Friday 11 December 2015

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Tennis: Federer confirms Olympic mixed doubles with Hingis

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DUBAI (AFP) - Roger Federer confirmed Friday that he will team up with fellow Grand Slam winning star Martina Hingis for Switzerland in the mixed doubles at the 2016 Olympics in Rio.Yes, I will play with Martina in the mixed, 34-year-old Federer told sport360.com in Dubai.There had been widespread speculation that the two superstars would play together in Brazil.Hingis, 35, had reportedly made the offer to play with Federer and was waiting for a response from the winner of 17 Grand Slam titles. Im very excited about that because I havent played with Martina I guess in 15 years, said Federer.I looked up to her when I was younger, I thought she was the most unbelievable talent. Shes almost my age and she was winning grand slams while I was still at the national tennis centre, trying to make it on the tour and I couldnt believe how good she was.Federer and Hingis last played mixed doubles together in the Hopman Cup in Australia in 2001, an event they won.Federer is also set to play mens doubles with Stan Wawrinka in Rio while Hingis will play womens doubles with Belinda Bencic.World number three Federer won Olympic gold in mens doubles with Wawrinka in Beijing in 2008 and silver in singles behind Andy Murray in London four years later.Ive always said the Olympics is very important to me, said Federer.Every Olympic (Games) has been a super-amazing experience, an eye-opener, a great learning curve for me, seeing other athletes, getting inspired and motivated, carrying the flag is such a proud moment in my career and my life as a person, to have done that twice for Switzerland was incredible in Athens and in Beijing.Winning the gold with Stan, meeting Mirka (his wife) in Sydney 2000, getting the silver in London, it felt like I won gold, but I was still very happy and it was incredible the combination to win the Olympics at Wimbledon, it was just maybe never happen again in my lifetime, so I really cherish that moment.

Football: Sports tribunal upholds Platini suspension

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LAUSANNE (AFP) - The Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) on Friday backed a 90-day FIFA ban against Michel Platini, in a new blow to the Frenchmans hopes of entering the FIFA presidential race.Platini, head of European confederation UEFA and a FIFA vice president, had been the favourite to succeed FIFA president Sepp Blatter, until he was named in a Swiss criminal investigation in September.FIFAs ethics watchdog reportedly wants to ban him for life and suspended Blatter and Platini while an investigation over a $2 million payment is completed.Platini appealed against the suspension, insisting he had done nothing wrong and was being unfairly blocked from campaigning to lead world footballs governing body.The CAS panel determined that maintaining the provisional suspension for the remainder of the 90 days does not cause irreparable harm to Michel Platini at this point in time, a court statement said.The suspension expires on January 5, and the court ruling noted that even if it were lifted, there was no guarantee that FIFAs electoral committee would approve Platinis candidacy before the temporary ban runs out. CAS however ordered FIFA not to extend the provisional suspension, as that would constitute an undue and unjustified restriction of Michel Platinis right of access to justice. An extension of the ban seems unlikely as FIFAs in-house court has said it will issue a final ruling on Platinis case by the end of the year. FIFAs internal investigators submitted a report on the Platini affair to ethics judges last month and have called for a lifetime ban, according to Platinis lawyers. That verdict would deliver a final, crushing blow to Frenchmans career as a football executive. FIFA opened the investigation into Platini after Swiss prosecutors said he had been questioned over a 2 million Swiss franc ($2 million/1.8 million euro) payment Platini received from FIFA in 2011 for work done a decade earlier. Blatter and Platini acknowledge there was no contract for the fee, but insist that their oral contract is valid under Swiss law.The 60-year-old Platini will appear at the FIFA court next week to mount a defence against the ethics inquiry findings. In a statement, FIFA took note of the CAS decision, saying it ratified the ethics committees decision on the provisional ban. With the possibility of a lifetime suspension pending, a victory on Thursday would not have marked the end of Platinis problems.But it would been a symbolic win for the man who seemed on track to become the most powerful figure in the worlds most popular sport. It also would have left him free to take part in Saturdays draw for the 2016 European Championships in Paris. France is hosting the tournament and Platini has been a key organiser as UEFA president.

Golf: Feng in strong command at Dubai Masters

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DUBAI (AFP) - Even a storming finish by Thai LPGA Tour star Thidapa Suwannapura, who made six birdies in her last six holes, wasnt enough to stop defending champion Shanshan Feng of China from taking a five-shot lead at the end of the penultimate round of the Dubai Ladies Masters on Friday.World number six Feng, the highest ranked player in the field and two-time winner of the season-ending championship of the Ladies European Tour, shot her third successive round of five-under par 67 to move to 15-under par for the tournament.At one stage, she led the field by a whopping margin of ten shots, but that was whittled down to five as she failed to maintain the momentum on the back nine, while Suwannapura caught fire.Despite playing in pain - the 23-year-old Thai star has been experiencing shooting pain from her glutes down to the right leg since the middle of the year - Suwannapura finished with a seven-under par 65 to move to 10-under par 206.Frances Jade Schaeffer was in solo third place following a 70 at six-under par, while Germanys Caroline Masson (67) and Englands Melissa Reid (70) were tied fourth at five-under par 211.The 26-year-old Feng had surged to six-under par for the day with six birdies in 11 holes, before making the first bogey of the tournament on the 48th hole with a tee shot that she pulled to the left waste area on the 12th. She quickly followed it up with another bogey on the 14th.I played really well on the front nine. Made a couple bogeys on the back, but I birdied the 17th to come back. I think five-under is still a pretty good score because the day was a little bit more windy, said the Chinese star.I think the back nine, maybe I misjudged the wind a couple of times. And then there was one poor drive on the 12th hole, so I made a bogey there.Im not really thinking about any score tomorrow. On the course, every time Im just focusing shot by shot. Tomorrow, Im just going to do the same thing as the past three days.Suwannapuras round went the other way of Fengs. She started with a bogey and was just one-under par after 12 holes when she started her birdie run. Except for the 17th, where she two-putted for a birdie and the 18th, where she was left with a five-feet birdie putt, her other birdies were all result of putts from 15-20 feet range.I dont know what happened. Today, I just see the line and my caddie, Matt, he can see the same thing as me. I was like just knock it, and its in, said Suwannapura.I was really not expecting anything. I was just hitting balls and try to knock it on the green. Just par was fine for me.Can I catch Shanshan? No, I dont think so. I know shes pretty good and she hits it a hundred percent. Im just going to have fun tomorrow and try to finish my round again.British 52-year-old legend Laura Davies, who was second behind Feng at the halfway stage with two successive rounds of 68, faded away with a 77.

Golf: Donaldson overcomes heat for two-stroke lead

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CHONBURI (AFP) - On a day in which the oppressive heat sapped the strength of even the strongest players, Jamie Donaldson held on to a two-shot lead in the second round of the Thailand Golf Championship at Amata Spring Golf and Country Club on Friday.The Welsh Ryder Cup star fired a four-under 68 to keep two clear of a charging Martin Kaymer who moved into second spot with an excellent seven-under 65, the best round of the day.Spains Sergio Garcia, who shot 69, led the chasing pack a further two strokes behind, along with the impressive English youngster Matthew Fitzpatrick who shot an excellent 67 and Thailands Chinnarat Phadungsil with a 69.In joint sixth place were Koreas Byeong-Hun An with a 67, and Thailands Panuphol Pittayarat who shot 66.Donaldson, who fired a magnificent 63 in the opening round, admitted the tropical heat was a factor. It was a great temperature to start with, but it got really hot on the back nine, he said. It was tough out there and a case of trying to stay hydrated and not drop sweat on the ball.The Welsh star said he was pleased with his performance, considering the conditions. I dropped a couple of shots out there today, but overall, I have been playing nicely. Ive just got to keep doing what Ive been doing.Kaymer also had problems with the heat, although it did not seem to affect his play.It was like a sauna out there, he said. They say you get nicer weather in the morning, but that was not really the case today. But the good thing is that the ball goes further.The German, who was runner-up in this event last year and would dearly love to win the trophy, said he was very pleased with his performance. I played really well. I think seven-under today is a very good score.Kaymer said his strategy for the weekend would be hitting the fairways. Driving will be the key, he said.Garcia said the key to his round was having plenty of water to drink. I got through a lot of bottles.The Spanish star said he really felt the heat on the last six holes.Garcia said he was relatively happy with his score. I gave myself plenty of chances but did not put them all away. But I felt I played pretty good through the round.One of the pre-tournament favourites, big-hitting Bubba Watson, was some way back after shooting a 70. He admitted he was not at his best and was happy to make the cut.The best moment was at the 17th island green. I almost hit it in the water, but then sunk a much-needed birdie, he said.Defending champion Lee Westwood felt he was still in with a chance after shooting a 68, although he is well behind the leaders.Ive played pretty well, he said. But Ive been wasting too many putts. I still have a chance for a weekend charge up the leaderboard.Thai fans were pleased to see their local hero Thongchai Jaidee have a much better second round, ensuring he would make the cut and climb the leaderboard after shooting a five-under 67.

Saudi holds first ever election open to women

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RIYADH (AFP) - Saudi Arabia holds its first ever election open to female voters and candidates on Saturday, in a tentative step towards easing restrictions that are among the worlds tightest on women.The absolute Islamic monarchy, where women are banned from driving and must cover themselves from head-to-toe in public, is the last country where only men had been allowed to vote.More than 900 women are running Saturday for seats on municipal councils, the kingdoms sole elected public chambers.They are up against nearly 6,000 men competing for places on 284 councils whose powers are restricted to local affairs including responsibility for streets, public gardens and rubbish collection.A strict separation of the sexes in public facilities meant that female candidates could not directly meet the majority of voters -- men -- during their campaigns.Women also said voter registration was hindered by bureaucratic obstacles, a lack of awareness of the process and its significance, and the fact that women could not drive themselves to sign up.As a result, less than one in 10 voters are women and few if any female candidates are expected to win.But one-third of council seats are appointed by the municipal affairs ministry, leaving women optimistic that they will at least be assigned some of them.Not running to winElectioneering has been low key, with rules preventing photographs of candidates applied to both men and women.But win or lose, the female contenders say they are already victorious.To tell you the truth, Im not running to win, said Amal Badreldin al-Sawari, 60, a female paediatrician in central Riyadh.I think I have done the winning by running.She said she became a candidate out of patriotism and because Islam gives women rights.Men and women have equal rights in many things, she said, reciting a relevant verse from the Koran, and adding that everyone she encountered was supportive of her campaign.Aljazi al-Hossaini waged her 12-day campaign largely over the Internet, putting her manifesto on her website where both men and women could see it.I did my best, and I did everything by myself, said the 57-year-old management consultant, running in the Diriyah area on the edge of Riyadh.Im proud of myself that I can do it.But not all women trying to break the mould in the conservative kingdom had such a positive experience.As campaigning got under way last month, three activists said they had been disqualified from running.They included Loujain Hathloul, who spent more than two months in jail after trying to drive into the kingdom from the United Arab Emirates late last year, in a case that attracted worldwide attention.An appeals committee reversed her disqualification just two days before the end of campaigning, Hathloul said on Twitter.That is not fair, she said.Nassima al-Sadah, a human rights activist in the Gulf coast city of Qatif, told AFP she had begun legal action over her own disqualification.And a resident of northeastern Saudi Arabia, who asked not to be named, said the female candidate she wanted to vote for withdrew after local Islamic scholars objected.Voters say tribal loyalties in the male-dominated society are a big factor in the ballot.Rights slowly improvingAccording to election commission data, nearly 1.5 million people aged 18 and over are registered to vote.This includes about 119,000 women, out of a total native Saudi population of almost 21 million.Oil-rich Saudi Arabia boasts modern infrastructure of highways, skyscrapers and ever-more shopping malls.But women still face many restrictions, and must get permission from male family members to travel, work or marry.Human Rights Watch welcomed the ballot as a move towards greater political participation for women.But Saudi Arabia continues to discriminate against women through myriad laws, policies, and practices, the US-based watchdog said.Ruled by the al-Saud family of King Salman, Saudi Arabia has no elected legislature and faces intense Western scrutiny of its rights record.A slow expansion of womens rights began under Salmans predecessor Abdullah who announced four years ago that women would join the elections this year.The kingdoms first municipal ballot was in 2005, for men only.Polls open on Saturday at 8:00 am (0500 GMT) and close at 5:00 pm, with counting the following day.Hossaini hopes, optimistically, that at least 10 percent of female candidates can win.But even one would be a step forward, she said.

Gourmets go to war in battle over world's best restaurants

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PARIS (AFP) - It has been dismissed by its many critics as silly nonsensical schmozzle that promotes chemistry-set cooking.But love it or hate it there is no getting away from the list of the Worlds 50 Best Restaurants.Until now that is. Exasperated by the growing power of the British-based classification which has long been accused of sticking the knife into French cuisine, Paris has decided to strike back with a list of its own.La Liste claims to be the first authoritative ranking of the worlds 1,000 most exceptional restaurants, compiled from a rigorous mathematical analysis of hundreds of guide books and online reviews.Its organisers could not resist a swipe at their rivals much-criticised opacity as they trumpeted their own fair and transparent methodology when their revealed their top 10 restaurants Saturday, five days ahead of publishing their full list.La Liste is designed to be an aggregator, a best of the best, modelled on the world tennis rankings, the Shanghai Ranking for universities and Rotten Tomatoes film reviews website, they declared in a statement.No French in top 10While not a single French restaurant makes the top 10 of the 50 Best list -- long dominated by the kind of molecular gastronomy pioneered by the Catalan chef Ferran Adria of elBulli fame -- La Liste has three.In fact half of its top 10 are run by French chefs, including Benoit Violier who is at the helm its top-rated Restaurant de LHotel de Ville at Crissier in Switzerland.It ranks 88th in the 50 Best.The only place to make the top 10 of both classifications is the Celler de Roca in the Spanish city of Girona.But La Listes founder Philippe Faure, the head of the French tourist board, denied it was an exercise in culinary chauvinism.Only 116 of the 1,000 restaurants are French, so you cant say it is a French list, he said.Japan has 11 more than France, and the US is not far behind. Its a very diverse list.While he admitted that the idea had come from the French foreign ministry, he claimed it had not received a penny of public funding, relying instead on sponsors including Moet and Hennessy and Nestle France.Jorg Zipprick, the German journalist who crunched its numbers, said La Liste was as impartial as a computer algorithm could be. It is such a brilliantly simple idea to put together review data from all over the world -- we had to do it before someone else did.If there is any culinary nationalism at play, La Liste points the finger at its competitor, citing rows over its promotion of the new wave of British chefs and those from countries like Peru with which it has built commercial partnerships.50 Best is fairDespite the controversies, 50 Best has turned the stuffy conventions of fine dining on its head since it first appeared in 2002, making previously obscure Scandinavian chefs into global stars, and lichen -- once the nibble of choice for foraging reindeer -- into a delicacy.But from the start it had as many haters as fans. It even sparked a protest group, Occupy 50 Best, which railed against its opaque, obsequious ranking, where nationalism trumps quality, sexism trumps diversity and the spotlight is on the celebrity chef.Worse still, the Paris-based group accused the lists perennial favourites -- the Danish restaurant Noma, elBulli and the Fat Duck near London -- of sending hundreds of diners home sick when their experimental cuisine went wrong.Noma, voted the worlds best restaurant four times by 50 Best, is rated only 217th by La Liste.French chef Joel Robuchon, a former 50 Best judge, said the British-based list was prone to cronyism, flip a coin voting, geopolitical influence and lobbying.Interestingly, he has been named as the top-rated chef in the world by La Liste.William Drew, editor of the 50 Best hit back strongly at its critics, claiming it was far more transparent than in the past. We have worked very hard to make it as fair and democratic as possible. We refute the accusations of nationalism. Ours is a genuinely global list based on the views of nearly 1,000 experts, with the vote audited by accountancy firm Deloitte.We are not linked to any country or government, he added in a dig at La Liste.I dont know anything about their much-vaunted algorithm... but you have to ask the question about the number of French restaurants and French chefs in their top 10. Of course French cuisine is hugely important but it is very strange that a list rated by a council set up by the French government should be headed by so many French chefs.

Iraq turns to UN Security Council over Turkish troops

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UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - Iraq has turned to the United Nations Security Council to complain about the deployment of Turkish troops to the countrys north, the US envoy said Friday.Iraqs UN ambassador Mohamed Ali Alhakim delivered a letter to his US counterpart Samantha Power in her capacity as December president of panel and asked her to circulate it among the 14 other member countries.The Iraqi ambassador expressed his governments growing alarm at the situation that has not been resolved, Power told reporters.The deployment of several hundred troops by Turkey in Bashiqa, close to an area held by Islamic State extremists in northern Iraq, has enraged Baghdad, which has asked Ankara to withdraw all its forces, saying they entered the country illegally without its consent.Turkey has a long-running training program at a base near the city of Mosul, ISs main hub in Iraq, but the deployment last week expanded Ankaras presence there.Power said she reiterated the US position that any troops deployments in Iraq need to be with the consent of the sovereign Iraqi government.And I reassured him that that was Americas very strong position and urged that the dialogue continue between the Iraqi and Turkish governments to find an amicable way out of this difficult situation, she said.

Japan, India PMs talks on track for bullet-train deal

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NEW DELHI (AFP) - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe are expected to discuss deals covering high-speed rail, defence and civilian nuclear technology when they hold talks on Saturday.Modi and Abe, both right-wing nationalists, have forged an unusually warm relationship since the Indian leader stormed to power at general elections last year pledging to revive the flagging economy.The two countries are seeking to take advantage of that friendship, formed partly over their mutual desire to counter regional rival Chinas growing influence, during Abes two-day visit.After arriving in New Delhi on Friday afternoon to meet Indian business leaders, Abe is expected to sit down with Modi to make progress on the rail, defence and nuclear deals.Abe is also expected to take a tour with Modi of Indias holiest city of Varanasi and the premiers parliamentary constituency.Posters of the two leaders were seen being thrown up around the sacred city, built on the banks of the Ganges River.Speaking late Friday after receiving an honorary doctorate from a Delhi university, Abe said Asias second and third-largest economies had the greatest potential of any bilateral relationship in the world.Several lucrative business deals are slated for discussion, according to officials, including a $15 billion agreement for Japan to provide Indias first Shinkansen bullet train connecting the cities of Mumbai and Ahmedabad.Modi has pledged to overhaul Indias ramshackle railways and other infrastructure as part of his ambitious economic reforms.The pair are expected to discuss Indias desire to buy seaplanes from Japan after Tokyos relaxation of restrictions on weapons exports, according to reports.A long-mooted civil nuclear agreement is also on the agenda, allowing Japan to export nuclear plant technologies to the subcontinent.Japan once shunned nuclear cooperation with India, which has not ratified the international nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, but analysts say Tokyo has since softened its stance.Abe also wants to strengthen maritime ties with India after the two countries, along with the United States, held joint naval exercises earlier this year.In order to maintain an open, free and peaceful sea, it becomes important more and more for there to be collaboration between Japan and India, as well as collaboration with the international community, Abe wrote in an opinion piece in the Times of India.Modi and Abe enjoy a close friendship that predates the Indian leaders election in May last year.Both were elected on a platform of kick-starting reforms to their economies, and both are at the helm of nations with separate territorial disputes with China.

Blasts, gunshots as Taliban raid Kabul diplomatic quarter

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KABUL (AFP) - Multiple blasts and gunfire rocked Kabuls diplomatic quarter as the Taliban pressed a deadly assault near the Spanish embassy in the early hours of Saturday, officials said, the latest high-profile insurgent attack.At least one person -- a Spanish policeman -- was confirmed dead in the ongoing raid, which comes just hours after President Ashraf Ghani voiced optimism that a peace process with the Taliban would resume within weeks.Security men near the embassy ducked from gunshots as they hauled away a limp body and two wounded men -- one bleeding from the head, the other a policeman with a gunshot wound to his leg -- through the dark to a waiting ambulance, an AFP photographer saw.Nearly six hours after the brazen raid began, a series of fresh blasts and a volley of gunshots ripped through the area as security forces battled with the insurgents.The embassy was earlier reported to be the target of the attack, but Spains Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy clarified that the assault was nearby and not on the compound.It was an attack against some guesthouses very near the embassy, Rajoy said, confirming a Spanish policeman had been killed and all embassy staff had been evacuated.The Emergency hospital in Kabul tweeted that seven wounded Afghans had been received for treatment.The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, saying the target was a foreign guest house. Afghan special forces had cordoned off the area in Sherpur district in central Kabul, where a huge car bomb struck during rush hour on Friday evening, followed by sporadic bursts of gunfire.Ambulances and fire brigades with wailing sirens were seen rushing to the scene.Sherpur is home to several foreign NGOs and the residences of senior government officials, including controversial former warlord Abdul Rashid Dostum, Afghanistans first vice-president.Fridays assault follows a deadly Taliban siege of Kandahar airport this week as the militants ramp up attacks despite the onset of the harsh winter season, when the fighting usually winds down.It also comes days after President Ghanis high-profile visit to Pakistan, where he shored up international support to restart peace talks with the Taliban.At least 50 people, including women and children, died in the 27-hour Taliban siege of Kandahar airport, the largest military installation in southern Afghanistan.Eleven suicide attackers on Tuesday breached the high-security complex, which also houses a joint NATO-Afghan base, taking families hostage and triggering pitched firefights with soldiers.As the country grappled with the aftermath, Afghanistans spy chief on Thursday quit his post, laying bare disagreements with Ghani over his diplomatic outreach to Pakistan, long blamed for nurturing the Taliban.The resignation of Rahmatullah Nabil on Thursday highlighted the domestic backlash Ghani faces over his attempts to repair strained relations with Islamabad.The president has staked considerable political capital in advocating bonhomie with Afghanistans neighbour. Ghani shrugged off Nabils criticism on Friday, saying Pakistan had promised to go after Taliban factions that refuse to stand down.Without positive support from Pakistan, wont the war in Afghanistan keep dragging on? Ghani asked a press conference on Friday.If one of the main sources of instability in Afghanistan is our neighbour... then there is a comprehensive need to work together to end this fighting.But the Taliban rebuffed his remarks.The mujahideen are making rapid military gains, capturing territory and destroying enemy centres, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid wrote on Twitter.Expecting us to surrender and come for talks is foolishness.

Three Palestinians killed in West Bank, Gaza

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HALHUL (AFP) - Three Palestinians were killed Friday in the occupied West Bank and in the Gaza Strip, one after allegedly attempting to run down Israeli soldiers and the others in clashes with troops.Palestinian youths fought Israeli forces near the northern entrance of the West Bank city of Hebron, and the soldiers responded with live fire, witnesses said.Uday Jihad Irshaid, 22, was killed by live ammunition in his chest during clashes in Hebron, the Palestinian health ministry said.The Israeli military confirmed using live rounds but not the fatality.A violent riot is taking place in Hebron. Hundreds of Palestinians are attacking forces, hurling rocks and rolling burning tyres at them, a spokeswoman said.In order to disperse the crowd, (forces fired) .22 calibre rounds towards the main instigators and warning shots into the air.Irshaids 17-year-old sister Dania was killed six weeks ago after trying to stab security forces, according to Israeli police.On the border with the Hamas-run coastal enclave of Gaza, a Palestinian was shot dead and 12 wounded in clashes with Israeli forces on the other side of the fence.The Palestinian health ministry said Sami Maadi, 41, died in the incident, east of the Al-Bureij refugee camp.An army spokeswoman said hundreds of rioters breached the buffer zone between Gaza and Israel, prompting forces to fire on them with live ammunition.Hits were confirmed, she said.In total 58 people were wounded by live fire in Gaza in four protests in the north, centre and south, the health ministry said.Earlier Friday, a 57-year-old Palestinian was shot dead as he tried to drive his car into a military checkpoint at Halhul, near Hebron, the army said.A Palestinian attempted to ram his vehicle into security forces near Hebron in the south of the territory, a statement said.Forces there shot the attacker, resulting in his death, it said, adding that no Israelis were hurt.Palestinian security sources identified the driver as Issa Haroub from Dir Samat village west of Hebron.About an hour beforehand, a Palestinian fired at Israeli forces at a crossing between the northern West Bank and Israel and was shot and wounded, the Israeli defence ministry said.An armed Palestinian assailant fired shots on the Gilboa crossing from several dozen metres (yards) away, said the ministry, which employs civilian guards at the site.No casualties or damage have been reported to the crossing or its operators. The assailant, wounded, was picked up by a van and fled the scene, it added.The checkpoint is one of the main crossings in the area.Since October 1, near daily attacks and clashes between Palestinians and security forces have killed 116 on the Palestinian side, 17 Israelis, an American and an Eritrean.More than half of the Palestinians fatalities have been alleged attackers.Israel has withheld the bodies of many attackers, a policy authorities say acts as a deterrent but that critics argue leads to more anger.On Friday, protesters in Silwad northeast of Ramallah called for Israel to return the bodies.Bassam Hamad, whose son Anas was killed this month after he tried to ram Israeli soldiers with his car, led a protest.If (Israel) wants to make us suffer by stealing and keeping the bodies of the martyrs, we will make it suffer by being patient and resilient, he told AFP.After Fridays protest, clashes broke out between Palestinian stone throwers and soldiers, with six Palestinians wounded, an AFP correspondent said. Separately, in central Ramallah, Israeli security forces raided a shop early Friday, leading to clashes between residents and soldiers, witnesses said.Three Palestinians were shot, one resident said, but their condition was not known.The army said that, during routine activity in Ramallah, troops were attacked and responded with riot dispersal means.Such raids in the West Bank city, home to the Palestinian Authority, are relatively rare.In Gaza, Hamas mobilised thousands of demonstrators in several locations to mark the 28th birthday of the Islamist organisation.One of its leaders, Mushir al-Masri, called for resistance until the complete liberation of Palestine.

Obama to discuss Islamic State fight at Pentagon

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - Facing intense scrutiny about his counterterror policy, President Barack Obama will huddle with top security brass and deliver an address at the Pentagon Monday, hoping to underscore his role as commander-in-chief.The White House said Obama will hold the meeting of his National Security Council and give remarks, just days after he gave an Oval Office primetime address on the terror threat that received a mixed response from Americans.No major policy changes are expected, but Obama will again try to convince a skeptical public that his administration is charting the correct course in tackling the Islamic State group.Even before an Islamist attack in San Bernardino, California killed 14 people, polls showed that more than 60 percent of Americans disapprove of the way Obama is handling the Islamic State and the broader terror threat.Obama has ruled out putting infantry boots on the ground in Syria, saying it would be counterproductive to the fight against the militant group.Instead, he has advocated a multipronged strategy of airstrikes, special forces operations, financial sanctions and diplomacy aimed at making Syria less chaotic.Youre going to receive an update from the presidents national security team on the campaign to degrade and destroy that terrorist organization, said White house spokesman Josh Earnest, previewing Obamas visit.The president has tasked his team with constantly assessing the performance of different aspects of our strategy. While Obama was praised for trying to tamp down anti-Muslim rhetoric in his Oval Office address, his overall strategy has faced withering criticism, most shrilly from Republicans trying to replace him in the White House.But calmer voices have also suggested that Obama -- with the failures of occupations in Iraq and Afghanistan seared into his political psyche -- has been too reluctant about deploying troops.Obamas address outlined no new tactics, no new military deployments, no innovative ways to speed the enemys destruction, said Robert Satloff, director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, a think tank.

Kerry to head to Moscow for talks on Syrian peace plan

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PARIS (AFP) - US Secretary of State John Kerry will head to Moscow on Tuesday on a delicate diplomatic mission to try to keep the fragile Syrian peace process on track.In a sign of the complexity of the US-Russian relationship, the State Department said Kerry would meet President Vladimir Putin but the Kremlin would not confirm this.They will discuss ongoing efforts to achieve a political transition in Syria, US spokesman Mark Toner said on Friday on the sidelines of the UN climate summit in Paris.But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said a decision about whether the Russian leader would meet Kerry could wait until after his talks with Foreign Minster Sergei Lavrov.John Kerry is coming here on the invitation of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. His partner in the talks will be Russias foreign minister, Peskov said.We do not exclude the possibility of such a meeting when Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Secretary of State Kerry inform President Putin about their talks, he added.The Russian foreign ministry said it hoped the visit, Kerrys second this year, would improve what it said were the complicated relations between the rival capitals.The talks will also cover differences in the parallel Russian and US approaches to the fight against IS.Washington accuses Moscow of using the war against the IS group as cover for a campaign to shore up Bashar al-Assads regime in Syria against legitimate opposition movements.The Kremlin insists its ally in Damascus has the sole right to authorise foreign military intervention against the jihadists and US bombing violates Syrian sovereignty.And the US envoy will also bring up the ongoing stand-off in eastern Ukraine, where Moscow stands accused of supporting pro-Russian separatist rebels, Toner said.Russia will use the opportunity to protest the economic sanctions imposed on its economy by the United States and its allies after it annexed Ukraines Crimea region.The series of confrontational steps taken by Washington under the guise of the Ukrainian crisis severely hit the cooperation between our countries, the ministry said.According to US officials, Kerry will meet Lavrov, with whom he is in regular telephone contact over the Syrian peace process, first, then the pair will go to see Putin.The United States and Russia are the key sponsors of the international bid to mediate an end to the Syrian civil war through the International Syrian Support Group.This 17-nation contact group had been planning to meet in New York under United Nations auspices on December 18 to push forward plans for a negotiated ceasefire.But Moscow and Washington were awaiting the results of a meeting between Syrias splintered opposition and rebel movements before confirming the date of meeting.The rebels met on Thursday in the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh and announced the composition of their team to open negotiations with Assads government.But they also insisted that Assad must step down immediately at the start of the political transition process, which has a January 1 target date.This insistence may be a sticking point for Assads allies in Moscow, and Kerry confirmed Friday he was working with the Saudis to iron out some problems with the rebel plan.Kerry said he would talk with his Saudi counterpart Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir.There are some questions and obviously a couple of, in our judgement, kinks to be worked out, he told reporters at the US climate summit in Paris on Friday. And Im confident that theyre going to be worked out so Ill be having conversations with them during the course of today.Russia has made it clear that it regards many of the rebel groups brought together under the Saudi initiative -- some of them hardline Islamists -- as terrorists.But it has not broken off contact with the Americans nor threatened to pull out of the Syrian peace processWe continue to work together with Washington in areas where cooperation corresponds to Russian interests and maintains international security, the ministry said.Issues of counter-terrorism are central in this dialogue.Kerry will arrive in Moscow overnight from Paris for a day of high-level dialogue before flying back to Washington.

Libya rivals say they will sign UN-backed peace deal

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TUNIS (AFP) - Libyas rival parliaments will sign a UN-sponsored agreement next week on forming a national unity government, they announced Friday, as world leaders press them to end chaos in the country.Salah el-Makhzoum, a vice president of the Tripoli-based parliament, called this a happy day in announcing the accord will be signed December 16.An official of the internationally recognised parliament, Mohammed Choueib, said that after lengthy efforts... we announce to our people that we have decided to move beyond this difficult period... and ask everyone to join us.Choueib said the deal could be signed in Morocco, which hosted most of a year of talks brokered by UN envoy Leon Bernardino that led to the proposed deal in October.But neither he nor Makhzoum said whether they would have to clear the signing with their respective legislative bodies, which had rejected the deal after their negotiating teams agreed to it in October.And just Sunday, delegates from both sides announced they had reached a joint declaration of principles aimed at resolving a crisis after secret talks that did not include the UN.Under the UN-brokered deal, Libya would be governed by a nine-member presidential council comprising a prime minister, five deputy premiers and three senior ministers.Libya descended into chaos following the 2011 ouster and killing of long-time dictator Moamer Kadhafi.The oil-rich country has had rival administrations since August 2014, when an Islamist-backed militia alliance overran Tripoli, forcing the recognised government to take refuge in the east.Hundreds of protesters gathered in Tripolis main square Friday afternoon, waving Libyan flags and holding signs calling for a rejection of the UN deal and backing the one reached at the weekend.They were called onto the streets by Libya Dawn, the Islamist militia coalition that is a key backer of the Tripoli government.Demonstrator Abdel Hamid Zawawi said: After I saw that the EU countries and the US are insisting on the UN deal, I was convinced (it) should be out of the question.On Tuesday, after announcement of the separate agreement, ambassadors to Libya from several EU countries and the United States warned against attempts to derail the UN-brokered deal, saying it was the only way forward.Fridays announcement comes just two days before world leaders are set to gather in Rome to try to speed up the formation of a unity government in Libya, where chaos is fuelling the rise of the Islamic State group.It was not immediately clear how Fridays development might affect that meeting or its agenda.Italys Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni, due to co-chair the talks with US counterpart John Kerry, has said the aim is a decisive push for a deal to help create stability, ease a dire humanitarian situation and smother a flourishing jihadist hotbed.Kerry and Gentiloni will sit down with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and representatives from Britain, China and France, Germany, Spain as well as Algeria, Chad, Morocco, Niger, Qatar, Tunisia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.You can never repeat often enough the danger that the presence of Daesh represents for Libya, Tunisian PM Habib Essid said Friday on the sidelines of a Mediterranean security conference in Rome, using an Arabic acronym for IS.Fridays announcement came on a second day of meetings in Tunis with Leons successor, Martin Kobler.Kobler said Thursday he felt very encouraged and had big confidence in our meeting tomorrow (Friday) because we are going to define the messages for the meeting in Rome.The international community is very interested in this process, in particular the threat emanating from terrorism, he said.There must be a legitimate government very soon.The UN estimates there are between 2,000 and 3,000 jihadist fighters in Libya, and local officials warn of hundreds of Tunisians, Sudanese or Nigerians travelling there for training.It was not yet clear who would represent the rival factions in Rome.European sources say the aim is to form a unity government by the end of the year, after which UN sanctions could be imposed to force an accord.There is an absolute emergency. Every week that passes is used by IS to try to make Libya a terrorist base, French European Affairs Minister Harlem Desir said Friday.Italys Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has been saying for months that the Islamist threat is as severe in Libya as in Syria, and that Rome is ready to take command of a military mission should the UN agree.

Five terrorists shot dead as major terrorism plot foiled in Nankana

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NANKANA SAHIB (Dunya News) – Five terrorists were shot dead late Friday night as a major terrorism plot was foiled by intelligence department officials in Faizabad area of Nankana Sahib.According to intelligence sources, officials of the intelligence department received information that suspects of banned organizations were engaged in plotting a massive vindictive terrorism act against law enforcement agencies for their success in Operation Zarb-e-Azb.Upon receiving the tip off, officials of the intelligence department set up a blockade outside Mian Singh village of the area.At this time 7 to 8 terrorists riding four motorcycles approached the blockade. They were signaled to stop at the road block however the suspects opened fire at the officers who gave a befitting reply, killing 5 terrorists on the spot during the retaliatory fire.However, 2 to 3 terrorists managed to flee by taking advantage of the darkness of the night.Explosive material, primacords, Kalashnikovs, Pistols, bullets and important documents were found from the exterminated terrorists.

PM Nawaz to leave for Turkmenistan today

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will leave for Turkmenistan on a two-day visit today (Saturday) to attend the ground breaking ceremony of a gas pipeline connecting Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India.The Prime Minister will also attend an international conference being convened in Ashgabat to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Turkmenistans Permanent Neutrality.PM Nawaz would also participate in the ground breaking ceremony of Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) Gas Pipeline Project along with the President of Afghanistan and Turkmenistan and Vice President of India.During his stay in Turkmenistan, PM Nawaz will also hold a meeting with Turkmen President during which he will share Pakistans perspective on important developments impinging on peace and security in the region. He will also reiterate Pakistans keen desire to sustain and expand bilateral cooperation with Turkmenistan in trade, energy and defence.
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