poll showed those against the reform package taking the lead for the first time with 43 percent, versus 41.7 in support.A group of anonymous civil servants also took out an advert in the local Ming Pao paper Friday urging lawmakers to reject the bill.No quick fixAuthorities have warned activists to distance themselves from troublemakers and said they have upped security at the legislature.Last years mass rallies saw sporadic violence as demonstrators clashed with police, with thousands joining the protests after tear gas was fired.With the reform package expected to be blocked by pan-democrats, who have enough votes to stop it, analysts say there is little hope of a quick resolution to the political impasse.If the Beijing and Hong Kong governments continue to adopt hostile attitudes towards the opposition, it will be difficult for them to change the situation, said Ma Ngok, associate professor at Chinese Universitys department of government and public administration.There is also pressure on the democracy movement, says Ma.They are holding their ground but the system hasnt changed. What they can do to bring genuine democracy is a challenging question for them.However, there would be some sense of victory for the pro-democracy camp if the bill is voted down, says Surya Deva, associate professor at Hong Kongs City University school of law.In a way, they will see that the government has lost because... the government package is strictly based on the (Beijing) framework which the protesters were trying to resist, he said.Hong Kong is semi-autonomous after being handed back to China by Britain in 1997 and has much greater freedoms than the mainland, but there are fears that those are being eroded.

Indignados mayors take power in Madrid and Barcelona

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MADRID (AFP) - Leftist activists from the Indignados (Outraged) protest movement that grew out of Spains economic crisis took power in Madrid and Barcelona Saturday after ruling conservatives suffered major losses in local elections.Supporters in both cities shouted the Indignados rallying cry Yes, its possible as former judge Manuela Carmena, 71, a communist in her youth, was sworn in as mayor of Madrid, and 41-year-old anti-eviction activist Ada Colau became Barcelonas first female mayor.In the Spanish capital, Carmena ended 24 years of conservative Popular Party rule.I promise to loyally respect the duties involved in being mayor of Madrid, she said after the city council officially voted her in as leader of the city of three million.Carmena became mayor after her leftist platform, Ahora Madrid, forged an alliance with the main opposition Socialists after the governing Popular Party suffered heavy setbacks in local and regional elections on May 24.We are at the service of the citizens of Madrid. We want to govern by listening. We want them to call us by our first names, Carmena said.Highlighting her concern with poverty in Spain, where many live precariously even though the worst of the crisis is over, Carmena pledged to help people like a 63-year-old woman named Julia she met on the capitals main square, Puerta del Sol, who lives on 300 euros ($340) a month.Madrid suffers a 16 percent unemployment rate, while many who have jobs do not earn enough to get through the month.Carmena has promised to stamp out corruption, develop public transport, increase subsidies for poor families and slash the mayors salary by more than half to 45,000 euros ($51,000).Many of the new mayors supporters come from the Indignados movement that occupied Spanish squares four years ago, demanding an end to government spending cuts to healthcare and education, and to corruption.Carmenas platform includes neighbourhood associations, environmentalist groups and Spains new anti-austerity party, Podemos, whose strong gains will now be put to the test.Podemoss pony-tailed leader Pablo Iglesias was present at the city council meeting, clapping for Carmena when the result was read out.Our main objective is to win the general election, he beamed defiantly after the vote.Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy meanwhile took to Twitter to condemn what he called the eccentric and sectarian pacts that had prevented some PP councillors from securing mayoral positions.Two women at the helmPeople from diverse backgrounds joined the protest movement that brought Carmena and Colau to power, united in their hunger for change in a country ruled by the Popular Party since 2011.Ideologically, Ahora Madrid has its roots in anarchist and libertarian movements. In her youth, Carmena herself was a communist and dissident against Francos rule, using her skills as a lawyer to defend detainees rights.At Saturdays council meeting, she was supported by 29 of the 57 representatives in the Madrid City Council -- 20 from Ahora Madrid and nine from the Socialist party.In Barcelona, Colau, a committed member of the anti-eviction movement, won an easy, two-thirds majority in the council vote on Saturday against outgoing conservative mayor Xavier Trias.Thank you very much to civil society for making the impossible become possible, Colau said after being sworn in.While her position was secured when the ERC, a left-wing independent party, and the Socialists threw their support behind her, she must now forge alliances to rule with a stable majority.Colau has pledged to fight inequalities in the city of 1.6 million by putting an end to evictions, lowering energy prices and bringing in a minimum monthly income of 600 euros ($675).Like Carmena, Colau wants to reduce her salary to 2,200 euros a month, from the 140,000 a year her predecessor was paid.
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