Thursday 17 December 2015

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Football: Madrid seek to swap crisis for Christmas cheer

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MADRID (AFP) - Rafael Benitez could take charge of Real Madrid for the final time should the Spanish giants fail to end an alarming slump to see off humble city rivals Rayo Vallecano on Sunday.Madrid have lost three of their last five league games to slip five points behind leaders Barcelona and Atletico Madrid with Benitez rumoured to be one more defeat away from the sack.However, it would take a monumental collapse for Real to fail to add to a run of 14 consecutive wins against Rayo stretching back over 15 years.Barcas participation in the Club World Cup this weekend does at least allow Madrid to cut the gap on one of their title rivals before La Liga shuts down for 10 days over Christmas.Moreover, Benitez could have a fully-fit squad to choose from as Raphael Varane and Dani Carvajal stepped up their recovery from injury this week.Toni Kroos was surprisingly left out of the starting line-up for the 1-0 defeat at Villarreal last weekend amid rumours of a bust up with Benitez.The German international also missed training on Thursday due to the flu, but is expected to be fit should Benitez wish to recall him.Madrids problems appear minimal compared to Rayo, who have slipped into the relegation zone after three consecutive league defeats.Paco Jemezs men did reach the last 16 of the Copa del Rey on away goals on Wednesday, despite losing 3-1 at Getafe. Yet the performance offered Jemez little hope ahead of the trip to the Santiago Bernabeu.I would swap Madrids crisis for ours, he said.If we play like we did against Malaga or today (Wednesday), we cant even compete against a second division team.If we play like we did against Villarreal, Espanyol, Las Palmas or Valencia then yes we will be competitive (against Madrid).Atletico are guaranteed to be at least joint top at Christmas, but Diego Simeones men can take top spot on their own for the first time since they claimed the title against all odds 18 months ago should they avoid defeat at Malaga on Sunday.Los Rojiblancos have won nine consecutive games in all competitions to book their place in the last 16 of the Champions League and Copa del Rey, as well as storming to the top of La Liga.Diego Godin and Antoine Griezmann were rested for the win over minnows Reus in the Cup on Thursday and are expected to return along with Colombian striker Jackson Martinez after a six-week injury layoff.Valencia were also victors in the Cup in midweek as Gary Neville got his first win as a head coach at the third time of asking and the Englishman will be expected to follow that up with a first La Liga win at home to Getafe on Saturday.There is nothing like winning for confidence, said Neville after Valencias first win in four games in all competitions.We have to improve and we will with these players. They are young, but they are willing to learn, to listen and discuss ideas which has really satisfied me this week.Elsewhere, Real Betis host a resurgent Sevilla in the first Seville derby in 20 months. Sevilla are unbeaten in six games after a difficult start to the season and could move within three points of the top four with a win.Celta Vigo currently occupy fourth and will be confident of staying there despite missing top scorer Nolito through injury as they visit struggling Granada.However, any slip up from the Galicians would allow Villarreal to move into the Champions League places should they back up their win over Madrid with another victory at Real Sociedad.

Apple digital wallet heads to China

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SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - Apple announced a major partnership with China UnionPay on Thursday to put is digital wallet to work in the worlds most populous country.China UnionPay customers will be able to add their bank cards to Apple Pay on iPhones, iPads, or Apple Watch wearables, the companies said in a joint statement.China is an extremely important market for Apple and with China UnionPay and support from 15 of Chinas leading banks, users will soon have a convenient, private and secure payment experience, said Apple senior vice president of software and services Eddy Cue.The service could be available early next year, pending approval of Chinese regulators.Apple touts its digital wallet as letting people make purchases easily and securely, encrypting and hiding away personal data to thwart thieves.UnionPay operates Chinas national inter-bank clearing and settlement system and reported having issued more than five billion cards to date.Apple launched its digital wallet last year in a move capitalizing on the popularity of its mobile devices and taking on rivals such as Google and PayPal, which are also competing in the market.

Cycling: Olympic cyclist Lea suspended for doping violation

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LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Two-time Olympic cyclist Bobby Lea said Thursday he will appeal a doping ban that would end his chances of competing at next years Rio Games.The US Anti-Doping Agency said an arbitration panel had approved a 16-month suspension, starting from September 10, which stemmed from a positive test for a metabolite of the narcotic oxycodone during the US road cycling championships in August.Lea, 32, said in a letter on his website that the positive test was the result of taking prescribed Percoset as a sleep aid the night before competition.He acknowledged that he failed to check that the medication was approved for in-competition use, but still said he would appeal.I know that as an athlete, I am accountable for everything that I ingest, regardless of the source, said Lea, who competed in the points race and Madison at the 2008 Olympics and in the omnium at the London Games.I remain committed to the strict rules and ethics that govern track cycling and Olympic Sport and I support any and all anti-doping efforts that help better it. However, because I want to end my career on the track and not in a lawyers conference room, I will appeal this sanction to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Sri Lanka 198-4 at tea against New Zealand

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HAMILTON (AFP) - Sri Lanka reached 198-4 on a finely balanced first day of the second Test against New Zealand after being put in to bat on a green wicket in Hamilton on Friday.The tourists lost openers Dimuth Karunaratne and Kusal Mendis in the morning session before a 71-run stand for the third wicket upped the tempo in their favour.The fall of Udara Jayasundera and Dinesh Chandimal in quick succession after lunch changed the momentum but Sri Lanka made it to tea without further loss.Captain Angelo Mathews was not out 44 at tea with Milinda Siriwardene, in his fourth Test, on 26.Mathews resumed his personal battle with New Zealand seamer Neil Wagner on the fall of Jayasunderas wicket and this time it was Mathews who had the upper hand. In the first Test, Wagners second-innings dismissal of the Sri Lankan captain sparked New Zealands final push for their 122-run victory.But in the bright Hamilton sunshine, Mathews was more comfortable against Wagners short-ball attack, hitting 20 off 17 deliveries from the left-armer including the first six of the Test. Siriwardene also clipped Wagner for six with a top edge to bring up Sri Lankas 150. Of the two wickets to fall between lunch and tea, Jayasundera (26) was first to go when he paid the price for being too keen to push the score along.Chandimal called for a run after driving Southee through cover-point and Jayasundera, without looking at the field, turned for two.He was sent back by Chandimal but not quick enough to beat Mitchell Santners throw to wicketkeeper BJ Watling, who whipped the bails off.Chandimal added six to his lunchbreak tally to reach 47 when Doug Bracewell had him caught behind.The tourists had the run rate up to 3.85 at lunch largely due to Chandimal cruising along at a run-a-ball pace, but by tea it had dipped to 3.67.New Zealand, although they slowed the scoring rate, would still not be happy with a poor return of only four wickets in two sessions of toil on a green wicket.The ball did not produce the expected movement in the air, the bowlers did not help themselves with an inconsistent line and length and opener Mendis was dropped at first slip on the second ball he faced. Mendis had another life when a Doug Bracewell seamer clipped the bails but did not dislodge them.It took an hour for New Zealand to claim their first wicket when Tim Southee found the inside edge of Karunaratnes bat to send a regulation catch to wicketkeeper BJ Watling for 12. Mendis reached 31 before he, too, was caught behind by the same Southee-Watling combination. Southee has two for 51 while Watling has had a hand in all four dismissals with three catches and finishing off the run-out of Jayasundera.

US brings ambitious Syria peace plan to UN

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NEW YORK (AFP) - Senior international envoys began gathering in New York on Thursday to seek UN backing for an ambitious US and Russian plan to seek a negotiated ceasefire in Syrias brutal civil war.US Secretary of State John Kerry has already travelled to Moscow this week to assure Bashar al-Assads key Russian ally that Washington is not seeking regime change in Syria.On Thursday, he was to meet Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir in New York to reassure Assads most implacable foe that the United States is not going soft on the Syrian strongman.Kerrys high-stakes diplomatic balancing act aims to keep both Moscow and Riyadh on board as the 17-nation International Syrian Support Group (ISSG) battles to cobble together peace talks.Washington and UN Syrian envoy Staffan de Mistura want Assads regime and the armed opposition groups ranged against him to send delegates to peace talks some time on or after January 1. If a ceasefire can be reached in Syrias four-and-a-half-year-old civil war, then Syrian troops, Russia and a US-led coalition can focus their fire on the hardline jihadist Islamic State group.Under a deal struck last month in Vienna, government and rebel negotiators would have six months to form a transitional government and 18 months to organize national elections.But several question marks still hang over the process.Will Assad and his foreign backers Russia and Iran agree to sit down with rebel groups they routinely denounce as terrorists?And, will the rebels and their foreign backers countenance talks with a regime that has slaughtered thousands of its own citizens in torture cells or with barrel bombs and poison gas?On Friday, international envoys -- and Russias Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in particular -- want to hear from Saudi Arabia how its efforts to mediate a rebel coalition are progressing.And US State Department spokesman John Kirby said Jordan would give an update on its role in the process -- drawing up a list of which terrorist groups should be blacklisted from talks.Even if a ceasefire is possible, who would monitor it? And who would lead the fight against the IS group and others, such as Al-Qaedas Al-Nusra Front, left outside the peace process? To address these and other questions, the International Syrian Support Group will meet at US invitation on Friday morning at a New York hotel to try to narrow their disagreements.Then, later in the day, diplomats will travel the short distance to the United Nations to seek -- and in all likelihood obtain -- the approval of the UN Security Council for the process.So the big result for the afternoon session is obviously this resolution, and the secretary remains confident that we can get there, Kirby said Thursday.US diplomats concede that the plan is ambitious and that success is not certain, but they are hopeful that Russia and Saudi Arabia will cajole their rival Syrian allies to the table.President Vladimir Putin, they reason, will not want to see the Russian forces he sent to Syria to shore up Assads beleaguered regime bogged down in an indefinite conflict.Meanwhile, the threat of Islamic State group attacks and waves of Syrian war refugees spilling out from Syria into the Middle East and Europe has concentrated minds in other foreign capitals.But the United States appears to have already made its own compromises in the search for peace.Where once it shunned Russia and imposed sanctions on its economy to punish Putin for his aggression against Ukraine, now Kerry publicly thanks Moscow for its constructive role in Syria.And -- while the State Department insists there is no change in its policy that Assad has lost all legitimacy to lead Syria -- Washington has noticeably toned down calls for him to step down.We emphasized today that the United States and its partners are not seeking regime change, as it is known, in Syria, Kerry said on Tuesday at the Kremlin after talks with Putin. What we have said is that we dont believe that Assad himself has the ability to lead the future Syria, he said.But we focused today not on our differences... we focused on the political process whereby Syrians will be making decisions about the future of Syria, he said.It was only after Tuesdays talks with Kerry that Russia -- which had previously been cautious about convening another meeting of the Syrian Support Group -- agreed to take part.More than 250,000 people have died since Syrias conflict erupted in March 2011, and millions more have fled their homes.

'Fat' South African cook gives up fight to stay in NZ

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WELLINGTON (AFP) - An obese South African chef declared too fat to live in New Zealand has given up the immigration battle to return home, reports said Friday.Albert Buitenhuis and his wife Marthie have been fighting to stay in the Pacific nation for the last two years after an application to renew their work visas was first rejected because of his weight.They won a 23-month reprieve only to be denied again.Our visa was finally declined and we had to stop working at the end of October, Buitenhuis told Fridays New Zealand Herald.Their reasons for declining us this time were Im not seen as a bona fide worker and the employer did not do enough to get a Kiwi in the job.Immigration New Zealand (INZ) cited in 2013 the demands his obesity could place on the countrys health services and said medical assessors found Albert no longer had an acceptable standard of health.INZ said his obesity put him at significant risk of medical complications.The couple said they moved from South Africa to the main South Island city of Christchurch in 2007 when Albert weighed 160 kilograms (353 pounds) and their annual work visas were renewed without any problem.Despite him losing 30 kilograms, an attempt to obtain permanent residency failed in 2011.We have been selling all our belongings to try and raise the funds to settle our affairs here and leave on a good foot, Albert told the daily.They were set to fly home to Pretoria next Thursday.The OECD lists New Zealand as the third most obese developed nation behind the United States and Mexico.

Football: Suarez treble fires Barca into world final

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YOKOHAMA (AFP) - Luis Suarez fired a hat-trick as Barcelona overcame the loss of Lionel Messi to kidney trouble by beating Chinas Guangzhou Evergrande 3-0 on Thursday to reach the Club World Cup final.The Spanish giants will face Argentine side River Plate in Yokohama on Sunday as they look to become the first team to win the competition three times.Luis Suarez is deadly inside the box, he will always score for you, Barca coach Luis Enrique told reporters. Hes a spectacular player.The European champions were rocked before the semi-final when Messi was sidelined with renal colic -- commonly caused by kidney stones -- which could also rule him out of the final.Initially Barca missed Messis wizardry and the guile of his Brazilian strike partner Neymar, who was rested as he recovers from a groin strain.We dont know if well have Messi and Neymar for the final, Enrique said when quizzed about his two superstars.But Messi refused to rule himself out, posting on his Facebook page: Great job from the whole team, were in the final Its never fun to miss any game, but I hope to get better to be able to help in the final.The Catalans toiled to break down Evergrandes massed ranks of defenders, until Suarez pounced six minutes before half-time, poking in a loose ball after goalkeeper Li Shuai parried Ivan Rakitics fierce drive from the edge of the box.The Uruguayan grabbed his second five minutes after the break when he latched onto a superb Andres Iniesta pass, bringing the ball down on his chest before volleying past Li to the delight of most in the crowd of 63,000.Suarez completed the first-ever Club World Cup treble from the penalty spot in the 67th minute to record his 21st goal of the season for Barca, who previously won the Club World Cup in 2009 and 2011.We knew we were without the two most important players for the team, but all we could do was stay focused and try to reach the final, said Suarez. I hope (Messi) recovers as quickly as possible.We knew there was a big chance we would be playing against River, added the former Liverpool forward. They won the Copa Libertadores, they are one of the best teams in the Americas and we will have to play well to lift the cup.Suarez, Messi and Neymar have now plundered an astonishing 130 goals for Barca in 2015. But Enrique also praised his captain Iniesta.Andres dominated our combination play and he knows how to dribble and turn like no one else, he said. We were very disciplined. It was a complete display.Barca technical director Robert Fernandez insisted no risks would be taken over Messi. Leo is not right, he said. We will see how he is in the night, how his symptoms develop tomorrow and see if he is fit to play the next game.Evergrande manager Luiz Felipe Scolari thanked his players for their efforts after winning a fifth successive Chinese championship and their second Asian title in three years.I told my players I was grateful for a wonderful year, said the former Brazil coach. We lost 3-0 to Barcelona but a lot of big teams have lost 3-0 to them, so there is no shame.

Dense fog: Motorway closed from Thokar Niaz Beg to Babu Sabu

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LAHORE (Dunya News) - According to details, the Motorway has been closed for all kind of traffic from Thokar Niaz Baig Babu Sabu near Lahore on early Friday morning due to dense fog, Dunya News reported.The Motorway police have advised the drivers to use G.T Road as an alternative as visibility was dropped to 20 metres. The Motorway police have also advised the drivers to switch on fog lights while driving at very slow speed.The Motorway police have also requested the people to stay home and avoid unnecessary travelling as visibility was down to 20 metres due to to heavy fog.

Libyan rivals sign disputed unity government deal

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SKHIRAT (AFP) - Rival Libyan politicians signed a deal Thursday to form a unity government despite opposition on both sides, in what the United Nations described as a first step towards ending the crisis.World powers have urged the warring factions to break a political deadlock that has allowed jihadists and people-smugglers to flourish since the fall of dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011.A group of lawmakers from Libyas rival parliaments, as well as other political figures, inked the UN-sponsored accord in the Moroccan resort of Skhirat, an AFP journalist said.Around 80 of 188 lawmakers from the internationally recognised parliament and 50 of 136 members of the Tripoli-based General National Congress (GNC) signed the deal, participants said.It calls for a 17-member government, headed by businessman Fayez el-Sarraj as premier and including two women, based in Tripoli. There would also be a presidential council for a transitional period of two years up until legislative elections.The French ambassador, Antoine Sivan, said in a statement the UN Security Council would adopt a resolution within days recognising this government as the only legitimate government of Libya.But the accord has caused deep divisions within Libyas two legislatures.GNC member Mahmoud Abdelaziz complained: There are two parliaments and two governments. Now they are going to impose a third government on us instead of bringing together the two rival authorities.The heads of both parliaments already warned that the accord has no legitimacy and that those who signed it represented only themselves.GNC head Nouri Abusahmein said Wednesday whoever has not been commissioned by the GNC to sign or initial a deal on its behalf is, and will remain, without legitimacy.A government such as that proposed by the United Nations does not even guarantee the minimum required to ensure its effectiveness, he added.While Western powers and NATO welcomed Thursdays deal, UN envoy Martin Kobler acknowledged that much remained to be done. This is just the beginning of a long journey for Libya. Signing is only the first step on the road to putting Libya back on the right track, he said at the ceremony.The door is always open to those who are not here today. The new government must move urgently to address the concerns of those who feel marginalised.UN chief Ban Ki-moon echoed that, saying the road ahead will be difficult but the United Nations will continue to accompany the process and support the government in times ahead.The signing follows a gathering in Rome of a US- and Italian-led group of world powers and regional players that called on the two sides Sunday to lay down their arms and back a new unity government.At the beginning of October, delegations from both sides approved a draft agreement negotiated under the auspices of the UN, but it was later rejected by their parliaments.Abusahmein and those MPs who support him are not against an agreement, but say they want more time to negotiate it.On December 6, members of the two bodies launched an alternative process in Tunis by signing a declaration of interest on a unity government, and this process is backed by the two parliament heads.The country has been mired in chaos since the 2011 overthrow and killing of long-time dictator Kadhafi.The recognised government says a UN arms embargo is hampering the battle against the Islamic State (IS) group, which seized control of the coastal city of Sirte in June.British Prime Minister David Cameron said: This agreement means the international community can now engage with one unified, representative government in Libya in the fight against Daesh (IS) and the migrant traffickers.French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius called for a national unity government to be set up... as soon as possible in Tripoli.EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, noting the opposition to the deal, called it a good starting point.This process has to stay open, inclusive and I hope, I wish that all Libyan parties, all Libyan representatives can join in the near future, she said.And Jens Stoltenberg, the head of NATO which provided air support for rebels in the anti-Kadhafi revolt, welcomed the Skhirat deal. This is a significant step on the road to bring peace and stability to the people of Libya, the NATO secretary general said.

Friend of San Bernardino shooter facing terrorism charges

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LOS ANGELES (AFP) - US authorities arrested Thursday a man who bought the assault rifles used in the San Bernardino massacre that left 14 people dead, charging him with plotting terror attacks with Syed Farook, who was behind the rampage.Enrique Marquez, 24, was charged with conspiring with Farook -- a longtime friend and former neighbor -- to commit two terrorist attacks in 2011 and 2012, though neither plot was ever carried out.Marquez was also charged with the unlawful purchase of the guns used in the December 2 shooting rampage carried out by US-born Farook and his Pakistani wife Tashfeen Malik, as well as the purchase of some of the explosive material used in the attack.The three-count criminal complaint also charged Marquez with defrauding immigration authorities by entering into a sham marriage with a Russian woman who was a member of Farooks extended family, US Attorney for the Central District of California, Eileen Decker, said in a statement.Marquez made his initial appearance in federal court in Riverside, California, where he did not enter a plea but was appointed a lawyer.Mr. Marquez conspired with Mr. Farook to commit vicious attacks, said Decker.Even though these plans were not carried out, Mr. Marquezs criminal conduct deeply affected San Bernardino County, Southern California and the entire United States when the guns purchased by Marquez were used to kill 14 innocent people and wound many others.The arrest marks a major development in the San Bernardino case being investigated by authorities as a terrorist assault -- the deadliest since the September 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center.Decker said there was no evidence Marquez took part in the attack on a holiday party at a social services center, or had prior knowledge.However, she added: His prior purchase of the firearms and ongoing failure to warn authorities about Farooks intent to commit mass murder had fatal consequences.Investigations indicate that Farook had become radicalized several years before the December 2 killings and before meeting his wife on a dating website.Authorities said that on the morning of the assault in San Bernardino, Malik searched social media for information related to the Islamic State group, which has hailed the attack but stopped short of claiming it.Shortly after the massacre, authorities say, a Facebook page associated with Malik proclaimed allegiance to IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.Farook and Malik, who had a baby daughter, died in a gun battle with police following the shooting.Shy and mild-manneredDetails are emerging of Marquez and his relationship to the killers.He checked himself into a mental health facility after the massacre and posted a cryptic message on Facebook that said, Im. Very sorry guys. It was a pleasure, the Los Angeles Times reported.Marquez, who had been working as a security guard at Wal-Mart, was known for his shy and mild-manned demeanor.He was described as both impressionable and the type who couldnt fight his way out of a wet paper bag, the owner of a bar where he used to work told the Times.According to the criminal complaint, Marquez met Farook around 2004 when he moved to Riverside.Farook subsequently introduced him to Islam and in 2007 Marquez converted to the religion.Shortly thereafter, Farook introduced him to radical Islam, prosecutors say.The pair in late 2011 began planning to attack the library or cafeteria at Riverside Community College, where they had been students, with pipe bombs and guns, intending to inflict maximum casualties.They also planned to attack with pipe bombs a major freeway in the region during rush hour.After deploying the explosive devices, Farook planned to move among the stopped vehicles, shooting his rifle into them, and killing people, said authorities.The pair later scrapped their plans, partly because of the arrests of several other suspects on terrorism charges during that period.They grew apart but remained in contact and in November 2014 Marquez entered into a sham marriage with the Russian woman, for which he was paid $200 a month, authorities say.Marquez faces up to 15 years in prison on the charge of providing material support to terrorists and up to 10 years each on the firearms and visa fraud charges.He will be arraigned on January 6, when he will enter a plea.

Turkish forces kill 25 Kurdish militants in southeast operation

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DIYARBAKIR (AFP) - Turkish security forces have killed 25 Kurdish militants this week as they battle suspected members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) inside two flashpoint towns, security sources said on Thursday.The operations conducted inside the towns of Cizre and Silopi in the southeastern Sirnak province, backed by curfews, mark a new escalation in five months of fighting with the PKK since a truce collapsed.Twenty-four PKK members have been killed in Cizre since the operations began earlier this week, while one was killed in Silopi, security sources told AFP, increasing an earlier toll.The authorities had already announced on Wednesday that eight PKK fighters had been killed in Cizre.According to Turkish media, some 10,000 members of the police and army have been deployed in Cizre and Silopi in one of the biggest operations yet against the PKK, who have erected barricades and ditches inside the towns.Although analysts have called for peace talks, the authorities led by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have said Ankara must eradicate the PKK which in recent months has again built up a significant presence in urban centres. The terrorists wanted to paralyse daily life in these towns by intimidating inhabitants who they had extorted, Interior Minister Efkan Ala told the state-run Anatolia news agency.Cizre has a population of some 100,000, while Silopi has over 80,000 people.He said the authorities had seized 2,240 weapons, ten tons of explosives and 10,000 Molotov cocktails from the militants.Images published by Anatolia showed heavily armed soldiers backed by tanks going house-to-house in the towns and firing from street corners.The authorities also imposed blanket and open-ended curfews in the two towns, the latest in a succession of such measures across the southeast that have angered activists. There have also been growing tensions over a curfew in the Sur district of southeastern Diyarbakir province -- also mainly Kurdish -- that has been in place almost uninterrupted since December 2. There were new clashes early Thursday between police and pro-PKK sympathisers in Diyarbakir, an AFP correspondent reported.In a new report Thursday, the International Crisis Group (ICG) urged both sides to urgently resume peace talks, saying Turkeys return to a military-based approach would only intensify the conflict.Turkey faces a critical choice: to advance its military strategy against the PKK in a fight that is bound to be protracted and inconclusive, or to resume peace talks, the non-governmental think tank said.The ICG said that rather than talking to jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, Turkeys strategy is instead centred on fighting the PKK, particularly until its recently empowered urban structures are eradicated.The PKK launched a formal insurgency against the Turkish state in 1984, initially fighting for Kurdish independence although it now presses more for greater autonomy and rights for the countrys largest ethnic minority. The conflict has left tens of thousands dead.

Putin rules out reconciliation with Turkey

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MOSCOW (AFP) - Russian President Vladimir Putin fired off an angry tirade against Turkey on Thursday, ruling out any reconciliation with its leaders and accusing Ankara of shooting down a Russian warplane to impress the United States.In comments littered with crude language, Putin dismissed the possibility that the downing of the warplane over the Turkey-Syria border last month was an accident, calling it a hostile act.We find it difficult if not impossible to come to an agreement with the current leadership of Turkey, the Kremlin strongman said at his annual news conference.On the state level, I dont see any prospects of improving relations with the Turkish leadership, he said of Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan.Ties between Russia and the NATO member have hit rock bottom since the November 24 incident, which led to deaths of two Russian military officers.Turkey has said the Russian jet strayed into its airspace and ignored repeated warnings, but Moscow insists it never left Syrian territory.Putin said he did not rule out that Ankara was acting with tacit approval from Washington, possibly so that the United States would look the other way to let Turkey go onto Iraqi territory and occupy part of it.I dont know if there was such a trade-off, maybe there was, Putin said.If somebody in the Turkish leadership decided to lick the Americans in one place... I dont know, if they did the right thing, he added.Did they think we would run away now? Russia is not that kind of country, Putin said, speaking of Moscows increased military presence in Syria.If Turkey flew there all the time before, breaching Syrian airspace, well, lets see how they fly now.Turkey has voiced concern about Russian air raids in northern Syria because of the Turkmen minority in the area, a Turkic-speaking people who have had an uneasy relationship with the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.But Putin declared: Ive never heard anything about these so-called Turkmen.I know that there are our Turkmen, living in Turkmenistan, he said, referring to the ex-Soviet Central Asian country.Putin also accused Turkeys leaders of overseeing a creeping Islamisation of the country which would probably cause (modern Turkeys founding father Mustafa Kemal) Ataturk to turn in his grave.Putin and Erdogan have been locked in a war of words since the plane downing, and Moscow has even accused Erdogans family of engaging in oil smuggling operations with Islamic State jihadists.On Thursday, Putin went as far as to say that the Islamic State group was a secondary issue in Syria as it was created as cannon fodder under Islamist slogans to protect economic interests of other players, although he did not name Turkey.However, he said he does not consider Turkey an enemy state. They committed an enemy act against our aviation, but to say that we view Turkey as enemy state -- that is not the case.Russia has imposed a number of sanctions on Turkey but Putin brushed aside questions from journalists about raids against Turkish firms and expulsions of Turkish students from Russian universities.Putin said that had the downing of the plane been an accident, Turkish leaders should have tried to pick up the phone and explain themselves.Erdogan attempted to call Putin on the day of the incident, but the Kremlin ignored his request to speak to the Russian leader.

Karachi: 3 alleged suspects taken into custody during search operation

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – Three alleged suspects were taken into custody during a search operation by the intelligence department in Gulshan-e-Iqbal area of Karachi. The search operation was conducted in 13-D residential building of Gulshan-e-IQbal on information of criminals in the building.On the other hand, bomb disposal squad was called in after a highly suspicious box was discovered in Baldia Itehad Town. Officials defused 16 high power battery cells placed in the box which may have been prepared for an explosion.According to the Bomb Disposal Squad, the battery cells could have easily been used for an explosion by combing with an IED.

Football: FIFA court to hear Platini case despite boycott

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ZURICH (AFP) - FIFAs ethics judges are set to hear a defence in the allegations against UEFA chief Michel Platini on Friday, although the Frenchman will not be there to argue his case after vowing to boycott the hearing.The Platini hearing follows an appearance at the same FIFA court by world footballs suspended president Sepp Blatter, who spent more than eight hours at FIFAs Zurich headquarters being questioned in a corruption case that may end his career.Both Blatter and Platini, a FIFA vice president, were suspended in October after Swiss prosecutors opened a criminal investigation looking partly into a two million Swiss francs ($2 million/1.8 million euros) payment made to Platini in 2011 for work carried out about a decade earlier.The two men - once the most powerful figures in world football - face longer suspensions in a verdict expected from FIFA ethics judges early next week.Platini has said the verdict has been decided in advance and he will therefore not show up. He will be represented by his lawyers.FIFAs ethics judges have dismissed Platinis claims of a pre-determined verdict and pledged to review the evidence against him fairly.Before his own hearing, Blatter launched similar criticisms against the FIFA court, but still appeared in his own defence, accompanied by his Zurich-based lawyer Lorenz Erni.Neither men spoke to the dozens of journalists gathered outside FIFA on Thursday, but shortly after the hearing Blatters Virginia-based lawyer Richard Cullen issued a statement calling for an acquittal.President Blatter looks forward to a decision in his favor, because the evidence requires it, Cullen said in an email sent to AFP.President Blatter behaved properly and certainly did not violate FIFAs Code of Ethics. This investigation should be closed and the suspension lifted, Cullen added.Both Blatter and Platini deny wrongdoing. If convicted, appeals to a FIFAs appeal committee and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) are possible for both men.Bank accounts frozenAs Blatter exited FIFAs headquarters on Thursday, possibly for the last time, his temporary replacement warned that the unprecedented storm surrounding the organisation may not be over.Acting FIFA president Issa Hayatou and acting secretary general Markus Kattner issued an open letter which noted that there may be further challenges ahead.And in a sign of the seemingly ever widening corruption probe within global football, Switzerland said that it had carried out a US request to freeze about 50 accounts in Swiss banks.A Swiss justice ministry spokesman Folco Galli said funds in the high tens of millions are blocked.It was the wave of US justice department indictments announced in May that unleashed the scandal which has since rocked FIFA.Dozens of people are facing charges in US courts, but Blatter and Platini are not among that group.Their possible long-term suspensions from FIFA would however mark the highest profile casualties of the scandal.Before his suspension, Blatter had agreed to step down when his replacement was chosen in a February vote and Platini had been the favourite to succeed him.But the Frenchmans campaign has been stalled by ethics inquiry.Separately, Russias President Vladimir Putin, whose country will host the 2018 World Cup, said Blatter should be a Nobel Peace laureate.That is someone who should be given the Nobel Peace Prize, Putin said while Blatter faced questioning at FIFA. His contribution to the global humanitarian sphere is colossal.

Air India worker dies at Mumbai airport after being sucked into jet's engine

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MUMBAI (AFP) - A technician working for Air India has died after being sucked into a jet engine as the plane pushed back for take-off at Mumbai airport, the airline and reports said.The freak accident happened on Wednesday evening when the co-pilot of flight AI 619 to Hyderabad in Indias south mistook a signal from ground staff and started the engine.It sucked in Ravi Subramanian, who was standing close by, the Press Trust of India reported, quoting anonymous sources at Air India, the Asian giants national carrier.The airline wrote on its official Twitter handle that one of its technicians had died in a mishap during pushback of flight AI 619, without specifying exactly what happened.The incident is being investigated. Our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family, said the tweet.Air Indias chairman and managing director Ashwani Lohani said we are deeply saddened & regret the tragic incident at Mumbais Chhatrapati Shivaji airport, according to the post late on Wednesday.The state-run carrier, which has not reported an annual profit since 2007, has been hit by a string of technical glitches and other embarrassing incidents, including staff turning up late for flights.In April, the airline made headlines when it had to ground two of its pilots after a fight erupted between the pair just before takeoff.Wednesdays incident comes a week after a turboprop plane belonging to budget carrier SpiceJet hit a group of wild boars and skidded as it came into land at Jabalpur airport in central India.
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