Wednesday, 30 November 2016

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

'Thank the aliens': Thousands displaced for China's huge telescope

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PINGTANG (AFP) - Humanitys best bet at detecting aliens is a giant silver Chinese dish the size of 30 football fields -- one that simultaneously showcases Beijings abilities to deploy cutting-edge technologies and ignore objectors rights as it seeks global prominence.The Five-hundred-metre Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST) in the countrys southwest, which began operations in September and cost 1.2 billion yuan ($180 million) to build, is the worlds largest radio telescope. Once fully operational, FAST will be able to peer deeper into space than ever before, examining pulsars, dark matter and gravitational waves -- and searching for signs of life.Authorities also hope it will bring tourist dollars to the province of Guizhou, one of Chinas poorest regions.But it comes at the cost of forcibly displacing about 9,000 villagers who called the site in Pingtang county their home.Many were outraged at being forced to leave the valley surrounded by forested karst hills and hundreds of families are now suing the government, with some cases being heard this week.Octogenarian Han Jingfu drank pesticide days after being made to sign a relocation contract and died at his front door, neighbours and relatives said. China built FAST as part of efforts to take on international rivals and raise its embarrassingly low tally of Nobel Prizes, explained Peng Bo, director of Chinas National Astronomical Observatories, which oversees the telescope.The 500-metre-wide (1,640 feet) dish dwarfs its nearest competitor, the USs Puerto Rico-based Arecibo telescope, which is only 305 metres across. We said we had to be a little more daring, because we had to surpass the US no matter what, Peng said.I think we can get a few Nobel prizes out of it. We as Chinese people really want to win them.The worlds most populous country and second-largest economy has so far only won one scientific Nobel, awarded last year to chemist Tu Youyou for medicine.FASTs receivers are more sensitive than any previous radio telescope, and its pioneering technology can change the shape of the dish to track celestial objects as the Earth rotates.It could catalogue as many pulsars in a year as had been found in the past 50, Peng said.But he acknowledged that FAST will be overtaken by the larger Square Kilometre Array telescope in South Africa and Australia, which will be built over the next decade.FAST needs a five kilometre-wide (three miles) radio silence buffer zone around it with electronics banned in order to reduce interference with the skys much fainter frequencies.Relocated residents would enjoy better living standards, the official Xinhua news agency said when the dish was completed in July. Villagers in nearby communities admired their luck, saying they should thank the aliens, it added.But locals allege land grabs without compensation, forced demolitions and unlawful detentions, and up to 500 families are suing the Pingtang county government.Lu Zhenglong, whose case was heard Tuesday, said officials demolished his house without warning or consent when he was not even present, burying his furniture.What would have happened if I had been inside? he told AFP, adding that authorities had pushed ordinary people into a corner. Its really unbelievable.A neighbour also surnamed Lu said: Theyve chased us all off to some wasteland and ordered us to live there with no way to maintain our old standards of living. For 90 percent of us, basic survival is a problem.The rubble of their homes now lies under soil and new saplings in a tourist park just outside the radio silence zone, with a museum, a space-themed hotel and visitor reception facilities which will sell tickets for nearly $100 each.According to the Pingtang county government website, the park was aimed at high-end people from developed cities and cost over 1.5 billion yuan -- more than the telescope itself.Meng Xiujun, whose Elites Law Firm in the southern city of Guangzhou is handling most of the cases, said officials tried to intimidate him, telling him he should see the bigger picture for a key national project.But he told AFP: This isnt just a matter of economic interests -- once you start asking average citizens to kneel down or beat them, it becomes about human rights and problems with Chinas rule of law.The Pingtang county government did not respond to requests for comment by AFP.Andreas Wicenec, head of data intensive astronomy at the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research in Australia, said that FAST had world class potential and its engineering was absolutely a marvel.Unusually, the FAST programme was remarkably, extremely open to outside collaboration, he said. It was not clear how many tourists have visited the park since it opened -- almost none were present when AFP visited recently.But authorities have high hopes.Along the roadside, government-sponsored billboards emblazoned with the dish declared: Rapidly build a unique astronomy tourism site based on Chinas eye to the sky.

Iraqis chase IS jihadists in Mosul with local help

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MOSUL (AFP) - Lieutenant Ali Hussein listened intently as the elderly man explained where he thought the jihadist fighters were over the rattle of machinegun fire.My neighbour shouted to me and told me he saw them, the white-haired man said. The three jihadists were still thought to be in a nearby house.Iraqi special forces were battling Wednesday to clear the Al-Bakr neighbourhood of Mosul as they thrust deeper into territory controlled by the Islamic State group.Despite fighting their way into the district the day before, pockets of IS fighters were still putting up resistance.Shots echoed down the residential street where the Iraqi forces were based and the smouldering wreckage of an armoured yellow truck bomb still packed with undetonated explosives stood at the corner of the block.Hussein immediately turned to his troops and ordered them to follow the mans lead.Take bazookas and flamethrowers with you, he said.Be careful, he told them over the walkie-talkie as they disappeared down the street. God bless youA few minutes later the call came back that the house was empty.As the Iraqi forces have pushed into Mosul many residents have stayed behind -- either taking a conscious decision to remain or unable to run the gauntlet to leave.While the large numbers of civilians has hampered the use of air power against IS their presence has its upside for the Iraqi forces -- they provide valuable intelligence tip-offs on the ground.It is very important. It happens every time we liberate a district, Hussein told AFP.The most important thing about it is that there are sleeper cells of jihadists whose whereabouts the locals can reveal.Hussein said that the special forces were also building up a network of informants to supply information on IS movements in areas that they are yet to capture.When we enter a district we have informants. They contact their relatives in other districts so they become new informants for us when we enter those districts, he said.As explosions rang out nearby some soldiers from the Najaf regiment that Hussein commands took shelter in a nearby civilian house where the family cut down oranges from a tree in the garden and offered them around.Standing in the gateway of the house Amer Ali, 66, said residents were often all too happy to help the advancing Iraqi troops.Weve been waiting for them with all our heart, Ali said. We were in a big prison for two years.Ali said that in the area around there were not many jihadists and that most withdrew ahead of the Iraqi armys entrance into the district.But the elite Counter-Terrorism Service was taking no chances and commander Hussein told his men to go door-to-door through every house around.

Syria regime shelling kills 21 civilians in east Aleppo: monitor

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BEIRUT (AFP) - Syrian government artillery fire killed 21 civilians, including two children, in an eastern district of Aleppo early Wednesday, a monitoring group said.The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least eight of those killed were civilians who had fled from elsewhere in the east as government forces advance, and sought refuge in rebel-held Jubb al-Qubbeh.The Britain-based monitor said dozens more were wounded in the fierce shelling, and many people were stuck under the rubble of collapsed buildings.Tens of thousands of people have poured out of the rebel-held northeast in recent days, with some crossing into territory held by either the government or Kurdish forces, but others moving south into remaining rebel-held territory.The White Helmets rescue group published photos of the aftermath of the attacks, showing an apocalyptic scene with bodies and parts of flesh strewn on a street among the rubble of surrounding buildings.In one image, a young man appeared to weep next to two bodies, their top halves obscured by blankets.The feet of one body were clad in pink socks, the other wore red boots done up with white laces.Suitcases and plastic bags were strewn among the bodies, which the White Helmet workers carefully transferred into orange body bags.Some of the displaced have been sleeping in streets after arriving in remaining rebel-held territory, with others seeking refuge in abandoned buildings left behind by earlier waves of fleeing residents.East Aleppo has seen some of the worst violence of the conflict that began in March 2011 with anti-government protests before spiralling into a civil war after a regime crackdown.The government announced in September that it planned to retake all of the city, and on November 15 launched a new operation, pounding the east with air strikes, barrel bomb attacks and artillery fire.The operation has killed nearly 300 civilians in east Aleppo, including more than 30 children, the Observatory has said.Rebels have also fired rockets into western Aleppo, killing nearly 50 people since the latest assault began, according to the monitor.Syrian state news agency SANA on Wednesday said that eight civilians including two children had been killed in rebel rocket fire on the west of the city. Another seven people were wounded, the agency said, citing a police source in Aleppo. Government forces now hold at least a third of eastern Aleppo, and are pressing ahead with an assault that could deal rebels their worst blow since the conflict began.More than 300,000 people have been killed and millions forced to flee their homes since Syrias conflict erupted in March 2011 with protests calling for Assads ouster.

UN Security Council hits N Korea with toughest ever sanctions

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UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - The United Nations Security Council on Wednesday unanimously imposed its toughest ever sanctions on North Korea, placing a cap on its key coal exports after the states defiant nuclear tests.The new sanctions resolution, which was spearheaded by the United States and came after three months of tough negotiations with fellow veto-wielding council member China, passed by a 15-0 vote.The resolution demands that North Korea abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs and takes aim at the states exports of coal -- its top external revenue source.Under the resolution, North Korea will be restricted from exporting beyond 7.5 million tons of coal in 2017, a reduction of 62 percent from 2015.Samantha Power, the US ambassador to the United Nations, said that the resolution would strip the regime of more than $700 million in hard currency, dramatically reducing the money it can spend on nuclear and ballistic weapons.Power, speaking to reporters with her counterparts from US allies South Korea and Japan, called the resolution the strongest sanctions regime the Security Council has imposed on any country in more than a generation.So long as the DPRK makes the choice it has made, which is to pursue the path of violations instead of the path of dialogue, we will continue to work to increase the pressure and defend ourselves and allies from this threat, said Power, referring to the North by its official name, the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea.UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged all countries to enforce the resolution.It sends an unequivocal message that the DPRK must cease further provocative actions and comply fully with its international obligations, said Ban, who has flirted with entering politics in his native South Korea after his term ends in a month.Ban said he was still committed to sincere dialogue to resolve the nuclear issue and stood by calls to provide humanitarian assistance to ease the suffering of ordinary North Koreans.China is North Koreas primary ally and one of the few markets for its coal.China has traditionally protected North Korea diplomatically, believing that Kim Jong-Uns regime is preferable to its collapse, but has increasingly grown frustrated by the neighboring states defiance.Chinas UN ambassador, Liu Jieyi, reiterated that Beijing strongly opposes the North Korean nuclear tests -- but also made a veiled criticism of joint exercises between the United States and South Korea.Certain parties increase their military presence and scale up military exercises, thus intensifying the confrontation, he said at the Council. This situation must be changed as soon as possible, he said.The UN Security Council resolution condemns in the strongest terms North Koreas test on September 9 -- the communist states second just this year.Pyongyang claimed at the time it had made major strides in its efforts to fit a miniaturized warhead on a rocket that could reach the United States.North Korea insists that its nuclear weapons are a deterrent to US aggression and has brushed aside earlier sanctions, which have notably targeted its weapons exports and access to financial markets.In addition to coal, the Security Council banned North Korea from exporting certain metals including copper, silver, zinc and nickel that bring in an estimated $100 million a year, as well as statues and helicopters.The Security Council also added 10 companies and 11 individuals, including the former North Korean ambassadors to Egypt and Myanmar, to a blacklist under which their travel is restricted and assets frozen due to their alleged role in Pyongyangs military programs.The outgoing US administration of President Barack Obama has generally favored dialogue over conflict but has taken a tough line on North Korea after Pyongyang rebuffed early overtures.Power said that the latest resolution was groundbreaking in that it also took North Korea to task for its human rights violations.In another rare clause, the resolution threatens North Korea with some losses of diplomatic rights at the United Nations if it violates resolutions.

Myanmar's Suu Kyi vows 'reconciliation' amid Rohingya crisis

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SINGAPORE (AFP) - Myanmars de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi vowed on Wednesday to work for peace and national reconciliation amid mounting international condemnation of a bloody army crackdown on her countrys Muslim Rohingya minority.The Nobel Peace Prize winner did not mention the violence in Rakhine state, but told a business forum in Singapore that multi-ethnic Myanmar needed to achieve stability to attract more investment.Suu Kyi started a three-day visit to wealthy Singapore, the largest foreign investor in Myanmar after China, as international pressure mounted on her government to address the Rohingya crisis.Crowds of Rohingya have flooded over the border into Bangladesh, making horrifying claims of gang rape, torture and murder at the hands of security forces.Myanmar has denied allegations of abuse, saying the army is hunting terrorists behind deadly raids on police border posts last month.Thousands also fled into China this month after clashes broke out between the army and ethnic rebels in northern Shan state, home to one of the many decades-old insurgencies rumbling in Myanmars borderlands.As you know, we have many challenges. Were a country made of many ethnic communities, and we have to work at achieving stability and rule of law which you in Singapore take pride in, the 71-year-old leader said.Businesses do not wish to invest in countries which are not stable. We do not wish to be unstable but weve had a long history of disunity in our nation. So national reconciliation and peace is unavoidably important for us, she said.Criticism of Buddhist-dominated Myanmars treatment of the Rohingya has been intense in Muslim-majority neighbours Indonesia and Malaysia.Suu Kyi was scheduled to visit Indonesia, the worlds largest Muslim-majority country, after Singapore but postponed the trip in the face of public protests and a thwarted bomb plot against the Myanmar embassy.A senior cabinet minister in Malaysia, Khairy Jamaluddin, on Wednesday called for a review of Myanmars membership in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations because of what he called its large-scale ethnic cleansing in Rakhine.Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak will take part in a rare rally at the weekend to protest the crackdown on Rohingyas, an official from his office said Tuesday, as the United Nations rights agency reiterated its claim the stateless minority may be victims of crimes against humanity.An estimated 30,000 people have fled their homes in Rakhine and analysis of satellite images by campaign group Human Rights Watch found hundreds of buildings in Rohingya villages have been razed.Suu Kyi led her party to victory in elections last year but, barred from becoming president by a junta-era constitution, instead holds a specially created post of state counsellor.She appointed fellow Nobel laureate, former UN chief Kofi Annan, to head a special commission to investigate how to mend bitter religious and ethnic divides in impoverished Rakhine.Annan began a week-long trip to Myanmar on Tuesday.

Seven dead in southeast US wildfires: media

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - Seven people have died in the US southeast as wildfires blazed across a mountainous tourist region, forcing thousands to evacuate and destroying or damaging hundreds of structures, US media reported Wednesday.High winds and parched vegetation caused by the worst drought in nearly a decade provided fuel for the fires that burned in the eastern part of Tennessee, threatening two tourist resort towns.The seven dead have not been identified, however, the authorities said three were found in a home, a fourth in a burned-out hotel and three more in the same neighborhood, the Knoxville News Sentinel reported. Forty-five people had been treated at an area hospital, officials said.The fires burned to the doorstep of a well-known theme park, Dollywood, founded by country music legend Dolly Parton, located in the touristic hamlet of Pigeon Forge.The towns authorities have lifted a mandatory evacuation, while the restriction remains in place for nearby Gatlinburg, a city seven miles (11 kilometers) southeast, which serves as a gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.The towns are both located in Sevier County, whose mayor, Larry Waters, said on Wednesday afternoon that 700 homes and businesses have been burned this week, the News Sentinel said.Of those, 300 buildings were inside Gatlinburgs city limits.More than 14,000 of the citys residents and visitors were believed to have been evacuated from the Gatlinburg alone, officials reported Tuesday.I have been watching the terrible fires in the Great Smoky Mountains and I am heartbroken, Parton, 70, said Tuesday. I am praying for all the families affected by the fire and the firefighters who are working so hard to keep everyone safe.Dollywood will remain closed until 2:00 pm (1900 GMT) Friday, while the Great Smoky Mountains -- the most visited national park in the United States -- said it had closed all park facilities and many trails.Twenty-six active fires have burned nearly 12,000 acres (4,855 hectares) across the state, Tennessees Department of Agriculture reported Wednesday.A temporary flight restriction remains in effect in the area and numerous roads are closed or blocked by fallen trees and power lines, the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency said.Meanwhile, at least eight counties experienced severe weather overnight, including tornado touchdowns. The storm systems killed at least two, the agency said.

Karachi: 7 accused arrested in police operation

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KARACHI (Dunya News) - Crackdown against criminal elements under National Action Plan (NAP) continues in Karachi as seven more accused were taken into custody by police during operations in different parts of the city, Dunya News reported.According to details, police arrested two accused in injured condition after an encounter in Buffer Zone Sector-16 area. Police have also recovered two TT pistols from the arrested accused. Separately, police have recovered a dead body from a house in New Karachi Sector 11-E.Police also conducted an operation in Pak Colony area and apprehended two gang war accused. On the other hand, police conducted a raid in Sarjani Town area and arrested two street criminals named Mauman and Zubair. Police sources said that a stolen motorcycle and arms were also recovered from them. Another accused involved in street crime was arrested from Madina Colony.

US congratulates Gen Bajwa on appointment as COAS

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WASHINGTON (Dunya News) - US State Department Deputy Spokesperson, Mark Toner, while briefing the newsmen in Washington on Wednesday said that the United States welcome and congratulate General Qamar Javed Bajwa on his appointment as Pakistan Army Chief. Answering a question, Mark Toner said that US maintains a close cooperation with Pakistan in counter-terrorism operations.“With respect to our counterterrorism cooperation with Pakistan, that’s ongoing. We work with them quite closely. They’re aware of some of our concerns, which include a safe haven for some terrorist groups that are active in the region,” Toner said.Mark Toner further said that Pakistan has also paid the price of terrorism and added that it is in Pakistan’s interests to crack down on any terrorist group that may be finding safe haven within its borders.

Govt makes new formula to finish the load-shedding

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - Government has made a new strategy, plan to finish the load-shedding as advanced metering and infrastructure would be used, reported Dunya News.In first phase, 1 million AMI metres would be set up, which is a technology which would eradicate the electricity theft and also the load-shedding. This technology would lessen the load of electricity at the place.Apart of new metres, there would be a device to deliver the messages if there will be less electricity. If someone would not submit the bill on time, control room would finish their connection.The work on advance metering and infrastructure would start from 15 December and it would take years to complete. 17 billion dollars would be spent on the project and funds would be provided by Asian Development Bank.

Murder cases surge with rise in crime rate in Lahore

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – Target killing incidents in Lahore increased twofold as compared to Karachi in the month of November. At least two murder cases were reported everyday in Lahore in November. According to details, at least 419 people were murdered in Lahore in the 11 months of 2016. Sources revealed that 27 people were killed in the month of January, 33 in February, 31 in March, 29 in April and 40 people were murdered in the month of May.Sources further informed that 52 people were killed in the month of June, 27 in July, 44 in August, 37 in October and 40 people were killed in October. The highest number of murder cases was reported in the month of November in which 59 people were killed.The residents of Lahore are of the view that concrete measures are needed to check the alarming increase in crime rate in the city.

Murad Ali Shah says there is room for improvement in Sindh

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LAHORE (Dunya News) - Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Murad Ali Shah admitted that there are flaws in Sindh but things are improving and getting better, reported Dunya News.Murad Ali Shah was talking to Kamran Shahid in program One The Front as he was asked about the condition of schools in Sindh and Pakistan Peoples Partys (PPP) stronghold Larkana. Kamran Shahid pointed out that condition of roads of Larkana is poor and teachers in schools of interior Sindh are not qualified enough to be in that position.Murad Ali Shah said that he partly agrees and he is doing efforts to make things better. He said that recruitments were done before their time and there are too many schools so there are not enough teachers for them.The CM also said that they are getting funds from World Bank and they are being monitored by them, which shows that they are doing best efforts for education in the province.Murad Ali Shah talked about Larkana that they have work done to improve drainage and sanitation system in Larkana and plans were not up to the mark previously but now they are making sure that things get better. He also defended the health facilities in the province.He defended Bilawal Bhutto Zardari by saying that he is a born leader and people love, support him. He said that people are voting for them because they are doing work for the public.Watch the video here:

8th anniversary of Dunya News celebrated in UK, Sri Lanka

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LONDON (Dunya News) – The 8th anniversary of Dunya News was also celebrated London. Cake was also cut to mark the event in a colourful ceremony which was attended by federal commissioner for overseas Pakistanis, Zubair Gul and other dignitaries of Pakistani community. Speaking on the occasion, Zubair Gul said that Dunya News is highlighting Pakistans positive image across Europe including the UK. The members of Pakistani community appreciated the efforts and journalistic values of Dunya News.Dunya News anniversary was also celebrated in Sri Lankan capital Colombo. Cake was also cut in a function arranged in this regard. A large number of Pakistani community living in Colombo attended the function.

Cavani helps PSG win to keep them one point away from top spot

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PARIS, Nov 30, 2016 (AFP) - Paris Saint-Germain hotshot Edinson Cavani bagged his 100th goal for the club in a 2-0 win over Angers on Wednesday to keep the reigning Ligue 1 champions on the heels of leaders Nice.Cavani scored from the spot, adding to Thiago Silvas opener to round off a win for the Parisians, who trail Nice by a solitary point after the Cote dAzure table-toppers handed Guingamp a first home defeat.Uruguayan Cavanis big moment came after Hatem Ben Arfa strode forward on a mazy run only to be brought down by Romain Thomas.The goal machine, having made it 19 goals in 18 matches so far this season, promptly earned a booking for taking off his shirt to reveal a T-shirt slogan paying homage to Brazilian side Chapecoense, the club decimated by an aircrash in Colombia.Cavani joined PSG from Napoli in 2013 for a French record fee of 64 million euros ($67.8m) and now is the clubs fourth top goalscorer -- now just one adrift of Dominique Rocheteau.Out in front with 156 is Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who left for Manchester United last summer.Moroccan Younes Belhanda bagged the only goal for Nice, this seasons surprise package, in the fifth minute with a sumptuous strike from the edge of the box.Nice won in the absence of the injured Mario Balotelli, who has a calf problem.The southerners badly missed Balotelli in their weekend draw with Bastia but on loan Dynamo Kiev star Belhandas effort was enough to drag them over the line, to the relief of coach Lucien Favre.We knew it would be tough to take the points here, said Favre.Having got the first goal we didnt manage to get to 2-0. If you dont then you have to hold on to what you have -- and we did that.Everyone must pull together. There is a fine margin between success and failure.Nice will meet PSG just before the Christmas break and Favre said that encounter would be crucial -- albeit they are not looking that far ahead.If we take the three points in that one then all well and good. (But) beforehand we have Toulouse, who are a tough opponent. May I remind you they are the only side to have beaten both Paris SG and Monaco, so that will be a big match.Monaco, through at the expense of Tottenham to the last 16 of the Champions League, are third, three points off the pace, following their 1-1 draw Tuesday at Dijon.Lyon stormed into fourth place albeit eight points behind Monaco, with a crushing 6-0 win at hapless Nantes, the eight-times champions, who suffered their worst top flight home reverse.Nantes are second bottom and staring the droip in the face after an eighth league defeat in 15 games left only Lorient below them.Nantes coach Rene Girard is hanging onto his job after the Canaries were outclassed with Lyon scoring at will through Corentin Tolisso, an Alex Lacazette penalty, Maxime Gonalons, Mathieu Valbuena, Mouctar Diakhaby and Nabil Fekir.Marseille stay in midtable after a goalless draw at Saint Etienne in a battle of fallen giants while Bordeaux drew 1-1 at Bastaia, enough to stay in fifth spot ahead of Rennes on goal difference.

US Supreme Court reviews long term detention for immigrants

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - The US Supreme Court on Wednesday heard arguments about whether the authorities have the right to force thousands of legal immigrants to endure months or even years of detention without a hearing.The issue has taken on special significance following the presidential election of Donald Trump, who has vowed to crack down on illegal immigration and ramp up deportations when he takes office in January.The case concerns a class action lawsuit filed by Alejandro Rodriguez and several other immigrants, and supported by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), a leading civil rights group.Rodriguez arrived from Mexico as a child, attained legal permanent resident status and worked as a dental assistant.After he was convicted for driving a stolen car and arrested for drug possession, the authorities sought to deport him.He spent three years behind bars before ultimately prevailing in his fight to remain in the country.Millions of legal immigrants like him are under threat of being deported even for minor offenses -- or detained indefinitely if they contest expulsion orders.Another category of immigrants under Supreme Court review Wednesday are those who have sought asylum in the United States claiming fear of prosecution in their home countries.The example of Ahilan Nadarajah is telling.Repeatedly tortured as a member of an ethnic minority in his homeland Sri Lanka, he sought asylum in the United States in 2001.The authorities detained him, and he remained behind bars for four years and five months as one release request after another was rejected. He eventually received American citizenship.What matters about this case is that youve got people who are fighting their deportation, who are being locked up without bond hearings, Judy Rabinovitz, a member of the ACLU legal team, told AFP.Many of them have strong challenges to removal and if they had a bond hearing they wouldnt be found to be a danger of flight risk.The eight justices currently on the nations highest court appeared receptive to the ACLUs arguments, criticizing the excessive lengths of detention imposed on immigrants.But they expressed doubts about an automatic introduction of a possible bond hearing after six months of detention.The governments representative defended the application of the law as it stands.Congress provided extensive, substantive and procedural protections for aliens whom the government wishes to remove, acting Solicitor General Ian Gershengorn argued.But at the same time, (it) addressed the real concerns about recidivism and flight risk by providing for mandatory detention during removal proceedings for certain categories of criminal aliens and aliens arriving at our shores.With cases averaging a reported 13 months, and conditions in detention centers facing criticism, the authorities have been under pressure to find a solution.Someone has to look at the detention and decide, is this a detention which remains reasonable? ACLU lawyer Ahilan Arulanantham said.Prolonged detention is often indistinguishable from penitentiary time: immigrants are forced to wear prison garb, they can be placed in handcuffs and are subjected to standard prison surveillance.They can even be placed in solitary confinement.Family visits are often conducted through glass panes or by video.One of my clients (a detained immigrant), her kids came to visit her and she was not allowed to touch them, no contact, Rabinovitz said.Donald Trump took a hard line against immigrants during his campaign, pledging to expel millions of undocumented immigrants.Despite current administrative decrees under President Barack Obama aimed at bringing illegal immigrants out of the shadows, he will leave office having deported for more people than any of his predecessors.At least 2.4 million have been escorted to the border or sent back to their home countries through immigration orders over the past eight years.

Manchester United reach semifinals of the EFL Cup

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MANCHESTER, United Kingdom (AFP) - Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Anthony Martial scored twice as Manchester United crushed West Ham United 4-1 in the League Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday, while Arsenal were unexpectedly humbled by Southampton.United manager Jose Mourinho served a one-game touchline ban after his dismissal for kicking a water bottle during Sundays 1-1 Premier League draw against West Ham, but his absence had no ill-effects.Ibrahimovic put United ahead in the second minute and although Ashley Fletcher equalised, Martials second-half brace restored the hosts control before the Swede added a fourth goal in added time.United, who have made their worst start to a top-flight campaign since 1989, joined Southampton, 2-0 victors at the Emirates Stadium, Liverpool and Hull City in the draw for the semi-finals.The game at Old Trafford notably saw Bastian Schweinsteiger make his first appearance of the season for United as a late substitute.The former Germany captain has only recently returned to the first-team squad after being frozen out by Mourinho and received a huge ovation as he came on.West Ham had needed less than two minutes to take the lead in Sundays game, but on this occasion United were the early birds.Wayne Rooneys clever reverse pass picked out the advancing Henrikh Mkhitaryan and the Armenians alert back-heel freed Ibrahimovic to lift the ball past West Ham goalkeeper Adrian.West Ham levelled in the 35th minute with a bolt from the blue as David de Gea spilled Dimitri Payets shot and former United youngster Fletcher tucked in his first senior goal in front of the Stretford End.Fortunately for United, they started the second half as sharply as they had attacked the first, a move down the right culminating in Mkhitaryan squaring for Martial to sweep home.
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Tuesday, 29 November 2016

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Karachi: 3 abductees rescued, 9 accused arrested

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KARACHI (Dunya News) - Crackdown against criminal elements under National Action Plan (NAP) continues in Karachi as nine accused were taken into custody by law enforcement agencies after rescuing three kidnapped persons while police arrested two accused during raids in different parts of the city on Tuesday.According to details, the law enforcement agencies rescued three abductees during a raid in Pak Colony area and apprehended nine accused involved in kidnapping for ransom.The arrested accused were shifted to some undisclosed location for further investigation.On the other hand, police conducted an operation in Nazimabad area and arrested two accused in injured condition after an encounter. Arms and ammunition were also recovered from the arrested persons.

Panama Leaks case: SC to resume hearing today

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – A five-member larger bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, headed by Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali, will resume the hearing of Panama Leaks case today (Wednesday) after a 14-day break, Dunya News reported.The petitions seeking Prime Minister’s disqualification over Panama Leaks issue were filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan, Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami Siraj-ul-Hag and Awami Muslim League’s Sheikh Rashid Ahmad.Naeem Bokhari will represent PTI in today’s hearing after senior lawyer Hamid Khan excused himself from representing the party in the Panama Leaks case.On Tuesday, chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan held a meeting with chief of Awami Muslim League (AML) Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad and discussed the ongoing Panama Leaks case against premier’s family in the Supreme Court.The two leaders agreed to giving the government representatives tough time in the top court. Sheikh Rasheed, on the other hand, submitted further documents in the SC relating to Panama Leaks case.

Ch Nisar left London to return to Pakistan

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LONDON (Dunya News) - Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan left London on Tuesday to return to Pakistan after medical checkup, Dunya News reported.During his two-week stay in London, Ch Nisar had a full medical check-up. Sources said that all reports of medical check-up were normal.Talking to media before his departure, Ch Nisar said that he will assume his duties soon after his return to Pakistan.Speaking about the appointment of new army chief, Ch Nisar was of the opinion that the news COAS will work better to protect the country’s borders.

Siraj talks to Zardari, asks to take back religion bill

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LAHORE (Dunya News) - Jamaat Islami (JI) chief Sirajul Haq talked to Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari on phone and asked to take back bill against forced religion conversion, reported Dunya News.Siraj said that Sindh assembly went against Sharia and constitution by passing this bill. He said that 1973 constitution was a gift by Bhutto to the nation and everyone accepted it but PPPs provincial government was making it controversial. He said that bill should be taken back immediately.

Bilawal reaches Lahore to attend PPP foundation day celebrations

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – Chairman Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari reached Lahore from Dubai on Monday night to participate in the seven-day celebrations to mark the foundation day of PPP, Dunya News reported.Bilawal reached Lahore’s Allama Iqbal Airport on a private airlines flight EK-622. Tight security arrangements were made at the airport on the arrival of PPP chairman.The PPP Punjab president, Qamar Zaman Kaira and Nadeem Afzal Chan were at the airport along with large number of PPP workers to welcome Bilawal Bhutto.Talking to media at the airport, Qamar Zaman Kaira said that there is no restriction on PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and he will soon return to Pakistan.

Karachi mayor Waseem Akhtar visits difference areas of city

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KARACHI (Dunya News) - Karachi mayor Waseem Akhtar visited different areas of the city on Tuesday night and observed the development projects, reported Dunya News.Waseem Akhtar observed the work going on at the flyover of Korangi Crossing and asked director general technical services to work faster. He also talked to the media and said that he would not tolerate any negligence in the work. He said that he would observe all the projects himself and will make sure that they are completed in time.Waseem Akhtar said that there are many projects but funds are limited. He requested governor, federal government and Chief Minister (CM) Sindh to give a package for Karachi.

Errors led to coalition strike on Syria forces: Pentagon

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - The Pentagon said Tuesday that intelligence errors resulted in a US-led coalition air strike in Syria in September that reportedly killed around 90 Syrian government forces.There were errors in the development of intelligence, as well as missed opportunities for coalition members on duty to recognize and voice contrary evidence to decision makers, the US militarys Central Command said in a statement following a six-week probe into the September 17 attack near Deir Ezzor.The US-led coalition is focused on attacking the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq and does not want to get involved in Syrias brutal civil war.Australian, Danish, British and American planes all took part in the air strike, which the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group has said killed at least 90 regime troops.Brigadier General Richard Coe, who investigated the case, told reporters that each of the four countries did employ weapons, dropping a total of 34 guided bombs and firing 380 rounds of 30-mm ammunition. The targets struck included defensive fighting positions, vehicles, tents, tunnels and people -- all of which were thought to be legitimate IS targets, he added.The Pentagon said it had only been able to conclusively count 15 deaths, but acknowledged the toll was possibly much higher.In this incident, we made an unintentional, regrettable error primarily based on human factors in several areas in the targeting process, Coe said.Key among these mistakes was an early misidentification of a Syrian vehicle as belonging to IS jihadists, which colored subsequent intel assessments.Further complicating matters, the troops were not wearing recognizable military uniforms or carrying identifying flags, the Pentagon said.Perhaps most significantly, a critical miscommunication occurred when Russian forces called the coalition to tell them the strike was hitting Syrian regime troops.That call, which came in on a special hotline between the coalition and Russians, was subject to a 27-minute delay because the officer with whom the Russians normally spoke was not immediately available.During that window, almost half of the separate strikes making up the larger assault occurred.As soon as the Russians were able to speak to their regular point of contact, the strike was called off.Additionally, the investigation found that an early assessment from an intelligence analyst that the target couldnt possibly be IS was overlooked.No coalition forces are being charged in the incident.In my opinion, these were a number of people all doing their best to do a good job, Coe said. The decision to strike these targets was made in accordance with the law of armed conflict and the applicable rules of engagement.The strike was conducted by F-16 and FA-18 fighters, A-10 ground-attack craft and drones.The IS group has since January 2015 besieged the eastern city of Deir Ezzor where more than 200,000 people live.It controls more than 60 percent of the city, the capital of the province of the same name.

Yemen president accuses rebels of dashing peace hopes

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ADEN (AFP) - Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi on Tuesday accused Shiite rebels and their allies of dashing hopes for peace after they unveiled a new government in areas under their control.Hadi said Mondays formation by the Iran-backed rebels of a government of national salvation showed their determination to spread chaos and destruction and destroys any chance of dialogue and peace.Speaking through a spokesman from Yemens second city Aden, the seat of his beleaguered government, Hadi called on the international community to condemn this move and hold the militia responsible for the collapse of peace efforts.Announcing their new government, the Huthi rebels said it was a response to Hadis stubbornness in pursuing a deadly war against them with the support of a Saudi-led coalition since March last year.On Tuesday, the official Saba news agency cited Hadis spokesman as saying the president urged the international community to condemn this move and endorse the militias responsibility for the collapse of peace efforts.The war of words comes as the UN envoy for Yemen shuttles between the two sides in an effort to revive a US-backed ceasefire that collapsed after just 48 hours early last week.Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, who has been trying to persuade the two sides to agree to a government of national unity, met rebel representatives in Oman on Saturday and is scheduled to hold talks with Hadi in Aden.In a speech later Tuesday, Hadi said that in naming their government the rebels had killed off the last hopes of peace talks resuming.The president, who is usually based in neighbouring Saudi Arabia, flew to Aden on Saturday on his first visit in a year.Hadi insisted that he was always open to peace, and praised the positive role played by the UN and its envoy to settle the conflict and implement international resolutions including 2216.UN Security Council Resolution 2216 calls on the rebels to withdraw from territory they have captured since 2014.The Gulf Cooperation Council on Tuesday said Hadis was the only legitimate government in Yemen.In forming their own government, the rebels had shown their lack of seriousness in engaging in political negotiations and their will to hamper the UN mediators intense efforts to end the war, GCC secretary general Abdellatif Zayani said.Oman is the only country in the six-nation GCC not to have joined the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Huthis in Yemen.Fierce fighting has raged on the ground since the ceasefire collapsed.Rebels attacked loyalist positions in Dhaleh province north of Aden on Tuesday but were repulsed, a military official said.Three government soldiers and 14 rebels were killed.Witness Fawaz al-Marissi said the insurgents had been forced to leave their dead behind.Despite 20 months of Saudi-led military support, Hadis authority is still largely confined to the south and areas along the Saudi border. The rebels control Sanaa and most of northern Yemen.The conflict has claimed more than 7,000 lives and left millions of civilians dependent on food aid.

Abbas re-elected Fatah leader at rare congress

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RAMALLAH (AFP) - Palestinian president Mahmud Abbass Fatah re-elected him party head Tuesday as the movement opened its first congress since 2009 with talk mounting of who will eventually succeed the 81-year-old.Party spokesman Mahmud Abu al-Hija said Abbas was re-elected by consensus at the congress attended by some 1,400 delegates in the West Bank city of Ramallah.The election of members of Fatahs parliament and its central committee over the five-day conference will signal the direction the oldest Palestinian party will take at a time when Abbas is weakened by his own unpopularity and internal dissent.While the ageing leader has said he has no intention of stepping aside anytime soon, talk of who will eventually succeed him as Palestinian president has intensified. He has not publicly designated a successor.Some analysts see the congress as an attempt by Abbas to marginalise political opponents, including longtime rival Mohammed Dahlan, currently in exile in the United Arab Emirates.Observers have seen the reduced number of officials to vote -- down from more than 2,000 in 2009 -- as part of a move to exclude Dahlan supporters.Dimitri Diliani, elected to Fatahs revolutionary council, or parliament, in 2009, said he was not invited to the congress like dozens of others because we bring a different voice.He said a press conference set for a refugee camp near Ramallah on Tuesday with those recently dismissed from the party had been called off after threats from the security services, including death threats.Jibril Rajoub, a former intelligence chief, current head of the Palestinian Football Association and Fatah central committee member, acknowledged opponents and dissidents had not been invited, but said the priority is to hold the congress.Rajoub also said the gathering was to provide an opportunity to update the partys structures.The system from the 1960s no longer works in 2016, he told AFP.We have to take into account the current circumstances. The current system was created when we were in the diaspora and we are now on national soil. It was put in place at a revolutionary stage. Now we have a state.Saeb Erekat, Palestine Liberation Organisation secretary general and Fatah central committee member, said the congress would allow the party to choose leaders for the next stage.But the congress also comes at a difficult time for the push to create a Palestinian state, with the cause overshadowed by other crises in the region.The incoming Donald Trump administration in the United States has signalled its policies will be far more favourable to Israel.Peace efforts have been at a standstill since a US-led initiative collapsed in April 2014.Israel is concerned US President Barack Obama may take action related to the conflict before he leaves office in January, but his intentions remain unclear.In an op-ed published in the New York Times on Tuesday, former US president Jimmy Carter called on Obama to recognise a Palestinian state before his term is up.The congress also comes with Fatah and its Islamist rival Hamas, in power in the Gaza Strip, still deeply divided. Fatah dominates the Palestinian Authority, which runs the Israeli-occupied West Bank.A letter from exiled Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal, in which he said he was ready to cooperate with Fatah, was read at the opening of the congress.Israel has prevented dozens of Fatah members in Gaza, which is under an Israeli blockade, from attending the conference, said party spokesman Mahmud Abu al-Hija.Israeli authorities did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Israel controls all borders of the Palestinian territories apart from the Gaza-Egypt frontier.Abu al-Hija, the Fatah spokesman, said an objective of the congress is to determine how to act in the face of stalled peace negotiations.Peace initiatives being promoted by France and Arab nations will be discussed, as will the possibility of a UN Security Council resolution against Israeli settlement building in the West Bank.An address by the Palestinian president to the congress, scheduled for Tuesday evening and set to deal with these issues, was put off to Wednesday at the last moment.Fatah is the main component of the PLO, created in 1964 in Jerusalem, which brought together the main Palestinian nationalist movements of that time.

Top Afghan General killed in miltary chopper crash

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HERAT (AFP) - Afghanistans army said one of its top commanders was killed Tuesday when a military helicopter crashed in the western Afghan province of Badghis.General Mohayedin Ghori commanded the 207th Corps and was one of the six regional commanders of the Afghan army, responsible for the countrys western zone, defence ministry spokesman Mohammad Radmanish said.General Ghori was martyred and a number of officers injured in the crash, Radmanish said.He said a technical fault caused the Russian-made Mi-17 aircraft to go down in the Murichan area of the Bala Murghab district.Ghori was on a mission to visit a newly established army base in the volatile district, where the Afghan army has recently pushed back a major Taliban offensive.Taliban insurgents claimed responsibility for the crash in a statement but Radmanish denied this, saying there were no insurgents operating in the area at the time of the accident.Afghan president Ashraf Ghani described the death of General Mohayedin as a big loss for the Afghan security forces and people, according to a statement.The US-led NATO coalition also issued a statement expressing condolence over the death of the top Afghan general. A local official who spoke on condition of anonymity said the provincial head of the countrys spy agency was among those wounded in the crash.He could not give details of exactly how many other people had been injured in the accident.Once a strong flying power thanks to Soviet Union support, Afghanistans air force was decimated by the civil war of the 1990s and the turbulent period of Taliban-rule.The Afghan air force (AAF) now has around 100 aircraft, including 27 MD-530 attack helicopters, and about 20 small support aircraft, such as the Brazilian built A-29 Super Tucanos -- used against drug traffickers in Latin America.It also has approximately 50 Russian Mi-17 transport choppers.

11 children among 12 dead in Turkey school dorm fire

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ISTANBUL (AFP) - Twelve people, most of them schoolgirls, were killed on Tuesday when fire ravaged a dormitory for pupils in the southern Turkish region of Adana, local officials said. The fire, which officials said was likely caused by an electrical fault, raced through the buildings wooden interior as panicked victims tried to jump from windows to safety.Officials expressed concern that many of the dead were killed after they were unable to open a closed fire door to escape the top floors of the building.Images showed scenes of devastation as emergency services arrived to tackle the fire at the dormitory building, parts of which were turned into a blazing wreck and whose roof collapsed.We lost 12 of our citizens in the fire. Eleven of them were schoolchildren and one was a tutor. 22 citizens are injured, Adana region governor Mahmut Demirtas told Turkish NTV television.According to initial findings, we believe the fire was caused by electrical fault, he said.The Dogan news agency specified that all 11 of the schoolchildren killed were girls. Their identities have yet to be disclosed but they were also said to be 14 or under.The disaster took place in the town of Aladag north of Adana city, one of the biggest urban centres in the south of Turkey.Television footage showed the three-storey building in flames, with fire engine teams trying to put out the blaze. Demirtas said some terrified schoolgirls were injured after jumping out of the window to escape the flames. He added that none of the injuries were serious condition.The governor said the fire at the private schoolchildren dorm broke out at around 19:25 (1625 GMT) and it was brought under control some three hours later.Demirtas declined to comment on claims that fire escape stairs were locked and students were unable to use them.But Adana city Mayor Huseyin Sozlu said: It appears that the fire escape stairs door was locked. Children could not open it. Bodies were found there, he said.He told NTV of course children would have survived if they had been able to flee down the fire escape stairs.From tomorrow the governors office will start an investigation.He said the children were aged between 11-14.Students trapped on the second and third storeys of the building who could not flee outside, were killed in the fire, the Dogan news agency said.The fire spread rapidly because of the buildings wooden interior and carpeted floor, officials said.Aladag districts mayor Mustafa Alpgedik, quoted by the Dogan news agency, said the fire erupted on the ground floor and then the flames spread because the third floor was wooden. With the burning of the wooden floor, the roof then entirely collapsed, he said.In an agonising wait, families who could not see their children stood outside in tears, Dogan added.The dorm had a capacity for 54 students and was open to both secondary and high school students. Demirtas said it was a private dormitory with 34 students in residence.Fires are frequent in Turkey due to antiquated and often wooden buildings and faulty electrics. But a disaster of this magnitude is highly unusual. In a sign of the seriousness of the incident, several ministers were heading to the region, including Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu and Education Minister Ismet Yilmaz.Demirtas meanwhile informed President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who expressed his sadness over the catastrophe, the state-run Anadolu news agency said.

Trump steps up search for America's next top diplomat

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NEW YORK (AFP) - Donald Trump stepped up his search Tuesday for a secretary of state with loyalists at loggerheads over prospective candidates: erstwhile critic Mitt Romney, scandal-clad general David Petraeus and Senator Bob Corker.Trumps quest for Americas next top diplomat, the most prestigious position in the cabinet and the statesman who will have to grapple with foreign crises and wars, has been mired in internal divisions.Each candidate offers different merits and drawbacks, making it a hefty decision for a 70-year-old maverick New York real estate tycoon, who has never previously held office.On Tuesday the president-elect has scheduled meetings with Romney, the failed 2012 Republican White House nominee whose consideration has had Trumps inner circle up in arms, and Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.Analysts say that picking Romney would reassure the Republican establishment and US allies worried about Trumps foreign policy.Trumps meeting will be his second with the former Massachusetts governor, who castigated Trump during the election campaign as a fraud and a conman, and refused to endorse him.Top aide Kellyanne Conway -- unusually for a senior political advisor -- publicly aired her concerns about Romney, saying she had received a deluge of concern from supporters and stressing his past animosity towards Trump.Outspoken former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, who campaigned tirelessly for Trump, has been another early contender, but scrutiny over business dealings has since raised questions that could potentially disqualify him.Petraeus, the most celebrated general of his generation, a former CIA director and former commander in Iraq and Afghanistan, has emerged latterly as a potential candidate despite a stunning fall from grace four years ago.He met the president-elect for an hour in New York on Monday, after which the president-elect sounded positive, tweeting: Just met with General Petraeus -- was very impressedBut Trump spokesman Jason Miller told Fox News Radio on Tuesday that it might be a little bit premature to assume Petraeus is being considered.There was a lot of getting to know you and see where General Petraeus might be able to be an asset, a team member, whether thats internally in the administration or whether its on the outside, Miller said.The 64-year-old scholar-warrior, who masterminded the widely credited surge in Iraq from 2008-2010, certainly has a depth of experience in world affairs unmatched by any of the other candidates known to be under consideration.But in 2012 he resigned from the CIA after showing classified material to his mistress and biographer Paula Broadwell. In 2015, he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of mishandling classified materials, and was put on two years probation and fined $100,000.The scandal could pose a problem for getting Senate approval and would expose Trump to accusations of hypocrisy after he savaged Hillary Clinton on the campaign trail for mishandling classified emails as secretary of state.On Tuesday, Trump fleshed out his cabinet by nominating a fierce Obamacare critic as health secretary -- Congressman and former surgeon Tom Price, indicating that he plans to tear up the divisive healthcare law.Price is exceptionally qualified to shepherd our commitment to repeal and replace Obamacare, Trump said as Democrats criticized the nomination.Incoming Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer called it akin to asking the fox to guard the hen house.The president-elect has also selected Elaine Chao, the Taiwan-born former labor secretary as transportation secretary, US media reported.In between back-to-back job interviews, Trump has continued to fan alarm and inflame critics by indulging in his customary tweet storms.On Tuesday he sparked uproar by saying nobody should be allowed to burn the US flag -- allowed under the US constitution that safeguards freedom of expression -- and that it should be punished by loss of citizenship or one year in jail.And he embarked on a Twitter rant against CNN, complaining about their coverage and retweeting posts insisting that voter fraud did take place on Election Day.Experts and officials across the political spectrum disparaged his unsubstantiated claim that millions of Americans voted illegally.The Republican billionaire won the Electoral College 306 to 232 for Clinton, although the Democrat won the popular vote by more than two million ballots.Observers deny any evidence of widespread fraud and say potential recounts in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan will not change the outcome.

Seven Indian soldiers killed in attack on army base

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SRINAGAR (AFP) - Seven Indian soldiers were killed after militants disguised as policemen stormed a major army base near the frontier with Pakistan Tuesday, as tensions between the two neighbours ran high after weeks of cross-border firing.Four suspected militants were also killed in the stand-off with security forces inside the command centre in northern Jammu and Kashmir state that lasted most of the day.It was the most audacious attack on an Indian military base since September, when 19 soldiers were killed in an assault that India blamed on Pakistan-based militants.The army in a statement said four of its soldiers were killed in the initial assault after heavily armed militants wearing police uniforms stormed the base early Tuesday firing small arms and hurling grenades. Three army men were killed in a rescue operation after the militants took 16 people hostage inside two buildings used by the families of the army officers. Two women and children were among the hostages, the army said.In this rescue attempt one more officer and two jawans sacrificed their lives, it addedThree bodies of the attackers have been recovered and operation to sanitise the complex continues, the statement said.One of the dead soldier was a major while the rank of another officer remained unclear.Earlier a senior local police officer said all four militants were killed in the counter-attack by security forces.Now the search operation is going on inside the premises, the officer told AFP on condition of anonymity.The base is one of four command centres in the restive region and home to over 1,000 officers.The attack came as Pakistans hugely popular military chief General Raheel Sharif handed over to his successor on Tuesday with a warning to India not to mistake his countrys restraint for weakness.It also comes days before a scheduled visit to India by Pakistans foreign affairs advisor Sartaj Aziz for a weekend conference on Afghanistan.It clearly suggests there is an attempt by certain groups to sabotage the apparent peace outreach by Pakistans government, said Mohan Guruswamy, head of the Centre for Policy Alternatives think-tank in New Delhi.India has repeatedly accused Pakistan of sponsoring militant groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), which it blames for the 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed 166 people.Separately, Indian authorities said three militants were killed in a shoot-out with security forces after crossing into Jammu and Kashmir from Pakistan.Tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours have escalated since the September 18 attack on an Indian army base, the deadliest in a decade.India said after that attack it had launched surgical strikes on militant bases across the heavily militarised de-facto border known as the Line of Control (LoC) in disputed Kashmir, a claim Islamabad has denied.India and Pakistan both claim the region in full and their troops regularly exchange fire across the LoC, but they rarely send ground troops over the line.Since then there have been repeated incidents of cross-border shelling and gunfire from both sides, claiming the lives of dozens of people, including civilians.Pakistan said last week that at least nine people had been killed when a shell fired from the Indian side hit a bus.UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said last week he was deeply concerned by the deterioration in the security situation in Kashmir and urged both countries to work together to reach durable peace.Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since their independence from Britain in 1947. Both claim the territory in full and have fought two wars over the mountainous region.

UN council to hold meeting on Aleppo crisis: diplomats

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UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting Tuesday or Wednesday on the dire humanitarian crisis unfolding in Aleppo, diplomats said.Frances UN ambassador Francois Delattre said Tuesday that Paris is working with the government of Senegal, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the council, to convene the meeting on providing relief to the besieged Syrian city.We hope well be able to schedule it by tomorrow, Delattre told reporters.France and its partners cannot remain silent in the face of what could be the biggest massacre of civilian population since World War II, the French diplomat added. We need to find a way to get the humanitarian aid to the population.France called for an immediate UN Security Council session amid fighting that has seen the Syrian army capture a third of opposition-controlled east Aleppo in recent days.Britains ambassador to the United Nations, Matthew Rycroft, voiced support for the emergency meeting.He said the council would discuss plans for the UN to deliver much-needed food and medicine into Aleppo and evacuate the sick and wounded.Russia complained that the opposition had not agreed to this plan. Now they have, so I call on Russia to make sure the Syrian regime agrees, Rycroft said.The future of Aleppo is in the hands of the regime and Russia, and we urge the regime and Russia to stop the bombing and let the aid go through.Diplomats hope to finally address the need for desperately needed assistance to the city, which is besieged by a government offensive trying to recapture parts of it held by rebels.Fighting has prompted an exodus of terrified civilians, many fleeing empty-handed into remaining rebel-held territory, or crossing into government-controlled western Aleppo or Kurdish districts.The UN has said nearly 16,000 people have fled the assault and more could follow.

20,000 flee eastern Aleppo in 72 hours: ICRC

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GENEVA (AFP) - Up to 20,000 people have fled a Syrian government offensive in rebel-held eastern Aleppo in the last 72 hours, the International Committee of the Red Cross said Tuesday. ..A spokeswoman for the Geneva-based ICRC, Krista Armstrong, told AFP that the 20,000 figure was an estimate and that the situation remained fluid, stressing that people are fleeing in different directions, desperately seeking refuge from the brutal fighting. Terrified civilians have fled empty-handed into remaining rebel-held territory, or crossed into government-controlled western Aleppo or Kurdish districts.The United Nations humanitarian chief Stephen OBrien had earlier put the number of displaced from eastern Aleppo at 16,000.The Syrian government offensive to recapture rebel-held parts of Aleppo has sparked international alarm.France called for an immediate UN Security Council session on the fighting, which has seen the army capture a third of opposition-controlled east Aleppo in recent days.
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Monday, 28 November 2016

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Pakistan, New Zealand head for run-a-ball finale

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HAMILTON (AFP) - Sami Aslam was unbeaten on 75 as Pakistan went to tea at 158-1 needing a run a ball in a climactic final session of the second Test against New Zealand on Tuesday.Aslam and Azhar Ali (58) produced a 131-run stand for the first wicket, and with Babar Azam not out on 16 the tourists were set for a final showdown at Hamiltons Seddon Park. It is not a foreign situation for them.When they required 292 in 62 overs at lunch it evoked memories of an epic run chase in Sharjah two years ago when they smacked 302 in the fourth innings in 57.3 overs to beat Sri Lanka. Despite the Seddon Park wicket still offering some support to the bowlers on a flattening pitch, Azhar and Aslam were able to set the stage for another grandstand finish.Pakistan require 211 runs off 204 balls if they are to snatch victory and level the series.After losing the first Test in Christchurch, only a win in Hamilton can keep Pakistan second to India in the world rankings. A draw or a loss will consign them to fourth place below England and Australia.At the top of the innings, Azhar and Aslam were resolute with their best performances of the series although Aslam had two heart-stopping moments. On 31 he was given not out on an lbw appeal when Kane Williamson debated too long on whether to go for a referral and his chance to request a review timed out. Replays showed Aslam was plumb in front. He could also have been run out on 45 had Mitchell Santers throw from midwicket been fast and direct to the wicketkeeper.Aslam brought up his sixth 50 in nine Tests carving a Neil Wagner bouncer to the boundary, giving him some satisfaction in a match where he dropped three critical catch offerings in the field. Azhar, standing in as captain for the unavailable Misbah-ul-Haq, faced 147 deliveries before he reached his 23rd half century with a single off Matt Henry. But his patient innings ended soon after when he went to drive Santner out of the ground only to drag the ball back on to his stumps.

Fire damages flour mill in Multan

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MULTAN (Dunya News) - According to details, fire broke out at a private flour mill situated near Sadu Saam Chowk in Multan on Monday which engulfed the entire mill very quickly. Three workers were also trapped in the building of the flour mill. Fire brigade and rescue teams reached the spot and rescued the trapped workers.The firefighters brought the blaze under control after the hectic efforts of three hours. According to initial estimates, valuables worth millions of rupees were destroyed in the fire.

Karachi: Residents vacate dilapidated building after compensation talks

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – Residents vacated a dilapidated residential building near Pakistan Chowk area in Karachi on Monday after successful negotiations with the owner of the building, Dunya News reported.The occupants were stuck in the building when stairs of one of the floors collapsed on Sunday. However, the families living on the floor refused to leave the building.Successful negotiations were held between the occupants and owner of the building, Malik Tasleem, on Monday. Malik Tasleem assured the residents that each family will get Rs five lakh after which they agreed to vacate the building.The four families living in the dilapidated building were evacuated with the help of a snorkel.

Karachi: 5 accused arrested in police operation

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KARACHI (Dunya News) - Crackdown against criminal elements under National Action Plan (NAP) continues in Karachi as five accused were taken into custody by police during operations in different parts of the city, Dunya News reported.According to details, police arrested three street criminals in injured condition after and encounter near Gulshan Ghazi graveyard in Pakistan Bazar area of Orangi Town. SHO (Station House Officer) Pakistan Bazar Police Station informed media that the arrested person were involved in street crime.Police have also recovered three TT pistols, bullets and two stolen motorcycles from the arrested persons.Separately, police also arrested two accused after and encounter during snap checking in Zaman Town area. Police also recovered arms from their possession.

Khairpur: 4 killed in car, bus collision

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KHAIRPUR (Dunya News) – At least four people were killed and 10 other sustained injuries when a speeding bus collided with a car in Thari Mirwah area near Khairpur on Monday, Dunya News reported.According to details, a bus going to Karachi from Sukkur hit a car at the National Highway in Thari Mirwah, killing four people travelling in the car on the spot. At least 10 passengers of the bus, including women and children, were wounded in the accident.Police and rescue teams reached the spot and shifted the dead and injured to Civil Hospital Khairpur.

Civil-Military relations not at their best in COAS Raheel era

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LAHORE (Web Desk) - The relations between Civil-Military relations between government of Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif and Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) were not at their best, reported Dunya News.Kamran Khan discussed the relations in his program Dunya Kamran Khan Ke Saath. The things got serious at the beginning when government decided to pursue the case against former Army chief General Pervez Musharraf, who had good relations with Raheel Sharif and family, as General Musharraf was course mate of General Raheels brother Nishan-e-Haider Major Shabbir Sharif.Raheel Sharif indicated to Nawaz Sharif that Pakistan Army wants to move on and then General Musharraf had to go to hospitalArmed Forces Institute of Cardiology (AFIC) due to health problem. He stayed in hospital for 3 months.Musharraf was allowed to go out of Pakistan for treatment on 31 May but PM Nawaz stopped him from travelling. This worsened the relations between Army and government but Musharraf shifted to Karachi and did not present himself in front of any court in this time. Musharraf travelled abroad after staying in Karachi for two years but PM Nawaz was not so happy with that.Terrorists were very active in first few months in General Raheel Sharifs era and government wanted to have dialogue with the terrorists but COAS started Zarb-e-Azb operation on 15 June 2014, which was announced by Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR).The relations also took a turn during Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Dharna when PML-N leaders Khawaja Asif and Mushahid Ullah Khan said that former DG ISI Zaheer-ul-Islam had asked Imran Khan to do that to overthrow the government. Mushahid Ullah Khan had to lose his ministry after that statement but Khawaja Asif remained on his position, which showed that government had the same stance.

Gen Qamar Bajwa to assume command of Pak Army today

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RAWALPINDI (Dunya News) - General Qamar Javed Bajwa will take up the post of the 16th Chief of Army Staff of the Pakistan Army today (Tuesday) to replace General Raheel Sharif, Dunya News reported.Invitations have been dispatched to ambassadors, civil leaders, military officials among other dignitaries to attend the change of command ceremony that is scheduled to be held at the hockey ground adjacent to General Headquarters (GHQ).On the other hand, General Zubair Mehmood Hayat has assumed charge as the Chairman of Joint Chiefs Staff Committee (CJCSC) on Monday in a ceremony that was held in the GHQ.In the ceremony, contingents of all three armed forces conducted a march-past while the freshly appointed CJCSC reviewed Guard of Honour.The ceremony was attended by chiefs of all three armed forces including the army chief designate.Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif designated General Bajwa as the army chief on Saturday after which he convened a one-on-one meeting with him as well as with General Hayat.The decision came after the premier returned from his two-day Turkmenistan visit following which he convened a meeting with President Mamnoon Hussain and took him in confidence over the decision and fresh appointments.Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly (NA), Khurshid Shah and chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) among other leaders of different political parties welcomed PM Nawaz’s decision and hoped that the new military chief followed the footsteps of his predecessor, General Raheel Sharif.The outgoing chief has been lauded by both national and international bodies for his fruitful actions against extremism in the country. Operation Zarb-e-Azb, a large-scale coercive action against hideouts and thousands of terrorists in Norht Waziristan was launched in June 2014, under his supervision.General Raheel Sharif chaired a farewell meeting of corps commanders in GHQ on Monday during which he thanked the commanders for cooperation that led to success of Pakistan Army on multiple fronts in past years.

Pakistan 76/0 at lunch on last day of the test, need 293 to win

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HAMILTON (Dunya News) - Pakistan were 76 for no loss at lunch on last day of the second test against New Zealand, as they needed 293 runs to win the match and level the series, reported Dunya News.Openers Azhar Ali and Sami Aslam batted slow and steadily to make sure that no wicket fell in the first session. At lunch Azhar Ali was batting on 36 off 113 balls whereas Sami was on 32 of 122 balls.

3 accused involved in Millat Park robbery arrested

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LAHORE (Dunya News) - Three accused who were involved in Millat Park robbery and had killed five people, were arrested on Monday, reported Dunya News.According to police, Zahid, Jahangir and Basu are professional criminals and two of them belong to Hafizabad and one is from Kot Abdul Malik.According to report, Basit alias Basu looked after both whereas Jahangir and Zahid fired shots. They had killed five people and injured two.Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Shehbaz Sharif had taken notice of the incident and CIA Police special team was also finding the culprits.

Cold, dry weather expected in most parts of the country

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - Mainly cold and dry weather is expected in most parts of the country during the next 24 hours. However, cloudy condition with light rain and snowfall over the hills is expected at isolated places in Malakand division and Gilgit-Baltistan.According to Pakistan Meteorological Department, foggy conditions are expected in plain areas of Punjab and upper Sindh during morning hours.

Unofficial result: PPP wins NA-258 by-election

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – According to unofficial and unconfirmed result, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) candidate Abdul Hakim Baloch won the National Assembly constituency NA-258 by-election on Monday, Dunya News reported.The seat fell vacant when Abdul Hakim Baloch, then a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MNA, resigned and joined PPP on September 22, 2016. Abdul Hakim Baloch had won this seat in the 2013 general election on PML-N ticket.According to unofficial result, Abdul Hakim Baloch won the NA-258 by-election by securing 80,196 votes. It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan chapter of MQM and PTI boycotted the by-election.

Exodus as Syria rebels lose northeast Aleppo

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ALEPPO (AFP) - Syrias rebels lost all of the northern neighbourhoods of their stronghold in east Aleppo on Monday, as the army made significant advances in its offensive to recapture the entire city.The regime gains have prompted an exodus of thousands of desperate civilians, some fleeing to districts held by the government or Kurdish forces, others heading south into areas still under opposition control.The situation is disastrous, said Ibrahim Abu Al-Leith, a spokesman for the White Helmets rescue group in the Ansari neighbourhood.There is mass displacement and morale is in the gutter, he said, his voice cracking with emotion.People are sleeping in the streets. They dont have anything to eat or drink, but neither do we, he told AFP.The loss of eastern Aleppo would be a potentially devastating blow to Syrias rebels, who seized the area in 2012.The opposition has steadily lost territory since Russia intervened to bolster President Bashar al-Assad in September 2015.On Monday, government forces seized the Sakhur, Haydariya and Sheikh Khodr districts, and Kurdish fighters took the Sheikh Fares neighbourhood from rebels, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said.This is their (the rebels) worst defeat since they seized half the city in 2012, Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman said.The advances left all of northeast Aleppo under government control.Syrias White Helmets warned on Monday they had no more fuel reserves for rescue vehicles.In a video statement, the group urged all humanitarian, aid, and medical organisations to immediately intervene to put an end to the humanitarian disaster facing civilians in besieged Aleppo.Nearly 10,000 civilians have fled the east, the Observatory said late Sunday, with about 6,000 moving to the Kurdish-held Sheikh Maqsud neighbourhood and 4,000 to government-held west Aleppo.Kurdish officials published a video they said showed civilians crossing a field to Sheikh Maqsud, where local forces helped people cross a makeshift berm.Syrias Kurds are officially aligned with neither the government nor the rebels, but the opposition views them as effectively allied with the regime in its efforts to recapture Aleppo.Hundreds of civilians were also fleeing south to the remaining rebel-held districts with little more than the clothes they wore, an AFP correspondent said.People in southern neighbourhoods were donating blankets and other items to the new arrivals, who had travelled on foot, exhausted, cold and hungry.The United Nations said it was deeply concerned about civilians in the east, where international aid is exhausted and food stocks are desperately low.The UN has appealed for access to the east many times, but has failed to secure the necessary guarantees to enable aid deliveries.In terms of east Aleppo, we just need the green light from the people who control the roads going in because, as you know, the east of Aleppo is besieged, Ramesh Rajasingham, the UNs deputy regional humanitarian coordinator for the Syria crisis, told AFP.The government advances mean the regime now controls at least a third of eastern Aleppo, just under two weeks into its renewed bid to recapture the city.State television said the army had captured the key Suleiman al-Halabi pumping station, which controls water supplies to government-held west Aleppo and has periodically been shut by rebels.Three people were killed and 29 wounded in rebel fire on western Aleppo on Monday, state media said.Regime bombardment of eastern districts killed six civilians, Abdel Rahman said.The government assault of heavy air strikes, barrel bomb attacks and artillery fire has killed at least 235 civilians, including 27 children, in east Aleppo, according to the Observatory.Rebel fire into the government-held west has also killed at least 27 civilians, among them 11 children, since November 15, it says.Syrias Al-Watan daily, which is close to the government, said the next stage would be to divide the remaining (rebel-held) area into... districts that will be easily controlled and to capture them successively.But British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson called for an immediate ceasefire in Aleppo, saying the assault is threatening a humanitarian catastrophe.More than 300,000 people have been killed and millions displaced since the conflict began with anti-government protests in March 2011.Syrias deputy foreign minister on Monday denounced accusations by western countries that it has used chemical weapons in the conflict as a campaign of lies.Faisal Muqdad was speaking at the annual conference in The Hague of countries belonging to the Chemical Weapons Convention.

UN urges halt to Aleppo fighting, says aid needed

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UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - The United Nations on Monday issued an urgent appeal to Syrias warring parties to halt attacks endangering civilians in Aleppo and allow humanitarian aid deliveries to besieged parts of the city.Spokesman Stephane Dujarric said rebel-held parts of Aleppo had received no aid since the beginning of July, and food was becoming scarce.Supplies provided by the World Food Program ran out on November 13 and aid from other agencies is dwindling, effectively leaving Eastern Aleppo city without food, he said.The UN is extremely concerned about the estimated 275,000 civilians trapped in horrific conditions.We urge all parties to the conflict to put an end to the indiscriminate bombing and shelling and to protect civilians and civilian infrastructures and to enable life-saving humanitarian assistance, as required under international humanitarian law, Dujarric said.Faced with devastating bombing and street fighting, thousands are fleeing to safety after more than four months of siege.Syrias rebels lost all of the northern neighborhoods of their stronghold in east Aleppo on Monday, as the army of President Bashar al-Assad made significant advances in its offensive to recapture the entire city.

Iraqi forces try to weed out IS from those fleeing Mosul

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BARTALLA (AFP) - An Iraqi officer shuffled through identity cards as he sat at a battered desk by the side of the dust-blown highway heading east from the city of Mosul.Six men in dirt-spattered tracksuits huddled nearby, waiting on a concrete slab, part of the latest convoy of civilians to flee fighting as government forces try to oust Islamic State jihadists from the city.Clutching a phone to his ear, the officer stood up and read out the mens names one by one, waiting a second to receive a word from the person on the other end. He then handed them back their identity cards and let them go.Eventually, only one man remained. The officer repeated his name several times, his voice rising. Suddenly, he grabbed the man and started hauling him into a makeshift cell at the back of what was once a roadside car workshop.Everyone in Mosul knows who the terrorists are, said Lieutenant Ali of Iraqs special forces, part of a group of officers involved in the screening.Some 70,000 civilians have fled the violence since Iraqi forces started the offensive to retake Mosul last month.After more that two years of extremist rule over the city of more than a million inhabitants, the authorities are desperate to stop any jihadists escaping among the throngs of displaced civilians.To do this, they say they use a database of intelligence collected from different sources, including Western spy agencies, old records and Mosul residents who lived under IS.We get information from Mosul because of the difficulties people suffered during the two-and-a-half years under Daesh, Ali said, using an Arabic acronym for IS.Official figures are not made public on how many people have been detained by the various forces fighting IS -- the Iraqi army, special forces, police and Kurdish peshmerga. Intelligence officer Ali, who did not give his second name, estimated that some five percent of the men fleeing the city have been held on suspicion of cooperating with IS.That would mean hundreds -- if not thousands -- are currently detained.Iraqi officials say the men they detain are investigated and -- if enough evidence is provided of their ties to IS -- put on trial.Some parts of Mosuls population initially welcomed the jihadists, following abuses committed by the Shiite-dominated security forces against the Sunni-majority citys residents before IS swept in.And when the daily hardships of life in ISs tyrannical caliphate became evident, some level of acceptance of the jihadist organisation was sometimes necessary to survive.Dhiaa Zuhair clutched his ID card in relief as he walked back to his family after passing through the screening. The dust from walking out of the Mosul battlefield still clung to his clothes, shoes and hair. I wasnt worried because I had nothing to do with IS, he said. The forces have very good intelligence.But some said that the dragnet for IS members was falling too wide and subject to abuse. Several rights groups have said the process is opaque and has not undergone enough scrutiny. At her tent in the sprawling Khazir camp for displaced people, Um Yamen showed off the note she had received from her husband that morning.Im well and in good health, read the message handwritten on paper from the International Committee of the Red Cross. Im in prison.It was the first news she had received from her husband in the 20 days since Kurdish forces arrested him as he followed her out of their village close to Mosul. They accused him of working with IS, and Kurdish intelligence is holding him in a neighbouring district.But his wife insisted he was just a clerk at the local power company doing his job. The real reason he was detained, she said, was that some people in the village had a grudge against him and claimed he was a member of IS to get him in trouble.This is an injustice. He didnt do anything wrong. He was just going to his job, she said, asking to use a pseudonym. I dont really understand why this has happened.

Yemen rebels give 'salvation' govt line-up

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SANAA (AFP) - Yemens rebels announced the line-up of a national salvation government Monday as the United Nations tried to revive peace efforts in the war-wracked Arabian Peninsula country.Announcement of the 42-member body headed by Abdel Aziz bin Habtoor, a former governor of Aden, is likely to provoke a strong response from the government of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, whose forces have been battling the Iran-backed Huthi rebels and their allies since 2014.It could also be a gesture of defiance aimed at the United Nations and United States, which continue to advocate a national unity government that would include rebels and representatives of the Hadi camp.The new cabinet was announced by the supreme political council which was established earlier this year by the Huthis and their allies, supporters of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh.It came after UN envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed met the rebels in Muscat last week and was scheduled to meet Hadi in Aden, the southern port city and temporary seat of the internationally recognised government.A previous round of peace talks held in Kuwait collapsed in August, and a 48-hour ceasefire declared by the coalition ended last Monday with little success in reducing the violence.Releasing the government line-up on Monday, the rebels said they were responding to Hadis stubbornness in continuing the war with the backing of the Saudi-led Arab coalition that intervened in March 2015.Saleh supporters have been given the defence, interior and foreign ministries and the Huthis the portfolios of petroleum, finance, information, education and justice, according to the rebels sabanews.net website.The United Nations says the war in Yemen has killed more than 7,000 people and wounded nearly 37,000 since March last year.
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