Thursday 5 November 2015

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Nine elected NA members to take oath, MQM returns after fifty days

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – National Assembly (NA) meeting will be held on Friday and nine elected members of the National Assembly (NA) including Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz’s (PML-N) leader and winner of NA-122 constituency Sardar Ayaz Sadiq will be taking oath, Dunya News reported. Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) will be returning to the assembly after fifty days since it first handed in its resignations on the 12th of August and will take part in the NA proceedings. MQM has decided to take back resignations from Sindh Assembly as well.Read further: MQM to withdraw resignation from Sindh AssemblyAccording to the details, MQM submitted an application for the withdrawal of its mass resignations to the chamber of the current Speaker, after successful negotiations with the government. Members of NA Sheikh Salah-ud-Din and Sajjad Ahmed submitted an application for withdrawal of 22 out of 24 of its parliamentarians’ resignation letters. Two MQM parliamentarians Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and Asif Hussnain could not submit their application as they were out of the country.After withdrawing its resignations, it has yet to be seen whom MQM nominates to contest the NA Speaker election.MQM parliamentarians handed in their resignation in protest against Karachi operation and reservations over minus-Altaf formula. MQM chief Altaf Hussain had endorsed the decision of resigning from Senate, National Assembly and Sindh Assembly. He said that no one was listening to his party members’ genuine grievances. The MQM has 24 seats in the National Assembly, 51 seats in the Sindh Assembly and eight seats in the Senate.Read further:MQM parliamentarians to resign from AssembliesMQM had earlier expressed its reservations to the US as well and reached out to the Obama administration to impress upon the Pakistani leadership particularly security forces not to target its members in Karachi in the name of counter-terrorism operations.Read further: MQM expresses reservations to USFederal government had then formed a committee to address Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s (MQM) reservations regarding resignations from National Assembly.

Obama, Cameron say bomb may have caused Egypt plane crash

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LONDON (AFP) - US President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron raised the possibility Thursday that a bomb brought down a Russian plane that crashed over Egypts Sinai Peninsula, undermining efforts by Cairo and Moscow to downplay the suggestion of an attack.With concerns over security mounting, a number of European airlines readied to bring home thousands of tourists from the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, where the ill-fated plane departed from last Saturday.I think there is a possibility that there was a bomb on board and we are taking that very seriously, Obama told a US radio station, while emphasising it was too early to say for sure.In London, where Cameron was hosting Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the British premier told reporters it was more likely than not that it was a terrorist bomb that caused the crash.The Islamic State (IS) jihadist group has claimed responsibility for the disaster, in which the Saint Petersburg-bound jet crashed after taking off from Sharm el-Sheikh, killing all 224 mainly Russian tourists on board.But Egypts civil aviation minister Hossam Kamal said there was yet no evidence or data confirming the theory of an attack and the Kremlin has dismissed the notion as speculation.Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has authorised strikes against fighters including IS militants in Syria, said assessments of the crash should be based on the ongoing official investigation, according to the Kremlin.Sisi sought to use his trip to London Thursday to allay fears over the safety of tourists in his home country after several nations suspended flights to and from Sharm el-Sheikh -- leaving holidaymakers stranded while officials assessed security at the airport.There is no global or European blanket ban and some flights have continued from the airport, but France and Belgium have warned citizens against travelling to Sharm el-Sheikh and Britain advises against all but essential travel by air to or from the resort.Outbound flights from Britain to Sharm el-Sheikh remain suspended but the British government authorised flights to resume from the resort on Friday to bring home an estimated 20,000 British tourists -- but passengers will only be allowed to carry hand luggage.The government has decided, in consultation with the airlines, that flights from Sharm to the UK will resume tomorrow, a spokeswoman for Cameron said.The additional security measures will include permitting passengers to carry hand baggage only and transporting hold luggage separately.Belgian airline Jetair announced similar measures, saying it would send three planes to Sharm el-Sheikh to repatriate tourists but without accepting check-in luggage.British airlines easyJet and Monarch said they would lay on extra flights to get customers home.Charter flight operator Thomson Airways said the flights would operate under special security measures mandated by the UK Government with no hold luggage allowed on the plane. Joining a string of airlines in avoiding Sharm el-Sheikh, the Lufthansa Group announced its subsidiary Eurowings would halt flights between Germany and the Red Sea resort, and said it would cooperate with the German foreign ministry and tour operators to repatriate holidaymakers.Turkish Airlines also cancelled two flights despite insisting earlier Thursday that it would continue flying to the resort.Russia on Thursday began burying the first victims of the crash, with several hundred people gathering in Veliky Novgorod, south of Saint Petersburg to mourn 60-year-old Nina Lushchenko.Flight KGL9268, was flying at altitude of 30,000 feet (9,150 metres) when it lost contact with authorities, 23 minutes after take-off from Sharm el-Sheikh to Russias second city.Experts say the fact that debris and bodies were strewn over a wide area indicates the aircraft disintegrated in mid-air, meaning the crash was likely caused by either a technical fault or an explosion on board.IS, in claiming responsibility for the crash, said Wednesday it would reveal how at a time of its choosing.If confirmed, it would be the first time IS, which controls large areas of Syria and Iraq, has bombed a passenger plane. It has the potential to deeply damage Egypts tourism industry, still struggling to recover from a turbulent few years following the revolution of 2011.

PKK declares end to unilateral truce in Turkey

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ISTANBUL (AFP) - The rebel Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) said Thursday that it had torn up a unilateral truce in Turkey after a surge in deadly violence since the countrys weekend election.Its announcement comes after several days of Turkish air raids against the PKK in both southeastern Turkey and across the border in northern Iraq and a spate of deadly clashes.The unilateral state of inaction has ended due to the AKP (Justice and Development Party) governments latest attacks, the PKK said in a statement carried by the pro-Kurdish news agency Firat.After the election, the AKP has demonstrated it is going to be a war government, said the PKK, considered a terrorist organisation by Ankara and its Western allies. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had vowed on Wednesday that Ankara would press ahead with its military campaign against the rebels in a conflict that has plagued Turkey for more than three decades.About 45,000 people have been killed since the PKK launched an armed campaign for greater autonomy in southeastern Turkey in 1984.Violence flared up in July between the guerrillas and government forces after a deadly bombing against activists in a Kurdish majority town, shattering a 2013 ceasefire reached after secret talks between Ankara and the PKKs jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan.The PKK had however said after the devastating suicide bombings on a pro-Kurdish peace rally in Ankara last month that it would suspend all attacks, except in self-defence -- a move seen as aiming to ease tensions ahead of last Sundays poll.Emboldened by its surprise election victory, the AKP has since gone on the offensive against both the Kurdish rebels and opponents of Erdogan, including critical media.The operations against the terrorist organisation inside and outside the country are continuing in a determined fashion, Erdogan said on Wednesday.There will be no break. We will keep on, he said in his first major policy speech since the AKPs win, which was also a major personal victory for the man who has dominated Turkish politics for more than a decade.We will keep on fighting until the terrorist organisation buries their weapons under concrete and its members surrender and leave the country.Turkish war planes pounded PKK targets in the southeastern Kurdish-majority town of Yuksekova on Wednesday, the army said, the third straight day of air strikes since the vote.The military said 31 Kurdish militants were killed in the raids, but the figures could not be independently verified.One Turkish policeman was also killed in clashes with PKK fighters on Thursday in Silvan, another southeastern town, where a curfew was declared this week, security sources told AFP.Another four militants were killed in clashes with Turkish security forces in the southeast this week.The PKKs executive committee (KCK) called on the Kurdish people to step up the struggle against AKP fascism and vowed to resist every attack targeting the group.We have always made it clear that we are ready for a bilateral ceasefire, Thursdays statement said.But its not possible to maintain a state of in action in the face of the AKPs current policies.The resumption of hostilities in July, and a spate of attacks blamed on jihadists from the Islamic State group, were seen as key to the election victory of the AKP, which said during the campaign it was the only party that could restore security.Voters deserted the pro-Kurdish Peoples Democratic Party (HDP) in droves in the election, although they were able to scrape together enough votes to remain in parliament.In a historic breakthrough, the HDP had become the first party representing Turkeys estimated 15-20 million Kurds to enter parliament in the June election that had seen the AKP stripped of its majority.

58 Iraqis died of electrocution during heavy rains: ministry

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BAGHDAD (AFP) - Fifty-eight Iraqis died of electrocution during heavy rains and flooding last week, the health ministry said Thursday, illustrating the dangers posed by the countrys dilapidated infrastructure.The 58 died of electric shocks, spokesman Ahmed al-Ridaini told AFP.The sewer system was overwhelmed by several days of downpour, leading to widespread flooding in Baghdad and other parts of the country, and with some areas still flooded days after the rain stopped.The flooding combined with decrepit electricity infrastructure to pose deadly danger, and videos posted online showed the bodies of people purportedly electrocuted being fished out of flooded streets.As more rain fell Thursday, the electricity ministry issued a warning for citizens to be careful with the distribution networks that include wires, poles and transformers.Because government-provided power falls far short of demand, many streets in Iraq are criss-crossed by spiderwebs of dozens of haphazardly strung wires linking homes and shops to private generators.Government electricity provision -- which falls to just a few hours a day during the summer, when temperatures top 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit) -- has been a major source of discontent in Iraq.Anger over poor services and rampant corruption sparked weeks of protests earlier in the year. Reforms have been announced, but little in the way of significant change has occurred so far.

Suicide bomber kills 6 on Lebanon border with Syria

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BEIRUT (AFP) - A suicide bomber killed at least six people Thursday at a Muslim clerics meeting in the Lebanese town of Arsal on the border with Syria, a security source told AFP.The source said that the bomber entered the meeting of Syrian clerics and detonated an explosive belt, leaving five people dead and six wounded until now. One of the wounded later died.The head of the local clerics committee, Sheikh Othman Mansur, was also among the wounded, while the state news agency said his deputy, Omar al-Halabi, was killed.Arsal is a Sunni Muslim enclave in mainly Shiite eastern Lebanon and hosts many Syrian refugees as well as rebel fighters in the surrounding countryside.The explosion definitely targeted this meeting... where usually no less than 15 people are gathered, Arsal resident Abu Ibrahim told AFP by telephone. I just went to the hospital, and there were people crying and screaming, he said. Arsal was the scene of fierce fighting in August 2014 between Lebanese security forces and jihadists of Al-Qaedas Syria affiliate Al-Nusra Front and the Islamic State group.As they withdrew from Arsal, the jihadists took dozens of Lebanese police and soldiers hostage and still hold them in the hilly terrain on the towns outskirts.

Cyclone killed eight in southeastern Yemen: official

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ADEN (AFP) - Eight people were killed in southeastern Yemen by a rare tropical cyclone that wreaked havoc in parts of the war-torn country this week, a local official said Thursday.The deaths, five by drowning and three in collapsed homes, occurred in Hadramawt province between Tuesday and early Wednesday, before Cyclone Chapala eased into a depression, said Mohammed al-Amudi of the governorates technical affairs department. Forty people were also injured over the two days, Amudi said.Around 3,000 families were displaced during the cyclone, he said, reporting massive destruction of the provinces infrastructure.Cyclone Chapala weakened Wednesday after making landfall Tuesday in mainland Yemen, triggering heavy flash floods after severely striking the countrys Arabian Sea island of Socotra.Weather was back to normal on Thursday.More than 200 people were injured and dozens of houses and hamlets severely damaged or washed away when Chapala hit Socotra, according to Salem Zaher, mayor of the islands main district Hadibo.Socotra is 350 kilometres (210 miles) off the Yemeni mainland.The UNs Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has cited reports of three fatalities and 34 injured in Yemen due to the cyclone.The UN said Tuesday that at least 1.1 million people, mainly in the provinces of Hadramawt and Shabwa, were expected to be affected by Chapala.Yemen has been riven by conflict since Iran-backed Shiite Huthi rebels seized control of the capital Sanaa in September last year and advanced on other parts of the country.A Saudi-led coalition launched air strikes against the rebels in March in support of a fightback by forces loyal to President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, who fled the Huthi advance to Saudi Arabia.Al-Qaedas Yemeni branch has been in control of much of Hadramawt provincial capital Mukalla since April.

Death toll rises to 25 as rescuers continue to look for survivors

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – The death toll in the Sundar Industrial Estate factory collapse tragedy rose to 25 on Friday as rescuers continued to look for survivors through the second night of the accident. Grieving families of the victims looked on hoping for some miracle so that they may see their loved ones once again. Rescue officials say they have saved103 people from under the rubble up until now.Capital Development Authority’s team also reached the accident sight. 4 trained sniffer dogs are also being used in the rescue operation.The officials of Pak Army and rescue teams are working vigorously day and night, scuffling through the wreckage to find any signs of survivors but sometimes unfortunately coming across lifeless bodies of the victims as two more dead bodies were extricated from the wreckage. Rescuers are utilizing every technology at their disposal including cutters, cranes and drill machines.Officials also used state of the art equipment to assess if any trace of human could be below the debris. If no such signal is registered, the wreckage is again shifted and removed. The roof of the building was lifted using heavy cranes.Seeing that the wreckage sift is an enormous task, further rescue teams and machinery were called in from Okara, Kasur, Sheikhupura, Sialkot, Gujranwala and numerous other districts. The rescue operation is being conducted by Pak Army soldiers, Bahria Town rescue officials and others.Factory employee Mohammad Navid told AFP Thursday that dozens of shift workers may have been sleeping in a part of the building that rescuers had not yet reached, and children as young as 12 had been working in the factory.Even though rescuers are working steadfastly and diligently, however, precious time is ticking away for those still trapped under the rubble.The collapse occurred at the four-storey Rajput Polyester polythene bag factory in the Sundar industrial estate, around 45 kilometres (30 miles) southwest of Lahore s city centre.Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif earlier stated that it was possible the building had been damaged after the October 26 earthquake.Injured workers revealed that the buildings 4th floor was constructed on weak pillars.Laborers had warned the factory owner of the impending danger of the problem but he had paid no heed. It was also revealed that the columns of the building had further embedded 2 feet into the ground due to the weight.I have heard about earthquake affect on the building, but according to labourers the owner continued to build an extension, he told reporters.The government has demanded a report from the Sundar Industrial Estate into the matter.POOR SAFETY RECORDMost of the survivors were injured and chief doctor Zia Ullah at Jinnah Hospital, where some were taken, said the majority of the victims were young workers, with many suffering head injuries and fractured limbs.The army said it was deploying specialist search teams and engineers to help the rescue effort.Three cranes, a bulldozer and more than 40 emergency rescue vehicles were working at the site, a rescue official said Wednesday.Provincial spokesman Zaeem Qadri told reporters that progress was slow because the factory was at the end of a narrow lane, making it difficult for excavators to reach the site.Pakistan has a poor safety record in the construction and maintenance of buildings.At least 24 people died last year when a mosque collapsed in the same city, while more than 200 people lost their lives, mostly due to collapsed roofs, following torrential rain and flooding in 2014.In 2012, at least 255 workers were killed when a fire tore through a clothing factory in Karachi, one of the deadliest industrial accidents in Pakistani history.A judicial probe into the blaze was damning, pointing to a lack of emergency exits, poor safety training of workers, the packing in of machinery and the failure of government inspectors to spot any of these faults.A murder case was registered against the factory owners, but it has never come to trial.WATCH VIDEO:

Tennis: Djokovic extends win streak, Federer falls in Paris

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PARIS (AFP) - Novak Djokovic kept his win streak alive at the Paris Masters on Thursday, but there was defeat for Roger Federer at the hands of big-serving American John Isner.Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray also reached the quarter-finals, but in contrasting styles.World number one and defending champion Djokovic went through to the last eight in the final tournament of the ATPs regular season with a 6-3, 7-5 victory over Gilles Simon that took his unbeaten run to 19 matches.It was far from being the world number ones most commanding performance of late as he struggled with his serve, but it meant he has not dropped a set since the US Open final against Federer in early September.He has now won 26 sets in a row, taking him past his own previous best of 24 sets which he achieved in early 2014.The Serb, who has won three of the four Grand Slam titles and five of the eight Masters 1000 series titles so far contested this year, dropped serve five times against the wily Frenchman, four coming in the second set.But on each occasion he immediately struck back to prevent Simon from gathering any momentum.The 10-time major tournament winner said his struggles on serve had been frustrating.I can assure you, losing four service games in a set, I dont think that has happened to me, he said.Im not a serve specialist, but I think I have a solid serve and it hasnt happened for a long time.It wasnt pleasant, but I knew that I have a good return. I was feeling the ball very well from the back of the court.So that kind of was a positive to that, knowing that I can break him most of the time. That was the kind of mindset.Djokovic will next play fifth seed Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic who eased past an injury-hampered Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-3, 6-4 for a place in the semi-finals of a tournament he has won three times previously, including the last two yearsFederer was shocked to find himself leaving for home without once having dropped his serve as Isner typically won on two tie-breaks 7-6 (7/3), 3-6, 7-6 (7/5), hammering down 27 aces in the process.The Swiss legend agreed that Isner had served superbly on the big points.Hes got the size, got the power, got the angles, the 34-year-old said.I thought he did very well today when he needed it. The breakers, he served great. Those are the ones he needed. Yeah, that was the difference.Its tough to get out of the tournament not having lost your serve, you know, but thats how it can go against John.Federer, who won his hometown tournament in Basel last weekend, will now switch his focus to London and the ATP World Tour Finals.Isner will play David Ferrer for a semi-final spot after the Spanish eighth seed outlasted Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria 6-7 (4/7), 6-1, 6-4.Asked where the win ranked in his career best Isner replied: Its up there, for sure. I dont know off the top of my head. Its certainly top five I would say.This is a very big tournament. Hes an incredible player, obviously. My favourite player and the greatest of all time, my opinion. It was a huge win for me. Im very proud I was able to get it done.Nadal saved a match point in the second set tie-breaker against South African Kevin Anderson before prevailing 4-6, 7-6 (8/6), 6-2. He will next take on French Open champion Stan Wawrinka who beat Victor Troicki 6-4, 7-5. In earlier action, British second seed Andy Murray set up a quarter-final clash with Richard Gasquet of France by pounding Belgiums David Goffin 6-1, 6-0 in just 53 minutes.The match had extra significance in that the two will lead their respective countries at the Davis Cup final in Ghent from November 27-29.Murray certainly chalked up some psychological points in what was just the second career meeting between the two men.Gasquets win over Kei Nishikori came when the Japanese star abandoned due to back pain while trailing 7-6 (7/3), 4-1.The Frenchman, whose best showing in Paris Masters was a run into the semi-finals in 2007, said that Murray would present the toughest of challenges.Hes one of the best players in the world. Hes extremely difficult to beat every time because he makes few unforced errors, he said.

Tennis: Murray and Gasquet win in Paris

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PARIS (AFP) - Andy Murray handed out a tennis lesson to David Goffin at the Paris Masters on Thursday, three weeks before the two are due to go head-to-head in the Davis Cup final opposing Britain and Belgium.It was vintage Murray as the Scot dominated from the opening exchanges, sweeping a bewildered opponent aside 6-1, 6-0 in just 53 minutes to reach the quarter-finals.The two had met just once before, Murray winning in straight sets in the first round at Wimbledon 2014, when he was defending the crown he won in dramatic fashion the previous year.That was on grass, while the Davis Cup final from November 27-29 in Ghent will be on clay, which the Belgians chose, believing it gives them a better chance of countering the world number three.Thursdays match-up, in contrast, was on a hardcourt, but there were valuable psychological points to be won with the final in mind.Those went totally to Murray, who will now go on to play Richard Gasquet. The Frenchman moved through when sixth seed Kei Nishikori of Japan withdrew with Gasquet leading 7-6 (7/3), 4-1. At stake will be a first ever Paris Masters semi-final appearance for the Scot.Murray said he was expecting a different challenge when the two national number ones face off in Ghent on a claycourt surface chosen by the Belgians to aid their players.Obviously clay is seen as being my worst surface, but I still feel like I play well on that court, he said.I dont know what speed the courts going to be. You know, if its quick, then I think that that will help my serve a lot. If its slow, then I feel like I can track a lot of balls down on the clay which is positive.But it was good for me to get the chance to play him before the Davis Cup and see his game and the speed of his shots and where he maybe makes some mistakes from and things that he likes to do.Obviously with the result, thats a positive. I mean, mentally for me its a positive win.Goffin put as brave a face as possible on the loss, saying he would take a few days rest to recharge his batteries before joining up with the Belgian team at the end of next week.Andy was extremely efficient today, he said. This didnt help me to get into that match. This is why that match was the way it was, he said.As far as I was concerned, I thought this would be my last match of the (ATP Tour) season, so its really tough to really put all your energy into it.Gasquets win over Nishikori extended his domination over Asias top player to 6-0 and it hinged on a first-set tie-break that saw the Frenchman win four points in a row from 3-3.The Frenchman grabbed an early break in the second set to go 4-1 up after which Nishikori took a medical timeout for treatment on a back problem. He tried to continue, but was forced to abandon in the next game.

Tennis: Bread knife injury ends Wozniacki's season

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HONG KONG (AFP) - Caroline Wozniacki lamented her shitty recent few months on Thursday after an unlucky incident involving a bread knife brought her season to an abrupt halt.The former world number one was trailing Svetlana Kuznetsova 7-5, 2-2 at the WTA Elite Trophy in Zhuhai, southern China, when she retired and later withdrew from the tournament.According to the WTA Insider Twitter account, Wozniacki cut her finger badly with a bread knife from room service and was unable to hold her racquet properly, prompting the wrist injury.Its been a really, really frustrating, shitty second half of the year. Basically just been falling apart physically, she was quoted as saying by the WTA-linked account.Denmarks Wozniacki, 25, won in Malaysia during a positive start to the season but highlights have become few and far between as the year unfolded.She isnt the only star to fall foul of room service this week -- coincidentally her former fiance, golfer Rory McIlroy, went down with food poisoning from a club sandwich in Shanghai.Wozniackis withdrawal could also affect Kuznetsovas chances of qualifying from Group D, as she was relying on the world number 17 beating Roberta Vinci on Friday.In Wozniackis absence, Italys Vinci will play alternate Anna Karolina Schmiedlova, the world number 28 from Slovakia.Earlier Venus Williams came from a set down against Chinese number one Zheng Saisai to become the first player to reach the semi-finals at the tournaments inaugural edition.Williams, the top seed and seven-time Grand Slam winner, was stunned in the first set by 75th-ranked wildcard Zheng before she hit back to win 4-6, 6-1, 6-1 in Zhuhai, southern China.You could see that she played amazing and she really is a future champion, Williams said, according to the WTA website.First set, wow, she played so well until the last point. She definitely deserved to get the wildcard into this tournament -- she has a lot of talent and there are definitely great things for her in the future.In Group C, Czech third seed Karolina Pliskova beat Italys Sara Errani 6-0, 6-3.

Violence as anti-capitalist march hits London

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LONDON (AFP) - Activists set a police car alight and scuffled with riot police in central London as thousands took part in a Million Mask March anti-capitalist demonstration on Thursday night.Many activists wore the white masks associated with the international Anonymous network at the march, an annual anti-establishment protest that takes place on Britains Guy Fawkes Night.Demonstrators threw fireworks and bottles at police, some of whom were knocked from their horses, while several bleeding protesters were treated for injuries as authorities tried to contain the march.Police said 28 people were arrested for public order offences and that three injured officers had been taken to hospital.Protesters chanted One solution: revolution and Whose streets? Our streets and split into different factions, confronting lines of police outside Buckingham Palace and the office of Prime Minister David Cameron.Some demonstrators ran through Londons major shopping district around Oxford Street, smashing windows and engaging in running scuffles with police as shops closed their doors.One protester who emerged from the crowd with blood pouring from his head close to the headquarters of the ruling Conservative party said he had been caught between a surge of demonstrators and police batons.I was at the front, I was chatting with the officers asking them what their agenda was and why they were trying to stop us walking down the street, said Terry Small, 20, from the southern English city of Plymouth.I got pushed in the back by people trying to move forward... I couldnt move.One group of activists gathered outside the British premiere of the finale of the Hunger Games in Leicester Square, as stars Jennifer Lawrence and Julianne Moore walked the red carpet.Mexican anarchist Aztecarna Peatonito said the march was a protest against inequality and that wearing the white masks of Guy Fawkes, the man who plotted to blow up parliament in 1605, helped promote their cause.We tried for six years to get the press to take us seriously. It is only when we wore the masks that we started getting attention, Peatonito said. Anyone who is violent is not with us.Police had put in place special security measures ahead of the march, which also saw scuffles and arrests last year, and formed cordons surrounding two groups of marchers in Trafalgar Square and outside parliament.Under the measures, demonstrators were to be confined to certain areas of central London and were required to remove their masks if asked by police and to disperse by 2100 GMT.Three men acting suspiciously were arrested before the demonstration got under way, and were found to be in possession of knives, lock picks and smoke grenades, police said.

Football: Ibe guides Liverpool past Rubin, Celtic lose again

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PARIS (AFP) - Jordan Ibe scored a fine goal to hand Liverpool a crucial 1-0 victory over Rubin Kazan in the Europa League on Thursday, as Celtic flopped once again to leave their hopes in tatters.After three successive draws, Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp was hoping his team could carry over the momentum from Saturdays Premier League 3-1 win over Chelsea when they travelled to Russia.And they did not disappoint, dominating for much of the match and Ibes 53rd-minute strike ensuring a first away win in Europe in three years against a side that has in the past claimed the scalps of Chelsea, Tottenham and Wigan.Group B leaders Sion had Veroljub Salatic to thank for a 94th minute goal that secured a 1-1 draw with Bordeaux, who are next up for Liverpool, on six points two behind Sion and three ahead of the French team.A fine double save by Sergei Ryzhikov kept Rubin Kazan in the game at half-time against Liverpool, the goalkeeper reacting smartly to a poor defensive header from teammate Solomon Kverkvelia before palming the ball away.Ibe provided the breakthrough when he sprinted away midway inside the Rubin Kazan half before shooting low into the far left corner for his first goal in a Liverpool shirt.James Milner had an effort tipped over and Ibe then had a shot saved by the impressive Ryzhikov on the counter.Ruslan Kambolov sent a free-kick over the crossbar as Liverpool rode out a nervy few closing minutes as the home side pressed.Klopps former club Borussia Dortmund and Napoli both secured their places in the knockout stages, the Germans beating Qabala of Azerbaijan 4-0 and the Italian club notching up a 5-0 thrashing of Midtjylland of Denmark.There was more heartbreak for Celtic, however, the Scots going down 2-1 to Norwegian outfit Molde at home.It meant Molde also qualified for the knock-out stage, with Celtic bottom with just two points from four matches.

Football: Real president backs 'innocent' Benzema on Madrid return

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MADRID (AFP) - Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema received the backing of his club on Thursday, just hours after being charged in connection with a sex tape extortion case.The 27-year-old was released by French prosecutors earlier in the day in a blackmail case involving a tape featuring fellow French international Mathieu Valbuena.Despite training alone, Reals president leapt to the defence of the French international.Real Madrid president, Florentino Perez, held a meeting with the player in which he gave him his full support and expressed his confidence that his actions were in good faith and that he is completely innocent, said a statement released by the Spanish giants.The club values and recognises the professional commitment, the displays of camaraderie with his team-mates and the impeccable attitude he has shown as a core member of the first team squad for the more than six seasons that he has been a part of Real Madrid.Real said that Benzema, who is still recovering from injury, had trained on his own, jogged and carried out various exercises.A source in the French criminal investigation said Benzema had admitted approaching Valbuena about the sex tape on behalf of a childhood friend who himself had been contacted by blackmailers in possession of the tape, who were seeking to extort money.But Benzemas lawyer said the player was innocent and has admitted nothing at all.Benzema was charged with complicity to blackmail and conspiring to commit a criminal act, the prosecutors office in Versailles, outside Paris, said.

Golf: Perera takes route 66 to Delhi lead

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NEW DELHI (AFP) - Sri Lankas Mithun Perera birdied four of his last five holes to lead the Panasonic Open India and raise hopes of his first Asian Tour win on Thursday.Pereras six-under-par 66 at Delhi Golf Club gave him a one-shot lead over Indias Chiragh Kumar and Sattaya Supupramai of Thailand.Perera, who lost in a three-way play-off last year, had two opening birdies from close range and finished with more on 14, 15, 17 and 18 to seize the first round lead.It is nice to start with two gimmie birdies. That gave me a lot of confidence, said Perera, according to the Asian Tour. I kept the ball in play and thats the key to a good score here.I had a good round because my driver worked and I holed some good putts. Ill try and keep to this rhythm in the next three rounds. I always have good confidence when Im here because of my accuracy, he added.

Motorcycling: Rossi starts last in Valencia as CAS dismiss appeal

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MADRID (AFP) - Valentino Rossis world title hopes were dealt a potentially fatal blow on Thursday when the Italian lost his appeal over being relegated to the back of the grid for Sundays season-ending Valencia Grand Prix.Rossi, already a seven-time premier category champion, was penalised for kicking defending champion Marc Marquez off his bike at the Malaysian Grand Prix last time out.He appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) who ruled Thursday that the sanction will stand.Rossi leads Yamaha teammate Jorge Lorenzo by just seven points and therefore needs to finish in the top two to guarantee the title.Unfortunately starting from last is going to make everything a lot more difficult, said Rossi.It was already difficult, but now it is much harder. We need to try to maintain our concentration and be competitive to get to Sundays race in the best shape.The clash between Marquez and Rossi has sparked an age old sporting rivalry between Spain and Italy with even the prime ministers of both countries intervening to back their compatriots.Rossi is sure to face a hostile atmosphere in Valencia with the race unusually for MotoGP being declared as high risk by the authorities for fears fans of the riders could clash.My dream was to fight for the championship in a clean way, added Rossi.The season has been a very good one and I am still in position to fight for the title. This decision doesnt change the passion I have going forward.The fallout from the incident escalated last weekend when two Italian journalists tried to enter the grounds of Marquezs Catalan home.Marquezs representatives released a statement saying the journalists had been reported to the police for assaulting and insulting the 22-year-old rider and his family.However, the reporters replied claiming their cameras had been broken in the scuffle, whilst their TV company said they would pursue the Marquez family for assault, slander and theft.It has been a tough week, Marquez admitted on Thursday.I have tried to prepare for this Grand Prix like any other, but it hasnt been possible.I dont expect an apology from Valentino. I understand perfectly that Valentino has a championship in play.In the end I dont want to be caught in the middle, although every one races their own race and fights for their own result.The bad blood between Marquez and Rossi has meant Lorenzo has gone under the radar as he aims for his third world title.However, he did manage to anger his own team when his attempt to have his lawyers present at Rossis appeal hearing was rejected by CAS.Despite his less than friendly rivalry with Rossi, though, Lorenzo insisted he will remain with Yamaha.I have a contract and my intention is to continue with Yamaha not just as a rider, but also after I retire.All marriages do through difficult times and Valentino and I form one of the best teams in the world.
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