Saturday 7 November 2015

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

UK to lay cards on the table over EU referendum

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LONDON (AFP) - After months without a breakthrough, David Cameron will finally give more details on Tuesday of what reforms he wants for Britain to stay in the European Union before a looming referendum.Nearly three years after promising a vote before the end of 2017, the British prime minister will deliver his shopping list in a letter to EU president Donald Tusk, which is expected to be made public.The letter comes ahead of a crunch European summit in Brussels next month and amid hopes that the British referendum on whether to remain an EU member state can be held next year.Cameron will warn in a speech Tuesday that if Britains concerns are met with a deaf ear, he will have to think again about whether this European Union is right for us. I rule nothing out, he will add, according to pre-released extracts.His Europe Minister David Lidington told journalists last week not to expect too much new detail in the letter, adding it would be ambitious to hope for a deal at Decembers summit.My advice to the prime minister has always been dont publish a detailed negotiating position, he said.He also highlighted that there would have to be four months between any deal being agreed and the vote being held, for legislative reasons.Wants to appease euroscepticsGabriel Siles-Brugge, a politics lecturer at Manchester University, said Cameron had always been a bit vague in his demands because he is carrying out a difficult balancing act.He wants to appease eurosceptics in his own party while avoiding Brexit (British exit from EU). But he is of course now being pushed by EU leaders to concretise his proposals, he told AFP.That may lead to the former being disappointed because the proposals arent intended to push Britain towards Brexit but rather to allow him to proclaim a symbolic victory over Brussels and campaign for continued membership.John Springford of the Centre For European Reform highlighted that Cameron first promised a referendum in 2013, when the anti-EU UK Independence Party was surging and his position looked shaky.His Conservatives subsequently won a House of Commons majority in elections this year while UKIP managed to win just one seat.The strategy was a political one, designed for domestic political reasons, he added. I really dont think Cameron went into that speech with a clear view of what reform he even wanted from the EU.Four key areasIn recent weeks, European partners have put increasing pressure on Cameron to lay out in more detail what kind of reforms he wants.He has long identified four broad areas where he wants to see reforms -- improving competitiveness, greater fairness between eurozone and non-eurozone nations, sovereignty issues including an exemption from the aspiration of ever-closer union and making it harder for migrants to claim benefits.When Camerons de facto deputy and possible successor, finance minister George Osborne, gave a speech in Berlin last week, German Chancellor Angela Merkel conceded that Britain had justified concerns on competitiveness and streamlining and stressed she wanted to help prevent a Brexit.Experts say there is room for compromise in all areas except migration, where Cameron wants to stop EU migrants, including those in work, from claiming certain state benefits for four years after arriving in Britain.In the UK, this is one of the key issues if not the key issue as far as the public is concerned, said Stephen Booth, co-director of think-tank Open Europe.Other EU member states have to be aware that if they are unable to accommodate UK concerns, it could certainly have an effect on the campaign here.This will be particularly tough to achieve agreement on because of non-discrimination principles in EU legislation.A failure by Cameron, who has said he will step down as prime minister by 2020, to achieve what he wants over benefits would be particularly damaging to him and his centre-right Conservative party.The public doesnt care about ever-closer union, said Springford. The EU is still quite low down on the list of priorities. Immigration is much higher.

Suu Kyi's day of destiny arrives as Myanmar goes to the polls

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YANGON (AFP) - Myanmar voters cast their ballots Sunday in a historic election that could thrust Aung San Suu Kyis pro-democracy party into power and finally pull the country away from the grip of the military.In a reminder of Suu Kyis star power, the opposition leader, wearing a traditional skirt with her trademark string of flowers in her hair, was mobbed by scores of reporters as she voted in Yangon.Supporters crushed into the school yard acting as a polling station and shouted victory, victory as the nations diminutive democracy heroine edged through the crowd.Her National League for Democracy (NLD) party believes a fair vote will power it into government after a decades-long struggle against army dictatorship.But the Nobel Laureate is barred from the presidency by the army-scripted constitution and the NLD faces an uphill struggle as a quarter of seats are reserved for the military.Known affectionately known as Mother Suu, she towers over the countrys democracy movement, acting as a galvanising force for the NLD.I have cast my vote, my duty is done, said 74-year-old Myint Aung, at the Yangon polling station where Suu Kyi voted.I voted for the one the people want to rule, he said playfully, before showing a little finger dipped in purple ink to indicate he has voted.Queues of people, many wearing traditional longyi sarongs, built up before daybreak at polling stations across the country in a sign of the enthusiasm that has accompanied the milestone vote, hoped to be Myanmars fairest for a generation.No complaints so farThe southeast Asian nation was ruled for five decades by a brutal junta that smothered opponents with violence and jail.But in 2011 the junta suddenly handed power to a semi-civilian government led by former generals.Sweeping reforms since have loosened the straitjacketed economy and brought many freedoms to an isolated, wearied people -- including the release of most political prisoners.Some 30 million people are eligible to vote, in an event that has posed major logistical challenges across a vast and poor country.Many voters remain nervous over how the powerful army will react if it loses.Fraud has riddled previous elections, but election officials insisted early voting was going well.We havent had any complaints so far, Win Naing, an election commission official, told AFP.Polls will close in the late afternoon with the attention then turning to the NLD headquarters in Yangon where big screens will track the count as figures trickles in from across the country.Official results are not expected until Monday morning at the earliest.Barred from presidencyIt is the first election the NLD has contested since 1990, when the party claimed a landslide only to see the army ignore the result and condemn Suu Kyi to spend most of the next 20 years under house arrest.The 70-year-old Suu Kyi is not allowed to be president under a charter that blocks anyone with foreign children from top office -- Suu Kyis two sons are British.But on Thursday Suu Kyi declared an NLD win would see her take a position above the president, laying down a firm challenge to the army which has at all turns tried to hamper her political ascent.She has also faced international censure for failing to speak up for the countrys embattled Muslim population -- especially the ethnic Rohingya in restive Rakhine State.Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya have been excluded from voting, and the poll will not be held in several border areas where fighting between the army and ethnic rebels simmers.Suu Kyis supporters, many of whom were voting for the first time on Sunday, see an NLD win as a major stride towards the fulfilment of her destiny to lead the country.I couldnt sleep the whole night I was so excited, Ohnmar Win, 38, told AFP.Its my first time voting. I hope for the best. I will go to the NLD headquarters in the evening to wait for the results, she added.To win a majority -- and have free rein to choose its presidential candidate -- the NLD needs to secure just over two thirds of the contested seats, although it could still make alliances with smaller parties if it falls short.It is up against the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), a military-backed behemoth stacked with former military cadres, including the bespectacled President Thein Sein, a one-time top-ranking junta general.The USDP needs only around a third of seats to join up with the military bloc, which is allotted 25 percent of all parliamentary seats, to select its presidential nominee.

Football: United can't be shackled, says Van Gaal

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MANCHESTER (AFP) - Louis van Gaal claims Manchester United will not be shackled at Old Trafford after they kept their patience to grind out a 2-0 win over West Bromwich Albion.Van Gaals side have found goals hard to come by of late and they initially found it difficult to break down an Albion team that defended in numbers.But Albions plan was shattered seven minutes into the second half on Saturday when Jesse Lingard scored his first United goal to break the deadlock.Juan Mata wrapped up the points for United with a stoppage-time penalty after defender Gareth McAuley had been sent off for bringing down Anthony Martial.And van Gaal insisted Uniteds victory, which followed a 1-0 midweek success against CSKA Moscow in the Champions League, may change how opposition managers view trips to Old Trafford.We have to attack better against these defensive organisations but it is the most difficult way you can play as a team, van Gaal said.But it is good we have won because the next manager shall not choose so easily this strategy.We have also won against CSKA Moscow and they have the same strategy. It is good we send a signal that you can do that but you lose.We have won a very difficult game. Last year we lost against this opponent and probably because of that Tony Pulis chooses this strategy again. Now we have won and so we are improving.United have still scored just once from open play in their last four domestic fixtures and there remains a question mark about their attacking intent, a short-coming recently criticised by former United midfielder Paul Scholes.And van Gaal concedes Uniteds attacking play must be fine-tuned if they are to overhaul Manchester City and Arsenal, who are both a point ahead of the Old Trafford outfit before they both play on Sunday.Signs of frustrationThere was signs of frustration amongst the home supporters before Lingard broke the deadlock against West Brom, who missed a great chance to make it 1-1 in the 74th minute when substitute Saido Berahino headed wide from close-range.But van Gaal, who had asked the supporters to direct any anger at him, had no complaints.I am always pleased with the crowd. I was also pleased with how they reacted against CSKA Moscow because you have to accept fans have their own opinion, he said.But I think they were very influenced by Paul Scholes and all the criticism and what the media has written about that. But then you to have analyse the game.When you are yelling attack, attack, attack and you attack for 85 minutes, you have to think as a fan; is it alright to yell?They know they have to score. My mother knows that and my grandmother knows that.Lingards first goal for the club was perfectly timed on his first start in the Premier League since van Gaals first game in charge in August 2014.A knee injury sustained in that game set back the 22-year-old midfielder, who was then loaned out to Derby County at the end of last season.West Broms defeat was only their second away from home this season as boss Tony Pulis was left to rue the missed chance for Berahino.If you need a chance - a gilt-edged chance - to drop to anyone it would be Saido but he missed the chance that would have got us something out of the game, said Pulis.I am really disappointed for the players. They worked really hard and kept their discipline, shape and togetherness really well.But when you play against top, top players and you give them a chance they will punish you.

2,000 more UK travellers stuck in Egypt fly home

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LONDON (AFP) - Nearly 2,000 British holidaymakers stranded in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh were returning home Saturday after days of uncertainty following the Sinai plane crash.Britain suspended flights to the Red Sea resort on Wednesday, saying it feared a bomb may have brought down the Russian jet that crashed after taking off from there last week, killing 224 people, and due to concerns about security at the airport.Nine flights carrying 1,945 people were coming back to Britain on Saturday, according to transport officials -- two easyJet, two Monarch, two Thomson, two Thomas Cook and one British Airways.But the British government warned that some tourists may have to stay on longer in the resort before they can be flown home.With a limited number of flights able to leave Sharm el-Sheikh each day for the UK, it is likely that tour operators or airlines will advise some people to extend their stay at their resort, a government spokesman said.We understand that tour operators and airlines are working to ensure that, where people need to extend their stay at their resort, necessary costs will be covered.There were estimated to be as many as 20,000 Britons in Sharm el-Sheikh when the jet crashed just over a week ago, and the repatriation process could take days.The first eight flights, carrying around 1,500 travellers, returned to Britain on Friday after restrictions were lifted, but tourists were only allowed to bring carry-on bags, with check-in bags due to be flown back later.Eleven British aircraft are on standby in Cyprus to help airlift thousands of British tourists from Sharm el-Sheikh as part of a British evacuation plan, airport authorities said.There seems to be difficulty in serving a large number of aircraft from the airport of Sharm el-Sheikh, said airports communication manager Adamos Aspris.Marc Standen, who arrived back in Britain Saturday after a holiday which had been due to end Thursday, said security at Sharm el-Sheikh airport was still poor.They did a semi-pat down inside and we took our shoes off. I dont think it was very thorough. It was madness. Their security is terrible and they are completely overwhelmed, he added.The Islamic State group has claimed it downed the Russian plane, without explaining how, saying it was retaliation for Russian air strikes in Syria.Russia has halted flights to Sharm el-Sheikh but Egypt Saturday pushed back against suspicions that the plane was bombed, saying the disaster probe had yet to establish a hypothesis.

Cricket: Electric crowds cheer All-Stars game in NY

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NEW YORK (AFP) - Amid a sea of Indian shirts, fluttering Pakistan flags and deafening roars, New York cricket fans turned out in their thousands to watch greats of the game face off against each other on Saturday -- in a baseball stadium.Australian spin king Shane Warne and Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar captained two star-studded teams in a Twenty20 match designed to introduce Americans to what organisers billed as the worlds second most popular sport.Warnes Warriors beat Sachins Blasters, with Warne man of the match after claiming Tendulkars wicket.But it was the Indian star whom most of the overwhelming South Asian expatriate crowd had come to see.Sachin, Sachin, Sachin, screamed the stadium in unison, hundreds wearing blue Indian shirts, many with the record-breaking batsmans name emblazoned on the back.Sachin for President, read one banner.Snacking on hot dogs and nachos, chewing on pretzels and quaffing beer, for many it was the first time in years they had watched live cricket in America, long starved of the sport.The three-hour match will be followed by games in Houston and Los Angeles.Warne told reporters 36,000 people had packed into the Citi Field -- home of the New York Mets baseball team -- for the game.I thought it was fantastic, the atmosphere was amazing, he said.At the end, the players lapped the pitch, waving and applauding the crowd, which Tendulkar compared to the home crowd at the Mets World Series.Hero SachinThe whole idea of Cricket All Stars is that, to try to get as many nations together to celebrate this, Tendulkar said. It was electrifying.The music, crowd, atmosphere -- it was nothing not to like. How could you not enjoy that experience today? It was fantastic, said Warne.Fans from all backgrounds helped create a party atmosphere.There were couples with babies, fathers with sons, and youths waving flags of India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.There were glamorous women dressed in chic Pakistani shirts and skinny jeans, more sedate married women in dupattas.All were fixated by the action. Tendulkars opening stint at the crease saw the concession stands deserted, few willing to waste a second of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.Sachin has been my hero growing up so I had to come, said Akriti, who was born in Delhi but has spent more than half her life in America.She believes Americans could easily embrace cricket, and brought along her enthusiastic American husband Scott as proof.The fact that we in America dont watch it is kind of sad. Plus theres a lot of time for commercial breaks so everyone can capitalize on it, you know, she joked. I think its great.Big dealI love it. Im learning, shes teaching me, said Scott, a recruiter. Once it catches on, Im sure itll take off.Two New York brothers came with a friend who flew in especially from Toronto -- all die-hard Pakistan fans and over the moon to watch their heros Wasim Akram and Shoaib Akhtar.He (Akram)s been our national hero, he helped us win the 92 World Cup, so really excited to get to see him live in action, said Harris Chaudhry, 25, who works in financial services.Last time I went to a cricket match was may be six, seven years ago so for me this is a big deal, said Toronto student Shakeel Haider.But not everyone is convinced the game can catch on in the land of baseball, basketball and American football.I think baseballs just so entrenched, said Philip Watt, a network engineer from Australia, nursing a beer and sitting alone.Asked what he knew about the game, a stadium security guard outside shrugged. I dont care, he said. As long as Im getting paid, they could have a zoo in there

Lower Dir: Fire engulfs bakery's warehouse, 5 laborers' burn to death

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – A raging fire on Sunday engulfed a bakery’s warehouse in Khal market of Lower Dir burning 5 laborers to death who were asleep in the store. The fire was caused by a short circuit in the warehouse.According to the details, the confectionary’s owner was amongst those burned alive in the fire. All five laborers belonged to Azad Kashmir. Fire brigade vehicles and rescue officials reached the accident site and managed to extinguish the fire. Dead bodies of the victims were shifted to the hospital.An investigation has been started to find exact cause of the unfortunate incident.

Karachi: Rangers, custom officials raid mobile market for smuggled phones

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Karachi (Dunya News) – Rangers and custom officials on early Sunday morning conducted a raid in Saddar Mobile market in Karachi. The joint raid was conducted on information that smuggled cell phones were available in the market. According to the President of the mobile phone market, 12 shops which sold cell phones and various other items were sealed during the operation for their inability to provide the required documentation. No illegal material was found during the raid however.According to the details, the market’s building was surrounded and each shop was then searched. Local businessmen and traders tried entering the premises during the premises but the attempt was made unsuccessful as the Rangers baton charged against the individuals. The President of the phone market stated that they had fully cooperated with the Rangers’ officials and said that the black sheep of the trader community should be eradicated completely.According to the Rangers’ officials, operation will be conducted again on Sunday and documents will be demanded.The operation ended after 3 hours after which the protestors dispersed.

Karachi: Terrorism plot foiled, police kills two suspects during raid

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – A terrorism plot that was to target by the city of Karachi was foiled as police killed two of the suspects during a raid near Northern By-pass area in Mangupir. A heavy amount of explosive material, nut bolts, ball bearings, nails and ammunition were found within the terrorists’ hideout. Police officials say the terrorists were members of a banned organization and were busy in plotting terrorist activities in Karachi.According to the officials, police raided the terrorist hideout on a tip off. However, as soon as the police entered the residence, terrorists opened indiscriminate fire at them, wounding one of the officers. A further contingent of police was called at the scene due to heavy gunfire from the terrorists’ side.A befitting reply with heavy firing was aimed at the terrorists, killing two of the suspects while two of the terrorists managed to escape under the cover of darkness.

Lahore factory collapse death toll continues to rise, reaches 48

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LAHORE (Dunya News)— The death toll of the tragic Sundar Industrial Estate factory collapse continued to rise on Saturday reaching 48 as two more dead bodies were taken out of the wreckage. 17 year old Rizwan was a resident of Layia while 18 year old Raza was a resident of Vehari. More than 104 injured victims have been extricated from the wreckage of the four storeyed Rajput Polyester factory so far.The rescue operation continued on the 5th day and has been on-going day and night as rescue officials and Pak-Army soldiers worked tirelessly, scuffling through the rubble in the hopes of finding any survivors. Rescue workers, aided by excavators and cranes, shifted through the rubble while several anxious relatives of those still missing stood at the site, hoping to learn about their loved ones.Meanwhile citizens lighted candles at the site of the accident in memory of those who lost their lives and to show their solidarity with the families of the victims.According to Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Amin Wains, in case of difficulty in identdging the victims, a DNA test and forensic examination will be performed. Wains also stated that a case will be registered against those responsible once the report of the incident comes to light.Also read:Sundar tragedy: Man rescued after 50 hours, family buried wrong bodyAccording to the chief of rescue operation Arshad Zia, 400 rescue officials were on duty for the operation and they had doubled their efforts as time is a crucial factor in finding the victims alive. He informed that the rescuers had removed the rubble of the top two floors but still needed to get to the bottom floors where more workers are believed to be trapped. Zia remains optimistic in finding more survivors.Rescue services spokesman Jam Sajjad Hussain said earlier Thursday it was difficult to give a specific number, but said workers had told officials that around 200 people had been inside at the time of the collapse, including the owner.Read further:Hopes fade for survivors of Lahore factory collapseFactory employee Mohammad Navid had earlier told AFP that up to 50 shift workers may have been sleeping in a part of the building that rescuers had not yet reached, and that children as young as 12 had been working in the factory.A list of the injured from one of the three hospitals the wounded were shifted to, however, showed three 15-year-olds as the youngest patients listed.Another employee, 18-year-old Mohammad Irfan, told AFP from his hospital bed that the workers were mostly aged between 14 and 25.The collapse occurred at the Rajput Polyester polythene bag factory in the Sundar industrial estate, around 45 kilometres (30 miles) southwest of Lahore s city centre.The factory may have suffered structural damage in the October 26 quake which killed almost 400 people across Pakistan and Afghanistan.akistan 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.

All Star Cricket Tournament: Warne Warriors defeat Sachin Blasters

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NEW YORK (Dunya News) –The All Star Cricket Tournament kicked off on Saturday as cricket fans around the globe watched their heroes battle it out in a T-20 match with all the giddiness of a 10 year old kid. The match concluded with Warne Warriors defeating the Sachin Blasters by 6 wickets at Citi Field, Flushing Meadows stadium. The game was the first of a 3 T-20 match series being played in the United States of America, a country still unfamiliar with the game.Yesteryear cricket legends, childhood heroes and inspirations to many, the crème de la crème of the cricket world returned to the field and introduced the fervor of cricket to the lesser-followed areas of the world. With a star studded line up on both sides of the team including Wasim Akram, Shoaib Akhtar, Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara, the roar of the crowd was deafening but understandable for it’s not every day you see “Shane Warne vs. Sachin Tendulkar”. For all the matches’ cricket fans around the globe follow, it’s safe to say that nostalgia was strong in this one and managed to be a real treat for the cricket fans.Sachin all set for the sizzling matchAustralian legend Shane Warne’s team, the Warne Warriors defeated Indias Sachin Tendulkar’s Sachin Blasters by 6 wickets.With Marais Erasmus and Simon Taufel as Umpires,the ball spinning master Warne won the toss and elected to field. Tendulkar’s team put up an impressive target of 140/8 in 17.2 overs which Warne’s side followed with an equally impressive zeal and managed to chase down the target scoring 141/4; needless to say the game was a nail biter to the finish. The former fielding legend Jonty Rhodes concluded the match with style displaying solid batting skills and guiding his team to victory.Wasim ready to get off the markThe bowling pace master Shoaib Akhtar once again proved that he could still fire that ball at amazing speeds and managed to clip the bails of Sangakara. Virender Sehwag from Tendulkar’s side remained the high scorer of the match with 55 runs off 22 balls. Ricky Ponting scored the highest from Warne’s side, 48 runs off 38 balls. Warne and Andrew Symonds were the leading wicket takers with 3 wickets each. Akhtar managed 2 wickets from Tendulkar’s side.Sehwags SixerShane Warne was declared the Man of the Match.Pace Master Shoaib AkhtarThe All Star Cricket Tournament is a series of cricket matches that will be played in the US with a aim of raising awareness of the game in areas where the game is yet unknown as such.Also read:Cricket All-Stars League to start in New York todayAn Australian newspaper said if the Cricket All Stars League proceeds it could affect some domestic Twenty20 competitions such as Australia s Big Bash League and the Indian Premier League, which often include former international cricketers.Ricky Ponting takes Warnes Warriors closer to victorySpeaking for the momentous occasion Shane Warne stated:To make history in America playing these cricket games, myself and Sachin walking out and tossing the coin in New York at Citi Field, will be a pretty epic moment.While Tendulkar had this to say:Somewhere down the line maybe a kid in the US will hold a baseball bat in one hand and cricket bat in another, he said. You need role models, you need heroes. Youngsters need heroes to get inspired - to believe that yes, I want to become like Wasim Akram, I want to become like Brian Lara, I want to become like Jacques Kallis. That is how that journey starts.For cricket enthusiasts, these legends of the game will remain hereos forever and more.Master of Stroke Sachin Tendulkar

Israeli troops in Hebron crackdown after shootings

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HEBRON (AFP) - Israeli forces on Saturday blocked exits from the southern West Bank city of Hebron as they launched a manhunt for assailants after shooting incidents targeting Jewish worshippers and a soldier.Two Israeli teenagers were shot and wounded on Friday at the flashpoint site known to Jews as the Tomb of the Patriarchs and Muslims as the Ibrahimi Mosque, the army said.Around 4,000 Jewish worshippers were visiting Hebron on Friday and Saturday as part of a religious pilgrimage centred around the biblical matriarch Sarah, who according to tradition was buried in a field which eventually became part of the city Hebron.A soldier was also shot and wounded Friday near the Palestinian village of Beit Anon north of Hebron.Israels Shin Bet internal security agency said they had arrested overnight a 16-year-old Palestinian from Bani Naim village east of Hebron, who admitted carrying out the Beit Anon shooting and handed over the rifle he used.On Saturday, army spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Peter Lerner told AFP there was ongoing activity to locate the perpetrators of yesterdays attacks.Israeli forces were searching Palestinian homes in and around Hebron as well as setting up new checkpoints, an AFP reporter said.The army also blocked off the northern entrance of Hebron with mounds of earth. The eastern entrance has been sealed off for days.Activists in the Youth against Settlements group in Hebron said they were besieged in their Hebron office by settlers accompanied by soldiers.Palestinian TV journalists also said settlers disrupted their broadcasts, following which Palestinians clashed with Israeli forces in downtown Hebron, an AFP reporter said.Two Palestinians were wounded by live fire, Palestinian medics said.A military spokeswoman said forces fired live rounds at a main instigator after unsuccessful attempts to otherwise quell dozens of Palestinians throwing stones at soldiers.One hit was confirmed, she told AFP.Israeli rights group BTselem on Friday criticised the army for carrying out immoral and unlawful measures which it said hinder Palestinian freedom of movement in Hebron, including closing off the Tel Rumeida neighbourhood.These steps constitute collective punishment of residents of Hebron who are suspected of nothing and are forced to suffer serious disruptions in their daily lives, the group said.Hebron has 200,000 Palestinian residents with approximately 500 Israeli settlers living in the centre, protected by an army-patrolled buffer zone. The situation is a constant source of tension.Fridays unrest broke a brief lull in the wave of deadly attacks and violent protests throughout October that raised fears of a new Palestinian intifada, or uprising, against Israeli occupation.Most of it had occurred in and around Hebron and mainly involved Palestinian stabbing attacks.

Iran-EU relations enter key stage: EU parliament chief

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TEHRAN (AFP) - Relations between Iran and the European Union are at a determining stage after Tehrans landmark nuclear deal with world powers in July, European Parliament chief Martin Schulz said on Saturday.We are now at the implementation stage of this agreement and at the end of this stage a door can be opened for economic cooperation and positive economic development, he said at a news conference in Tehran with Iranian counterpart Ali Larijani.The European Union last month announced it had adopted the legal framework to lift its sanctions against Iran, once Tehran has curbed its nuclear activities.The EU announcement came shortly after President Barack Obama ordered the US government to also take steps towards lifting sanctions on Iran.The EU and US sanctions have proved very damaging, locking up billions in Iranian assets overseas and starving the oil-dependent economy of crucially needed technology and investment.Schulz was in Tehran on a one-day visit at the invitation of the Iranian parliament, the first by a head of the European Parliament.He also said Iran played a key role in regional stability, especially in Syria.He made the same point after meeting President Hassan Rouhani.The Islamic Republic of Iran is an element of stability in a region full of instability, Schulz said.As a result of terrorism in Syria we are facing an influx of refugees in Europe. Right now our main and common goal is fighting Daesh, the Islamic State group (IS), he said.Iran joined talks with world powers on Syria for the first time in Vienna last month in a drive to end the more than four-year conflict. The Syrian regime and the opposition were not represented.Both Iran and Russia support Syrian President Bashar al-Assads regime, while Western powers have pushed for the leader to step down.But on Saturday, Larijani said reducing critical problems in the region to a person is a strategic mistake.Russia in late September launched air strikes in Syria. Moscow says its strikes target IS jihadists and other terrorists, but the opposition accuses Russia of focusing on moderate and Islamist rebels.A plan should be devised to create a region free of criminal terrorist movements, Larijani said.neg-stb/hj/srm/alAFP 071753 GMT NOV 15

19 killed in coalition strikes, clashes in south Yemen

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ADEN (AFP) - At least 19 people have been killed in Saudi-led coalition air strikes and clashes between pro-government forces and rebels in Yemens south, military sources said on Saturday.The air strikes late on Friday targeted two rebel vehicles on a road linking the central province of Ibb to Daleh further south, they said.Forces loyal to Gulf-backed President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi recaptured Daleh and four other southern provinces in July.Loyalist forces also clashed with Iran-backed Huthi rebels and their allies on the outskirts of Dalehs second-largest city Damt on Friday, the sources said.Eight pro-government fighters and 11 rebels were killed in the clashes and air strikes, they added.In Saudi Arabia, the civil defence announced late on Friday the death of a Saudi woman and her three-month-old baby in the border city of Najran when a missile fired from Yemen hit their home, the official SPA news agency said.The Saudi-led coalition, in which the United Arab Emirates has played a key role, has been battling rebels who since last year have controlled the capital Sanaa and much of northern and central Yemen.The UAE, which has lost 68 soldiers fighting as part of the coalition, on Saturday welcomed the first of its troops returning from Yemen, the official WAM news agency said.They were replaced by a second group, it added, without specifying numbers.Thousands of Emirati soldiers have reportedly been deployed in the war-ravaged country, the first time the Gulf country has sent ground forces to a conflict abroad.Western sources this week indicated that only a limited number of UAE special forces will now remain in Yemen.In early September, a missile strike on a coalition base in Yemens Marib province killed 67 coalition soldiers including 52 Emiratis.Abu Dhabi strongman, Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, vowed in a speech published on WAM Saturday that the UAE will go ahead with liberating all of Yemen and rebuilding it.You are heading to Yemen to continue cleansing the country from remaining rebel militia alongside your brothers of the coalition forces, he said, addressing the new group of soldiers.He insisted that we attacked nobody and were not seeking war... We were forced into it after all peaceful solutions failed to resolve the Yemen crisis.The United Nations says that around 5,000 people have been killed and 25,000 wounded, many of them civilians, in Yemens conflict since it escalated in March.In Saudi Arabia, more than 70 people have been killed in border shelling and skirmishes since the coalition campaign began. Soldiers have accounted for most of the border casualties.

Egypt says no theory yet in Russian plane crash probe

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CAIRO (AFP) - Egypt pushed back Saturday against international suspicions that a bomb downed a Russian plane in the Sinai, as investigators said the cause of the crash that killed 224 was still unknown.Initial observations from the cockpit voice recorder on the Airbus A-321 were made public amid intensifying restrictions on air travel that threatened to cripple Egypts vital tourism industry.In the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, from where the doomed airliner took off on October 31, thousands of Russian and British tourists waited for word of when they could fly home.In Cairo, the Egyptian head of the technical investigation committee told reporters the cause of the crash a week ago was still not known.Initial observations... do not allow for identifying the origin of the in-flight break-up of the aircraft 23 minutes and 14 seconds after it departed from Sharm, Ayman el-Mokkadem said.A noise was heard in the last second on the voice recorder, he told a press conference.A spectral analysis will be carried out by specialised labs in order to identify the nature of this sound.On Friday, Moscow halted all Russian flights to Egypt, while London has stopped British flights to Sharm. Empty aircraft are being sent out to bring stranded holidaymakers home but the process will be slow.Russia will send 44 planes to repatriate its nationals, the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency said.Of 11 British aircraft on standby in Cyprus earlier Saturday, three remained and were expected to depart Sunday to pick up stranded British tourists, airport officials said.Two aircraft left Cyprus for Sharm on Saturday afternoon but six flew back to Britain empty.Reliant on tourismSources in France close to the investigation told AFP that black box data pointed to a bomb exploding and of a sudden, violent demise of the Airbus.British Prime Minister David Cameron has said a bomb had more likely than not been the cause of the disaster.Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said earlier Saturday the inquiry had yet to establish any firm theory and that foreign intelligence that triggered the international travel restrictions had not been shared with Cairo.Already battered by years of unrest, Egypt is heavily reliant on tourism and fears the effect on the industry if it is found that a bomb caused the crash.Russians comprise the bulk of tourists who visit Red Sea resorts such as Sharm el-Sheikh each year, and nearly 80,000 are currently in Egypt, a Russian official told AFP.Repatriations will be spread over the coming fortnight after President Vladimir Putins decision to halt Russian flights to Egypt.Tourists will be returning from Egypt to Russia when they planned to, said Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich.Russia followed Britain in saying that holidaymakers would return home without hold luggage which will be flown separately.That restriction has prompted Egypt to limit the number of daily repatriation flights because it says there is only so much baggage left behind its airports can accommodate.Its going to be a long wait, said tourist Maria Chernova.Nine flights carrying some 1,500 people were expected back in Britain Saturday, but the British government warned that some tourists may have to stay on longer before they can be flown home.Samples takenAround 19,000 Britons are thought to be still in Sharm.I have to fly out today at any cost; my son is getting married tomorrow, and I am still here, said a desperate Jane Kelly.Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told news agencies the decision to restrict flights did not mean Moscow believed that the crash -- the worst aviation disaster in Russias history -- was due to an attack.The head of Russias emergencies ministry said Russian experts had taken samples from the crashed jet and were testing it for any traces of explosives.A source in Paris close to the investigation told AFP the black box data strongly favours the bomb theory.Another person close to the case said the plane suffered a violent, sudden end, saying: Everything was normal during the flight, absolutely normal, and suddenly there was nothing.The Islamic State group said it downed the plane in retaliation for Russian air strikes in Syria, but has not said how.If it was behind the attack, it would be the first time the jihadists, who control large areas of Syria and Iraq, have hit a passenger plane.US President Barack Obama has said Washington is seriously considering the possibility of a bomb on board.Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said security screenings of US-bound flights from some Middle East airports would be stepped up as a precaution.Meanwhile, British newspapers reported that a Thomson Airways plane heading for Sharm came within 1,000 feet (300 metres) of a missile in August, but British authorities concluded it was not a targeted attack and was connected to Egyptian military exercises.

Wave of terror grips Quetta once again as 3 shooting incidents hit city

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QUETTA (Dunya News/AFP) - In a series of killings including an attack on individuals of the Hazara minority, a wave of terror has gripped Quetta once again as unknown assailants gunned down four people while wounding 6 others in three separate shooting incidents on Saturday. Two members of the countrys Hazara Shia minority in southwestern Baluchistan province were gunned down according to officials said.The attack on individuals of the Hazara community took place on Spini Road as they were travelling from the city centre of the provincial Quetta city to their home in the suburban Hazara town. The victims have identified as Izzatullah and Muhammad Hassan.Two unknown gunmen sprayed bullets on the van in which Izzatullah and Muhammad Hussain were travelling, Mukhtar Ahmed, chief of the local police station, told AFP.Izzatullah, who was driving the van was killed at the spot while Hussain died on the way to hospital. The gunmen fled from the scene after firing, Ahmed added.Another senior police official Abdul Waheed Khattak confirmed the incident and said it mirrored similar shootings earlier this week.Two Hazara brothers were fired at on Friday near the same locality of Hazara town and one of them was killed while another is seriously injured. Likewise another member of the community was killed on Wednesday when he arrived at his auto workshop, Khattak said.Provincial home secretary Akbar Durrani said authorities were concerned about the spate of attacks that appear to be targeting the Hazaras.Meanwhile, suspects on a motorcycle opened indiscriminate fire as traders were closing their shops to return home on Patel Road. The firing killed an individual identified as Shamsullah and injured five others. The wounded have been identified as Naseebullah, Gul Rehman, Jabbar, Asadullah and Abdul Majeed.In a similar incident at Gawalmandi, assailants shot dead an individual.Members of the Hazara community have long been targeted by extremist militants. In early 2013, more than 180 people were killed in two suicide bombings in Quetta in one of the bloodiest attacks on the minority.Sectarian violence has claimed thousands of lives in the country over the past decade.There was a lull in attacks earlier this year after the Pakistani military launched a major offensive against militants across the country, blocking their sources of movement, communication and funding.In July the leader of a militant group responsible for the countrys worst sectarian atrocities was killed in a shoot-out with police, along with 13 other militants.Baluchistan province has been rife with sectarian and separatist insurgencies. The mineral-rich province has long been targeted by militants, and has been the scene of several attacks against the Hazara community in previous years.
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