Monday, 21 March 2016

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Carnival to send first US-Cuba ship in over 50 years

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MIAMI (AFP) - Carnival got official approval to send its first cruise ship to Cuba from the United States in half a century, the leisure travel giant said Monday, as President Barack Obama made a landmark visit to Havana.The cruise line will send its 704-passenger MV Adonia to Cuba through its new brand Fathom starting May 1.Carnival, in hailing its historic inaugural sailing, said it will be the first cruise line to sail that itinerary.Cuban authorities have now followed Washington in giving the green light to run the service, sailing from Miami, to Cuba, where it will have three approved stops: Havana, Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba.We are excited about Cuban approval and are ready to take travelers there through an extraordinary guest experience on the beautiful MV Adonia, said Carnival CEO Arnold Donald.This is a historic opportunity, and we know there is pent-up demand amongst Americans who want to experience Cuba.Since US sanctions regulations currently only allow Americans to visit Cuba on educational or social outreach grounds, not as normal tourists, the vessel offers Cuban-themed enrichment programming.Seven-day itineraries, available at fathom.org, cost at least $1,800.A majority of Americans back restoring diplomatic ties with communist-run Cuba, a poll found, just as Obama met his counterpart Raul Castro in Havana.Six in 10 Americans say restoring diplomacy with Cuba is mostly good for the US and 52 percent approve of Obamas handling of relations with the island, said a CBS News/New York Times poll.However, there are more doubts over what impact it will have on Cuba politically, with half the respondents saying it will make no difference.

Australian schoolgirl faces charge of financing IS

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SYDNEY (AFP) - A 16-year-old schoolgirl was set to be charged Tuesday with raising money to support the Islamic State group, Australian police said, warning of a trend of teenage children involved in such activities.The girl and a 20-year-old man were arrested in the western Sydney suburb of Guildford in the morning and were due to be charged during the day, New South Wales state police Deputy Commissioner Catherine Burn said.We will be alleging that they were involved in obtaining money to send offshore to assist the Islamic State in its activities, Burn told reporters in Sydney.The 16-year-old girl is not somebody who is well-known to us, however it is disturbing that we are continuing to see a trend of teenage children involved in activities that they should really not be involved in at all.The pair were to face one charge each of getting funds to, from or for a terrorist organisation. The maximum penalty on conviction is 25 years in prison.Burn would not say how much they allegedly collected, but added that a number of people in this country were raising money to finance terrorism and then send it offshore.Federal Police Deputy Commissioner for national security, Michael Phelan, said the alleged fundraising was not linked to any plot of an attack in Australia and there was no immediate threat to the community.Canberra has been increasingly concerned about home-grown extremism and raised the terror threat alert level to high in September 2014.Authorities have conducted a series of counter-terrorism raids in several cities, while the government has passed new national security laws.Since September 2014, 14 people have been charged under Appleby, a rolling operation investigating people suspected of being involved in domestic acts of terrorism, Australians fighting in Syria and Iraq and the funding of terrorist organisations, Phelan said.Burn said police were working to identify all those things that might have been involved in her getting to this position.In December, five people including a 15-year-old boy were charged in Sydney over a terror plot targeting a government building.And in October a civilian police employee was shot dead by a boy, also 15, outside police headquarters in western Sydney. The teenager was killed in an exchange of gunfire.

Amnesty urges US, UK to halt arming Saudi in Yemen

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DUBAI (AFP) - Amnesty on Tuesday urged Washington and London to halt arms deliveries to Saudi Arabia, which is leading a military coalition against rebels in Yemen, for the sake of saving civilian lives.In a statement released one year into the Saudi-led intervention and titled Reckless arms flows decimate civilian lives, the rights watchdog urged the two Western powers and other states to halt all transfers of arms for use in the Yemen conflict.Saudi Arabias international partners have added fuel to the fire, flooding the region with arms despite the mounting evidence that such weaponry has facilitated appalling crimes and the clear risk that new supplies could be used for serious violations, said James Lynch, Amnesty Internationals regional deputy director.Amnesty said that Washington and London, the largest arms suppliers to Saudi Arabia, have continued to allow transfers of the type of arms that have been used to commit and facilitate serious abuses, generating a humanitarian crisis on an unprecedented scale.The group said it has documented since the beginning of the conflict at least 32 air strikes by the Saudi-led coalition that appear to have violated international humanitarian law.The strikes had killed almost 361 civilians, including at least 127 children, it said.Amnesty also accused the coalition of having repeatedly used cluster munitions, inherently indiscriminate weapons whose use is prohibited, in attacks that have killed and maimed civilians.UN Security Council Resolution 2216, adopted in April last year, imposed an arms embargo only on the Huthi rebels and their allies, forces loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, it said.On February 25, the European Parliament called for an EU-wide arms embargo against Saudi Arabia, Amnesty said.In the absence of a Security Council embargo, Amnesty International is calling on all states to ensure that no party to the conflict in Yemen is supplied -- either directly or indirectly -- with weapons, munitions, military equipment or technology that would be used in the conflict.The World Health Organization says fighting in Yemen has killed almost 6,300 people, half of them civilians, since March 2015 and the United Nations has warned of an unfolding humanitarian catastrophe.

Spain probes coach crash that killed 13 foreign students

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TORTOSA (AFP) - Spanish investigators were on Monday attempting to establish the cause of a weekend coach crash that killed 13 foreign students, all young women and most of them from Italy.The vehicle was carrying 57 passengers from about 20 countries, many of them students on the European Erasmus exchange programme in Barcelona, the seaside capital of Spains northeastern Catalonia region, authorities there said.The driver lost control of the coach which crossed the central reservation and crashed into an oncoming car near the small Catalonian town of Freginals, about 150 kilometres (95 miles) south of Barcelona, just before 6:00 am (0500 GMT) on Sunday.Seven Italians and two Germans were among the dead along with another four passengers -- from Romania, Austria, France and Uzbekistan -- all of them women aged between 19 and 25.Some of them were not wearing seat belts, Jordi Jane, who heads up interior matters for Catalonia, told reporters in the town of Tortosa, headquarters of the rescue operation.Thirty-four other passengers were injured in the crash, 24 of whom remained in hospital on Monday, six in serious or critical condition, Catalan officials said.Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, wearing a black suit and tie, met with bereaved family members in Tortosa as well as with injured passengers at hospitals in the nearby city of Tarragona.He declined to speak to the media but on his Facebook page said he had come to bring the support, affection and emotion that all Italians have felt for the victims families.Why does this accident in Catalonia affect us so much? Maybe because when you think of these seven young women with their bright smiles, so full of life, it is hard to think of a coffin.Driving in rain not safeAlessandro Saracino, the grief-stricken father of one the Italian victims, said it appeared that the driver fell asleep.Driving in the rain at four in the morning is not safe. I was relaxed when I sent my daughter to this friendly country and she is being returned to me dead, he told reporters on arrival in Catalonia.The coach was one of five buses travelling in convoy from the traditional Las Fallas festival in the eastern city of Valencia, which is known for the burning of giant statues.Investigators were looking into both human error and technical problems as possible causes, Jane said.According to the coachs tachograph -- the device which records the vehicles speed and distance as well as the drivers activities -- the driver had taken the necessary rest period.But the question is whether during this rest period, the driver had rested sufficiently, Jane said.The 62-year-old driver is in intensive care being treated for chest injuries, he added.The driver had been due to appear before a judge on Monday, but the hearing has been postponed, a legal source told AFP.On Sunday the driver had refused to speak to police on the advice of his lawyer, Jane said. He could face charges of 13 counts of involuntary manslaughter.The mayor of Fraginals, Jose Roncero Pallares, said the stretch of motorway where the crash occurred is known as an accident blackspot for reasons he didnt explain.It rained a lot that night and maybe that played a role, he told AFP.Barcelona is cryingDozens of people observed five minutes of silence outside one of the buildings on the sprawling campus of Barcelona University.The entire city of Barcelona is crying, said mayor Ada Colau.A steady stream of mourners signed a condolence book at the university and left candles and flowers.Luisa Fortes, 68, who studied at the university said she was deeply moved by the death of the 13 students.Some 1,500 students from across Spain, including around 275 from Barcelona University, had travelled to Valencia for the Las Fallas festival.Many of those on board the four other coaches reached their destination without even knowing about the accident -- one of the deadliest in Spain in recent years.In November 2014, a bus carrying pilgrims fell into a ravine in the southeast of the country, killing 14 and injuring another 41.

UN refugee chief concerned about EU-Turkey deal

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OTTAWA (AFP) - The head of the UN refugee agency said Monday he will be scrutinizing for possible breaches of international law the rollout of a controversial EU-Turkey deal to stem migrant flows into Europe through Greece.The devil of that deal will be in the details of how it is implemented and we need to see what happens in the next few days, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said during a visit to Ottawa.Under a key clause in the landmark agreement, in exchange for Turkey taking back all migrants arriving in Greece, the EU will resettle one Syrian refugee for every Syrian readmitted on Turkish soil.The aim is to reduce the incentive for migrants to make the perilous trip from Turkey to the Greek islands.Around 4,000 people, including women and children, have drowned crossing the Aegean Sea in flimsy boats, including 400 this year alone.The agreement has come under fire from rights groups and thousands of anti-racism demonstrators across the European continent protested against the accord on Saturday.Grandi said it must be done in a manner that safeguards some fundamental (refugee) protection principles, including not sending anyone back to their country of origin against their will, and in this specific instance determining whether anybody has reason for fearing being sent back to Turkey.He also said refugees should not be held in detention, and all have a right to make an asylum bid.The UNHCR has briefed the European Union and Turkey about their obligations.The guarantees that we have laid out are the ones that would make it or not make it consistent with international and European law, said Grandi, who was appointed UNHCR chief in January.

Trump: Number one priority is to dismantle Iran deal

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - US presidential hopeful Donald Trump declared Monday that his first foreign policy priority would be to dismantle the Iran nuclear deal and what he said was Tehrans global terror network.My number one priority is to dismantle the disastrous deal with Iran, the Republican frontrunner told the conference of the US pro-Israel lobby AIPAC in Washington.I have been in business a long time. I know deal making. And let me tell you, this deal is catastrophic. For America, for Israel and for the whole of the Middle East.Trump -- unusually, speaking from a teleprompter -- did not receive as warm a reception at the AIPAC event as he does in his bombastic campaign rallies, but the crowd warmed to his attacks on Iran and US President Barack Obama.With President Obama in his final year -- yeah -- he may be the worst thing to ever happen to Israel, believe me. Believe me, he said to applause.We will totally dismantle Irans global terror network which is big and powerful but not powerful like us, he vowed, accusing the current White House of pressuring US allies while rewarding enemies like Iran.

White House pours cold water on Fidel meeting

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HAVANA (AFP) - The White House Monday all but ruled out a meeting between Barack Obama and veteran Cuban leader Fidel Castro during the US presidents trip to Cuba.Senior Obama foreign policy aide Ben Rhodes said that neither the administration nor the Cuba authorities had asked for a meeting between Obama and the 89-year-old.On this trip, we are not planning to meet with Fidel Castro, he said.We have not requested such a meeting The Cubans have not requested such a meeting of us.Castro is rarely seen in public these days and when photographed in state-run media he has appeared in a wheel chair.Castro met Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro who visit the island late last week.Obama earlier suggested in a television interview with ABC that he may be open to a meeting.If his health was good enough that I could meet with him, Id be happy to meet with him. Just as a symbol of the end of, or the closing of this Cold War chapter in our mutual histories. Its not clear to me what the state of his health is.

Clinton, Trump spar in addresses to pro-Israel lobby

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump exchanged jabs Monday as they separately courted a massive crowd of pro-Israel lobbyists, putting their support for the Jewish state front and center in their White House battle.Democrat Clinton bashed her rival as prejudiced and insufficiently pro-Israel, signalling some of her likely points of attack should she face the Republican frontrunner in Novembers US presidential election.Trump dismissed the former secretary of state as a total disaster, and proclaimed his own lifelong love and support for Americas pre-eminent ally in the Middle East.When I become president, the days of treating Israel like a second-class citizen will end on day one, Trump told thousands of people attending a conference of Washingtons most influential pro-Israel lobby.Trumps appearance at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee gathering was a point of contention for some, including a number of rabbis who vowed to walk out in protest when he took the stage. But Trumps address was largely peaceful.Clinton earlier packed the arena, where she implored the crowd: If you see a bully, stand up to him.We need steady hands, not a president who says hes neutral on Monday, pro-Israel on Tuesday, and who knows what on Wednesday, because everythings negotiable, the Democratic frontrunner told more than 15,000 attendees.My friends, Israels security is non-negotiable.US presidential hopefuls routinely make pilgrimages to AIPAC during election years.Republicans Ted Cruz and John Kasich also addressed the meeting while Clintons challenger for the Democratic nomination, Bernie Sanders, who is Jewish, declined citing a heavy campaign schedule.Trump has raised eyebrows in the Jewish community in the past for stressing he wanted to be a neutral broker and not take sides between Israel and the Palestinians when it came to peace talks.On Monday, he seemed to change tack.We will move the embassy (from Tel Aviv) to the eternal capital of the Jewish people, Jerusalem, he said to a standing ovation.And we will send a clear signal that there is no daylight between America and our most reliable ally, the state of Israel.He also insisted that his number one priority would be to dismantle President Barack Obamas nuclear deal with Iran.I do like different opinionsTrump has come under pressure to release more details of his foreign policy platform and his team of consultants, amid reports that mainstream conservative and neo-conservative experts are loath to endorse him.Ahead of his speech, he unveiled the names of half a dozen advisors, telling The Washington Post they include Keith Kellogg, a retired US Army lieutenant general turned consultant who was chief operating officer for the US occupation of Iraq during its disastrous early months in 2003 and 2004.When pressed on the choice at a news conference in Washington, Trump, who has said he opposed the Iraq war from the start, dismissed the concern.He has a different opinion, Trump said of Kellogg. But I do like different opinions.Trump said he held a closed-door meeting with Republican players in Washington including Senator Jeff Sessions and other lawmakers, and Jim DeMint, president of the conservative Heritage Foundation.We had a good meeting and cant believe how far weve come, Trump said.He also sought to portray himself as very different from Clinton, knocking the former secretary of state on trade and her Middle East policy.She will be weak on the military and weak frankly with other countries, he said.And on CNN, he said Clinton lacks the stamina for the presidency.Trump has set off alarm bells with his rhetoric about Muslims, Mexicans and refugees, and his refusal to directly demand an end to violent skirmishes at his campaign rallies between protesters and his supporters.I dont want violence, Trump insisted, before quickly calling the protesters professional agitators who are not good people.Without naming him, Clinton assailed Trump for encouraging violence on the campaign trail, playing coy with white supremacists, calling for 12 million immigrants to be rounded up and deported (and) demanding we turn away refugees because of their religion.America should be better than this, and I believe its our responsibility as citizens to say so, she told the crowd.Unthinkable alternativeClinton stressed that Israelis and Palestinians should not give up on hopes for peace, but she put forth a hard line against perpetrators and supporters of recent violence in the Jewish state.These attacks must end immediately, Clinton said.Palestinian leaders need to stop inciting violence, stop celebrating terrorists as martyrs and stop paying rewards to their families.In her comments, Clinton kept alluding to her Republican rivals and particularly Trump, warning against a US foreign policy that would insult our allies, not engage them, and embolden our adversaries, not defeat them.For the security of Israel and the world, we need America to remain a respected global leader... able to block efforts to isolate or attack Israel, she said.The alternative is unthinkable.

Release of CO2 fastest in 66 million years: study

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PARIS (AFP) - Humans are disgorging heat-trapping carbon into the atmosphere 10 times faster than during any period of natural global warming in the last 66 million years, according to a study released Monday. That rate far exceeds even a cataclysmic climate event 55.8 million years ago, and pushes humanity into unchartered and dangerous territory, researchers said. During the so-called the Palaeocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), Earths surface temperatures climbed by more than five degrees Celsius (nine degrees Fahrenheit) within a few thousand years.With only 1C (1.8F) of warming so far, current climate change over the last two centuries -- mostly the last 50 years -- has already begun to unleash super-charged hurricanes, storm surges boosted by rising seas and devastating drought.On present trajectories, greenhouse gas emissions will heat up Earth three to four degrees Celsius by 2100.The PETM has been much scrutinised as a possible analog, or stand-in, for the potential impacts of carbon pollution.Of all the changes we have seen in 66 million years, this event is the one that most looks like anthropogenic, or man-made, warming, said Andy Ridgwell, a paleo-climatologist at the University of Bristol in England and a co-autor of the study.The parallels are striking: massive carbon emissions, followed by rapid global warming and major loss of species. Fifty-six million years ago, those extinctions took place mainly in the ocean. Today the so-called sixth great extinction is underway both in the sea and on land. But up to now scientists couldnt figure out how quickly carbon -- whether in the form of CO2 or, more likely, methane from the ocean floor -- had been released.The biggest problem has been coming up with a firm timing for the PETM onset event, Ridgwell told AFP. How quickly the emissions occurred is absolutely critical.Some studies had suggested the massive outpouring of carbon -- 2,000 to 4,500 billion tonnes -- took place in as little as a few hundred years.This would be marginally reassuring in so far as humanity has added about 400 billion tonnes so far, and may be able to limit the total to two or three times that, depending on how quickly the world economy can kick its carbon habit.In December, 195 nations set a target of capping warming well below 2C, even if many scientists say we are likely to punch through this barrier.But if the discharge of carbon 56 million years ago took place over a much longer period, that would suggest lower rates of emissions could still have dramatic consequences.In a clever bit of chemical detective work, Ridgwell, James Zachos of the University of California at Santa Cruz, and lead author Richard Zeebe from the University of Hawaii figured out how to nail down the duration of the carbon release without having to determine when exactly when it happened.Their findings were published in Nature Climate Change.Knowing there is a lag between greenhouse gas emissions and temperature increase, they compared oxygen and carbon tracers, called isotopes, from ocean sediment off the coast of New Jersey.Oxygen isotopes track temperature, while carbon isotopes provide a record of C02 or methane.If the carbon was released rapidly we would find in the sediment core a lag with warming, Zeebe told AFP.If carbon is released slowly, the climate adjusts more or less in sync.There was no lag at all. A quick calculation showed that the carbon could not have been emitted in less then 4,000 years, or about one billion tonnes per year.By comparison, human activity -- industry, energy production, deforestation, agriculture -- is pumping out about 10 billion tonnes of carbon annually, 10 times as much.Aside from the huge impact that killed the dinosaurs, what we are seeing now is the fastest rate of climate change in 66 million years, said Ridgwell. This is bad news for species loss, he continued.Ecosystem impacts tend to show up more with the rate, rather than the size, of the change in temperature, he said. Its all about the rate.What is happening on Earth today, he noted, is closer in speed to the end of the Cretaceous -- when a comet cataclysm wiped out the dinosaurs -- than it is to events such as the PETM.We are in uncharted territory in the rate carbon is being released into the atmosphere and oceans, commented Candace Major, program director of the Division of Ocean Sciences at the US National Science Foundation, which funded the research.

French 'Spiderman' scales Paris skyscraper

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PARIS (AFP) - Security services looked on helplessly on Monday as Frances Spiderman Alain Robert, who holds a world record for urban climbing, scaled the Total skyscraper in Paris La Defense business district.Despite an icy wind the 53-year-old easily climbed -- bare-handed and without ropes -- up the 187-metre (614-feet) building in less than 45 minutes, delighting passers-by.I am happy because yesterday it was grey all day. Now it is cold, there will be wind, but at least it will not rain, Robert said before heading up the tower, which he has previously climbed.The urban climber has scaled more than 100 structures without ropes or other safety equipment, setting a record for most buildings climbed unassisted according to Guinness World Records.Nicknamed the Spiderman, he has conquered many of the worlds tallest skyscrapers and iconic buildings, such as the Eiffel Tower, the Sydney Opera House, the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur and the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.While known for climbing with nothing but his bare hands and a bag of chalk, he used suction devices and a safety rope on the Burj Khalifa, the worlds tallest building, which had no hand or footholds.As usual the location of his climb was kept secret until the last minute.I have never seen him in person, too bad for work, said Marie, 43, a Total employee.To me it is the symbol of freedom, it is his personal pleasure and no one can stop him.Security officials stood by helplessly.What do you want us to do? We are less strong than him, we cant climb the facade, said the head of Totals building security.Robert has suffered several severe falls while climbing and estimates his accidents have left him 66 percent disabled.Climbing is my passion, my philosophy of life. Although I suffer from vertigo, although my accidents left me disabled up to 66 percent, I have become the best solo climber, he wrote on his website.Robert has been arrested numerous times for his exploits.

Two-year-old US boy shoots self with mother's gun

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MIAMI (AFP) - A two-year-old boy accidentally shot himself Monday with a gun he apparently pulled out of his mothers handbag and was fighting for his life, authorities in the US state of Georgia said.That child has been rushed to an area hospital and is currently in critical condition and currently in surgery, said Mark Lavigne, spokesman for the DeKalb County police department.Lavigne said the circumstances were under investigation but the information were getting is that it is accidental, its not an intentional act.The child, who has not been identified, apparently took the handgun out of his mothers bag and shot himself in the stomach.The family, who were from neighboring North Carolina, were staying in a hotel in Lithonia, east of Atlanta, at the time of the incident.The mother is at the hospital. Were interviewing her. A second individual that was in the room were interviewing at the scene here, Lavigne said.In 2015, 13,399 deaths in the United States were caused by firearms, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which reports that 3,300 of those wounded or killed by guns were under the age of 18.Americans are sharply divided over rules governing gun ownership, with any attempt to tighten them opposed by many as an infringement on their constitutional right to keep and bear arms.

Pakistan offers duty-free concession to woo new carmakers

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ISLAMABAD (AFP) - Pakistan on Monday announced that foreign carmakers seeking to enter the market could import machinery for their plants duty-free, in an attempt to boost competition and cut prices for local drivers. The market has for decades been dominated by Japans Suzuki, Toyota and Honda who have been accused of colluding to fix prices for lower-quality versions of their models.We have introduced this new auto policy and our objective is to address the needs of consumers and the market, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, the countrys defence minister and head of a committee on auto policy, told a press conference.Asif said that despite a captive market, car assemblers in Pakistan failed to introduce basic features available to consumers in international markets such as airbags, anti-lock braking and emission control systems.There is no value for money a Pakistani car buyer gets, even after paying 2.6 million rupees (26,000 dollars) for an 1,800cc car, Asif said.Miftah Ismail, chairman of the Pakistan Board of Investment, said the government hopes to attract two or three new players to the market. Apart from the duty-free concession for plant, the import duty on car parts for new entrants would be set at 10 percent for those items which cannot be manufactured locally and 25 percent for others.The incentives would remain in place for five years, Ismail said.Demand for cars in the South Asian giant of 200 million people is accelerating as economic growth has reached its fastest pace since 2008. Renewed investor confidence and easing inflation have spurred consumer spending.Last year a delegation from Volkswagen visited the country but the German auto giant has not yet announced plans to build a local factory.

Oil prices edge higher

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NEW YORK (AFP) - Oil prices pushed higher Monday in a market lacking major news that seemed to be supported mainly by technical factors.Last weeks gains lifted US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) above $40 for the first time since December, buoyed by a sharp drop in the dollar and revived optimism that producers would strike a deal to freeze output.US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for delivery in April rose 47 cents to $39.91 a barrel Monday on the New York Mercantile Exchange.In London, Brent North Sea crude for May delivery, the European benchmark, finished at $41.54 a barrel, up 34 cents from Fridays close.Were surprised its trading higher after prices dipped in some profit taking Friday, said Oliver Sloup of iiTrader.com. He pointed to the psychological attraction of the $40 level, which WTI breached several times during the session. After the Baker Hughes US oil rig count rose by one last week after falling for more than two months, Sloup predicted this weeks report would show rigs coming back online.But in the long run, I feel at these prices were going to see producers in the (United) States put rigs back on line, and I think that will eventually put pressure on the prices, he added.Analysts said the upcoming meeting of OPEC and non-OPEC producers on April 17 in Doha, aimed at setting production limits to ease the global glut, continued to underpin the market.Sloup noted that OPEC secretary general Abdullah el-Badri had highlighted Monday, in a news conference, that the coming meeting had a good chance of having a positive impact on the market.According to Sloup, Badri said that the current market oversupply is 300 million barrels. Not only is that a big overhang but production is still high, Sloup said, noting that Iran is still ramping up production.

Dollar rebound slightly as forex market settles

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NEW YORK (AFP) - The dollar edged higher against the euro and yen Monday as foreign exchange markets settled down in the wake of last weeks central bank-spurred volatility.The greenback pushed to $1.1245 per euro and 111.94 yen, slight gains that left it still significantly lower than before the Federal Reserve spurred a fall with its unexpectedly dovish rate stance on Wednesday.The decline in the greenback has driven many major currencies into overbought territory and a correction at these extreme levels also seems likely, said Kathy Lien at BK Asset Management.The pound slipped by one cent to $1.4375 as British Prime Minister David Cameron faced more challenges over the looming Brexit referendum on pulling out of the European Union, and ahead of Tuesdays release of inflation figures.

Pakistan face rampant Black Caps in must-win T20

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MOHALI (AFP) - A resurgent New Zealand will be eyeing a semi-final berth when they take on a deflated Pakistan in a World Twenty20 group match in Mohali Tuesday.Smarting under a six-wicket defeat to arch rivals India, Shahid Afridis men need a victory against the table-topping Kiwis to keep their hopes alive of winning the trophy for a second time.Pakistan won their opener against Bangladesh comfortably but things have since gone downhill as they unravelled against the Indians on Saturday, sparking an angry backlash from fans back home.The Black Caps in contrast have been riding high with their horses for courses policy paying rich dividends against India and Australia.New Zealand are perched on top of Group 2 with four points followed by India and Pakistan on two each from as many games.Skipper Kane Williamson has won plaudits after he packed his side with unheralded spinners and leaving out tested fast bowlers Trent Boult and Tim Southee in the key opening game against favourites India.Their strategy worked well against Australia too with rookie spinners Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi combining with recalled paceman Mitchell McClenaghan to wreak havoc in the opposition ranks.McClenaghan was a surprise replacement for Nathan McCullum, one of the heroes of New Zealands dramatic victory over India.I think we were fortunate to play on two wickets which were very similar. We adopted similar tactics, Williamson said after the win over his trans-Tasman rivals.You have to try and read the conditions and select accordingly.Another win will see New Zealand cruise through to the knockout stage of the tournament which would be a commendable feat for a young side.Afridi, 36, will be under pressure to deliver after taking flak for his tactics against India.Former Pakistani spin great Saqlain Mushtaq was surprised at the team selection by Afridi, who is tipped to retire at the end of the WT20.They couldnt read the pitch. For such a high profile match they should have played a proper spinner, Mushtaq was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India news agency on Sunday.It was not a pitch to field four fast bowlers, he said. Teams:Pakistan (from): Shahid Afridi (captain), Anwar Ali, Imad Wasim, Khalid Latif, Khurram Manzoor, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Irfan, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Sami, Sarfraz Ahmed, Shoaib Malik, Sharjeel Khan, Umar Akmal, Wahab Riaz.New Zealand (from): Kane Williamson (captain), Corey Anderson, Trent Boult, Martin Guptill, Grant Elliott, Colin Munro, Mitchell McClenaghan, Nathan McCullum, Adam Milne, Henry Nicholls, Luke Ronchi, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor.
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