Saturday 6 June 2015

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Scud missile fired at Saudi Arabia as 38 Yemenis reported killed

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SANAA (Reuters) -Yemens dominant Houthi group and its army allies fired a Scud missile at Saudi Arabia which the kingdom said it shot down on Saturday, in a major escalation of two months of war.Arab air strikes and shelling after the attack killed 38 Yemenis in provinces near Saudi Arabia, according to reports in the Houthi-controled state news agency Saba which could not be immediately confirmed.In the first reported use of a ballistic missile in the conflict, the Scud was fired on Saturday morning at the city of Khamees Mushait in the kingdoms southwest and was intercepted by two Patriot missiles, a statement by the Saudi military said.The area is home to the largest air force base in southern Saudi Arabia, the worlds top oil exporter, but there are no oil facilities in the vicinity.Al Masira, the Houthi groups official channel, confirmed the launch and said it targeted the King Khaled air base.An alliance of Gulf Arab nations has been bombing Yemens Houthi militia and allied army units loyal to powerful ex-President Ali Abdullah Saleh since March 26 in an attempt to restore exiled President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi to power.Yemens official Saba news outlet said Saudi shelling and air strikes hit a camp for displaced people, a medical center and a school in the border province of Hajja, killing 28 people, and bombings elsewhere in the north killed 10 others.It was not immediately possible to confirm the reports among residents of the remote border areas, which are cut off from telephone lines and are often the scene of clashes between Houthi and Saudi forces.Saturdays violence came despite progress toward United Nations-backed peace talks planned for Geneva this month, to which both the exiled government and the Houthis have agreed.The United Nations said on Saturday it would convene the talks on June 14, and renewed a call for a pause in hostilities. This could also help create an atmosphere that is more conducive for peaceful dialogue, a spokesman said.The alliances spokesman, Saudi Brigadier General Ahmed Asseri, said in April that it had removed the threat from heavy weapons. He later appeared to step back from that assertion, saying that 80 percent of the 300 or so missiles had been destroyed - a figure he repeated on Saturday.Praise God, we have air defense forces capable of blocking these kinds of rockets, destroying them and thwarting attempts like this, he added.The Sunni Muslim coalition states fear the Houthi movement, from a Shiite sect in north Yemen, will act as a proxy for their arch-rival in the region, Shiite Iran.Iran and the Houthis deny any military or economic links, and the Houthis say their seizure of the capital Sanaa in September and their advance southward is part of a revolution against a corrupt government.

Obamas, Clintons join Vice President Biden at son Beau's funeral

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WILMINGTON (Reuters) -President Barack Obama and his family joined a host of U.S. political figures including Bill and Hillary Clinton on Saturday to mourn Vice President Joe Bidens son, Beau, who died last week of brain cancer at the age of 46.Obama, his voice breaking on occasion, delivered a moving funeral eulogy for the popular son and politician in his own right, who served as Delawares attorney general and completed a year-long term in Iraq as a member of the Delaware Army National Guard.Beau Biden was an original. He was a good man. A man of character. A man who loved deeply and was loved in return, Obama said. To know Joe and the rest of the Biden family is to understand why Beau lived the life he did.One thousand people filled the St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in Wilmington for the funeral Mass. The vice president processed into the church with his family at the beginning of the service.Beau Biden was diagnosed with brain cancer in August 2013 and underwent surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. It recurred in the spring of this year.His death was another tragic chapter in the life of the vice president, who lost his first wife and his daughter in a car accident shortly after winning election to the U.S. Senate in 1972. Beau and his brother Hunter, who were 3 and 2 years old at the time, were injured in the crash but survived.Hunter Biden said his first memory was being in the hospital after that accident, his brother holding his hand. We were always under his wing, he said.The death of Beau Biden, who was married with two children, has drawn wide U.S. media coverage and an outpouring of sympathy for the vice president.He turned down a chance to run for Joe Bidens Senate seat after his father became vice president because he felt he had to finish his job as attorney general. Beau Biden had planned to run for governor in 2016.(Beau) made you want to be a better person, Obama said, noting the White House had been flooded with mail since his passing.Chris Martin, singer with the band Coldplay, was a soloist at the service. A White House official said he volunteered to perform after hearing that Beau Biden liked the band.Top U.S. lawmakers and several members of Obamas cabinet attended the service. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, a Democratic presidential candidate for 2016, is a potential rival to Vice President Biden if he decides to run for their partys nomination as well. The two are friends.

Lunch with Warren Buffett auctioned for $2.35 million

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NEBRASKA (Reuters) -The chairman of a Chinese company that develops online games has agreed to pay $2,345,678 for a private lunch with billionaire investor Warren Buffett, winning a charity auction.This years auction was the 16th to benefit the Glide Foundation, a nonprofit in San Franciscos Tenderloin district that provides food, health care, rehabilitation and other services to the poor and homeless.Glide said Zhu Ye, chairman of Beijing-based Dalian Zeus Entertainment Co 002354.SZ, submitted the highest of 76 bids to win the five-day auction on eBay (EBAY.O), which concluded on Friday night.His bid was well below the $3,456,789 winning bid in 2012, still a record for an eBay charity auction, but will help Glide meet its $16 million annual budget. The 16 auctions have raised about $20.2 million.What we try to do is work to empower our people, to make sure that people find some way to have hope, the Rev. Cecil Williams, a Glide co-founder, said after the auction ended. We were overjoyed when the count came in.The winner can invite up to seven friends to eat with Buffett at the Smith & Wollensky steakhouse in Manhattan.Buffett, 84, will talk about almost anything, including philanthropy and life, but not what he is buying and selling.Some past winners chose to eat with Buffett at a steakhouse in Omaha, Nebraska, where he has run Berkshire Hathaway Inc (BRKa.N) for 50 years.The auctions began in 2000 after Buffetts first wife Susan introduced him to Glide. She died in 2004.None of the first three winners paid more than $25,000, but the price soared once the auctions, which had been live only, moved online in 2003.One past winner, Ted Weschler, ended up working for Buffett as a Berkshire portfolio manager after paying $5.25 million to win the 2010 and 2011 auctions.Just eight people submitted bids this year, probably because the high bid reached seven figures on the first day. Smith & Wollensky founder Alan Stillman also donates to Glide.Buffett is worth $69.2 billion, ranking fourth worldwide, according to Forbes magazine. He is donating nearly all his wealth to charity.The following are the winning bids in the Glide auctions:2000: Anonymous, $25,0002001: Anonymous, $18,0002002: Anonymous, $25,0002003: David Einhorn, Greenlight Capital, $250,1002004: Jason Choo, Singapore, $202,1002005: Anonymous, $351,1002006: Yongping Duan, California, $620,1002007: Mohnish Pabrai, Guy Spier, Harina Kapoor, $650,1002008: Zhao Danyang, China, $2,110,1002009: Salida Capital, Canada, $1,680,3002010: Ted Weschler, $2,626,3112011: Ted Weschler, $2,626,4112012: Anonymous, $3,456,7892013: Anonymous, $1,000,1002014: Andy Chua, Singapore, $2,166,7662015: Zhu Ye, Dalian Zeus Entertainment Co, China, $2,345,678

EU's Juncker snubs Greek PM after 'absurd' debt deal rebuff

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BRUSSELS (Reuters) -The European Unions chief executive declined to speak to Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Saturday after the leftist leader rejected as absurd international creditors terms for a cash-for-reform deal to keep his country from default.An EU official said European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, who has tried to bridge the gap between Athens and its lenders, refused to take a telephone call from the Greek premier since there was nothing new to discuss.A Greek government official denied the report and said Tsipras held a conference call on the debt crisis with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande.The unresolved debt impasse, which is weighing on financial markets and could hit the global economic recovery, will hang over a Group of Seven leaders summit that Merkel will chair in southern Germany from Sunday. A German spokesman said Tsipras was not invited.With time running out for a debt deal and Greece struggling to meet its payment obligations, relations between Athens and its European and IMF lenders have turned increasingly raw.A European Commission spokeswoman said in a text message: I can confirm that there was a request for a call. President Juncker and PM Tsipras will certainly stay in contact in the coming days, as was said in the statement on Wednesday night.Tsipras had been due to return to Brussels for more talks on Friday but, faced with a backlash inside his Syriza party, went to the Greek parliament instead and denounced the creditors conditions as a very bad negotiating trick.The Greek prime minister requested a phone call for 1100 CET on Saturday, but Juncker declined because there has been no progress in the discussions, and proposals that the Greek side promised on Wednesday night to deliver on Thursday have not arrived, the EU official told Reuters.There have been no new developments so there was nothing to discuss, the official said.European Parliament President Martin Schulz, who has been supportive of Greeces cause, also voiced exasperation, telling the Passauer Neue Presse newspaper: The stubbornness of the Greek government is infuriating.Asked if he saw a deal soon, Gabriel said: That depends solely on the Greek government. Europe has gone to its limits.Greece postponed a payment to the International Monetary Fund due on Friday until the end of June, highlighting its precarious cash position and spooking markets. The move gave it a few extra days to negotiate a deal it wants linked to future debt relief.An EU diplomat said Tsipras would fly to Brussels on Tuesday before a two-day EU-Latin America summit, and that would be an opportunity for political talks on a solution, while experts from Greece and the EU/IMF lenders work on detail in parallel technical negotiations.EXASPERATEDBrussels officials still believe Tsipras wants a deal but they are exasperated with Greek rhetoric and brinkmanship.Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis kept up that barrage on Saturday, saying that the proposal handed to Tsipras on Wednesday was almost offensive.I cannot imagine they really meant this to be the basis for an agreement, it was meant as an aggressive move, to terrorize the Greek government. Without realizing that this government cannot be terrorized, he told Sundays Proto Thema newspaper.By focusing anger on two of the lenders key demands, the scrapping of an income supplement for the poorest pensioners and the hiking of value-added tax on electricity, Tsipras left open possible alternatives to those measures to clinch an agreement.French Finance Minister Michel Sapin told Reuters the creditors plan was negotiable, not an ultimatum, and urged Athens to offer an alternative to the pension benefits cut, to which he said Greek objections were not without legitimacy.Officials have said mid-June is the final deadline for a deal to secure ministerial approval and parliamentary backing for disbursement before Greeces 240 billion euro ($267 billion) bailout expires at the end of the month.The lenders added an incentive by raising the prospect of releasing an additional 10.9 billion euros in frozen funds originally earmarked for bank recapitalization to tide Athens over a big repayment hump in July and August.But the EU official cautioned that with each day that deposits continue to flow out of Greek banks, the amount potentially available to the state from that fund diminishes, since the lenders will need it to rebuild their reserves.Merkel tried to force a deal before the annual G7 meeting of leaders of major industrial democracies at Schloss Elmau in Bavaria from Sunday. She is keen to avoid it turning into another crisis summit on the euro zone that would showcase Europes inability to solve the problems of its single currency.European officials said they did not want to be lectured on Greece by U.S. President Barack Obama, but they expected Merkel, Frances Hollande, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and the presidents of the European Commission and the European Council, Juncker and Donald Tusk, to discuss the way forward to a solution on the sidelines.An Obama administration briefing reporters before the G7 said: Were obviously encouraging all sides to continue to focus on finding a solution that’s going to allow Greece to chart a path to recovery.One far-left Greek deputy minister suggested snap elections as a way out, by obtaining public legitimacy for difficult decisions to secure aid. But two ministers said on Saturday they saw no case for an early poll and an opinion poll showed Greeks have little appetite for a return to the ballot box just five months after Tsipras won power promising to end austerity.

Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton takes pole in Canadian GP

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MONTREAL (AP) -Lewis Hamilton came to Montreal to put his frustrating fortnight behind him, and hes in position to do just that.The reigning Formula One champion took the pole for the Canadian Grand Prix on Saturday, his fourth at the track and his sixth in seven races this season. He has already won three races this year, and his worst finish was third in the previous race in Monaco, when his team bungled strategically and allowed two pursuers to pass him.Its definitely a positive to come back into this weekend on the right foot, to come back still with the good pace I had in the last race, Hamilton said on Saturday. But theres no points for today; the race is tomorrow.A three-time Canadian GP champion, Hamilton posted a fastest lap of 1 minute, 14.393 seconds in qualifying on Saturday over the 2.71-mile (4.361-km) Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg will start next to him, with an all-Finnish second row of Ferraris Kimi Raikkonen and Williams Valtteri Bottas.Mercedes is 1-2 in the championship race, with Hamilton holding a 10-point lead over Rosberg. But thats half as large as the gap was heading into the Monaco Grand Prix on May 24, when Hamiltons team cost him a chance at the win by calling him into the pits late in the race.Mercedes technical director Paddy Lowe apologized, and Hamilton said through gritted teeth that he was looking ahead, not back. But he knew the only way to overcome the setback was to return to Montreal, the site of his first F1 victory in 2007, and win here for the fourth time.Things didnt start out well in Fridays practice when he spun, jumped a curb and then as a torrential rain began to fall skidded into the safety barrier. He had the slowest best lap in the final practice on Saturday morning, then turned it around in qualifying the 44th career pole for the driver of car No. 44.It wasnt the easiest of days, so I was going into qualifying a bit blind really, he said. But I won my first Grand Prix here, and to get my 44th pole here is very special for me.Rosberg left the track at the end complaining to his team of a rubbish end of the qualifying, but he consoled himself with the knowledge that he will start in the front row.I had a bad qualifying and Im still second on the grid, he said. That gives me hope for tomorrow.The big surprise in qualifying was the failure of four-time F1 champion Sebastien Vettel to make it out of the first session. Vettel came out just minutes before the end of the 20-minute period and had only two laps at full speed, the best still 1.5 seconds slower than session-leader Romain Grosjean.Vettel was called to the stewards after qualifying for passing Roberto Merhi while the red flag was out. He was sent to the back of the grid, given a five-position penalty and docked three points.Joining Vettel in the pits for the remainder of qualifying was Felipe Massa, who complained of a loss of power. Jenson Button didnt take part after parking his car alongside the track in the final practice session because of a loss of engine power.Rookie Max Verstappen, who was given a five-position penalty for causing a crash in Monaco, also took a 10-position penalty for using his fifth engine of the season. That means not only does he start at the back of the pack, but he will have a 10-second stop-and-go penalty during the race.

Thousands protest G7 summit in southern Germany

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GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN (AP) -Thousands of demonstrators packed a German Alpine resort town on Saturday to protest a wide range of causes, from climate change to free trade, before the arrival of the leaders of the Group of Seven industrialized democracies for a two-day summit.Though the demonstration in Garmisch-Partenkirchen was largely peaceful, a small group of protesters clashed with police as they marched through the town, charging at officers who responded with pepper spray. At least two protesters had to be taken away by medics for treatment. Police said one officer was also injured by the pepper spray; there were no arrests.During the demonstration, black-clad anarchists chanted slogans against police violence, anti-capitalists held signs denouncing a proposed trans-Atlantic trade deal, and peace protesters waved rainbow flags and signs with anti-war slogans.Protester Monika Lambert said she had come to exercise my democratic rights to say that everything the G-7 decides is in the interest of the banks and capitalists.Lambert, from the Bavarian city of Erlangen, said Germanys history has shown that it is important to speak out.I asked my parents what they did during the Nazi period and they did nothing, she said. I dont want to tell my children and grandchildren the same thing.About 2,000 protesters marched to the train station from their camp on the outskirts of town for the noontime demonstration and were joined by thousands of others, including many families and children.Bavarian Michael Wildmoser carried a sign with communist slogans.Too many young people are being exploited in low-paid jobs, he said. This situation cant go on.Police had 22,000 officers from around Germany on hand, keeping tight control on the demonstrations. Spokesman Hans-Peter Kammerer said significant numbers of extremists from Germany, Austria, Italy and Britain were among the crowd.One group of about 30 protesters dressed as clowns, taunting police by getting up close and personal, dusting their boots with feather dusters, pretending to listen in on their conversations and making sexual innuendos.A group of six clowns sat in the middle of the street, blocking the road and forcing a police van carrying reinforcements to turn back.Protesters spokesman Simon Ernst, who was part of the group that camped overnight outside town, said they wanted to show their anger at the leaders of Germany, France, the U.S., Italy, Britain, Canada and Japan, calling them the henchmen of bankers and corporations.Police planned to keep all demonstrators away from the summit venue, the Schloss Elmau hotel in a tiny village about 8 kilometers (5 miles) from Garmisch-Partenkirchen.A court initially ruled that up to 50 protesters should be allowed inside the security zone Sunday so that the world leaders would be able to hear them.On Saturday, however, Bavarias administrative court revoked permission for that demonstration. The court said organizers had refused to have participants transported to the site in police vehicles and insisted on marching, but it ruled that would pose too great a security risk, the news agency dpa reported.The summit runs Sunday through Monday.

UK warns 500,000 migrants could try Mediterranean crossing

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ROME (AP) -Naval vessels from Italy, Britain, Ireland and other countries steamed toward the waters off Libya on Saturday, bracing for the latest wave of migrants needing rescue from smugglers boats. British authorities warned that up to 500,000 people could attempt the perilous crossing this summer.Capt. Nick Cooke-Priest, on the British warship HMS Bulwark, told reporters aboard: Indications are there that there are 450,000 to 500,000 migrants in Libya who are waiting at the border for voyage from the North Africans country Mediterranean coast in hopes of reaching Italian shores.Also aboard the Bulwark, part of a multi-nation patrol and rescue force, was British Defense Secretary Michael Fallon. We could see hundreds of thousands trying to cross this summer, Fallon told reporters who asked about the captains half-million figure.An Italian naval commander, Antonio Dovizio, told Italian state TV that military vessels from several nations were heading as fast as possible toward Libyan waters after several boats carrying migrants were spotted.His own vessel, the Vega, had rescued hundreds of migrants from five boats on Saturday alone. Another Italian naval vessel, the Driade, rescued 560 migrants, and an Irish naval vessel, the LE Eithne, rescued 310 people, a day after it saved 113 migrants.Fallon told reporters that on Saturday, about 3,000 migrants were spotted needing rescue.Also contributing military vessels for the search and rescue mission against time were Germany and Malta, among others.Fallon said Europe needed to pool intelligence, get after the gangs themselves which are based in Libya and which organize the smuggling.We can try to cut off their financing. People are making money out of misery, and we can do more there track down the money.About 170,000 migrants were rescued at sea last year by Italy.Italy has pressed European partners to do more to help it rescue and shelter masses of migrants fleeing poverty, persecution and conflicts in Africa, the Middle East and Asia.So far this year, tens of thousands of migrants have arrived in Italy, with many rescued by vessels from Ireland, Malta, Britain and elsewhere. Italys coast guard frequently dispatches nearby cargo ships to go to the rescue. Humanitarian organizations also help with rescues at sea, which often occur when smugglers set sail a dozen or more boats when seas are calm.Earlier Saturday, police in Sicily detained a suspected migrant smuggler who they said tried a new tactic of putting only a few passengers aboard a small boat in a bid to land undetected on Italian shores. Ragusa police said a Tunisian man was detained for investigation of smuggling after 12 fellow Tunisians aboard a wooden boat told authorities he promised to sail them to an isolated beach near Trapani, western Sicily, at night so they could slip away undetected. Instead, police say the suspect bungled the route and was spotted by an Italian naval vessel.Separately, a Gambian skipper suspected of smuggling 116 African migrants was detained by Italian police.

Barcelona beats Juventus 3-1 in Champions League final

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BERLIN (AP) -Barcelona won the Champions League for the fourth time in a decade on Saturday, with Luis Suarez grabbing the crucial goal in a 3-1 victory over Juventus at the end of a season that began with the Uruguay striker serving a ban for biting.The $110-million recruit from Liverpool scored Barcelonas second in the 68th minute after Lionel Messis shot was palmed away by goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon.Neymar had a goal disallowed for handball but, with the final going into a seventh minute of stoppage time, the Brazil striker found time to score again. This time it counted.Ivan Rakitic had sent Barcelona into a fourth-minute lead, but the Spanish champions failed to build on their early dominance before Juventus leveled 10 minutes into the second half through Alvaro Morata.Juventus, though, couldnt prevent Barcelona from collecting the European Cup for the fifth time as the formidable Messi-Neymar-Suarez front three took their goal tally to 122 this season.The triumph comes after four years without success in European competition and ensures both coach Luis Enrique and Suarez end their first season with the club with a treble.Juventus initially looked like it could cause an upset against the most dominant team in Europe in the modern era. Assertive from kick off, Juventus made Barcelona look anxious initially. It didnt last long just four minutes, in fact.In a move that involved all 10 outfield players touching the ball, starting with Jordi Albas throw in, Barcelona took the lead.So often the provider of goals, Messi delivered a precise cross-field pass in the goalward advance. It landed at the feet of Jordi Alba, who played in Neymar and the ball was then slipped through to Andres Iniesta.With a flick, Iniesta squared for Rakitic to power into the net from close range past Buffon.The expectation was that Barcelona would take a stranglehold on the final.Had it not been for Buffons stretching save at the start of the second half to deny Suarez, Juventus would have been two behind. Messi, for once, also couldnt find the target after a one-two with Suarez.It proved costly. A back-heel from Claudio Marchisio began the move that led to Juves equalizer.An initial shot from Carlos Tevez was parried by Marc-Andre ter Stegen. But Morata, who scored in both legs of the semifinal against former club Real Madrid, sent the follow-up into the net with ease.Juve didnt use the opportunity to swing the final in its favor, and Barca was back in front 13 minutes later after launching an electrifying counterattack.Within five minutes of Suarezs goal, Barca was celebrating againbut the joy was short-lived. Neymar was spotted to have headed the ball onto his arm before it went past Buffon.But Neymar did have the final say in this final with the late, late goal.

Behind tough talk on Russia, G-7 leaders face tough reality

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WASHINGTON (AP) -Behind the tough talk on Russia expected from President Barack Obama and other leaders gathering in Germany this weekend is a stark reality.None of the world powers believes the economic and diplomatic punishments levied on Russia for its alleged aggression in Ukraine are changing President Vladimir Putins calculus, yet there are no plans to shift strategies.At most, leaders hope to emerge from two days of talks in the Bavarian Alps with an agreement to keep U.S. and European Union sanctions against Russia in place, and perhaps a pledge to enact deeper economic penalties if the crisis escalates. While there is little expectation that a show of unity will lead to a quick resolution in Ukraine, officials hope it will at least give Putin pause if he is considering ratcheting up Russias moves.A fresh outbreak of violence between government troops and pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine is threatening to derail an already tenuous cease-fire.The fact that sanctions have not altered Putins military posture is a sign of how heedless the Russian government seems to be about the long-term welfare of its own people that it has not yet resulted in a change, in a reversal at least of course, which is what we want out of Russia, Defense Secretary Ash Carter told reporters after a Friday meeting in Germany with American military and diplomatic leaders.The Group of Seven summit marks the second year in a row that leaders from the United States, Canada, Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Japan will assemble without Putin. After Russia annexed territory from Ukraine last year, the world powers kicked Russia out of what had been called the Group of Eight, a move aimed at isolating Putin and signaling the Wests united opposition to his provocative actions.Yet Putin remains a major player on pressing issues.Russia is a partner of the U.S. and other nations in the nuclear talks with Iran, an Obama priority. Putin is a linchpin in any discussions on resolving the civil war in Syria, given Russias status as President Bashar Assads biggest benefactor.Republicans have accused Obama of putting his interest in the Iran nuclear talks above supporting Ukraine. Republican White House hopeful Jeb Bush is set to arrive in Europe just as Obama departs, with stops in Germany, Poland and Estonia. Bush is expected to pledge broader U.S. backing for the region if elected president.White House officials defend the engagement with Russia on Iran and other matters, and say the U.S. can work with Moscow on issues of mutual interest while also confronting Putin over Ukraine.But experts say Secretary of State John Kerrys meetings with Putin in Russia last month raised questions in Europe about whether Washington might be pursuing a new policy toward the Kremlin. Kerrys trip was the first time a senior U.S. official has traveled to Russia since Moscow annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine.It created this cloud of controversy around what is the U.S. strategy: Why did he go? said Julianne Smith, a former Obama White House official who is now a senior fellow at the Center for New American Security. So I think therell be a little bit of mopping up from that trip.European nations are watching whether the U.S. commitment to isolating and penalizing Russia is weakening. Europe has far stronger ties to Russia than the U.S. and some leaders face pressure from the business community to ease off of penalties that have affected their finances.Still, the European Union is expected to renew expiring sanctions later this summer.Thousands of people gathered Saturday in a town a few miles (kilometers) from the summit venue to protest a range of causes, including a proposed trans-Atlantic trade deal, before the leaders arrival.Obama departed Saturday evening after delivering an emotional eulogy at the funeral service for Vice President Joe Bidens son, Beau. Joining Obama on Air Force One for the trip to Germany were four House Democrats who support his efforts to win special authority to negotiate a Pacific Rim trade deal.The trade debate on Capitol Hill is being closely watched by G-7 leaders. While Obama has Senate backing to seek fast-track authority of the Trans Pacific Partnership pact, he faces a steep challenge in getting his own partys support in the House. Japan and Canada are both among the countries negotiating the TPP pact. Fast-track authority would allow any TPP deal to be put to Congress for an up-or-down vote without allowing any amendments.European nations are not part of the pact, but the congressional debate could affect whether Obama has the political capital left to pursue a trans-Atlantic trade deal with the EU before leaving officeAfter his overnight flight to Munich, Obama was to meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, then join other leaders for talks at Schloss Elmau, a one-time Bavarian artist retreat turned luxury spa.Also on Obamas schedule was a meeting with British Prime Minister David Cameron, whose party is coming off an unexpectedly strong election victory. The president also planned to see Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, who was invited to the G-7 meeting to discuss the U.S.-led campaign against the Islamic State group in his country, as well as in Syria.

Blanca, a Category 3 hurricane, heads toward Mexico's Baja

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CABO SAN LUCAS (AP) -Businesses boarded over windows and thousands of troops were put on alert Saturday as Hurricane Blanca roared toward Mexicos Baja California Peninsula as a powerful Category 3 storm.The unpredictable Blanca, which strengthened suddenly from a Category 1 to a Category 4 storm on Saturday before weakening slightly, is expected to make landfall as a tropical storm on Monday. But authorities said its outer bands could start affecting the southern Baja California Peninsula as a hurricane on Sunday.The director of Mexicos National Water Commission, Roberto Ramirez, said he was concerned by Blancas erratic behavior and warned residents along Mexicos Pacific coast to be prepared for intense rains that could begin late Saturday or early Sunday, including in coastal states of Guerrero, Michoacan, Colima and Jalisco.In Baja California, 2,000 army troops and 1,321 marines have been put on alert, as well as emergency responders and power line technicians, said Civil Protection director Luis Felipe Puente.He said there is currently a 70 percent hotel occupancy rate in Los Cabos and warned tourists to be attentive to any advisories issued by authorities.On Saturday, some businesses and banks were seen hammering boards over their windows in preparation for Blancas arrival. People began forming lineups at gas stations to stock up on fuel.Blancas maximum sustained winds on Saturday afternoon were near 120 mph (195 kph), according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. The hurricane is centered about 320 miles (510 kilometers) south of Cabo San Lucas and is moving northwest near 10 mph (17 kph).A hurricane watch is in effect for an area from Cabo San Lucas to Santa Fe. A tropical storm warning is in effect from Loreto to Puerto San Andresito, including Cabo San Lucas.Puente said he saw no reason to suspend local elections scheduled to be held on Sunday.

Mastung: Security forces kill 3 terrorists during search operation

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MASTUNG (Dunya News) – Security forces on Saturday killed 3 terrorists and destroyed their numerous hideouts during a search operation conducted in mountains of Johan 45 km from Mastung in Balochistan. The terrorists were killed during an exchange of fire between the security forces and the terrorists.Helicopter aid was also provided to the security forces. 3 cars, motorcycles and explosives in possession of the terrorists were also destroyed.

Rawalpindi: Police kills 2 for not stopping at check point, CM takes notice

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RAWALPINDI (Dunya News) – Police on late Saturday night killed two youngsters for not stopping at a police check point at College Road in Satellite Town area of Rawalpindi. Both individuals, Shakeel and Zeeshan have been identified as brothers. Family of the two youngsters protested against the police brutality in Holy Family hospital. Two officers have been arrested in relation to the incident. Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif took notice of the incident and has demanded a report of the incident from City Police Officer (CPO) Rawalpindi.According to the details, police signaled the youngsters on a motorcycle to stop at the checkpoint. The officers fired at the individuals when they did not stop the vehicle. 24 year old Shakeel died on the spot while 20 year old Zeeshan was shifted to the Holy family hospital in severely critical condition where he succumbed to his injuries.The brothers have been described as residents of Sadiqabad. Police arrested the 2 officers who fled the scene. The Regional Police Officer (RPO) has ordered a case to be registered against both police officials.The family has stated that they will also protest in front of the parliament house on Sunday.

PTI ready for 'rematch' in KP local body elections if opposition wants: Imran Khan

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MANDI BAHAUDDIN (Dunya News) – Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan on Saturday said that if the opposition in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa wants a ‘rematch’ in province’s local body election then PTI is ready.Addressing a public gathering regarding the by-election of NA 108 constituency, Khan said that the biggest difference between Europe’s development and Pakistan’s lack of it is education. He said education is one of the priorities of the government, adding that Muslims remained ‘super power’ of the world because of education.PTI chairman said that the least amount of money on education in the region is spent in Pakistan. He said PTI will collect money from the rich and spend on the poor and will bring the illegitimate money of the rich stored abroad back to the country.“Tax is collected from the rich and spent on poor in the West”, he said, adding that situation is reverse in Pakistan and that rich feed on the poor.Khan said that PTI will end sectarianism after coming into power and will unite Pakistan into one from Karachi to Khyber.He said that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has been restricted to Punjab while Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) to Sindh only. He said PTI will rid the small provinces of lack of development.PTI chairman alleged that PML-N has destroyed Punjab Police and that the police of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are apolitical and doesn’t interfere.Khan said that Awami National Party (ANP) did not hold local body elections in its previous tenure and now that PTI has held the elections, ANP are complaining of rigging.He challenged all political parties to go for a re-election, claiming that the opposition is afraid that PTI will emerge a winner in the re-election.

IDPs to be given 85,000 tons of wheat: ECC

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) has announced 85,000 tons of wheat for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) on Saturday. IDPs will be provided with wheats from June till December, reported Dunya News.At the meeting, the decision to provide IDPs with wheat was reviewed.The committee was briefed that initially 1,550,000 tons of wheat had been approved for IDPs, however 85,000 tons of wheat have been approved for the displaced persons in the meeting.Finance Ministry will provide 3 arab 44 crore rupees for the purpose, it is learnt.ECC has extended the date of export of 12 lac tons of wheat for Punjab and Sindh to July 31.Formula for pricing of LNG was also decided in the meeting.LNG prices will be reviewed on a quarterly basis, it is learnt.ECC has allowed Pakistan State Oil (PSO) to import furnace oil and motor gasoline as well.

Malik Riaz announces aid of 100 million rupees for Rohingya Muslims

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – Chairman Bahria Town Malik Riaz announced aid of 100 million rupees on Saturday for Rohingya Muslims.Rohingya Muslims are the minority of Myanmar that left the country after the brutal killings by the extremist Buddhist monks. Hundreds of Rohingya Muslims are roaming in the open sea in over loaded boats and none of the neighboring country accepted them as refugees.Malik Riaz said that all Muslim countries should help Rohingya Muslims. He also asked rich class of Pakistan to come forward and help their Muslim brothers in trouble.
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