Thursday 10 September 2015

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Nicolas Roche wins Vuelta 18th stage

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RIAZA (Agencies) - The Team Sky racer edged Spaniard Haimar Zubeldia in a sprint finish to claim the stage and place him in 26th in the overall standings.Roche and Zubeldia part made up a 25-man breakaway into the final 50km of the 204km stage from Roa to Riaza, before leaving the others in their wake in a race for the line.Roche did secure a stage win back in 2013 but this was his first of this year’s tour having finished in third twice and fourth once already in recent weeks.Talking to Eurosport the French born cyclist said he’s been desperate for this win following so many near misses - “I’ve had a few seconds and thirds and it was that small thing in the finish and today thankfully it worked out.“I looked to see if the shadow was coming up, and I didn’t want to put the hands up in the air until I crossed the line - and once I did I was like phew“La Vuelta is something - I’ve never hidden it as my favourite race - for years since I discovered it in 2008 I’ve really found that this was my terrain.“Every year I try and come here and some years I’ve done better than others but I’ve always been quite competitive at stages. But just the way the race is, the roads and the kind of short steep summit finish kind of suits me a lot better than the very long alpine stages - and I like as well to race in the heat, and of course I just love the Spanish fans on the side of the road. They are amazing and they’ve given me a lot of support over the years.”

Obama hails Iran nuclear vote as 'victory for diplomacy'

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - US President Barack Obama hailed a Congressional vote allowing a nuclear deal with Iran to go ahead Thursday, saying work would now shift to implementing and verifying the accord.This vote is a victory for diplomacy, for American national security, and for the safety and security of the world, Obama said in a written statement.Senators fell two votes shy of the 60 needed to advance a resolution disapproving of the international accord, meaning the legislation aimed at sabotaging the deal is essentially dead.The Iran agreement offers sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on Irans nuclear program.It is rare for a US president to fail to secure Congresss backing for a major foreign policy initiative. But Thursdays vote is being seen as a victory for the White House nonetheless.After a bitter and lengthy campaign to wrangle votes, wining over the support of 42 Senators saved Obama the embarrassment of having to veto a resolution of disapproval.I am heartened that so many Senators judged this deal on the merits, and am gratified by the strong support of lawmakers and citizens alike.We will turn to the critical work of implementing and verifying this deal so that Iran cannot pursue a nuclear weapon.

Obama Democrats pave way for Iran nuclear deal

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - President Barack Obamas Democrats staved off a united Republican effort to sink the Iran nuclear deal Thursday, handing him a welcome foreign policy victory.As expected, US senators fell two votes shy of the 60 needed to advance a resolution disapproving of the international accord, meaning the legislation aimed at sabotaging the deal is essentially dead.The Senate has spoken with a clarion voice and declared that the historic agreement to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon will stand, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid said after Democrats cleared the way for the accord.Obama hailed the vote as a victory for diplomacy, for American national security, and for the safety and security of the world.Going forward, we will turn to the critical work of implementing and verifying this deal so that Iran cannot pursue a nuclear weapon, while pursuing a foreign policy that leaves our country -- and the world -- a safer place.Four Democrats including Chuck Schumer, the partys likely Senate leader in 2017 once Reid retires, opposed the accord, joining all 54 Republicans. But the 58-42 vote in favor of disapproval was not enough to get over the 60-vote procedural hurdle.The result effectively assures that the deal will go into force while sparing Obama the embarrassment of having to use his veto pen against a disapproval resolution.But Republicans, who unanimously oppose the accord, vowed to keep fighting, with House Speaker John Boehner insisting this debate is far from over.Boehner said House Republicans will use every tool at our disposal to stop, slow and delay this agreement from being fully implemented, including suing the president to prevent him from carrying out the Iran accord.That is an option that is very possible, Boehner told reporters Thursday.The deal struck between Iran and six world powers provides Tehran relief from crippling economic sanctions in exchange for tight limits on its nuclear program.Republicans complain the deal does not do away with the program altogether, fails to provide for spot inspections of nuclear sites or force Iran to end support for militant groups like Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas.If Congress voted to disapprove of the deal, and then overrode a certain Obama veto, Congress could have prevented the White House from lifting sanctions on Iran, a scenario that would have triggered the deals collapse.We are making a terrible mistake, Republican Senator Marco Rubio, a 2016 presidential candidate, said on the Senate floor, adding that he hoped there was still time to scupper the accord.But if not, he said, he hoped the person who succeeds Obama in the White House in early 2017 will.I pray that on their first day in office they reverse this deal and reimpose economic sanctions on Iran, Rubio said.Another Republican presidential contender, Senator Lindsey Graham, issued a blistering warning to Democrats.I cannot believe you made the biggest miscalculation in modern history by empowering a religious fanatic with the ability to attack our nation, destroy our friends in Israel and keep the Mideast on fire for 15 years, Graham said.What are you all thinking?Under legislation that Obama signed into law this year, Congress gave itself 60 days to review the July accord once all relevant documents were delivered to US lawmakers.In the US House, conservatives have begun pressing the case that Obama broke that law by not providing the texts of secret so-called side deals to the accord.On Thursday the House passed a measure finding that the president violated the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act, and that the 60-day review had therefore not begun.On Friday the House votes on legislation that would prevent Obama from lifting sanctions on Iran, and on approval of the Iran agreement, a move that forces Democrats to put their support for the accord on the record, which Republicans think may be more costly for Obamas party.The National Iranian American Council applauded the Senate vote as a stunning victory for supporters of peace and diplomacy.AIPAC, the powerful pro-Israel lobby in Washington, called Obamas win a dangerous moment for America and our allies.The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) will not block Irans path to a bomb, but will enrich and entrench the worlds leading state sponsor of terror, AIPAC said.

Palestinians allowed to raise flag at UN headquarters

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UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - The UN General Assembly voted on Thursday to allow the Palestinians to raise their flag at its headquarters in a diplomatic victory in their campaign for statehood.A resolution was adopted by member states with 119 in favor, eight voting against -- including Israel and the United States -- and 45 abstentions.The text allows the flags of Palestine and the Holy See -- both of which have non-member observer status -- to be hoisted alongside those of the member states.The world body now has 20 days to implement the move, which would be in time for a visit by Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas on September 30.Palestinians had been lobbying intensively to round up the needed votes for the initiative -- which both Israel and the United States have firmly oposed.Raising the Palestinian flag outside the UN headquarters is not an alternative to negotiations (between Palestinians and Israel), and will not bring the parties closer to peace, US ambassador Samantha Power said after the vote.Israel ambassador Ron Prosor maintained that no vote can turn an empty symbolic gesture into a state.European nations were divided on the move with France and Sweden voting in favor while others such as Germany, Austria, Finland, the Netherlands and Cyprus abstained.French ambassador Francois Delattre stated that this flag is a powerful symbol, a glimmer of hope, for the Palestinians amid broken-down peace talks.Israeli-Palestinian peace talks have been comatose since a failed US diplomatic effort in April last year, and a war in the Gaza Strip last summer left 2,200 Palestinians dead.

New Yemen peace talks to begin next week: UN

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UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - The special UN envoy for Yemen said Thursday that the countrys government and Huthi Shiite rebels agreed to participate in peace talks that will convene in the region next week.The talks will touch on a cease-fire and the resumption of a peaceful political transition, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed said in a statement.Impoverished Yemen has been wracked by conflict since March, when a Saudi-led Arab coalition launched air strikes against Iran-backed Shiite Huthi rebels.The discussions are aimed at creating a framework for an agreement on a UN mechanism that would see the Houthis withdraw from territories that they have conquered.The mediator urged the participants in the talks to engage constructively and in good faith, recognizing the need or a rapid end to the violence which has brought intolerable levels of suffering to the Yemeni people.The conflict in Yemen has claimed nearly 4,500 lives since late March, according to the UN.Cheikh Ahmed also applauded the decision of Yemeni President Abdu Rabbo Mansour Hadi and other Yemeni parties to attend the talks, for which a date and time have yet to be set.The United Nations has called repeatedly for a ceasefire in Yemen, but talks in Geneva in June collapsed without the warring parties ever sitting down in the same room.Cheikh Ahmed spoke Thursday afternoon by videoconference from Riyadh to Security Council ambassadors during closed-door consultations.The council called on all Yemeni parties to participate without preconditions and in good faith, according to text obtained by AFP.

Dutch aid worker freed in Afghanistan after 81 days

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THE HAGUE (AFP) - A Dutch aid worker who was abducted by unknown gunmen in June in Afghanistan has been freed after being held for 81 days, the Dutch foreign ministry said late Thursday.Anja de Beer was recovering in the Dutch embassy in Kabul and was doing pretty well considering the circumstances, the ministry said in a statement.An experienced aid worker who spent more than 15 years working for UN agencies, de Beer had been posted in Kabul for several years and was working for the Swiss non-governmental organisation Helvetas when she was snatched on the streets in broad daylight.The Dutch foreign ministry said she had managed to speak with her family already as well as with Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders who said he was relieved to hear about her release.Im happy that 81 days of uncertainty have come to an end, he said in the ministrys statement.De Beer had been abducted at gunpoint by four armed men on June 22 in the Afghan capital. She had previously worked with the Red Cross from 2000 to 2001 on projects to help widows and orphans in Afghanistan, the Dutch press agency ANP said.Aid workers in Afghanistan have increasingly been casualties of a surge in militant violence in recent years.In April the bullet-riddled bodies of five Afghan workers for Save the Children were found after they were abducted by gunmen in the strife-torn southern province of Uruzgan.And last month a female German aid worker was also captured in broad daylight in Kabul, highlighting the growing risk to humanitarian officials in the war-torn country.A spokesman for Helvetas confirmed the good news to the Dutch centre-left daily De Volkskrant, adding we still dont know who abducted her and why.Her family also confirmed news of the release to the daily, asking that she be left to recover in peace by reporters.De Beer was kidnapped in front of the door to her office in the Taimami quarter, where other aid workers and journalists live and work.So far no one has claimed to be behind the kidnapping.

Europe divided as record numbers of migrants cross Europe

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ROSZKE (AFP) - Europe was increasingly divided over its refugee crisis on Thursday as record numbers of migrants streamed through the Balkans into Hungary, forcing Austria to suspend cross-border train services.Germany, which is spearheading Europes response to the emergency, warned that an EU plan to distribute 160,000 new arrivals among member states was a mere drop in the ocean.But the plan already faces stiff opposition from eastern members who say they will not accept binding quotas from Brussels.As the historic influx continued unrelentingly, US President Barack Obama sought to respond to political pressure to help alleviate Europes crisis by ordering his administration to admit at least 10,000 Syrian refugees next year, amid criticism Washington has been slow to help. Spokesman Josh Earnest said Obama had ordered staff to scale up the number of Syrian refugee admissions from around 1,500 in this fiscal year, to 10,000 in the next, beginning on October 1. The US response came as Hungarian police said 3,321 people had entered in just 24 hours, hurrying to cross before harsh new anti-migrant laws take effect, an imposing new fence is completed, and the weather worsens.Overstretched Hungarian police have struggled to control and register new arrivals seeking to board trains and buses heading for Austria.Austrias train operator suspended services with Hungary on Thursday due to massive overcrowding and urged bus companies and volunteers stop bringing migrants to stations.In Serbia, state television reported 5,000 more arrivals at the border with Hungary.The UN refugee agency on Tuesday warned that at least 42,000 migrants were expected to enter Hungary by next week.Many have endured treacherous sea journeys across the Mediterranean -- most fleeing war and poverty in Syria, Afghanistan or Pakistan.On Macedonias border with Greece, AFP journalists saw some 50 buses transporting around 2,500 migrants and three trains packed with 3,000 people departing from the town of Gevgelija.EU interior ministers will meet Monday to discuss how to share the burden across the bloc and ease the burden on frontline states.Germany, which has already welcomed 450,000 migrants this year, wants the 28-nation group to go further, calling for no limits to the quotas. The distribution of 160,000 refugees across Europe is a first step, if one wants to be polite, said Deputy Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel. Its a drop in the ocean.But binding quotas are facing fierce resistance from eastern EU members.It is inappropriate to talk about mandatory quotas, calculated on an extremely bureaucratic basis, almost like an accountancy exercise I might say, without consulting member states, said Romania President Klaus Iohannis. His views echoed those of Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico, who said Wednesday he did not want to wake up one day and have 50,000 people here about whom we know nothing.German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier will try to win over eastern European counterparts at a meeting in Prague on Friday.Junckers proposals include a possible revision of the EUs much-criticised Dublin Treaty, under which asylum claims must be processed by the first country that refugees arrive in.EU lawmakers called for an international conference on migration bringing together the US, United Nations and Arab states.Meanwhile, on the Greek island of Lesbos, another flashpoint, the boats kept arriving.Hundreds -- perhaps thousands -- were making a gruelling 50-60 kilometre walk from their landing place to the main town where they must go to receive registration papers.We have been walking for four hours. There is no bus, no taxi, no water, no anything, said Mohammed Yassin al-Jahabra, a 23-year-old English literature student.Earlier this week, officials on Lesbos registered a staggering 15,000 refugees in just over 24 hours after a huge backlog built up, leaving people stranded on the island for days in filthy conditions.But the boats are still arriving at an astonishing pace, with six landing in the space of an hour on Wednesday, AFP correspondents said.As soon as I put my feet down (on dry land), I stopped feeling tired, said Feras Tahan, a 34-year-old Syrian graphic designer, his shoes and trousers soaked.

UN envoy sees 'moment of truth' in Libya talks

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SKHIRAT (AFP) - The UN peace envoy for Libya, Bernardino Leon, said the latest round of peace talks launched in Morocco on Thursday could prove to be the moment of truth.We are starting a new round of talks in the Libya process, which we hope will be the final round, the moment of truth for the parties, he said in Skhirat near the Moroccan capital.We are very hopeful that they will understand that this deadline of 20th of September must be the last one, must be the one that will allow Libya to get out of this crisis.Libya, torn apart since dictator Moamer Kadhafis ouster in 2011, has two rival administrations -- a body in Tripoli known as the General National Congress (GNC) and an internationally recognised government based in Tobruk in the far east.Leons peace plan calls for an accord to be reached by September 20, ahead of the United Nations General Assembly, with the government coming into force a month later.A two-year transitional government would work towards organising parliamentary elections, under the terms being discussed.On Friday, Leon said a deal on creating a unity government could be reached in the coming days, but that difficult work remained before a final accord.The rising influence of the Islamic State jihadist group in Libya and the countrys emergence as a smuggling hub for migrants risking their lives to cross the Mediterranean have added urgency to the long-running and often derailed UN talks.

67th death anniversary of Quaid-i-Azam is being observed today

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - The 67th death anniversary of founder of Pakistan‚ Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah is being observed today (Friday) with reverence and honour.Quran Khawani will be held at Quaid’s mausoleum in Karachi while special prayers will be offered in mosques across the country for the departed soul of the Quaid.People from different walks of life‚ including the government functionaries‚ political leaders and workers will visit the Quaid s mausoleum to pay homage to the great leader.Several public and private organizations and educational institutions will hold functions to highlight different aspects of the life of Quaid-e-Azam who united the Muslims of the Subcontinent for acquiring a separate homeland.Media will air special programmes to pay homage to the great leader. Extracts from the speeches of Quaid-e-Azam will also be broadcast during the special transmissions.

Oil prices climb on falling US crude output

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NEW YORK (AFP) - World oil prices rose Thursday as investors focused on a decline in US crude production instead of a bigger-than-expected jump in inventories.US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for October leaped $1.77, or 4.0 percent, to $45.92 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.Brent North Sea crude for delivery in October, the European benchmark, closed at $48.89 a barrel in London, advancing $1.31 (2.8 percent) from Wednesdays settlement.Both futures contracts bounced back from sharp falls on Wednesday as traders expected another increase in US commercial crude-oil inventories.In fact, the Department of Energys (DoE) weekly petroleum report released Thursday showed a much larger-than expected build in inventories, by 2.6 million barrels to 458.0 million barrels in the week to September 4.But the market seized on the more bullish aspects of the report. US crude-oil production fell for the fifth week in a row, dropping by 83,000 barrels per day to 9.14 million barrels per day.Though still high, the decline in US production was seen as potentially easing the global oversupply that has outstripped demand and sent prices diving more than 50 percent since June 2014.US stockpiles at the key Cushing hub sank by 900,000 barrels, to 56.4 million. Meanwhile, US demand for petroleum products rose about four percent from a year ago.Strong economic data, strong demand for oil products, drop in oil production and drop in Cushing stocks seems to provide support to oil prices so far, despite the 2.57 million increase in US crude stocks, said Natixis analyst Abhishek Deshpande.

Dollar mostly lower but rises vs. yen

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NEW YORK (AFP) - The dollar traded mostly a bit lower Thursday as weak US inflation data cooled expectations of a Federal Reserve interest rate hike next week.US import prices fell 1.8 percent in August, their steepest drop since January, the Labor Department said in a report that could help dissuade the Fed from raising zero-level interest rates at its coming policy meeting, analysts said.The US economy showed its Achilles heel in another subpar reading of inflation, news that weighed on the dollar and dampened expectations the Fed would raise rates next week, said Joe Manimbo of Western Union Business Solutions.Manimbo said that all eyes would be on Fridays US wholesale inflation and consumer sentiment data. Lackluster news could see the dollar favor its back foot heading into next weeks crucial Fed meeting, he added.The dollar extended Wednesdays gain against the Japanese currency, rising to 120.63 yen around 2100 GMT from 120.54 at the same time the previous day.The British pound, meanwhile, advanced against the dollar and the euro after the Bank of England stayed the course on monetary policy as expected, leaving its key rate at a record low of 0.5 percent.

Lahore: bread prices likely to increase

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – Following an increase in flour prices, the prices of roti and naan bread are also likely to increase in Lahore, Dunya News reported.The price of a 20 kg flour bag has increased from Rs 725 to 745 within one week prompting the bread vendors to hint an increase in prices of naan and roti as well.This can add to the cost of bread for the labourers by at least Rs 300.It merits mentioning here that bread vendors are not allowed to raise prices right now but to consolidate prices, they have reduced the weight of naan and roti.The negotiations between the district government and naan vendors are ongoing.

US delegation heads to Cuba to build on renewed ties

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - A US delegation will head to Havana on Friday to launch a bilateral commission with the Cuban government to strengthen recently revived diplomatic ties.The US embassy in Havana reopened last month after the Cold War rivals renewed relations after a half-century freeze, and the two governments are cautiously negotiating a new relationship.Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Alex Lee will head the US delegation, joined by the head of the embassy, charge daffaires Jeffrey DeLaurentis.The team will meet with members of the Cuban Foreign Ministry to discuss next steps in the normalization process and schedule dates for future discussions on shared priorities, the State Department said.Fridays talks are not expected to dive deeply into policy issues, but officials from the two governments will seek to agree the priorities and timetable of the bilateral commissions work.

US intelligence official warns of evolving cyber threats

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - A top US intelligence official warned Thursday of an evolving cyber security threat that will see criminals not just stealing data, but actively altering or deleting it.Speaking to the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, heads of several top security agencies, still reeling from a string of high-profile hacks, spoke about the vulnerabilities faced by government and businesses in America.Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said attacks typically have involved the disruption of a website or massive thefts of information -- such as the devastating hack of government databases that saw the theft of personal details of millions of federal workers and contractors.I believe that the next push on the envelope here is going to be the manipulation and deletion of data, Clapper said.In written comments to the committee, Clapper said there may be more cyber operations that will change or manipulate electronic information in order to compromise its accuracy and reliability.Decision making by senior government officials (civilian and military), corporate executives, investors, or others will be impaired if they cannot trust the information they are receiving, Clapper wrote.The data breach at the Office of Personnel Management swiped Social Security numbers and other information about current and former government workers and associates, affecting a staggering 21.5 million people.Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey told the intelligence committee there was no immediate indication the stolen data had been used adversely.But I dont want to put people completely at ease, Comey said. Theres a significant counterintelligence threat thats associated with someone having this information, a nation state.In his written comments, Clapper said his office was less concerned with a cyber armageddon scenario that debilitates the entire US infrastructure.Instead, we foresee an ongoing series of low-to-moderate level cyber attacks from a variety of sources over time, which will impose cumulative costs on US economic competitiveness and national security, he wrote.As they have done previously, US intelligence officials pointed to China, Russia, Iran and North Korea as the main culprits behind cyber attacks in the United States.Admiral Michael Rogers, who heads the National Security Agency, said Iran had carried out a number of attacks against US financial institutions websites in 2012-2013 but as negotiations on a nuclear deal progressed, Iran dialed these back.As the negotiations kicked in, we saw less activity directed against us, he said. But I would remind people I have not seen the Iranians step back from their commitment to cyber as a tool.The United States believes North Korea is behind another infamous hack, that of Sony Pictures. Rogers said he had not seen North Korea attempt another hack of that magnitude since then.

Spain police search wells for US woman missing on pilgrim trail

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MADRID (AFP) - Spanish police said Thursday they were searching with dogs in wells for signs of a 40-year-old US woman who went missing five months ago while hiking the popular Santiago pilgrim trail.Denise Pikka Thiem has not been heard from since April 4 when she sent a message to a friend saying she was at a point on the trail near the northern town of Astorga.A police source told AFP that 300 officers with dogs and a helicopter were deploying in a search that would focus on wells near where she was last seen.Following investigations that we opened at the time of the disappearance, a search is now being carried out in an area near Astorga, a police source told AFP on Thursday.Investigators now think that there is a possibility that carrying out a search on the ground will lead to new developments in this investigation.The Way of Saint James is hiked by hundreds of thousands of tourists and Roman Catholic pilgrims who stay at hostels on their way to the northwestern city of Santiago de Compostela.Spains Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy wrote to Thiems parents in Arizona, saying he understands the pain of a family that does not know where their daughter is, in a letter dated August 24 and seen by AFP.Rajoy also wrote to US Senator John McCain, who the government said had contacted it about the disappearance. He reportedly asked for the FBI to be allowed to investigate on the ground.Spanish police have various lines of investigation open which we hope will lead to the case being solved, Rajoy wrote.
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