Thursday 13 October 2016

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Baby offered for sale on eBay prompts German probe

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BERLIN (AFP) - German police said Thursday they were investigating a refugee couple after their one-month-old baby was put up for sale on the online auction platform eBay for 5,000 euros ($5,500).Police launched a probe into possible human trafficking after they were tipped off about the advertisement which appeared online for around 30 minutes on Tuesday.The 40-day-old girl has been handed to child protection officers, police from the western city of Duisburg said in a statement.Police raiding the couples apartment also took away material potentially serving as evidence.Preliminary investigations show that the advertisement was put up using the internet connection of the couple, identified by police only as refugees.However, police said the internet connection was also in use by other members of the family, adding that the probe was ongoing.Bild daily reported that the online connection was not secured and could be used even in the neighbouring apartments.Thats why other witnesses will have to be questioned, said the tabloid, adding that the baby is the couples only child and that they have been in Germany for a year.When questioned by police, the 28-year-old father and 20-year-old mother reportedly confirmed that the photos posted online were of their baby.Several pictures of the black-haired infant were seen in the advertisement, which was titled 40-day-old child named Maria ...for sale, according to local media.An eBay spokesman told national broadcaster ZDF that employees from the company had alerted authorities after noticing the advert on Tuesday.

Tennis: Kyrgios fined $16,500 over Shanghai meltdown

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SHANGHAI (AFP) - Australias Nick Kyrgios was hit with a $16,500 fine on Thursday after his extraordinary performance at the Shanghai Masters where he tanked points and argued with fans.The combustible world number 14 received the maximum $10,000 fine for lack of best efforts, plus $5,000 for abusing a spectator and another $1,500 for unsportsmanlike conduct.Trouble-prone Kyrgios, 21, patted a slow serve into his opponents court and failed to properly contest several points in his 6-3, 6-1 defeat to 110th-ranked Mischa Zverev.Kyrgios also clashed with the chair umpire and fans, received a code violation for swearing and had a heated argument with one spectator when he was facing match points.Afterwards, he lashed out at the crowd who booed him on several occasions during the second-round match and as he left the court.Im good at hitting a tennis ball at the net. Like, big deal. I dont owe them anything. Its like, its my choice, he said.If you dont like it, I didnt ask you to come watch. Just leave. If youre so good at giving advice and so good at tennis, why arent you as good as me? Why arent you on the tour?It was just the latest incident involving the Australian number one, who received a one-month suspended ban last year for a lewd comment about Stan Wawrinkas girlfriend.Kyrgios later apologised for the Shanghai meltdown when he tweeted: Not good enough today on many levels, Im better than that. I can go on about excuses but there are none. Sorry.World number one Novak Djokovic said Kyrgios was one of the games biggest talents but that he had life lessons to learn.Not many great things are spoken about him lately, said the Serb. Im sorry to hear that, because I share the opinion of many players and many people in the tennis world, that hes one of the greatest talents that the game has seen lately and hes got huge potential.Hes been doing well... youve got to give him credit for that. But on the other hand, he obviously has life lessons to learn. Hes still relatively young, so hopefully thats going to happen.Andy Murray questioned whether fines were effective against young players and whether the punishment would have any effect on Kyrgios.Whether its the best way to discipline young players, I dont know, he said. I dont know if that stops that happening again. Im not convinced about that.

Snooker: Outsider knocks O'Sullivan out of English Open

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LONDON (AFP) - Five-time world champion Ronnie OSullivan suffered a surprise 4-3 defeat by the unheralded Chris Wakelin in the English Open in Manchester on Thursday.The all-English encounter saw Wakelin, ranked 70th in the world, make a break of 46 in the deciding frame but a missed black off the spot gave OSullivan a chance to snatch the match.But OSullivan could not capitalise and Wakelin took the frame 69-7.Im very relieved in the end, I had several chances to get over the line, Wakelin told Eurosport. When I missed the pink at 3-2 I feared the worst. You dont get many chances against any of the top players, but in the last frame there were a couple of points where I thought you are throwing this away, Chris.I had a nightmare season last year and never got past the second round so Im delighted to get into the last 16.Wakelin will play either Australias former world champion Neil Robertson or Chinas Xiao Guodong in the last 16 later on Thursday.

US checking dossier of Indian atrocities in Kashmir provided by Pakistan

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WASHINGTON (Dunya News) - US state department spokesperson Mark Toner said on Thursday that US is checking the dossier provided by Pakistan on the Indian atrocities in Kashmir, reported Dunya News.Toner said that they had not included it in the world report of human rights violation as US wants better relations between Pakistan and India. He also said that Taliban are a big challenge for Afghanistans security forces.

Conte in spotlight as Chelsea search for inspiration

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LONDON (AFP) - Antonio Conte needs Chelsea to silence the doubters after his position came under unexpected scrutiny ahead of Leicesters visit on Saturday.Off the field, business is booming at Stamford Bridge following Chelseas club record kit deal with Nike that will see the American sportswear giants pay the Blues a reported 60 million ($73 million, 66 million euros) per season for the next 15 years.But, while Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich counts the cash, down at the clubs Cobham training ground, Blues boss Conte is plotting a way to stay in the Russians favour after a curious start to his reign.The 47-year-old only arrived on a three-year contract in the close-season, yet on Thursday two bookmakers suspended betting on Conte being sacked amid a flurry of big wagers on his departure.When Chelsea kicked off the Conte era with three successive league victories that scenario seemed impossible.However, lacklustre defeats against Liverpool and Arsenal have put pressure on the former Italy and Juventus coach to prove he can mount a credible title challenge in his first season in England.Even by Abramovichs ruthless standards, it would be crazy to axe Conte so soon and Chelsea have given no indication the Italian is on the way out.Yet his frustration in the transfer market, where Conte was forced to make panic buys for defenders David Luiz and Marcos Alonso after missing out on his top targets, was the first sign it might not be all plain sailing at a club notorious for behind the scenes politicking that can make a mangers life difficult.Conte was already well aware of the task facing him as he tries to rebuild a squad that underachieved badly last season, costing Jose Mourinho his job in the process.Hampered by injuries to key players, Contes renovations remain very much a work in progress and seventh placed Chelsea already trail five points behind leaders Manchester City.A 2-0 win at Hull in Chelseas last match before the international break was notable for the Italians switch to a system that deployed three central defenders -- the formation he used successfully with Italy -- and it produced only the second clean-sheet of the season for the west Londoners.With John Terry back in training after an ankle injury, Conte could bring in the veteran defender alongside two of Luiz, Gary Cahill and Cesar Azpilicueta.Blues goalkeeper Asmir Begovic believes Terrys absence was a major factor in Chelseas bad patch and he expects the club captain to return to the line-up.Its always good to have JT around. Hes our captain and hes still a fantastic player, so whenever hes available and fit its positive for us, Begovic said.His leadership is key for us. The fact is that over the last month or so weve had a lot of changes, players have come in and out with injuries, and maybe that has disrupted things for us a little bit.Chelsea winger Willian is expected to be absent on compassionate leave following the death of his mother, which could mean a recall for Oscar or Cesc Fabregas, who scored twice when the Blues won 4-2 at Leicester in the League Cup last month.With only two wins from their seven league matches, Leicester appear to be suffering a prolonged hangover from their fairytale title triumph.Claudio Ranieris side would become the first English champions to lose their opening four away games of the season since Blackburn in 1995-96 if they are beaten by Chelsea.And Ranieri is at a loss to explain his teams away-day blues.It is difficult to say why, Ranieri said. In the first match we were unlucky as we created chances.The other two matches we deserved to lose, Liverpool and Manchester were better than us.

Messi returns as Barcelona, Madrid battle 'FIFA virus'

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MADRID (AFP) - Argentinas pain is Barcelonas gain as Lionel Messi returns for the Spanish champions when Deportivo la Coruna visit the Camp Nou on Saturday after being sidelined for three weeks with a groin injury.Messi missed Argentinas World Cup qualifiers against Peru and Paraguay as La Albicelestes struggles without the five-time World Player of the Year continued, putting at risk their place at the 2018 World Cup.However, international breaks have traditionally caused Barca trouble too with lethargic performances on their return to La Liga action coming to be known as the FIFA virus.Barca boss Luis Enrique paid a heavy price for leaving Messi and Luis Suarez on the bench for a shock 2-1 home defeat to Alaves after Septembers international break.However, with a blockbuster Champions League clash against former Barca coach Pep Guardiolas Manchester City to come on Wednesday, Enrique could roll the dice with his selection once more.Messi is expected to be eased back into action as a second-half substitute. Meanwhile, Suarez could make way for Paco Alcacer having played twice for Uruguay in the past week.Neymar will definitely start as he returned to the Catalan capital early due to his suspension for Brazils 2-0 win at Venezuela on Tuesday.A 4-3 defeat to Celta Vigo two weeks ago leaves Barca only fourth in the table.However, they trail leaders Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid by just two points and can go temporarily at least to the top of the table with victory before the sides from the capital kick-off later on Saturday.Real face the toughest task on paper of the title contenders as they travel to Real Betis aiming to snap a streak of four consecutive draws.Zinedine Zidanes men also having a mounting injury crisis as captain Sergio Ramos is set to be sidelined for up to six weeks by a knee sprain suffered in Spains 2-0 win at Albania in midweek.Luka Modric is also out for the rest of the month due to knee surgery, whilst influential holding midfielder Casemiro is missing due to a fractured fibia.This match is very important for us to say - were still there, said midfielder Toni Kroos after penning a new contract until 2022 on Thursday.Having a string of draws is not a good thing.Maybe during the second half against Eibar (1-1) we didnt play well and the criticisms were justified.But in Dortmund (2-2) or Las Palmas (2-2) we clearly played well, even better perhaps than certain matches which we won.Atletico were the form team before the international break with six wins and a draw at the Camp Nou in their last seven games taking Diego Simeones men to the top of the table on goal difference.By contrast, winless Granada travel to the capital with just two points so far this season and having already sacked coach Paco Jemez.The Andalusians have turned to Lucas Alcaraz for his third spell in charge of the club to lead them to safety.However, anything other than defeat would be a huge surprise at the Vicente Calderon as Atletico have kept seven clean sheets in their last eight games and boast La Ligas top scorer in Antoine Griezmann up front.Third-placed Sevilla also have the chance to go top for at least a few hours when they visit Leganes on Saturday lunchtime.To do so, though, Sevilla need to end a 22-game streak stretching back 17 months without a La Liga win away from home.

Karachi: 4 terrorists killed in Rangers search operation

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KARACHI (Dunya News) - At least four terrorists of a banned outfit were killed in exchange of fire with Rangers during a search operation in Godap area of Karachi on Thursday, Dunya News reported.According to details, Rangers conducted a search operation in Godap area on intelligence reports that terrorists are present in the area during which terrorists opened fire at the law enforcement agency personnel. Rangers returned the fire as a result four terrorists were killed.A Rangers spokesman informed media that identity of the dead terrorists is not yet known. Arms were also recovered from their possession.

Karachi: Policeman falls prey to target killing

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – According to details, in charge of Korangi Dhai Number check post, ASI Shahzad Akhtar was going home after performing his duty when some unidentified persons opened fire at his vehicle and wounded him critically, Dunya News reported.Shahzad Akhtar was rushed to a hospital but he died before reaching the hospital. His body has been shifted to Jinnah Hospital for autopsy.Chief Minister Sindh, Syed Murad Ali Shah while taking notice of the incident has sought a report from IG Police.

Student obtains more than 'total marks' in board exams

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DERA GHAZI KHAN (Dunya News) – A first year student, Muhammad Umar, was stunned by the generosity shown by the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Dera Ghazi Khan as he obtained more than total marks in biology paper in the intermediate result, Dunya News reported.According to result card, Muhammad Umar obtained 88 marks out of total 85 marks in the biology paper. He contacted the board office for the correction of his result three days back, visited the office again and again but the result is not corrected so far.

Indian Muslims say Modi's legal reforms divisive

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NEW DELHI (AFP) - An influential Indian Muslim group on Thursday accused the countrys Hindu nationalist prime minister of triggering an internal war with plans to introduce a common civil code for all religions.The Indian constitution currently allows the countrys 1.2 billion citizens to be governed by their own religious laws when it comes to marriage, divorce and property inheritance.But Prime Minister Narendra Modis government wants bring in a common civil code that it says will enhance national unity.On Thursday the All India Muslim Personal Law Board said they would block any attempt to abolish Islamic family laws, which many Muslim women say discriminate against them.You cant impose a single ideology in India. Modi has triggered an internal war in India, Maulana Wali Rahmani, head of AIMPLB, told reporters at a press conference in New Delhi.A uniform civil code is not good for India, which has many cultures and religions. It will divide India, he said.Indias Law Commission has sought public feedback on a common law that would ban controversial practices such as polygamy and triple talaq divorce, under which a Muslim man can divorce his wife instantly with just three words.The commission said the objective was to address discrimination against vulnerable groups and harmonise various cultural practises.Muslim personal law has long been a controversial issue in India.Some Indian Muslim women have in recent years launched legal challenges to triple talaq, which they say discriminates against them and violates their human rights.A case in the mid-1980s involving Muslim woman Shah Bano, who took her rejected demand for alimony to the Supreme Court, triggered debate across India over whether the court had authority over Muslim personal law.The court upheld her right to alimony, but its verdict was reversed by a law passed by the then-Congress party government after Muslim groups reacted angrily.Any attempt since then to bring a common civil code has proved deeply divisive in the officially secular but mainly Hindu country.

US hits radar sites in first strikes on Yemen rebels

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DUBAI (AFP) - The US military directly targeted Yemens Huthi rebels for the first time on Thursday, hitting radar sites controlled by the insurgents after US warships came under missile attacks twice in four days.Defence officials in Washington said five Tomahawk cruise missiles destroyed three mobile radar sites in Huthi-held territory on Yemens Red Sea coast and that the Pentagon was preparing for possible new retaliatory strikes.The Shiite Huthi rebels have denied firing missiles at US warships in the Red Sea on Sunday and Wednesday that fell short of their targets.The United States is providing logistical support to a Saudi-led coalition that has been battling the rebels since last year, but Thursdays bombing marked the first time Washington has taken direct action against the Huthis.Following the US strikes, Iranian media reported that Tehran which backs the Huthis had dispatched two warships to the Gulf of Aden on October 5, tasked with protecting commercial ships and oil tankers from pirates.The Pentagon said the cruise missile strikes -- authorised by President Barack Obama -- were launched by the destroyer USS Nitze.Initial assessments show the sites were destroyed, Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said in a statement.The strikes targeted radar sites involved in the recent missile launches threatening USS Mason and other vessels operating in international waters in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab (Strait), he said.The United States will respond to any further threat to our ships and commercial traffic, as appropriate, and will continue to maintain our freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, the Bab al-Mandab, and elsewhere around the world, Cook added.The US strikes did not target Huthi missiles and, though the radars destruction makes it harder to aim the weapons, a senior defence official warned the rebels could still use small spotter boats or even online ship-tracking websites to find new targets.They do need to knock it off. We will not hesitate to launch new retaliatory attacks, said the official, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity.The Huthis said the accusations they had fired on US warships were baseless.Such claims aim to create false justifications to step up attacks and to cover up for the continuous crimes committed by the aggression against the Yemeni people, the rebel-controlled Saba news agency quoted a military official allied with the insurgents as saying.The Saudi-led coalition launched its campaign in March last year, after the rebels seized control of large parts of Yemen including Sanaa, forcing the government of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi to flee.The coalition has since carried out hundreds of air strikes and provided ground troops to support Hadis forces, but it has failed to dislodge the rebels -- who are allied with forces loyal to ex-president Ali Abdallah Saleh -- from key areas.The US military provides intelligence and refuelling for coalition aircraft. It also supplies advanced munitions and logistics support to the effort, and is Saudi Arabias biggest arms supplier.The campaign has faced increasing international criticism over civilian deaths, with critics calling on Washington to end its support for the coalition.After a coalition air strike on a funeral in Sanaa on Saturday killed more than 140 people, the US administration announced an immediate review of its cooperation.Human Rights Watch, which has regularly criticised the Saudi intervention, said the funeral strike needed to be investigated as an apparent war crime.While military personnel and civilian officials involved in the war effort were attending the ceremony, the clear presence of several hundred civilians strongly suggests that the attack was unlawfully disproportionate, it said.Francois Heisbourg, an analyst at the Paris-based Foundation for Strategic Research, said it was unlikely Washington was stepping up its participation in the coalition.They reacted in a limited manner and it should stop there, he said.Soufan Group, a US-based security consultancy firm, said the Huthis represent an increasingly significant instrument of Irans regional strategy.To counter Saudi Arabia, Iran is supplying the Huthis with capabilities similar to those it provides to its most important regional ally, the Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah, it said.Yemens conflict has killed more than 6,800 people, wounded more than 35,000 and displaced at least three million since the coalition launched military operations, according to the United Nations.As well as supporting the coalition, Washington has for years carried out drone attacks against jihadists in Yemen, regularly killing members of the local branch of Al-Qaeda.

Boko Haram frees 21 Chibok girls, raising hope for others

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KANO (AFP) - Jihadist group Boko Haram has freed 21 of the more than 200 Chibok schoolgirls kidnapped more than two years ago, raising hopes for the release of the others, officials said Thursday.Nigerian Vice President Yemi Osinbajo met with the freed girls in Abuja and said it was very exciting news for the whole country.They are reasonably in good health considering the circumstances in which they have been held, Osinbajo told reporters after the meeting.The vice presidents office also released the names of the girls. Local sources said their release was part of a prisoner swap with the Nigerian government, but the authorities denied doing a deal with Boko Haram.Nigerian officials said the breakthrough would help the recovery of the 197 girls who remain in captivity. Its just a first step in what we believe will lead to the eventual release of all our girls, Nigerian Information Minister Lai Mohammed said in Abuja. When you are fighting an insurgency, its a combination of carrot and stick, Mohammed said. The release of these girls does not mean the end to military operations. But it could mean a new phase in the conduct of the war against terror.In a statement, the Nigerian presidency said the girls were freed after negotiations between Boko Haram and the Nigerian government brokered by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Swiss government.Switzerland facilitated contacts between representatives of the Nigerian government and intermediaries of Boko Haram on the release of the Chibok girls, confirmed Swiss foreign ministry spokesman Pierre-Alain Eltschinger.The girls were exchanged for four Boko Haram militants in Banki, a town in northeast Nigeria close to the Cameroon border, said local sources.The girls were brought to Kumshe, which is 15 kilometres (nine miles) from Banki where a military base is stationed, in ICRC vehicles, said a local source. The four Boko Haram militants were brought to Banki from Maiduguri in a military helicopter from where they were driven to Kumshe in ICRC vehicles.From Kumshe the Chibok girls were flown by helicopter to Maiduguri, capital of northeast Borno state, said another local source.Information minister Mohammed denied that the 21 girls were exchanged for Boko Haram prisoners, saying this is not a swap.It is a release, the product of painstaking negotiations and trust on both sides, he added.In September, the Nigerian government had admitted it had come close to a swap last year, but that talks broke down. The Chibok girls were abducted in April 2014, drawing global attention to the Boko Haram insurgency engulfing the area when US First Lady Michelle Obama joined the BringBackOurGirls online movement.Of the 276 girls initially seized, scores escaped in the hours after the kidnapping, while another 19-year-old was found with her four-month-old baby earlier this year.Despite winning back swathes of territory from the jihadists, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari had faced intense criticism for failing to recover the young captives, who became the defining symbol of Boko Harams brutal campaign to establish a fundamentalist Islamic state in the country. The alleged swap was bittersweet said Ryan Cummings, director at intelligence firm Signal Risk.Whatever is being given to Boko Haram in exchange for the girls would potentially be used against the Nigerian state again. While the return of the 21 girls is an encouraging sign, analysts point out that Boko Haram is still a potent force in the region with rival factions competing for control. Its a good stepping stone and a good process but I think we should keep our expectations a bit realistic, Omar Mahmood, a researcher at the Pretoria-based Institute for Security Studies.They are still very capable of conducting attacks, weve seen that in Maiduguri.On Wednesday, Boko Haram was believed to be behind a suicide attack that saw eight people killed in Maiduguri.The insurgency has claimed more than 20,000 lives and displaced 2.6 million people from their homes since Boko Haram took up arms against the Nigerian government in 2009.

Rock poet Bob Dylan wins Nobel Literature Prize

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STOCKHOLM (AFP) - US music legend Bob Dylan, whose poetic lyrics have influenced generations of fans, won the Nobel Literature Prize on Thursday, the first songwriter to win the award in a decision that stunned prize watchers.The 75-year-old was honoured for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition, the Swedish Academy said.The choice was met by gasps and a long round of spontaneous applause from journalists attending the prize announcement. The folk rock singer had been mentioned in Nobel speculation over the years, but was never seen as a serious contender. The Academys permanent secretary Sara Danius said Dylans songs were poetry for the ears while acknowledging that some might find Dylan a strange choice.... if you think back to Homer and Sappho, you realise that was also aural poetry. It was meant to be performed, together with instruments, she said.But we still read them, 2,500-some years later... And in much the same way you can read Bob Dylan too. And you realise that he is great at rhyming, great at putting together refrains and great at poetic images, she told AFP.Embodying both the intellectual and popular tradition, he had been influenced by the Delta blues, folk music from the Appalachians and others such as the nineteenth century French poet Arthur Rimbaud who wrote in a surrealist style, she added.Dylan has the status of an icon. His influence on contemporary music is profound, the Academy wrote.Author Salman Rushdie, often tipped as a possible Nobel winner himself, hailed Dylan as a great choice.From Orpheus to Faiz, song and poetry have been closely linked. Dylan is the brilliant inheritor of the bardic tradition, he tweeted.US President Barack Obama also tweeted his congratulations to Dylan, whom he called one of my favourite poets.Famously private, Dylan himself has yet to comment on the prize.The Nobel is the latest accolade for a singer who has come a long way from his humble beginnings as Robert Allen Zimmerman, born in 1941 in Duluth, Minnesota, who taught himself to play the harmonica, guitar and piano.Captivated by the music of folksinger Woody Guthrie, Zimmerman changed his name to Bob Dylan -- reportedly after the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas -- and began performing in local nightclubs.After dropping out of college he moved to New York in 1960. His first album contained only two original songs, but the 1963 breakthrough The Freewheelin Bob Dylan featured a slew of his own work including the classic Blowin in the Wind.Armed with a harmonica and an acoustic guitar, Dylan confronted social injustice, war and racism, quickly becoming a prominent civil rights campaigner -- and recording an astonishing 300 songs in his first three years.Dylans first British tour was captured in the classic documentary Dont Look Back in 1965 -- the same year he outraged his traditionalist folk fans by using an electric guitar at the Newport Folk Festival on Rhode Island.The following albums, Highway 61 Revisited and Blonde on Blonde, won rave reviews, but Dylans career was interrupted in 1966 when he was badly injured in a motorcycle accident and his recording output slowed in the 1970s.By the early 1980s his music reflected the performers born-again Christianity, although this was tempered in successive albums, with many fans seeing a resurgence of his explosive early-career talent in the 1990s.Since the turn of millennium, as well as his regular recording output and touring, Dylan has also found time to host a regular radio show, the Theme Time Radio Hour, and published a well-received book Chronicles, in 2004.He was the focus of at least two more films, Martin Scorseses 2005 No Direction Home and Im not There in 2007 starring Christian Bale, Heath Ledger and Cate Blanchett.Over the years Dylan has won 11 Grammy awards, as well as one Golden Globe and even an Oscar in 2001, for best original song Things have Changed in the movie Wonder Boys.Speculation prior to Thursdays announcement had focused on Syrian poet Adonis and Kenyan writer Ngugi wa Thiongo.Reactions to the choice of Dylan were mostly positive, though some disapproved.The Academy has been known to push the limits of the definition of literature, honouring for example Winston Churchill in 1953 for his wartime speeches.Swedish music journalist Stefan Wermelin said the Academy was known for its varied choices.Sometimes its someone unknown whom few have read, and sometimes they pick someone who has popular appeal, he said.But this is the first time the prize has gone to a musical form of expression and in that genre Dylan is totally in a class of his own.But Per Svensson, culture writer at Swedish regional daily Sydsvenskan, called this years choice incredibly depressing and a Trumpification of the prestigious prize to appeal to the masses.And some of the reaction on social media was biting.One man tweeted: I totally get the Nobel committee. Reading books is hard.Another posted a photograph of a group of bearded shaggy-haired hipsters with the caption: Bob Dylans win makes a lot more sense when you see this photo of the Nobel Committee.

30 dead, dozens hurt in fresh trouble in C. Africa

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BANGUI (AFP) - Thirty people were killed and 57 hurt when fighters from a mainly-Muslim militia group attacked civilians and clashed with UN peacekeepers in Central African Republic, the UN mission said Thursday.Twelve militia fighters were killed by UN troops in the clashes on Wednesday.The violence in the central market town of Kaga Bandoro began when a member of the mainly Muslim ex-Seleka militia was killed as he and three others tried to steal a generator from a local radio station.There was a disproportionate response from ex-Seleka people, who attacked civilians including displaced people hiding in church premises, said a statement from the UN mission, MINUSCA.The militia men also looted UN and NGO premises, it added.Peacekeepers immediately responded, trying to keep the assailants back, leading to the death of 12 of them, the MINUSCA statement added.Some 12,000 UN peacekeepers have been deployed in the country, one of the worlds poorest, following sectarian violence that broke out after the March 2013 ousting of president Francois Bozize, a Christian, by the Seleka rebel alliance.The UNs humanitarian affairs office OCHA said the trouble in the region was undermining efforts to provide food aid for 120,000 people as well as more than 70,000 displaced by the conflict.Armed groups have been chased from the capital, Bangui, but continue to cause trouble in the countryside.

Former World No.1 Venus Williams knocked out of Hong Kong Open

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HONG KONG (AFP) - Venus Williams was eliminated from the Hong Kong Open Thursday by Frances Alize Cornet after a tightly fought match.The 49th-ranked Cornet beat the American, ranked 14 in the world, 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 in a match that lasted 2 hours and 7 minutes.She will face defending champion Jelena Jankovic of Serbia at the next stage.Top seed Angelique Kerber of Germany won her match against Americas Louisa Chirico, which was suspended after a little over two sets on Wednesday when rain stopped play.Kerber dominated in the third set on Thursday, ultimately winning 6-2, 3-6, 6-2, and is in the top spot on the road to Singapores WTA finals. She will play Australias Daria Gavrilova in the next round.Britains Johanna Konta saw her chance to play in Singapores WTA finals fade after she withdrew from the Hong Kong Open with an abdominal injury Thursday.Obviously never the ideal way to finish the tournament, never the intention when you come here to play, said Konta.Konta was in Hong Kong to try to cap a stunning rise over the last 15 months from 146th to ninth in the rankings.The 25-year-old Sydney-born Briton broke into the top 10 with her run to the final at her maiden appearance at last weeks China Open.She pulled out before a second-round match against Chinas Wang Qiang, who will now face Denmarks Caroline Wozniacki on Friday.
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