Thursday 19 November 2015

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Polling station attack plan foiled as Rangers kill two target killers

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – A plan for attacking numerous polling stations in Sindh province during the second phase of Local Government (LG) elections was foiled Thursday night as Rangers clashed with the two target killers with the nefarious intentions and killed them. The clash between the Rangers and gang war operatives occurred in Lyari area.According to the Rangers Spokesperson, the exterminated suspects Amjad alias Mirchi and Iqbal alias Kana were involved in cases of murder, extortion and kidnapping for ransom.Ammunition has been recovered from the possession of the neutralized suspects.Meanwhile, Crime Branch Police conducted a raid in SITE area and arrested three suspects. According to Senior Superintentdent (SSP) Crime Branch One Akram Aburoo, the arrested suspects belong to Sheraz Comrade Group of the Lyari gangwar. The arrested suspects have been identified as Walayat Khan, Tariq and Faisal, all three of whom have been implicated in various cases of street crime. Ammunition has also been recovered from their possession.

Major upsets mark second phase of Sindh, Punjab's LG polls

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – As with the first phase of Local Government (LG) elections, the second phase of LG polls in Sindh and Punjab were once again marked by major upsets as many potentially certain winners were seen facing defeat in various areas of the two provinces.In Mandi Bahaudddin Union Council (UC) 67, former Federal Minister Nazar Gondal’s brother Zulfiqar Gondal faced defeat at the hands of Pakistan Muslim League –Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Tanveer Javaid.In Hafizabad’s UC 8, Health Minister Saira Afzal Tarar’s father Afzal Tarar lost to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) candidate Mamoon Jaffar.Similarly in Sargodha, Minister for State Pir Amin-ul-Hussnat’s brother also had to face an upset when results were announced.An interesting competition was seen when a grandfather and grandson group contested the election in Gujranwala’s UC 67. Former Speaker Anwar Bhandur’s grandson Waleed Bhandur was beaten in the polls by one of their own supporting candidate.In UC 84 of Sheikhupura, Member of National Assembly (MNA) Azhar Qayyum Nahera’s brother Mazhar Qayyum Nahera also suffered a defeat.An upset was also seen in Sheikhupura’s UC 37 when MNA Javed Latif’s brother Amjad Latif managed to defeat Munawar Manjh’s son Ali Irfan.Former PML-N leader MNA Zahid Iqbal who was disqualified for a fake degree was appointed as a UC Chairman.Meanwhile in Sargodha Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) former Member of Parliament (MPA) Awais Aslam Madhiana was also appointed as UC Chairman.

US says Assad's fate to be decided in international talks

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - Embattled Syrian leader Bashar al-Assads fate will be decided in international talks in the coming weeks, the United States said Thursday, brushing off his rejection of moves to sideline him from peace talks.In the multilateral sessions, which will continue to occur going forward, the role of Assad in this transition will be spelled out, State Department spokesman John Kirby said.Under a framework agreed to last month in Vienna by 17 nations and three international bodies including the United Nations, Syrians are due to start political discussions on or after a target date of January 1.Selected leaders from both Assads regime and opposition groups deemed acceptable -- that is, not terrorists -- by the international stakeholders will have six months to draw up a constitution and 18 to organize elections.The United States and its allies hope that a ceasefire between the government and moderate rebels will allow Assad to leave power peacefully while local and foreign forces focus their fire on the Islamic State group.But Assads allies Russia and Iran are dubious about this strategy, arguing that Assads fate should be decided by the Syrian people alone, and the beleaguered strongman has himself rejected it outright.In an interview with Italys Rai television, Assad said there could be no transition plan or elections while swaths of Syria remained out of government control.This timetable starts after starting defeating terrorism, he said.You cannot achieve anything politically while you have the terrorists taking over many areas in Syria. If we talk after that, one year-and-a-half to two years is enough for any transition.Assads government refers to all of its opponents -- fighters and activists alike -- as terrorists.The United States and its Arab allies argue it will be impossible to lure the opposition to the table if it is not clear when Assad, whom they blame for starting the war and killing thousands of civilians, will go.Nothing has changed, Kirby said. We want a transition to a government that is free of Assad and representative and responsive to the Syrian people. So, obviously, there is going to have to be a process for that change to occur, that transformation to occur. Exactly what Assads role in that is going to be has not been completely hashed out.

Hopes for Syria peace dim after Assad, Obama remarks

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BEIRUT (AFP) - Hopes for a quick political transition in war-ravaged Syria dimmed Thursday as embattled President Bashar al-Assad threw cold water on an ambitious timetable agreed at international talks in Vienna. At the same time, the US held firm to its calls for Assads departure, with President Barack Obama insisting Thursday that the war could not end unless the Syrian leader steps down. I do not foresee a situation in which we can end the civil war in Syria while Assad remains in power, Obama said on the sidelines of a trade summit in Manila.Top diplomats from 17 countries met in Vienna Saturday to discuss a way out of Syrias nearly five-year conflict, which has left more than a quarter of a million people dead. They produced a two-year timetable: a transitional government would be formed and a new constitution written within six months, to be followed by internationally monitored elections within 18 months after that. But in a television interview with Italys Rai television, Assad said there could be no transition schedule for elections while swathes of Syria remained out of government control. This timetable starts after starting defeating terrorism. You cannot achieve anything politically while you have the terrorists taking over many areas in Syria, he said.If we talk after that, one year and a half to two years is enough for any transition.Damascus refers to all opponents -- fighters and activists alike -- as terrorists.Syrias government has insisted that combatting terrorist groups including the Islamic State organisation should come ahead of any political solution. Assad also rejected the idea of UN observers monitoring elections, saying the world body had lost all credibility. In comments to French magazine Valleures Actuelles, the embattled leader said Syria could only accept observers from countries that were not partisan during the crisis. Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow would be ready to work with the Western coalition striking IS if its members respect Syrias sovereignty.Russia is ready to develop with them such forms of coordination that of course would respect Syrias sovereignty and the prerogatives of the Syrian leadership, Lavrov told state-run Radio of Russia.Despite holding diametrically opposed views on the fate of Assad, Russia and France are set to begin coordinating military and security efforts in the anti-IS fight. The remarks by world leaders have rolled back hopes that a political solution was on the horizon. On Tuesday, US Secretary of State John Kerry said Syria could be weeks away from a transition. But Waddah Abed Rabbo, editor-in-chief the Al-Watan daily, which is close to the government, said: Syrias president is much more realistic than the Vienna declaration. Can we imagine elections in Raqa or Deir Ezzor? he said, naming two provinces where IS has a strong presence.We must first eliminate this scourge and re-establish the presence of the state throughout the whole country, before beginning the countdown to elections. IS has seized territory across Syrias north, east, and centre, and is the target of a US-led air coalition as well as Russian strikes. Air strikes on fuel trucks in ISs de facto capital, Raqa, killed at least six civilians and wounded 20, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Thursday. Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said those killed were oil smugglers and their families, not IS fighters. The toll announcement came a day after Russian General Andrei Kartapolov announced that Russia would begin hunting down oil infrastructure used by IS. Meanwhile, Syrias army and rebels proceeded with talks to reach a 15-day ceasefire in the Eastern Ghouta rebel stronghold east of Damascus. The two sides had been locked in talks overnight in the hopes of reaching a deal by 6:00 am (0400 GMT), in what would be the first temporary truce in Eastern Ghouta. After hours of relative quiet in the towns of Douma and Harasta Thursday morning, Syrias armed forces resumed shelling Douma, killing one person.But Abdel Rahman said there was no indication the negotiations had stopped. A Syrian security source told AFP Russian intermediaries were contacting supporters of armed groups in Eastern Ghouta in an effort to reach an agreement. The Observatory said rebel shelling of the capital wounded 16 people Thursday.

Russia says ready to work with anti-IS coalition on condition

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MOSCOW (AFP) - Russia is ready to work with the Western coalition fighting the Islamic State group if its members respect Syrias sovereignty, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Thursday.We...are ready for practical cooperation with those countries which are part of the coalition and are ready to develop with them such forms of coordination that of course would respect Syrias sovereignty and the prerogatives of the Syrian leadership, Lavrov said in an interview with state-run Radio of Russia.I am convinced that such forms can be found if we take a pragmatic approach.Russia first launched air strikes on Syria in September at the request of its long-standing ally President Bashar al-Assad, while a US-led coalition of countries opposed to the Syrian strongman is conducting a separate air campaign against IS. In the aftermath of the Paris attacks on Friday, French President Francois Hollande called this week for a broad anti-IS coalition, echoing an earlier call made by Russian strongman Vladimir Putin made at the UN General Assembly in September. Hollande said he would next week discuss his proposal with US President Barack Obama and Putin, who has ordered his navy in the Mediterranean to establish contact with its French counterparts and work together as allies.Putin has been seeking to capitalise on shifting dynamics in the West following the Paris carnage and the bombing of a Russian passenger plane over Sinai in October, arguing that Russia and the West should unite against a common enemy.Lavrov said he first detected a change in the Western position after Putin called for a broad coalition to fight the IS jihadists in Syria. Our Western partners realised the lack of prospects for the approach that many of them had taken.On Wednesday Russia submitted a revised draft UN resolution on fighting the IS group that France said could be partially included in its own Security Council proposal.

Knife, gun attacks on Israelis kill at least 4 as lull ends

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JERUSALEM (AFP) - Two separate Palestinian attacks targeting Israelis killed at least four people Thursday, including a stabbing in Tel Aviv and a West Bank gun and car-ramming assault, shattering a lull in weeks-long violence.It was among the bloodiest days for Israelis since the wave of violence broke out on October 1.The first attack saw a 36-year-old Palestinian storm an office building in commercial capital Tel Aviv with a knife, killing two Israelis.Police said the suspect was stopped by officers and civilians, wounded and arrested. According to police, the Palestinian attacked two people around a shop on the second floor of the building then ran downstairs and stabbed a third person before being stopped.Israeli security forces identified the attacker as from the Hebron area in the occupied West Bank. Those killed were men aged around 20 and 50, police said. The third victim suffered wounds in the upper body, hospital officials said.Further details remained unclear and there were varying reports on how the attack played out. One of the victims reportedly took refuge in a room inside the building that serves as a Jewish prayer area.Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said that the attacker attempted to enter a synagogue inside the building.I heard cries and my Arab employee told me, Hes stabbing, Israel Bachar, a 65-year-old who runs a nearby print shop, told AFP.I left my store and I saw a man on the ground being stabbed. I threw a piece of wood that was on the ground and the terrorist got up and ran after me. I hid in a nearby store.Bachar said the victim, a longtime friend, later died in his arms.The building where the attack occurred, known as the Panorama building in southern Tel Aviv, hosts a variety of shops and offices.Later in the day, at least one assailant opened fire from a car near a Jewish settlement south of Jerusalem before crashing into pedestrians. Three people were killed in the gun attack, with at least one of them confirmed as Israeli and another a suspected attacker. A number of others were wounded.The West Bank attacker was shot, the army said, but the assailants condition was not clear. There were conflicting reports on whether there was more than one attacker.The incident occurred at a junction near the Gush Etzion block of Jewish settlements, according to police.Details of the West Bank attack were still emerging. The army spoke of shots being fired, then of the attacker intentionally ramming his car into the pedestrians.Forces on sight fired towards the vehicle, identifying a hit, an army statement said.Prior to Thursday, the last significant attack dates back to November 13, when an Israeli rabbi and his son were shot dead in an ambush as they drove in an area near Hebron, the focus of much of the unrest.The violence since the start of October has killed at least 84 people on the Palestinian side, including one Arab Israeli, and at least 15 Israelis.Many of the Palestinians killed have been alleged attackers, while others have been shot dead in clashes with Israeli security forces.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in his meeting with US President Barack Obama on November 9, was said to have spoken of measures aimed at easing tensions amid the wave of Palestinian gun, knife and car-ramming attacks.Israels response to the violence has at times been controversial, such as the demolition of suspected attackers homes and allegations of excessive force in the killings of some alleged assailants.On Tuesday, Israel banned the radical wing of the countrys main Islamist organisation, accusing it of having instigated violence at a sensitive Jerusalem holy site that preceded the wave of unrest.Some questioned whether the ban would further stoke tensions and also harm legitimate political debate.

Hollande orders escalation of anti-IS strikes in Iraq, Syria

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PARIS (AFP) - President Francois Hollande on Thursday ordered French air strikes against Islamic State jihadists to be stepped up in Iraq as well as Syria following the Paris attacks, his office said. Francois Hollande gave the necessary instructions for the intensification of the military operations under way against Daesh in Syria as well as in Iraq, said a statement issued after he met senior cabinet ministers and military chiefs. At the meeting, Hollande was briefed on the investigation into the coordinated November 13 attacks by Islamic State jihadists that left 129 people dead.The council studied all the measures to boost the protection of our fellow citizens, the statement said.Also discussed was Hollandes visit to Washington next Tuesday to meet US President Barack Obama, and a trip to Moscow two days later to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin.Hollande had already announced on Monday an increase in strikes on Syria.

France urges UN to authorize 'all necessary measures' against IS

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UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - France asked the UN Security Council on Thursday to authorize countries to take all necessary measures to fight the Islamic State group after the jihadists claimed responsibility for the Paris attacks.A draft resolution presented to the 15-member council called on UN member states to redouble and coordinate their efforts to prevent and suppress terrorist acts committed by IS and other extremist groups linked to Al-Qaeda. The French draft resolution does not provide any legal basis for military action and does not invoke chapter seven of the UN charter that authorizes the use of force.French diplomats maintain though that it will provide important international political support to the anti-IS campaign that has been ramped up since the attacks in Paris on Friday that left 129 dead.The exceptional and unprecedented threat posed by this group to the entire international community requires a strong, united and unambiguous response from the Security Council, French Ambassador Francois Delattre said.This is the goal of our draft resolution, which calls on all member states to take all necessary measures to fight Daesh (IS).Delattre said he was seeking rapid approval of the draft resolution that was put in blue -- a UN term designating that a final version is ready for a vote at the Security Council.Frances bid for UN backing came after Russia submitted a revised text of a separate draft resolution that calls for fighting the IS group with Syrias consent.That draft has been rejected by the United States, Britain and France, which are refusing to cooperate with President Bashar al-Assads regime, whom they accuse of fomenting extremism by resorting to brutality.Western diplomats renewed their opposition to Russias bid to enlist its ally Syria in the fight against the IS group.British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft, whose country chairs the council this month, said the Russian measure seeks to legitimize the authority of Assad and added that it did not have much prospect.Russia and the West have been unable to overcome differences over Assads future, with the United States and its European and Gulf allies pressing for a clear timetable for the Syrian leader to exit from power.The French draft text describes IS as a global and unprecedented threat to international peace and security and said sanctions would soon be imposed against IS group leaders and supporters.The text unequivocally condemns in the strongest terms the horrifying terrorist attacks by the Islamic State group in Paris and Beirut, and also mentions violence in Tunisia, Turkey and Egypt this year. French President Francois Hollande is due to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow next week, two days after talks in Washington with President Barack Obama aimed at stepping up the campaign against the extremists, who have overrun large areas of Syria and Iraq in a brutal offensive.

US House votes to suspend Syria refugee program

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - The House of Representatives voted Thursday to ban Syrian and Iraqi refugees from entering the United States until stricter screening measures are in place, a move some slammed as giving in to xenophobia after the Paris attacks.The Republican legislation, the first congressional response to last weeks attacks, passed overwhelmingly, 289 to 137, with nearly four dozen Democrats bucking their president to support the measure.The bill now heads to the Senate, where its fate is uncertain. Should it pass the upper chamber, the White House has said President Barack Obama would veto the bill.Being generous does not mean we have to have a weak process for screening refugees, number two House Republican Kevin McCarthy told the chamber shortly before the bills passage.The bill would prevent refugees from Iraq and Syria from reaching US shores until background checks are implemented as part of the screening process for each refugee.It would also require directors of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Homeland Security, and Director of National Intelligence to personally certify that each new settler would not be a threat to national security.Such a step, Democrats argue, would be a logistical nightmare for department heads who should be focusing more directly on stopping the Islamic State group and other extremists.Republicans defend the measure as a necessary, common-sense step after the terror strikes in Paris that killed 129 people and injured hundreds more.Today is not the day to share our territory, a somber Financial Services Committee chairman Jeb Hensarling told House members.Democrats took to the House floor to argue that US refugee vetting is already the most stringent in the world, with investigations by several federal agencies taking an average 18 to 24 months.House Democrat Jerrold Nadler expressed incredulity that lawmakers would seek to block women, children and seniors fleeing violence in Syria and Iraq from entering the country as refugees.We might as well take down the Statue of Liberty, he said.

10 killed in fighting for key Yemen province

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ADEN (AFP) - Yemeni pro-government forces advancing into the strategic province of Taez were battling rebels on the outskirts of its second largest town on Thursday, military sources said.Eight rebels and two loyalists were killed in the fighting for Rahida, the pro-government sources said.The town lies on the main road from government-held territory towards Taez, Yemens third largest city, 40 kilometres (25 miles) further north, where loyalist troops have been besieged by the rebels for months.Loyalist forces were backed by significant reinforcements from a Saudi-led coalition which intervened in support of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi in March.Hadi returned from Saudi exile on Tuesday as the offensive against the Huthi Shiite rebels and their allies got under way.The coalition carried out at least 10 air strikes against rebel positions in and around Rahida during the night, the military sources said.Breaking the siege of Taez is seen as crucial for the recapture of other central provinces and opening the way to the rebel-held capital Sanaa further north.It is also important for securing the south, where loyalists have retaken five provinces from the rebels since July, including second city Aden, where Hadi has set up base.In their advance out of the south, pro-government forces have also been battling the rebels in Marib province east of the capital.Hundreds of reinforcements were deployed to the province on Thursday, equipped with dozens of military vehicles newly arrived from neighbouring Saudi Arabia, military sources said.Loyalists control Marib city, 140 kilometres (90 miles) from Sanaa, but they have so far failed to secure the rest of the province, which is the source of much of Yemens oil output.The latest reinforcements came as Saudi Arabias regional rival Iran called on all sides in the conflict to join UN-sponsored peace talks in Geneva later this month.Tehran accused Riyadh of deepening the conflict with its military intervention against the rebels.According to United Nations, more than 5,700 people have been killed since the intervention began in March, nearly half of them civilians.

Tennis: Djokovic sets up Nadal clash, Federer eliminates Nishikori

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LONDON (AFP) - Novak Djokovic set up an ATP Tour Finals showdown against Rafael Nadal as the defending champion booked his semi-final berth with a 6-3, 7-5 victory over Tomas Berdych, while Roger Federer defeated Kei Nishikori to eliminate the Japanese star on Thursday.After Federers 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 win earlier in the day, world number one Djokovic knew he would advance to the last four if he could secure one set against Berdych in his concluding group match at Londons O2 Arena.The Serb, a winner of three Grand Slam titles this year, wasted little time achieving that goal as he took the first set to ensure he would finish second in the group behind Federer and eventually eased to victory in 89 minutes.Djokovics bid to win the Tour Finals for a record fourth successive year is likely to face a sterner test on Saturday from his old rival Nadal, who looked in fine form while romping to victories over Stan Wawrinka and Andy Murray to secure top spot in the other group.We have played so many times and even a couple of times on this very court, said Djokovic, who has won seven of his last eight matches with Nadal.He has played great in his first couple of matches and hopefully I will be able to play my best. That is what is needed to beat him.Federer, who has won the Tour Finals a record six times, will face either Murray or Wawrinka, who clash on Friday, in the semi-finals.Losing to Federer in straight sets would never be an easy result to stomach for the ultra-competitive Serb, but it was especially painful since it ruined his three remarkable winning streaks.Not only did the loss end his 23-match winning run dating back to August, it also brought to an end his 38 consecutive indoor victories and his 15 successive Tour Finals wins.But, with his tournament survival on the line, Djokovic could take comfort from winning 20 of his previous 22 meetings with Berdych, including their last seven matches and all four of their Tour Finals encounters.Needing to take just one set to advance, the 10-time Grand Slam champion responded to only his sixth defeat of the season by quickly seizing the initiative against Berdych.He fired off a string of winners and took seven of the first eight points to break in the second game of the first set.Berdych broke straight back, but Djokovic got a lucky break that helped him seal the set when the former Wimbledon runner-up failed to challenge on a call that would have gone in his favour.Bolstered by that good fortune, Djokovic broke just moments later to secure the first set.Berdych had already lost his first two group matches and when Djokovic broke in the opening game of the second set he could easily have crumbled.But the 30-year-old kept plugging away with his booming forehand and induced enough Djokovic errors to break back three games later.Faced with that sudden barrage, Djokovic responded in typically combative fashion and gradually wore down Berdych, breaking for a 6-5 lead before serving out the win.Federer had already clinched a record 13th Tour Finals semi-final place after ending Djokovics three-month unbeaten run.But the 34-year-old still needed to beat Nishikori to be certain of advancing as the group winner and he finished the job in two hours and 10 minutes to emerge from the first phase with a 100 percent record for the seventh time.It was a really important one for me, to move on (to the semi-finals) with a good feeling, Federer said.Theres points on the line and prestige, wanting to beat Kei, winning at the O2. I want to do well here.Nishikori added: Each set I didnt start well. Every time he broke first and I was on the defensive all the time. That was my big mistake.

Terrorism top concern at Rio Olympics: security chief

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RIO DE JANEIRO (AFP) - The risk of a terrorist attack is the main security fear at the Rio Olympics, a top official said Thursday, with the Paris attacks highlighting the potential for Brazil to be sucked into conflict for the first time with Islamic extremists.Terrorism is the number one worry, Jose Mariano Beltrame, the security chief for the state of Rio de Janeiro, told a news conference. Brazil does not have a history of terrorism, but always works with this priority.With a low profile in international conflicts and no connection to US and European entanglements in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria, Brazil has never been targeted by Islamist groups. However, the simple fact of world leaders being present at the Rio Olympics next August, coupled with the massive media coverage, risks pulling Latin Americas biggest country into the crosshairs.Beltrame said we receive bulletins on possible threats..., but we have the means to boost our forces where necessary.We are ready. Every institution knows what to do. We want a gold medal in security.A huge number of security personnel will be deployed for the games: between 60-65,000 police officers and soldiers, and another 15,000 in reserve. This doubles the number of security used at the 2012 London Games.French police -- with the horror of last weeks massacres by Islamist bombers and gunmen in Paris fresh in their minds -- began training elite Brazilian counterparts in crowd control Thursday.Dozens of Brazilian officers in Rio with state-of-the-art anti-riot gear, including fire-proof balaclavas, gas masks, stun grenades and tear gas, showed off their techniques for subduing violent mobs.In normal times, a riot would be the worst thing expected to happen at a major sporting event like the Olympics, which open on August 5.But in the wake of the Paris attacks, including at a France-Germany football game, the focus of the long-scheduled session abruptly switched to a much darker scenario.There is a real possibility of a terrorist attack due to the high visibility, said Colonel Andrei Silva, with the Brazilian police forces Shock Battalion, at their Rio headquarters.We have to prepare more, he told AFP. We definitely dont want this to happen in Brazil.Brazils police have much experience in fighting well-armed drug traffickers in city favelas, but are often accused of human riots violations, including extrajudicial executions.The French had come to teach them democratic management of crowds, Antonio Marcalo, with the CRS, said. We try to help them with tactics that are a little more democratic.The demonstration exercise involving an assault by about 20 hulking riot police with batons and stun grenades against a lone colleague posing as the supposedly disorderly crowd seemed rather to favor more robust Brazilian methods.After being gassed, stunned and eventually surrounded, the solitary protester was carried away in a horizontal position.Frances Lieutenant Anne-Christine Poinchon pointed out that the CRS does not have specific anti-terrorism expertise and had arrived in Rio on what had been planned as a routine training session.However, with attacks on such a large scale as in Paris -- where assailants did the most damage with widely available and easily used automatic rifles -- the stakes are rising for security services of all kinds, including the CRS and Shock Battalion.We arrived right after the Paris attacks so were getting a lot of questions about terrorism, Poinchon said.The Brazilian authorities take what happened in France very, very, very, very seriously and are very keen to get our information so they can prepare to a maximum.Poinchon said Silva, the Shock Battalion colonel, had already been in talks with Frances specialist anti-terrorism unit RAID.Historically Brazil has not had any terrorist act. We hope that will continue, Silva said. But to hope is not enough anymore.

Golf: McIlroy and Willett keep in Dubai contention

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DUBAI (AFP) - World number three Rory McIlroy produced a magical bunker shot in his final effort of the day for a birdie that kept him in contention, two shots off the pace, at the DP World Tour Championship on Thursday.McIlroy carded a four-under par 68 alongside Danny Willett as nothing separated the top two players in the reckoning to win the European Tour Order of Merit.They were tied for sixth, two shots behind the leaders at six-under par 66 on the first day of the $8 million (7.45 million euros) event. It was a logjam at the top featuring Martin Kaymer of Germany, Andy Sullivan and Ian Poulter of England, and Australian Marcus Fraser.Italian Francesco Molinari was the lone man in fifth place at five-under par 67, while Northern Irelands McIlroy and Englands Willett were among eight players tied at 68.McIlroy and Willett were paired together in the final group. They made the turn at two-under, were three-under par after 12 and finished with a birdie each on the 18th.Willett laid up and hit his third shot to five feet on the par-5 18th, but McIlroy looked in trouble after finding the greenside bunker with his third shot. With not much green to play with, a par looked more likely but the defending Race to Dubai champion managed to hole his shot.It never really looked like a four. I hit it into the bunker off the tee, then hit a good lay-up shot but a terrible third shot. I was thinking, it was one of those ones where you just had to get it out and it could trundle its way toward the hole. I knew I could get it close, but pleased to see it drop in, said McIlroy.Although he did struggle a bit mid-way through the round, McIlroy was pleased to open with a 68.Ball-striking tee-to-green for the most part has been very good. It has been all throughout the year and its been the putter that held me back. But I felt like I putted well today, so that bodes well for the next three days, he added.Willett was happy to keep pace with McIlroy in the tricky, afternoon conditions.Its a bit calmer in the morning and usually a bit cooler. You see a few decent scores in the morning. The greens are obviously quite nice, said the 28-year-old who is just 1,613 points behind McIlroy.In the afternoon, we had the greens a little firm, a little glassy, but I played pretty good, solid golf. We kept it reasonably in play and went from there.Both Kaymer and Poulter have not won anything this year and are hoping to turn it around this week.Kaymer had an early scare when he splashed into the water with his tee shot on the sixth hole, but eight birdies was a good effort.I played really solid. I didnt make many mistakes really, said Kaymer.I gave myself a lot of chances and I putted really well, so overall it was a very, very good round.Poulter, who was one of three players who played a bogey-free round, felt he could have done much better than a 66, considering he did not exploit the par-fives.Im happy but Im still frustrated. It could have been a much better round of golf. I know that, said the Englishman, who revealed he had to take a cortisone injection earlier in the week to relieve him of pain in one of his ankle joints caused by a bone spur.Two-time defending champion Henrik Stenson, who is 56-under par on the course in his last three visits to Jumeirah Golf Estates, dropped five shots in the space of three holes from the 15th onwards, including a triple-bogey seven on the 16th. The world No.6 Swede finished with a five-over par 77 and was tied 58th.

Golf: Ernst leads LPGA, Ko atop Park in fight for top spot

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NAPLES (AFP) - American Austin Ernst, seeking only her second LPGA title, fired a six-under 66 Thursday to grab a one-stroke lead after the opening round of the season-ending Tour Championship.And while the 23-year-old world number 53 was charging to the lead, New Zealand teen star Lydia Ko fired a 69 to help tighten her grip on the world number one ranking ahead of South Korean Park In-Bee, who opened on 71 to share 22nd.Park must finish 12th or better to have a chance of swiping the year-end top spot from Ko, the defending champion who took the season points bonus and the title last year for a record $1.5 million payday.Ernst has barely cracked the million-dollar mark in her three LPGA seasons, with her lone crown coming at last years Portland Classic, but she found form with her streaky putter Thursday to put herself atop the leaderboard.There were still two or three putts I feel like I should have made, but to be able to shoot 6 and say that is a step in the right direction, Ernst said.It has been a little streaky. I have been up and down with the putter. I had eight birdies today. When I get around like that with the putter, thats when I have good weeks.Ernst has four top-10 efforts this season, including a share of second at the Yokohama Tire Classic in August, where she adopted a claw putting style.A birdie-birdie finish boosted Ernst to the lead by one stroke over South Korean Lee Mi-Hyang with South Korean Kim Sei-Young and Americans Jennifer Song, Cristie Kerr, Jaye Marie Green, Brittany Lincicome and Gerina Piller sharing third on 68.Ernst put her approach at the par-5 17th three feet from the cup to set up a birdie and blasted a 5-wood 192 yards to within inches of the hole at 18.The crowd got really loud, Ernst said. It rolled right over the edge. It felt nice to finish with a tap-in birdie.Ko, the 18-year-old Kiwi wonder who has five wins this season, captured her first major title at the Evian Championship in France.Ko took a bogey at the par-3 fifth but birdied the par-5 sixth and added birdies at the par-3 12th and par-5 14th and 17th holes to join a pack on 69 with American Alison Lee and South Koreans I.K. Kim and Jang Ha Na.Park took a bogey at the par-5 first hole but opened the back nine with a birdie and also birdied 17 to crack par in round one. A victory would give her the top ranking spot no matter where Ko finishes.

Badminton: Lin Dan crashes out of Hong Kong Open

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HONG KONG (AFP) - Chinese badminton superstar Lin Dan crashed out of the second round of the Hong Kong Open Thursday to little-known hometown player Ng Ka-Long, raising questions about whether the two-time Olympic champions dominance on court is waning.Lin, considered by many to be one of the true greats of the sport, looked sluggish compared to his 21-year-old opponent, who managed to take nine points off the Chinese player before conceding a shot.It was the first meeting of the pair, and will likely be memorable for the young Hong Konger who was playing in front of an enthusiastic home crowd as he dismissed Lin 21-8, 21-18 in 33 minutes.I think I am quite patient today and I am calm in doing some net shots and some lifting so I can better control the game. I think he didnt play his best today, so I can have a chance to beat him, said Ng.Lin has won just one Super Series title this year -- in Japan in September -- and failed to get past the first round at the French Open last month, but the 32-year-old has dismissed retirement rumours, saying he is aiming for next years Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.World number one Chen Long beat Thailands Boonsak Ponsana to set up a quarter finals revenge match against Malaysian rival Lee Chong Wei, who beat him in Sundays China Open final.Chinas Chen, who is gunning for his seventh major title of the year in the southern Chinese city, swept aside Boonsak 19-21, 21-8, 21-13.Overall I am satisfied even though the first set took a moment to find my rhythm. Overall it was good, said Chen.Lee -- fresh from back-to-back wins in China and France -- beat Germanys Marc Zwiebler 21-12, 21-12 for his place in the last eight.Former world number one Lee has made a strong return to the badminton circuit after an eight-month doping this year, silencing those sceptical of the veterans chances to qualify for the Olympics to fight for a so-far elusive gold medal.Chinas Tian Houwei also went through when he beat defending champion Son Wan-Ho of South Korea 21-13, 21-17.In the womens competition, world number one Carolina Marin of Spain downed Japanese rising star Akane Yamaguchi 21-19, 21-8 to reach the last eight.She is a good player. It was a tough match. She always fights until the shuttle is on the floor. So thats why the first set was very close, Marin said of her teenage opponent, who is tipped as a strong prospect on the womens circuit in coming years.
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