Thursday 4 February 2016

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Passengers evacuated from Madrid-Riyadh flight after bomb hoax

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MADRID (AFP) - Passengers on a flight to Riyadh from Madrid were evacuated Thursday after a note threatening a bomb attack was found inside the plane in what was later confirmed as a hoax.The Saudi Arabian Airlines flight had been due to take off in the mid-morning from Madrid but the captain requested an evacuation after a note reading 11:30 bomb was discovered pinned to the interior. The plane was taken to an isolated part of the airport for inspection.The airline is just the latest to be hit by fake threats as jitters over extremist attacks continue, particularly since a Russian passenger jet crashed in October over the Sinai peninsula, killing 224 people in what Moscow said was an act of terror.The information that we have from the Guardia Civil (police force) is that it was a false alert, a spokeswoman for airport operator AENA, who refused to be named, told AFP.Security forces and rescue services were quickly mobilised when the note was discovered on board the SVA 226 flight that carried 97 passengers and 15 crew members.After an inspection of the aircraft, the authorities eventually concluded there was no bomb on board.The airport continued to operate normally throughout.Saudi Arabian Airlines is just the latest to be hit by such a hoax.Last month, an Indian passenger plane was forced to make an emergency landing in the countrys western city of Nagpur after a hoax bomb threat.That same January, a Scandinavian Airlines plane carrying 72 people from London to Stockholm was diverted to Gothenburg and the passengers evacuated, due to a hoax bomb threat.

Mozilla to kill Firefox smartphone operating system

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - The Firefox smartphone operating system is being shut down, three years after a launch aimed at challenging the dominant platforms powered by Apple and Google, developers said Thursday.The operating system created by the Mozilla developer community as an open-source system failed to gain traction in mobile devices, according to a statement from Mozilla developer George Roter.Through the work of hundreds of contributors we made an awesome push and created an impressive platform in Firefox OS, he said in a blog post.However, as we announced in December, the circumstances of multiple established operating systems and app ecosystems meant that we were playing catch-up, and the conditions were not there for Mozilla to win on commercial smartphones.Roter said Mozilla has set our plan to end-of-life support for smartphones after the Firefox OS 2.6 release which means that Firefox OS for smartphones will no longer have staff involvement beyond May.In 2013, Mozilla announced a tie-up with Spanish-based GeeksPhone to introduce two low-cost devices powered by Firefox.Firefox devices made by Chinas ZTE and TCL were announced in 2014 at a cost as low as $25.Roter said Mozilla made the decision as part of a push to pivot from Firefox OS to connected devices and would be focusing on developing open-source software for the Internet of Things -- a category which includes everything from connected cars to lightbulbs.As of today, we have three projects that have passed the first gate including (a) smart TV and about a dozen more projects are prepping for review, he said.

Russia accuses Turkey of preparing to invade Syria

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MOSCOW (AFP) - Russia on Thursday accused Turkey of actively preparing to invade Syria, saying it had spotted troops and military equipment on the border with the war-torn country.We have serious grounds to suspect Turkey is in intensive preparations for an armed invasion of the territory of a sovereign state -- the Syrian Arab Republic, the defence ministry said in a statement.Ties between Moscow, which supports the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and Ankara, which is a staunch backer of the opposition, have been in tatters since Turkey shot down a Russian bomber on the Syrian border in November.Moscows claims came as Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, speaking at an international aid conference for Syria in London, implicitly accused Russia of war crimes in the country.Ankara said earlier Thursday that it had refused to allow a Russian reconnaissance plane to overfly its territory near Syria because of a disagreement over the flight plan.Russia said Turkey had not given Moscow any clear explanation for the decision.We consider these Turkish actions to be a dangerous precedent and an attempt to conceal illegal military activities at the Syrian border, the defence ministry said.Moreover, we are recording more and more signs of covert preparations by the Turkish armed forces for active action on Syrian territory, it said, adding that Russia has ramped up reconnaissance in the Middle East.So if someone in Ankara believes that the cancellation of the flight by Russian monitors would allow (them) to hide something then this is unprofessional.The defence ministry, citing reconnaissance data, said Turkey had recently expanded a parking lot for heavy-duty trucks on the border as well two smaller parking lots in rebel-controlled Syria.Such sites are used to secure a quick movement of military columns containing ammunition and weapons to a theatre of operations as well as a fast transfer and evacuation of personnel, it said.Moscow said it had recorded plenty of such examples at the Syrian-Turkish border including the presence of troops and military equipment.Russia also said it was surprised that representatives of Pentagon, NATO and human rights organisations in Syria did not issue any reaction.The Turkish foreign ministry declined to immediately comment on the Russian claim.UN special envoy Staffan de Mistura announced Wednesday the suspension of peace talks to end Syrias civil war as the West accused Moscow of seeking a military solution to the war and refusing to halt its strikes.Following a request from Assad, Moscow launched a bombing campaign in Syria in September, saying it needed to target jihadists like the Islamic State group before they cross into Russia.The Syrian opposition has been outraged at Moscows determination to press ahead with its bombing campaign during peace talks and accused Russia of targeting civilians.

Australia recall Khawaja in bid to save series

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WELLINGTON (AFP) - In-form batsman Usman Khawaja has been recalled to the Australian side as the world champions fight to stay alive in their one-day international series against New Zealand on Saturday.Shaun Marsh was surprisingly preferred to Khawaja in the team thrashed by 159 runs in Auckland on Wednesday in the first tie of the three-match series.Australia have also brought in leg-spinner Adam Zampa for the second round in Wellington to replace injured quick James Faulkner.Khawaja, who has not played an ODI for three years but scored centuries in three consecutive Tests against New Zealand and the West Indies late last year, said Australia have already put the ODI humiliation behind them.We just had an off-day the other day. It happens no matter who you are, you dont have to worry about that. Were a good enough team if we do the basics right, he said.The 29-year-old Pakistan-born left-hander, also downplayed his golden run of form in Tests, saying the ODIs in New Zealand conditions were a new challenge.The past is done. Im feeling really good right now but that doesnt mean Im going to contribute runs, he said after surveying the wicket at Westpac Stadium.New Zealand are very good in their conditions, as we are at home. I think theyll come hard again. Theyre going to try and win this series 2-0.The Australians came in for a lot of abuse from a partisan crowd in Auckland, with several spectators ejected from the ground.New Zealand cricket boss David White described the abusive fans as a minority who were not welcome.We dont try and judge the fan behaviour, but we agree there are hard limits and offensive behaviour is one of them, he said.A bit of banter, thats fine, but consistent abuse of players is not tolerated.The Australians, however, denied the crowd behaviour bothered them, with Khawaja saying it was no different to playing an away game in domestic cricket.Its part of the game. When you play domestic cricket back home, when you play in WA (Western Australia) or play on Adelaide Oval theyre pretty rowdy there too when you play for an opposition side.Its not too different. The accents are different and I kind of enjoy that.The third and final ODI will be played in Hamilton on Monday.

Obama floats $10-a-barrel oil tax

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - US President Barack Obama on Thursday proposed a controversial $10-a-barrel tax on oil firms to pay for much needed infrastructure improvements.The $10 charge, phased in over five years, would be levied on companies -- but the costs could well be passed on to consumers.For too long, bipartisan support for innovative and expansive transportation investment has not been accompanied by a long-term plan for paying for it, the White House said in a statement.The proposal comes amid current low oil prices and is also designed to wean Americans onto more climate-friendly fuels.The plan is highly unlikely to pass muster in the Republican-controlled Congress.A $10 tax for every barrel of oil produced would raise energy prices-hurting poor Americans the most, said Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives, Paul Ryan. The president should be proposing policies to grow our economy instead of sacrificing it to appease progressive climate activists.

WHO advises against blood donations from people returning from Zika areas

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GENEVA (AFP) - The World Health Organization on Thursday advised countries against accepting blood donations from people who had travelled to regions affected by the Zika virus.With the risk of incidence of new infections of Zika virus in many countries, and the potential linkage of the Zika virus infection with microcephaly and other clinical consequence, it is estimated as an appropriate precautionary measures to defer donors who return from areas with Zika virus outbreak, the WHO told AFP in a statement.Canada and Britain have already moved to protect their blood supplies.Canadian blood agencies earlier Wednesday announced that anyone who had travelled to a Zika-risk area will be ineligible to give blood for three weeks upon their return.The 21-day waiting period also applies to cord blood and stem cell donors who have travelled to Zika-affected areas.In Britain, the National Health Service Blood and Transplant agency has said that from Thursday, anyone returning from Zika-affected countries will be made to wait 28 days before being allowed to donate blood, as a precautionary measure.The safety of the blood supply is paramount and it is important we implement any precautionary blood safety measures agreed here as a result of an increasing prevalence of infectious diseases found around the globe, a spokeswoman said.The mosquito-borne Zika virus has spread to 26 countries in South and Central America and the Caribbean. It holds little danger for most people but has been linked to a surge in cases of microcephaly, a condition which causes babies to develop abnormally small heads, leading to permanent disability or death.Zika symptoms resemble those of a mild case of flu -- headache, muscle and joint pain, mild fever, and a rash. In 70 to 80 percent of cases, the disease goes unnoticed.

Tennis: Sharapova plays Russian roulette with Olympic dream

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PARIS (AFP) - Maria Sharapova attempts to remain on course for the Rio Olympics when Russia take on the Netherlands in the Fed Cup this weekend even if she courts controversy by not actually playing.The worlds richest sportswoman has been named in the four-woman Russian squad for the World Group clash in Moscow despite insisting that she is unable to play due to a forearm injury suffered in her Australian Open quarter-final loss to Serena Williams.Under qualification rules, a player must be nominated three times in an Olympic cycle in order to be eligible for the Games in Rio in August.So far, the 28-year-old star has featured in just two ties since 2012, the year when she won the silver medal at the London Olympics.Sharapova was warned last week by Russian tennis chief Shamil Tarpishchev that she risked missing out on Rio if she failed to turn out for the Fed Cup tie.But she was adamant she was unlikely to compete in Moscow to rest her injured arm.Im going to go to Moscow, to be part of the team but I dont think Ill be playing, she said.Sharapova was as good as her word as she was pictured on social media on Thursday at the Fed Cup dinner in Moscow along with teammates Svetlana Kuznetsova, Ekaterina Makarova, teenager Darya Kasatkina and team captain Anastasia Myskina.The International Tennis Federation (ITF), which oversees the Fed Cup, said that Sharapova did not necessarily need to play the tie in order to fulfil her Olympic criteria.The Olympic tennis event qualification regulations require a player to be in the nominated Fed Cup team at the time of the draw on three occasions, a spokesman told AFP on the eve of the draw for the tie.A player does not need to play a match.Sharapova won all four Fed Cup rubbers she played in 2015 including the two singles matches in the final which Russia lost 3-2 to the Czech Republic.Russia have defeated the Dutch on all three occasions they have met.The visitors task will not get any easier on Saturday and Sunday as their top-ranked player is Kiki Bertens at a lowly 106 in the world.The Czechs, who have won four of the last five Fed Cups, start their defence against Romania in Cluj with former double Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova (world number nine) and Karolina Pliskova (13) leading their assault.Romanias top singles player Simona Halep, the world number three, has postponed a nose operation to play in the tie.Italy, the champions in 2006, 2009, 2010 and 2013, go to Marseille to face five-time winners France.Newly-crowned Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber, at a high of two in the world, leads Germanys challenge at home to Switzerland in Leipzig.Teenager Belinda Bencic, the world number 11, is Switzerlands top player while veteran Martina Hingis will feature in the doubles.Hingis, 35, returned to the Fed Cup last year for the first time since 1998 in order to qualify for the Olympics.

Golf: Fowler, Lowry, share Phoenix Open lead

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LOS ANGELES (AFP) - World number four Rickie Fowler bounced back from his missed cut at Torrey Pines, firing a six-under 65 on Thursday to share the Phoenix Open first-round lead with Hideki Matsuyama and Shane Lowry.I made some great swings, made a lot of good putts -- it was nice to see the ball go in the hole after last week, Fowler said after a round that included birdies at three of his first four holes at TPC Scottsdale, where he teed off on 10.Fowler added an eagle at the par-five 15th -- where he drained a 27-footer -- and sandwiched a birdie between two bogeys before picking up two more strokes coming in.He capped his round with a birdie at the ninth, despite finding a fairway bunker.Its not one that you try and pull off a lot, he said of going for the green from the trap. I knew I could hit it, but I had to hit it perfect.Fowler, who moved to fourth in the world with his victory at Abu Dhabi a fortnight ago, said he enjoys the rowdy atmosphere of the tournament -- a change from the more traditional tone.I love this week. Its a lot of good energy, he said.Lowry also teed off on 10 and birdied five of his first nine, including a run of three straight birdies at 16, 17 and 18.He was rolling after back-to-back birdies at three and four before bogeys at five and six.Obviously I started the round beautifully -- made a few birdies, holed a couple of long putts, Irelands Lowry said.Bit of a slip-up on my back nine, he said. I got to seven-under and became a little tentative. Thats something I need to work on.He rebounded with a 26-foot birdie at the seventh to join Fowler atop the leaderboard.After making two bogeys in a row I was just hitting it to the middle of the green and trying to roll it down, Lowry said, but he knew when he struck the putt it had a chance.Japans Matsuyama, who also teed off on 10, had five birdies in his first nine holes, including three in a row from the 15th through the 17th.Matsuyma was in one of the last groups to finish before darkness halted play -- the hangover of frost delay to the start of the round.Anirban Lahiri of India was in the clubhouse on 66, while Bryce Molder was also five-under through 16 holes when play was halted.New Zealands Danny Lee, Englands Greg Owen, James Hahn, Brooks Koepka and Brandt Snedeker -- fresh off a victory at Torrey Pines -- were tied on 67.Five-time major champion Phil Mickelson carded an eventful 69 that included four birdies, an eagle and a triple-bogey seven at the par-four fifth that followed on the heels of a bogey at the fourth.

Golf: Ko shares lead as rain halts Coates Championship

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MIAMI (AFP) - World number one Lydia Ko is tied for the lead at seven-under par after rain suspended play during the second round of the LPGA Tours Coates Golf Championship on Thursday. The 18-year-old New Zealander was able to nearly complete her round Thursday and was at four-under after 17 holes when play was halted due to thunderstorms in the region around the Golden Ocala Golf and Equestrian Club course in Ocala, Florida.South Koreas Jang Ha-Na, the 18-hole leader, is tied for the top spot with Ko. Play was stopped before Jang got a chance to tee off. Not long after the stoppage, at least seven greens were under water.Ko has a 15-foot putt remaining on her final hole of the day to finish the round. She even joked with the others in her group about being in the clubhouse with just one shot remaining.On the par-five we were talking about when is the rain going to come and all that. I said, Hey, Ive never been suspended where I have got one putt to go or Im on the green, Ko said. Then the girls were saying, Ah, now that we said it, itll probably happen. And guess what? It did.Japans Haru Nomura and Malaysias Kelly Tan are tied for third at six-under. Nomura completed her round and made seven birdies while carding a 66 for a two-round total of 136.Tan was on the third hole when play was suspended. Ko said she played much better than during her first round of the season on Wednesday, when she opened with a 69.I felt more comfortable, Ko said. I was pretty pleased to see all my balls finish in the fairway.Lin Xi-Yu and Lizette Salas are tied for fifth at five-under par through 16 holes.More than a dozen players are tied for seventh at four-under par, including Suzann Pettersen, rookie Chun In-Gee, Juli Inkster, Lexi Thompson and Michelle Wie, who will all return on Friday to finish their second rounds.A total of 22 players completed the second round on Thursday, while 27 players have yet to tee off.

Cycling: Viviani wins Dubai Tour stage 2, takes overall lead

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DUBAI (AFP) - Italys Elia Viviani, riding for Team Sky, sprinted to victory in the second stage of the Tour of Dubai on Thursday and grabbed the leaders blue jersey from Germanys Marcel Kittel.Viviani had benefitted from a crash in the final kilometre that appeared to affect opponents.Yesterday I opened my sprint too early and was left alone with no team-mate with 1km to go, the Italian said.Im less fast than sprinters like Kittel and (Mark) Cavendish, so to have a chance to beat them, I need everything to be perfect. We spoke about what went wrong last night and we rode perfectly as a team today. My lead out was excellent.Todays stage was contested at a slower pace than yesterdays and I was in an ideal position when the gap was closed on the breakaway riders. This finale suits me. I won here last year as well. Its beautiful to begin the year with a victory in Dubai.After the 183km run from the Dubai International Marine Club to the man-made Palm Jumeirah island, it was an all-Italian podium as sprinters Sacha Modolo and Giacomo Nizzolo came in second and third respectively.The second of four stages featured an escape led by Polish rider Marcin Bialoblocki five kilometres into the race. He was joined by Silvan Dillier, Koen de Kort and Francisco Mancebo before being reeled in.A crash at the end of the underwater tunnel of Palm Jumeirah appeared to impact Wednesdays opening stage winner Kittel and last years overall winner Cavendish of Britain. Viviani seized the lead, pushing Kittel to second place in the overall standings, with Nizzolo in second at 2sec.Fridays third stage embarks from the Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi Beach Resort to the Hatta Dam near the border with Oman where racers will be challenged with two climbs and descents.

Star studded night as PSL's opening ceremony kicks off amidst fireworks

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DUBAI (Dunya News) – Pakistan Super League’s (PSL) opening was a superstar studded night amidst a spectacular fireworks display, memorable musical performances and dances as the ceremony kicked off in Dubai on Thursday.The crème de la crème of the cricket world along with musical superstars were seen arriving at the event, their entry marked by a magnificent lights display. The superstars of the cricket world made a majestic entry in luxurious limos.Bukhtawar Bhutto Zardari pushed a button to officially initiate the colourful ceremony with a fantastic display of pyrotechnic and lights.The event started with Pakistan’s National Anthem played in Dubai’s international stadium. Presenters then announced the teams and their Captains.Musical performances by glitzy stars including Mohib Mirza, Sanam Saeed and Pakistan’s very own rockstar Ali Zafar remained the highlight of the evening with even international sensations like musician Sean Paul coming out to perform for the event, so it was inevitable that West Indian cricketers Chris Gayle, Darren Sammy and Jason Holder took the stage as well, dancing through the performances.The night with the shining cricket stars, astounding firework displays, splendid pyrotechnics and glitzy performances all signal PSL’s massive entry into the cricket world which will not be forgotten soon it seems.Watch PSL Captains arrive in style:

Saudi ready to join anti-IS ground op in Syria: general

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RIYADH (AFP) - Saudi Arabia is ready to join any ground operation the US-led coalition against the Islamic State group in Syria might decide on, a general from the kingdom said on Thursday.If there is any willingness in the coalition to go in the ground operation, we will contribute positively in that, Brigadier General Ahmed al-Assiri told AFP.Since late 2014 Saudi Arabia has been part of a US-led coalition which officially has 65 members and has been bombing the Islamic State Sunni extremist group which seized large parts of Syria and Iraq.Assiri is spokesman for a separate Saudi-led Arab coalition which, since March, has conducted air strikes and ground operations in Yemen.That coalition supports the government there in its fight against Huthi rebels who seized much of the country and are backed by the kingdoms regional rival Iran.Iran is also one of the main allies of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, whose regime has been fighting an insurgency for about five years.Saudi Arabia supports more moderate rebels against Assads forces.US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter said in January that several members of the US-led coalition against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria are doing nothing at all to help destroy the jihadists.The United States has carried out the bulk of the roughly 9,800 air strikes launched in Iraq and Syria since the summer of 2014.Saudi Arabia carried out high-profile initial air strikes against the jihadists in Syria but participation by the kingdom and other Gulf members of the coalition declined when they began air strikes in Yemen.We did not stop our operation in Syria in spite of the operation we have in Yemen, Assiri said.In November, the United Arab Emirates said it was ready to commit ground troops against jihadists in Syria.Quoted by the official WAM news agency, Emirati State Minister for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said the UAE would participate in any international effort demanding a ground intervention to fight terrorism.Regional countries must bear part of the burden of such an intervention, he said.The UAE belongs to the US-led coalition carrying out air strikes in territory under the jihadists control in Syria and Iraq.It also has troops on the ground in Yemen as part of the Saudi-led coalition there.There have been growing calls for the anti-IS intervention to expand to a ground force.Russia launched its own strikes in Syria in late September and Iran has reportedly sent hundreds of troops to support Assads regime.Critics -- including in the West and Sunni Arab Gulf nations -- have accused Russia of targeting moderate rebel forces as well as jihadists.Gargash also suggested the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen could be an alternative model to Western intervention in the region.US senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham have called for 100,000 foreign soldiers, most from Sunni regional states but also including Americans, to fight IS in Syria.Assiris comment came as regime troops pressed a major Russian-backed offensive around Syrias second city Aleppo following the suspension of peace talks.Western nations accused Syrias regime of damaging the talks with its military offensive, and Washington on Thursday demanded Russia halt its bombing campaign in support of Assads government.The growing offensive around Aleppo this week overshadowed peace and aid efforts, as regime forces sought to build on a series of important gains since Russia launched air strikes in September.

US withdrawal will hurt Afghan troop training: general

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - The planned withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan will hurt efforts to train and support local forces, the top US and NATO military commander in the war-torn country said Thursday.General John Campbell, who is reaching the end of an 18-month tour in Afghanistan and is expected to retire, said plans to draw the current US presence of 9,800 troops down to 5,500 would leave very limited capacity to support local forces.To continue to build on the Afghan security forces ... wed have to make some adjustments to that number, Campbell told the Senate Armed Services Committee in Washington.Afghan forces have just completed their first full year leading the fight against Taliban and other insurgent groups, with NATO and US forces remaining in a train, advise and assist role.But the Afghans have suffered several major setbacks, including the brief Taliban capture of the city of Kunduz.Further complicating the fragile security situation is the emergence of Islamic State jihadists in parts of the country. They are trying to establish a base in Nangarhar province in eastern Afghanistan, near the Pakistan border.Afghanistan is at an inflection point, Campbell said. If we do not make deliberate, measured adjustments, 2016 is at risk of being no better, and possibly worse, than 2015.Campbells replacement will be Lieutenant General John Mick Nicholson, assuming he is confirmed by the Senate.During repeated questioning from committee chairman Senator John McCain about whether the troop level of 5,500 is sufficient, Campbell said he would carry out what he had been ordered to do. I believe the right thing to do is to prepare to go to 5,500 as I am ordered, he said, though he noted that he would prefer additional troop pull-outs to be conditions-based rather than predicated on arbitrary Washington timelines. President Barack Obama in October announced that 9,800 US forces would remain in Afghanistan through most of 2016 -- backtracking on an earlier pledge to pull all but 1,000 US troops from the country. Campbell said the troop draw-down to 5,500 would likely begin in the fall.

IS forces rise in Libya, drop in Iraq and Syria: US official

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - Islamic State fighters have streamed into Libya in recent months, a US official said Thursday, heightening fears that the extremists are gaining ground and influence in the north African country.About 5,000 IS jihadists are now in Libya, the defense official said, approximately double earlier estimates, while the number of IS extremists in Iraq and Syria has dropped.The updated tallies comes as the adminstration of President Barack Obama faces growing calls for the US military to step up action against the IS group in Libya, where the jihadists have already seized the city of Sirte and an adjoining length of Mediterranean coastline.NATO defense ministers are meeting in Brussels next week to evaluate the ongoing US-led coalition campaign against the IS group and to discuss ways of redoubling efforts.The United States now believes there to be between 19,000 and 25,000 IS fighters in Iraq and Syria -- the groups so-called caliphate -- down from a previous count of 20,000-33,000.But there are growing fears about the fate of Libya, which has been in chaos since the NATO-backed ouster of longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011. IS fighters have capitalized on the disarray and spread the groups influence into the north African nation, establishing a stronghold in Sirte, Kadhafis hometown.Life in the city, which IS fighters seized in June, now resembles that of other towns flying the jihadists signature black flag. Witnesses have described public executions and say women are no longer allowed outside without a male guardian.Reluctant to see its 18-month air campaign against the IS group in Iraq and Syria spread to a third country, the United States has repeatedly stressed the importance of finding cooperative local partners to help fight the IS group in Libya.Washington has also pushed international allies -- especially former colonial power Italy -- to take the lead in any coalition operations there.And administration officials say any actions in Libya must be carried out in the context of a functioning government.The decrease of IS fighters in Iraq and Syria is due to successes in the ongoing US-led air campaign and the relative ease of traveling to Libya from north African countries, the US official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.Its a combination of battlefield deaths, desertions, internal disciplinary actions, recruiting shortfalls and difficulties that foreign fighters face traveling into Syria, the official said.White House spokesman Josh Earnest confirmed the latest tally for Iraq and Syria, based on a new intelligence assessment.Islamic State fighters continue to be a substantial threat, but the potential numbers have declined, he said. Thats a testament to the efforts of our partners on the ground who are taking the fight to ISIL on the ground, he added, using an alternative acronym for the IS group.While Obama is not considering opening a new front against the IS group in Libya, Earnest said the United States is ready to intervene if necessary.Were going to continue to watch how the threat in Libya evolves and were going to continue to be prepared to take action, he said.The United States has already taken some limited steps in Libya. In November, it launched an air strike killing top IS leader Abu Nabil, an Iraqi also known as Wissam Najm Abd Zayd al-Zubaydi.And in December the Pentagon acknowledged that a group of US special operations troops who traveled to Libya to foster relationships was kicked out of the conflict-torn country soon after arriving.

Tens of thousands flee as Syria regime advances near Aleppo

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DAMASCUS (AFP) - Tens of thousands of Syrians were reported to have fled their homes on Thursday as regime troops pressed a major Russian-backed offensive around second city Aleppo.Turkeys Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, speaking at a donors conference in London, said up to 70,000 people were headed towards his country to escape the fighting.Both Davutoglu and activists said 300,000 people were isolated in Aleppo after the rebels main supply route from Turkey was severed by regime forces backed by Russian warplanes.The situation in the north countryside of Aleppo is catastrophic, said Maamoun al-Khateeb, an activist and journalist from nearby Marea village.Civilians are now besieged from three sides and have just one road to the Turkish territories, he said, explaining that regime forces threatened from the south, Islamic State (IS) group jihadists from the east and Kurdish fighters from the west.The donors conference saw more than $10 billion pledged to help ease the plight of Syrians affected by the nearly five-year war, just hours after the collapse of UN-sponsored peace talks in Geneva.Western nations accused Syrias regime of torpedoing the talks with its military offensive, and Washington demanded Moscow halt its bombing campaign in support of President Bashar al-Assad.The growing offensive around Aleppo this week overshadowed peace and aid efforts, as regime forces sought to build on a series of important gains since Russia launched air strikes in September.Aleppo city, Syrias former economic powerhouse, has been divided between opposition control in the east and regime control in the west since mid-2012.The rebels main supply line to Turkey was severed on Wednesday when regime troops broke an opposition siege of two Shiite towns, Nubol and Zahraa, on the route to the border.Regime forces entered the two towns on Thursday to the cheers of residents, who chanted pro-government slogans and showered the fighters with rice.But elsewhere in the region the advance prompted tens of thousands to flee for fear of being caught up in the fighting.Davutoglu said 60,000 to 70,000 people were moving towards Turkey and 10,000 were waiting at the door on the border because of air strikes and attacks around Aleppo.The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor, said nearly 40,000 people in Aleppo province had fled their homes, with many massing at the border.Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said the regime was now likely to target the Aleppo rebels last remaining supply route, through the neighbouring opposition-held Idlib province.The regime has managed to achieve in 72 hours what it failed to for the last three years, he said.A high-ranking Syrian government official described the Aleppo advances as important, but said the regime had even more ambitious goals.The next objectives are to close the borders with Turkey to prevent the arrival of troops and weapons, then taking Aleppo province, then Idlib province, and finally Idlib city, he told AFP.The offensive has been backed by a wave of Russian air raids, including strikes on Thursday that killed at least 21 civilians, including three children, according to the Observatory.In London for the donors conference, US Secretary of State John Kerry said he had warned Moscow to stop bombing the Syrian opposition, in a robust phone call with Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.Opposition delegates cited continued regime attacks as the key obstacle to this weeks peace efforts, which struggled from the beginning.The opposition arrived late and refused to begin even indirect talks without the implementation of UN Security Council resolutions on the lifting of sieges and protection of civilians.UN envoy Staffan de Mistura said on Wednesday the talks had been suspended but insisted the process had not failed, saying he hoped to resume on February 25.The UN Security Council said it would meet on Friday for consultations with De Mistura on the breakdown.Top diplomats from countries involved in trying to resolve the conflict are also set to meet again on February 11, but tensions inside the group remain strong.Moscow on Thursday accused Ankara, a key backer of opposition to Assad, of actively preparing to invade Syria, saying it had spotted troops and military equipment on the border.It came just hours after Davutoglu accused Assads supporters of committing the same war crimes as the regime.Meanwhile Saudi Arabia, another backer of Assads opponents, said it was ready to join any ground operation in the US-led coalition against IS in Syria.If there is any willingness in the coalition to go in the ground operation, we will contribute positively in that, Brigadier General Ahmed al-Assiri told AFP.More than 260,000 people have died in Syrias conflict and more than half the countrys population have been forced from their homes, including over four million who fled abroad.Most Syrian refugees have fled to neighbouring countries, including Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey, but hundreds of thousands have also headed to Europe this year.
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