Thursday 11 February 2016

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Dunya TV

Hazlewood, Siddle hand Australia early edge

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WELLINGTON (AFP) - New Zealand crumbled to be all out for 183 as Josh Hazlewood and Peter Siddle ensured Australia took early honours on the opening day of the first Test in Wellington on Friday. Australian captain Steve Smith called correctly at the toss and put New Zealand in to bat on a green-tinged wicket that Hazlewood and Siddle exploited to the maximum.They had New Zealand reeling at five for 51 in the 12th over before a determined knock by Corey Anderson and some lusty hitting at the end by Mark Craig and Trent Boult stretched the innings through to 48 overs. Craig and Boult put on 46 for the 10th wicket, New Zealands best partnership, which ended with Craig unbeaten on 41 and Boult caught by a quick-thinking Usman Khawaja on the boundary.Khawaja had the presence of mind to catch the ball and immediately flick it high in the air as he fell over the boundary rope before stepping back into the field of play to complete the dismissal.Hazlewood took four for 42 and Siddle three for 37, with all seven wickets caught in the cordon behind the stumps as New Zealand struggled to cope with full-length deliveries that moved off the deck. Nathan Lyon mopped up the tail with three for 32 including the wicket of Anderson (38) who had stopped the initial wicket slide for New Zealand.He occupied the crease for 15 overs with BJ Watling as the two set about stopping the tumble of wickets, putting on 37 runs between them.He then featured in a 10-over stand with Craig that produced 40 runs as they tried to knock the Australian bowlers off their length. Craig had one element of luck in his innings when a Mitchell Marsh delivery hit his leg stump but the bails were not dislodged. For New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum it was a dismal way to mark his 100th Test. He was in the middle after 38 minutes, much sooner than he would have hoped, and was gone without scoring seven balls later.

Tennis: Nadal returns with a win in Buenos Aires

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BUENOS AIRES (AFP) - Rafael Nadal returned to action on Thursday for the first time since his shock first-round exit from the Australian Open with a straight-sets win over Juan Monaco in the ATP Argentina Open.Defending Buenos Aires champion Nadal wasnt his sharpest self in the rematch of last years final.He dropped his serve three times but broke Monaco in the final game of each set to emerge with a 6-4, 6-4 victory in one hour and 38 minutes.He set up a quarter-final clash with Italys Paolo Lorenzi, a 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 winner over Diego Schwartzman.Monaco hadnt played a tournament since having right wrist surgery last August.But Nadal wasnt able to build much momentum against him.Monaco earned the first break of the second set en route to a 3-1 lead, and after breaking back for 3-3, Nadal was in trouble again with two double faults to trail 15-30 in the ninth game.He held on, sealing the game with a trademark forehand winner down the line to force Monaco to serve to extend the match.The Buenos Aires clay has proved fertile ground for Nadal in the past, and the 29-year-old world number five, owner of 14 Grand Slam titles, admitted when he sought a wild card for the tournament that he hoped hed be able to get his 2016 campaign on track here.The year started for Nadal with a 6-1, 6-2 thrashing by Novak Djokovic in the final at Doha, which was followed by his 7-6 (8/6), 4-6, 3-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 loss to fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco in his first round in Melbourne -- just the second first-round exit from a Grand Slam in his career.

World powers agree 'cessation of hostilities' in Syria

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MUNICH (AFP) - World powers on Friday agreed an ambitious plan to cease hostilities in war-racked Syria within a week and dramatically ramp up humanitarian access at talks in Munich aimed at ending the five-year war.The 17 countries agreed to implement a nationwide cessation of hostilities to begin in a target of one weeks time, said US Secretary of State John Kerry after extended talks co-hosted by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.The International Syria Support Group also agreed to accelerate and expand the delivery of humanitarian aid beginning immediately.Sustained delivery will begin this week, first to the areas where it is most urgently needed... and then to all the people in need throughout the country, particularly in the besieged and hard to reach areas, said Kerry. An onslaught on the key rebel stronghold of Aleppo by Syrian government troops, backed by Russian bombers and Iranian fighters, derailed peace talks this month and forced 50,000 people to flee.The bombardments have left the opposition virtually encircled and observers say 500 people have died since they began on February 1 -- the latest hellish twist in a war that has claimed more than 260,000 lives.Kerry said talks between rebels and Syrian President Bashar al-Assads regime would resume as soon as possible, but warned that what we have here are words on paper. What we need to see in the next few days are actions on the ground, he said. Host German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier agreed, adding that whether this really is a breakthrough we will see in the next few days.When the whole world sees whether todays agreements are kept and implemented -- by the Assad regime and the Syrian opposition, by Hezbollah and opposition militias, and also by Russia, he said.The atmosphere going into the talks had been gloomy, with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev even warning of a new world war if Gulf nations sent in troops to support the rebel opposition.But the working group emerged with a document that showed a surprising level of cooperation between the key players, despite rising tensions over Moscows bombing campaign.Lavrov called for direct contacts between the Russian and US military in Syria.Kerry said the cessation of hostilities -- an intentionally more tentative phrasing than a full ceasefire -- would apply to all groups apart from the terrorist organisations of the Islamic State group and Al-Qaeda affiliate al-Nusra.But Russia and the US remain starkly at odds on several issues, particularly the fate of Assad. The two traded accusations on Thursday, with the Pentagon claiming two Russian air strikes had destroyed hospitals in Aleppo and denying Russian claims that US planes had struck the city.Syria is a crucial ally and military staging post for Russia and Iran, while observers say Moscow has benefited from the chaos created by the war, particularly the refugee crisis it has created in Europe.Washington, reluctant to involve itself in another complex war after the quagmires of Afghanistan and Iraq, has also faced criticism for not doing enough to help the rebels. Instead, it has sought to focus more on combatting the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group that has taken over swathes of Syria and Iraq, than getting involved in the civil war between the regime and opposition forces. The US has given up the idea of toppling Assad, said Camille Grand, of the Foundation for Strategic Research in Paris. Kerry seems willing to accept pretty much anything to resolve the crisis.The conflict has also strained relations between Turkey and its Western allies. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has slammed Washingtons increasingly close alliance with the Kurdish militias in the fight against IS, saying it was turning the region into a pool of blood.

Russia PM warns foreign offensive in Syria could spark 'world war'

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MUNICH (AFP) - Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev warned Thursday that if Arab forces entered the Syrian war they could spark a new world war and urged ceasefire talks instead.Asked about proposals by some Arab countries to enter the conflict under a US command, Medvedev said, that would be bad because ground offensives usually lead to wars becoming permanent.The Americans and our Arabic partners must think hard about this: do they want a permanent war? he was quoted as telling the German Handelsblatt business daily in an interview.Do they really think they would win such a war very quickly? Thats impossible, especially in the Arabic world. There everyone is fighting against everyone... everything is far more complicated. It could take years or decades.Why is that necessary? he added, according to a pre-released excerpt from the dailys Friday edition. All sides must be forced to the negotiating table instead of sparking a new world war.

CIA director says IS group has used, can make chem weapons

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - CIA director John Brennan has said that Islamic State fighters have used chemical weapons and have the capability to make small quantities of chlorine and mustard gas, CBS News reported Thursday.We have a number of instances where ISIL has used chemical munitions on the battlefield, Brennan told CBS News, which released excerpts of an interview to air in full on the 60 Minutes news program on Sunday.The network added that he told 60 Minutes the CIA believes that the IS group has the ability to make small amounts of mustard or chlorine gas for weapons.There are reports that ISIS has access to chemical precursors and munitions that they can use, Brennan said. Brennan also warned of the possibility that the Islamic State group could seek to export the weapons to the West for financial gain.I think theres always the potential for that. This is why its so important to cut off the various transportation routes and smuggling routes that they have used, he said.When asked if there were American assets on the ground searching for possible chemical weapons caches or labs, Brennan replied: US intelligence is actively involved in being a part of the efforts to destroy ISIL and to get as much insight into what they have on the ground inside of Syria and Iraq.The release of the excerpts of Brennans interview comes two days after similar comments from spy chief James Clapper before a congressional committee.ISIL has also used toxic chemicals in Iraq and Syria, including the blister agent sulfur mustard, Clapper, the director of national intelligence, told lawmakers on Tuesday.He said it was the first time an extremist group had produced and used a chemical warfare agent in an attack since Japans Aum Supreme Truth cult carried out a deadly sarin attack during rush hour in the Tokyo subway in 1995.Last year, officials in the autonomous Iraqi region of Kurdistan said blood tests had shown that IS fighters used mustard agent in an attack on Kurdish peshmerga forces in August.Thirty-five peshmerga fighters were exposed and some taken abroad for treatment, officials said.At the time of the attack, The Wall Street Journal cited US officials as saying they believed IS had used mustard agent.

Last four holdouts in Oregon standoff surrender

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BURNS (AFP) - The last four armed occupiers of a wildlife refuge in Oregon surrendered to authorities Thursday, ending a tense 41-day standoff over grazing rights on federal land that left one dead.Jeff Banta, 46, of Nevada, Sean Anderson, 47, and his wife Sandra, 48, of Idaho, walked out of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge shortly after 9:30 am.About 90 minutes later, the last protester, David Fry, followed suit, but only after vowing liberty or death and having threatened to commit suicide.Fry, in an extraordinary exchange live-streamed online and at one point followed by 30,000 people, lashed out at the government, saying that unless his grievances are addressed he would not leave the refuge. But in the end he yielded.In a rambling diatribe before his surrender, the 27-year-old at one point said he wanted a pizza, then marijuana, before denouncing abortion and American foreign policy.The whole reason I am here is to protest against the government, to address my grievances, he said.At another point in the conversation he warned: I am actually pointing a gun at my head.Its better to die with honor (than) be forced to live dishonorably, he added.The Federal Bureau of Investigation said in a statement that the four holdouts had been taken into custody without incident and would appear before a judge on Friday.They face charges of conspiring to impede federal officers from performing their duties through the use of force, intimidation or threats.Greg Bretzing, the FBIs top agent in Oregon, said the standoff had been especially trying to area residents whose lives were disrupted.Over the course of the last month, the people of Harney County have lived through an experience that is both highly emotional and physically exhausting, he told reporters. We have seen the occupiers and their outside supporters try to drive deep divisions between those who live and work here.The occupation of the refuge came to an end a day after Cliven Bundy -- the Nevada rancher whose 2014 standoff with federal authorities over grazing rights inspired the Oregon activists -- was arrested late Wednesday in Portland, Oregon.Bundy, 74, was reportedly on his way to the wildlife refuge when detained on arrival at the airport, the FBI said.The siege in Oregon began on January 2 when two of Bundys sons, Ammon and Ryan, along with some 30 followers, took over the refuge to denounce federal land management policies in the American West.The Bundy brothers were among a dozen people arrested late last month after they ventured out of the refuge. The groups de facto spokesman LaVoy Finicum was killed by police after he tried to get away.The takeover of the wildlife refuge initially began as a protest against the jailing of two local ranchers, Dwight Hammond and his son Steven, who were convicted of arson and sentenced to prison.But the activists demands soon grew to include calls for the government to turn over area federal land to local ranchers. In Oregon, nearly 53 percent of the land is federally owned.The Hammonds distanced themselves from the movement and voluntarily began their scheduled prison sentences after the occupation began.The Bundy family grabbed headlines in 2014 after another armed showdown with federal authorities over cattle grazing fees.That standoff ended with federal officials backing down and releasing cattle they had seized from the Bundys.Cliven Bundy appeared in court on Thursday in relation to the Nevada standoff and was charged -- like his sons -- with conspiracy to interfere with a federal officer. He also faces weapons charges.

Tennis: Teenager Zverev into Rotterdam quarter-finals

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ROTTERDAM (AFP) - Alexander Zverev battled for three hours on Thursday to defeat third seeded Frenchman Gilles Simon 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (7/4) and make the Rotterdam ATP quarter-finals.The 18-year-old German, who also reached the quarter-finals in Montpellier last week, trailed in the third set and took it into a tiebreaker where he finally prevailed over Simon, a three-time semi-finalist in the Dutch city.The crowd helped me so much, Zverev said. I really had to give it all Ive got. When I was cramping, my team was worried, but I fought hard and stayed in there. Gilles can run all day long so it was tough for me physically.World number 70 Zverev, who can become the youngest player in the top 100 should he win the title on Sunday, will face Frances Gael Monfils on Friday for a semi-final spot.Sixth seed Roberto Bautista Agut reached his second straight quarter-final and third of the season with a 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 defeat of Jiri Vesely.The Spaniard, who won the Sofia title last week after also triumphing in Auckland in January, claimed his sixth consecutive victory.Im really pleased with today, I started really badly. Maybe I was tired, Ive played a lot of matches this year, said Bautista Agut.It took me a while to get into the rhythm. But I got it and started playing very well. I tried to focus on my game, what I could do.Bautista Agut, the world number 17, will next play Slovak Martin Klizan, who defeated Cypriot crowd-pleaser Marcos Baghdatis 6-3, 6-2. Klizan hammered 22 winners and broke five times.The start was difficult, we both lost our first service game, but Im happy I was able to keep my game after that, said Klizan, who could not play the 2013 Rotterdam final due to a foot injury.French qualifier Nicolas Mahut defeated compatriot Jeremy Chardy 7-5, 6-2 to advance.The 34-year-old, who has played four matches this week at the Ahoy stadium, will be competing in his second quarter-final of the season after advancing into the top eight last month in Sydney, where he lost to Serb Viktor Troicki.A repeat of that match will be played on Friday after eighth seed Troicki put out South Koreas Hyeon Chung 7-6 (7/5), 6-2.The Serb, who turned 30 on Wednesday after playing the weekend Sofia final against Bautista Agut, tamed the 19-year-old tipped as a possible future breakout player.Troicki advanced with seven aces in 90 minutes.He was a very tricky opponent, he said. Hes a young player, I didnt know what to expect.I had to play my best to beat him. But I kept focus when I was down, I kept fighting and playing good tennis, Im pleased to be through.Mahut, the world number 54, had not defeated Chardy in any of their three previous meetings.But on Thursday he advanced in just under 90 minutes, overcoming nine Chardy aces and saving all of the seven break points he faced.

Golf: Reavie grabs Pebble Beach first-round lead

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LOS ANGELES (AFP) - American Chez Reavie fired an eight-under-par 63 on Thursday to upstage major champions Jordan Spieth and Jason Day in the first round of the PGA Tour Pebble Beach Pro-Am.Reavie fired an eagle and seven birdies with one bogey on the par-71 Monterey Peninsula course, one of three in use for the tournament along with Pebble Beach Golf Links and Spyglass Hill -- both par-72 layouts.World number one Spieth, winner of the Masters and US Open last year, opened with a one-under 71 at Spyglass Hill, as did reigning PGA Champion Day of Australia.A bit weak, was Spieths assessment of his round, which included four birdies and three bogeys.Spieth said a shaky short game led to setbacks on some of the courses easier holes.I played the hardest holes on this golf course four under par, Spieth said. And then I played all the easy ones over par... Im not quite dialed in with my wedges or with the short game right now.Nevertheless, Spieth said he wasnt discouraged, with the two courses he considers easier coming up in the rotation in an event in which pros play alongside celebrity amateurs in the opening rounds.To actually shoot one under with what I felt like I should have shot today is promising, he said.Day teed off on 10 at Spyglass had three bogeys and two birdies in his first nine holes. He managed to get under par for the day with two birdies coming in.Swedens Freddie Jacobson collected five birdies in one six-hole stretch at Pebble Beach and added two more for a seven under 65 and a share of second. He was joined at seven under by Australian Cameron Smith and American Bronson Burgoon, who both shot 64 at Monterey Peninsula.Englands Justin Rose was among seven players at six under.

Cycling: Kristoff wins Qatar fourth stage, Cavendish takes overall lead

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DOHA (AFP) - Norwegian Alexander Kristoff sprinted to the fourth stage victory in the Tour of Qatar on Thursday, as his compatriot Edvald Boasson Hagen lost the overall leaders gold jersey to Mark Cavendish.Kristoff added to Tuesdays second stage win by pipping his Katusha team-mate Jacopo Guarnieri and Belgian Greg van Avermaet to the line. The 28-year-old, who won three stages and the points classification in Qatar last year, is now fourth and just nine seconds behind overall leader Cavendish.Cavendish finished fifth to retake the lead he lost to his Dimension Data team-mate Boasson Hagen on Wednesday.Normally Cavendish will manage to protect his lead but you never know. We saw today, Edvald was leading by a lot but he had a bad puncture at the wrong time and then it was over, so the race is open again, said Kristoff.Boasson Hagen won the third stage, but he suffered a puncture on Thursdays 189 kilometre ride and lost 45 seconds to Cavendish.The Briton takes a slender two second lead over van Avermaet into Fridays fifth and final stage to Doha, as he looks to regain the gold jersey that he first won in 2013.It was too fast up front, they were too far away and it was hard to get back, said Boasson Hagen.But the guys did really well, a really good job. Im impressed by the whole team. But shit happens.

Rabid bats kill 12 children in Peru

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LIMA (AFP) - At least 12 indigenous children in Peru have died from rabies after being bitten by blood-sucking bats, which locals at first blamed on witchcraft, health officials said.The children aged between eight and 15 died between September and February in two indigenous communities in the Amazon region of Loreto, regional health official Hermann Silva said.From the symptoms and medical reports it was determined that the 12 children from the Achuar ethnic group died from an outbreak of wild rabies, Silva told AFP.The victims were bitten by blood-sucking bats, animals that drink blood, in the Yankuntich and Uncun communities in the jungle 1,100 kilometers (684 miles) north of the capital Lima.She said indigenous local authorities told health workers that the community thought the childrens deaths were due to witchcraft, and that was why they didnt report the outbreak in time.The latest death of a child from rabies was reported on Wednesday. Two other patients, a boy of nine and a woman aged 22, were recovering from the illness.Perus health minister Anibal Velasquez said on television that the government had declared a health emergency to get medical aid to the region quickly. Silva said vaccination teams had been sent urgently to the remote region.

Lagarde set for second term as IMF chief

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - Christine Lagarde, the first woman to head the International Monetary Fund, became assured Thursday of a second term as managing director to steer it through a global economic slowdown.The executive board of the global crisis lender announced that there were no challengers facing Lagarde, for the five-year term that begins in July.There was little question that the race would be uncontested after Lagarde, 60, said she was running for a second mandate on January 22, a day after the nominations period opened. It closed at midnight Wednesday.The former French finance minister received a flood of support worldwide, from across Europe, including France, Germany and Britain; China; Latin America; Canada; and the United States, the IMFs largest shareholder.On Thursday, Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew formally announced US support and praised her exceptional job in leading the IMF over the last five years at a critical time for the global economy.The chorus of support likely discouraged anyone else from applying.The board, representing the IMFs 188 member nations, said it would hold meetings with Lagarde and wants to complete the selection process as soon as possible and on the basis of consensus. Its decision is expected by early March.Unless there is a sudden, unexpected event, the outcome of the meeting is certain.In 2011, Lagarde competed with Mexicos central bank governor, Agustin Carstens, to succeed Dominique Strauss-Kahn, who resigned in disgrace over a sex scandal. She enjoyed widespread support, including from emerging-market and developing countries.The IMFs top job has been held by a European since the institution was created in 1944. The presidency of its sibling institution, the World Bank, traditionally goes to an American. Looming over Lagardes selection for a second term is a legal hurdle: her role in a French banking scandal that predates her arrival at the IMF. In December, judges ordered her to stand trial in the long-running affair of former Adidas boss Bernard Tapie, who received a large state payout for his dispute with a state bank during her time as finance minister.Lagarde is fighting the trial order, insisting that she acted in the interest of the state, conforming to the law.I hope that the justice authorities, at the end of the procedure -- as long and painful as it is -- will agree, she said in December. The IMF board at the time reiterated its confidence in her.Her re-election would come after having pushed through the 2010 IMF governance reforms that finally took effect in late January after the US Congress lifted its objection.The reforms made China the IMFs third-largest shareholder and increased the voting rights for certain other emerging-market economies.Her second term is likely to be dominated by concerns about the global economy, related to the Chinese slowdown and falling oil and other commodity prices that are hammering other emerging-market and developing economies.And she probably will continue to oversee two European crises that have preoccupied the IMF in recent years.The IMF is expected to decide soon whether to participate in the European Unions financial rescue of Greece, the highly indebted eurozone country that it has aided twice since 2010 but remains in a deep economic crisis.It also is due to decide whether to continue a massive bailout for cash-strapped Ukraine, after Lagarde threatened Ukrainian authorities Wednesday with pulling the plug if they do not step up the battle against corruption.

Oil slumps again; US crude at 2003 low

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NEW YORK (AFP) - Without any particular market-moving news but a persistent global crude oil glut, the oil market slid again Thursday, dragging US crude to its lowest price in nearly 13 years.Down by about $3.50 per barrel over the three prior sessions, US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for delivery in March dived another $1.24 (4.5 percent) to $26.21 a barrel, its lowest close since May 2003.In London, Brent North Sea crude for April, the European oil benchmark, dropped to $30.06 a barrel, down 78 cents (2.6 percent)from Wednesdays settlement.Were seeing some ... downtrend in the global economy, said Carl Larry of Frost & Sullivan. Theres a lack of recovery around the world. Thats keeping pressure on the oil market right now.As long as demand is going to stay low and the economy is going to stay weak, were going to see low oil prices maintained, he added.Global petroleum markets remain under pressure on Thursday, with investors increasingly fearful of recession, said Tim Evans of Citi Futures.Analysts said sentiment was marred also by a report this week from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries that showed the cartels production rose by about 130,000 barrels a day in January.With the fundamentals of an unrelenting oversupply still in place and the conflict of interest between OPEC members pumping record high levels... low oil prices may be here to stay for an extended period, said Lukman Otunuga, research analyst at trading group FXTM.

Yen adds to gains as investors run for cover

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NEW YORK (AFP) - The Japanese yen surged again on Thursday as traders spooked by turbulence in financial markets continued to plow into the safe haven.Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellens noncommittal stance on interest rate policy in a second day of hearings in Congress left currency investors nervous, while her warnings the global markets turmoil could threaten the US economy helped send equity markets from Tokyo to New York sharply lower.The yen jumped 0.9 percent against the dollar and 0.6 percent on the euro, to follow up gains of about 1.5 percent on Wednesday.The dollar finished at 112.39 yen, and the euro at 127.25 yen.Meanwhile the European currency gained on the dollar, rising 0.4 percent to $1.1323.Yellen leaned to dovishness in her testimony but maintained the Feds line since its December rate hike that the trend is for more increases, albeit only very gradually.However, noting that other major central banks have cut rates to negative territory -- the Swedish central bank took its short-term rate to -0.5 percent on Thursday -- she hinted that the Fed was still mulling the longer-term impact of global markets turmoil and slower growth.Some took that as a sign the Fed could consider reversing course.Now, with the Fed not only unsure about further interest rate hikes but also potentially entertaining the possibility of rate cuts and negative interest rates on the hazy horizon, the previously rising US dollar has made an abrupt U-turn, said James Chen at Forex.com.

Six killed as school bus crashes with truck in France: police

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PARIS (AFP) - At least six children were killed when a school minibus crashed into a truck in western France on Thursday, police said, a day after another road accident involving a school bus left two youngsters dead.The head-on smash with a lorry carrying rubble happened at around 7:15 am (0615 GMT) in Rochefort in the Charente-Maritime region.The school bus was carrying about 17 people, and three children suffered minor injuries in the accident, a police source said.President Francois Hollande expressed his condolences to the victims and their families and said everything possible would be done to shed light on the causes of this tragedy, according to a statement from his office.On Wednesday two children, aged 12 and 15, died when a school bus veered off a road in snowy conditions near the Swiss border in eastern France.The school bus was carrying 32 children on its daily trip to the village school in Montbenoit when it left the road, a police source in that case said.

Banners and selfies as Iranians mark revolution anniversary

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TEHRAN (AFP) - Iranians waved anti-American banners and took selfies with a ballistic missile Thursday as they marked 37 years since the Islamic revolution, weeks after Iran finalised a nuclear deal with world powers.In the capital, hundreds of thousands converged on the historic Azadi (Freedom) Square, where President Hassan Rouhani was set to make a speech.Iran holds annual celebrations commemorating its 1979 revolution, but Thursday was the first since a landmark deal with world powers -- including the United States -- was finalised, paving the way for punishing economic sanctions on Tehran to be lifted.The deal has seen a host of foreign investors declare interest in Iran, an unblocking of frozen Iranian assets held abroad and a warming of ties between the Islamic republic and the West.Young people at a rally on Thursday reconstructed a scene from mid-January that saw US Navy sailors detained by Iranian Revolutionary Guards.State television has repeatedly broadcast pictures of the 10 sailors with their hands on their heads. On Wednesday night, a brief video also showed one soldier in tears.Touted domestically as proof of Irans ability to defend its borders, the sailors were released within 24 hours, just days before the nuclear deal was finalised on January 16.Revolutionary Guards were present on Thursday, displaying a long-range Imad ballistic missile in central Tehran. Many people were taking selfies with the missile, the ISNA news agency reported.Last October, Iran successfully tested the new missile, which Tehran says has a range of 1700 kilometres (1050 miles).Local media also published images of General Qassem Suleimani, chief of the Guards Quds special forces, marching in the rally.Louis Farakkhan, leader of the American group Nation of Islam, was also to make a speech as honarary guest after Rouhani.Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other leaders had called in recent days for mass participation in rallies in a bid to demonstrate national unity.
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