Friday 18 November 2016

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Karachi: Police arrest two Afghan nationals

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – According to details, police conducted an operation in Sohrab Goth area of Karachi on Friday on the information provided by an already arrested accused and apprehended two Afghan nationals, Dunya News reported.Police sources informed media that the arrested Afghan nationals were wanted by police in several cases of murder and extortion in the city.

Imran says no 'London Plan' on arrival in Manchester

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MANCHESTER (Dunya News) - Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan has said that there is no London Plan in the offing as he reached Manchester on Friday, Dunya News reported.Talking to the media at the Manchester Airport, Imran said that he will accept the Supreme Court decision in Panama case and added that it is the first time in history that the country’s chief executive is present before the courts for his accountability.He said that the decision to appoint new lawyer in place of Hamid Khan to represent PTI in the Panama case will be taken on his return to Pakistan. PTI chief reached Manchester to attend wedding ceremony of sister of his friend Anil Mussarat and will return to Pakistan on Sunday. Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed and PTI leader Naeem-ul-Haq also reached Manchester on the same flight.

Costa and Hazard boost Chelsea ahead of Boro clash

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LONDON (AFP) - Chelsea head to Middlesbrough on Sunday buoyed by the knowledge that star men Diego Costa and Eden Hazard have both been passed fit as the Blues resume Premier League duty after the international breakThe pair had been considered doubts due to a groin injury and an unspecified knock respectively but manager Antonio Conte has confirmed they had each received the all clear as the West Londoners bid for a sixth straight league win.Costas fitness was of particular concern after the forward suffered an injury at Everton which meant he missed Spains international matches with Macedonia and England.But he is now at the service of Italian manager Conte, while midfielder Cesc Fabregas is also fully fit following a muscle problem.I have all the players available, said Conte. They are in good form. Costa had a bit of an injury after the game against Everton, and started to train with us on Wednesday. But his physical condition is good.Hazard is fit, yes. It was only a tackle. But he recovered very well. Fabregas is in good shape. Hes available for Sunday, for sure.Im always worried when I see that there is a probability that one player of my team, of my squad, is not able to play the game.But, in this case, when there is an international break and you are a bit worried for your players its important to play for the national team.Until now, so far, we were lucky because no one player came back from the national team injured after the international break, former Italy manager Conte added.Conte believes he is building a new-look side with his men second in the Premier League over the international break following the disappointment of failing to qualify for European football last season.I see a chance to build something important with Chelsea here, a new method and philosophy, he said. These are the most important things. Then its logical, when you play this championship, that you want to fight until the end. To win the title, or for a place in the Champions League.Its important now to work with the players, to continue to build something of importance for Chelsea for the present and the future.Conte, meanwhile, insisted Oscar still has a future at Stamford Bridge despite the midfielder failing to start a league game since September.Oscars future is Chelsea, Chelsea, full stop, said the manager. For me, Oscar is an important player in the squad. Hes in good form.Its logical I have to take the starting XI every week, but Oscar is a great player. For me, he stays at Chelsea.Aitor Karanka celebrates three years in charge of Middlesbrough with the northeast side looking to build on the point earned in a 1-1 draw at Manchester City before the international break.Middlesbrough are unbeaten in three games, and the Spaniard said: When we came here three years ago, the team was not in a good way, and weve made progress.The chairman, the club and the crowd deserve to be in the Premier League to face challenges like this one we have coming up against Chelsea.Its another big game against a side that I believe will be challenging for the title, and it will be the latest gauge of how far weve progressed.Middlesbrough captain George Friend (knee) is an injury doubt, and Daniel Ayala (knee) remains sidelined.Gaston Ramirez and Cristhian Stuani will be assessed before Karanka makes a decision on whether to include the Uruguay pair after their return from long-haul trips on international duty.

Bundesliga upstarts Leipzig knock Bayern Munich off top

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BERLIN (AFP) - RB Leipzig claimed another milestone in their fledgling history on Friday by taking three points in a 3-2 comeback win at Bayer Leverkusen to knock Bayern Munich off the top of the Bundesliga.The Bundesliga new boys, now unbeaten after 11 games, have a three-point lead on Bayern Munich, who are at Borussia Dortmund on Saturday evening in the battle of Germanys top clubs -- dubbed Der Klassiker.Carlo Ancelottis Bayern need to win at Dortmund to retain top spot on goal difference.From a psychological point of view we really did very well in the second-half when we were behind twice, said Leipzig coach Ralph Hasenhuettl.After exchanging goals in the first four minutes -- Leverkusens Kevin Kampl scoring after a minute before teammate Julian Baumgartlingers own goal drew Leipzig level -- Leverkusens German international winger Julian Brandt put the hosts ahead again just before half-time.The turning point came when Brandt earned a penalty on 54 minutes only for Hakan Calhanoglus shot to be cleared by Leipzig goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi.Swedish international Emil Forsberg equalised for Leipzig following an impressive solo run on 67 minutes and defender Willi Orban headed in the winner on 81 minutes for the Bundesliga upstarts.Leipzig earned their place in Germanys top flight with four promotions in seven years and have now set a Bundesliga record run for a newly promoted club by going 11 games unbeaten.The club, sponsored by Austrian energy drink giants Red Bull, have 27 points from 11 games with champions Bayern Munich on 24 points.But the newcomers have come under fire from rival fans who believe the clubs sponsors have undermined the German idea of football not being an advertising product.On Friday night the team bus was sprayed with paint on its way to the BayArena stadium.Borussia Dortmund boss Hans-Joachim Watzke even weighed into the debate during the week.For the first time we have a case where nothing, but absolutely nothing, has developed in an historic fashion. We play football to promote a canned drink said Watzke.

Pakistan trail New Zealand by 61 runs at lunch on day 3

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CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand (AFP) - Pakistan quick Rahat Ali led a seven-wicket destruction of the New Zealand innings on the third morning to have the first Test delicately poised at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Saturday.Faced with a 67-run first innings deficit, Pakistan were six without loss at lunch after rolling New Zealand for 200 in their first innings.In an action-packed session, New Zealand resumed the day at 104-3 and lost their last seven wickets for 96 runs inside two hours.Left-armer Rahat finished with four for 62, while Mohammad Amir took three for 43 and Sohail Khan had three for 78.Colin de Grandhomme continued his remarkable debut for New Zealand with a rapid 29, while lusty hitting at the tail saw Tim Southee add 22 and Neil Wagner 21.New Zealands overnight pair Jeet Raval and Henry Nicholls added only one further run before both were back in the hut as Pakistan made inroads from the third over of the day.Nicholls was trapped in front by a good length Sohail delivery and was gone for 30 while Raval went in the next over, caught by Sami Aslam at first slip off Mohammad Amir, without increasing his overnight 55.De Grandhomme and BJ Watling put on 37 for the sixth wicket with de Grandhomme ensuring a first innings lead when he clipped a short Rahat delivery over the slip cordon to the boundary.It was one of six boundaries by the 30-year-old whose reputation as a big hitter far exceeds that of his bowling.Yet it was with the ball that de Grandhomme first announced himself on the international scene with his 6-41 in Pakistans first innings, a record return for a New Zealander on debut.Sohail eventually brought his innings to an end with a shorter delivery that de Grandhomme skied to Rahat running in from long leg.Asad Shafiq was moved to fourth slip when the right-handed Todd Astle went to the crease and was quickly in the game with a smart catch when Rahat moved the ball across the batsman.Rahat also had Watling caught in the slips for 18 and Wagner went in similar fashion while Amir returned to remove Southee who, in his typical search for quick runs, had scored his 22 off 19.The New Zealand innings lasted 59.5 overs, 24 deliveries more than Pakistans first turn at bat.

Kenya defy rain to beat Hong Kong by three wickets

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NAIROBI (AFP) - Kenya beat Hong Kong by three wickets in their rain-affected first match of the World Cricket League Championship at the Nairobi Gymkhana club ground on Friday to secure two points.Set 223 to win, the Kenyan chase -- spearheaded by opener-cum-wicketkeeper Irfan Karim, who smashed 67 from 92 balls -- was jolted when rain twice interrupted play, forcing the target to be adjusted to 200 runs in 43 overs on the Duckworth-Lewis method.The weather change also hit the rhythm of the match -- Karim and his second-wicket partner Dhiren Gondaria, who were steadily helping Kenya to recover after the loss of fellow opener Alex Obanda, were removed in quick succession.Gondaria was snared by Ehsan Khan and Karim, whose innings included five fours and a six, soon followed.The home side looked to be in disarray after skipper Rakep Patel, whose tight bowling had helped restrict the Hong Kong batting line-up, was trapped lbw off Khan with only four runs to his credit.It took tailenders Narendra Patel and Nehemiah Odhiambo to push the Kenyan score beyond the 200 target, and put the home side in the driving seat before the second match on Sunday.Anshuman Rath top-scored with 90 off 92 balls for Hong Kong, who needed all four points to go top of the eight-team ICC World Cricket League, which counts towards the 2019 World Cup in England.

Syria regime steps up fierce Aleppo assault

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ALEPPO (AFP) - Air strikes and ferocious artillery fire pounded rebel-held east Aleppo on Friday as an escalating military offensive underscored the Syrian regimes determination to take full control of the divided city.Streets were deserted and residents took refuge indoors on the fourth straight day of government bombardment of opposition-controlled parts of Syrias second city.The artillery fire was the most intense in east Aleppo in around two years, AFPs correspondent there said, and rescue workers said it was too dangerous to move around bomb-scarred neighbourhoods.I have never heard such intense artillery bombardments, said Najib Fakhoury, head of the White Helmets volunteer rescue group in the rebel-held Ansari district.Earlier, we received a call for help to extinguish a fire, he said. But we cannot go because the shells are falling on the streets.Aleppo has been ravaged by some of the worst violence of the five-year war, which has displaced more than half the countys population and killed more than 300,000 people.President Bashar al-Assads Russian-backed government has carried out several bombing campaigns this year but has failed to dislodge the rebels from east Aleppo, where more than 250,000 residents are under army siege.Shells and rockets hit several east Aleppo districts, an AFP correspondent reported.Regime helicopters dropped barrel bombs -- crude unguided explosive devices whose use has been denounced by international rights groups because they kill indiscriminately.Late Friday, regime shelling of one of east Aleppos few functioning hospitals put it out of service, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.The hospital is partially destroyed, a medical source inside the facility in the Maadi neighbourhood said, adding that two patients were killed.Earlier, barrel bombs and shelling completely destroyed the civil defence headquarters in the eastern district of Bab al-Nairab, a rescue volunteer there said.The AFP correspondent said schools would close on Saturday and Sunday in eastern districts because of the raids and shelling.The bombardment came as government troops pressed an assault on the southern neighbourhood of Sheikh Said, which they briefly entered before being pushed back by rebels, the Observatory said.The rebels riposted by firing rockets into government-held areas of the city, the Britain-based monitoring group added.State media said the rocket fire killed five people including two girls.At least 65 civilians have been killed since the offensive resumed on Tuesday, said the Observatory, which relies on a network of sources inside Syria for its information.The bombardment ended a period of relative respite, particularly in east Aleppo, where Moscow halted air strikes on October 18 ahead of several brief ceasefires.The ceasefires were intended to encourage residents and surrendering rebels to leave the east, but few did so.Once the countrys main commercial and industrial hub, Aleppo has been devastated by fighting since the rebels overran the citys east in 2012.The rebels have been besieged by the army since July, and aid agencies say food stocks in the sector are virtually exhausted.Syria expert Thomas Pierret said regime forces intended to combine air strikes with famine resulting from the siege to get rebels to surrender.Aleppo is now completely besieged and its residents are starting to die of hunger, he said.Fabrice Balanche, another Syria expert, said Damascus and its allies wanted to retake east Aleppo before US president-elect Donald Trump takes office.Russia, Damascus and Tehran want to retake east Aleppo quickly. The United States is paralysed. Trump needs to be presented with a fait accompli in January, he said.The 1.2 million civilians living in government-held areas have come under repeated rebel rocket fire that has killed dozens.Russia, which intervened in Syria in September 2015 in support of Assads regime, said Wednesday it had not carried out any raids on Aleppo since October 18.Instead it has concentrated its strikes in the northern province of Idlib, controlled by an alliance of rebels and jihadists.Russian and Syrian aircraft continued to bomb several cities and towns in Idlib Friday, the AFP correspondent in the province said.Regime artillery fire also hit the besieged rebel-held town of Douma, east of Damascus.The head of the global watchdog tasked with destroying chemical weapons, meanwhile, said Friday it was probing more than 20 reports of the alleged use of toxic arms in Syria since August.The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons chief said he believed IS may have itself manufactured mustard gas used in Syria and Iraq.

More than 30 dead in heavy clashes in Yemen

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ADEN (AFP) - More than 30 people have been killed in intense fighting between rebels and loyalists on the outskirts of Yemens third city Taez, military and medical sources said Friday.The clashes have eliminated hope of the warring parties abiding by a truce announced by US Secretary of State John Kerry that was to have taken effect on Thursday.Loyalist military sources told AFP that 24 rebels and 14 pro-government forces were killed over the past 24 hours, while the rebels reported dozens of casualties in shelling of a local market.Two civilians were also killed and 16 wounded when rebels fired Katyusha rockets into a residential area of Taez, they said.A photographer identified as Awab al-Zubairi with the pro-government Taiz News Network, which posts on Facebook and Twitter, was also killed when a landmine planted by the rebels exploded in Taez, a government official said.For its part, rebel-controlled sabanews.net website reported that pro-government forces fired artillery rounds into areas east of the city.A rocket hit a market selling the popular mild narcotic leaf qat, killing 24 people and wounding 27 on Thursday, according to sabanews.net.It cited the Taez province health chief, Watheq Faqih, as saying the toll could rise as rescue workers had not been able to gather the body parts of all the dead because of artillery fire on Friday.The medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said emergency rooms it supports or manages in Taez province had received a total of 21 dead and 76 wounded.Among those killed was a watchman who worked at the MSF trauma centre in Taez.He was killed while off-duty when a blast hit a local market in the neighbourhood, said Djoen Besselink, who heads the MSF mission in Yemen, apparently referring to the qat market.Fighting has been intensive in Taez during recent days, and hospitals on both sides of the frontline have received a continuous influx of war-wounded civilians and fighters, MSF said.Pro-government forces are pressing on with a four-day-old offensive to recapture the presidential residence and police headquarters in the southwestern city, while the Shiite Huthi rebels have brought in reinforcements.The fighting has continued despite Kerrys announcement of a new ceasefire.The US chief diplomat said on Tuesday that rebels were ready to observe a ceasefire plan taking effect from November 17, but President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadis government said it was not aware of any new peace initiative.The Huthis and the party of their ally, former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, confirmed their commitment to the truce, in a statement on the rebel television channel Almasirahs website.But a Saudi-led coalition which backs Hadis internationally recognised government told AFP Thursday that until now there is no demand from the legitimate government (of Yemen) to observe a ceasefire, adding that operations will continue.The United Nations says more than 7,000 people have been killed and nearly 37,000 wounded in Yemen since the Arab coalition began a military campaign in March 2015.

Trump taps hardliners for justice, CIA and national security

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - President-elect Donald Trump Friday tapped arch-conservative Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions to be attorney general and hawkish congressman Mike Pompeo, a strident opponent of the Iran nuclear deal, as his CIA director.The incoming commander in chief also appointed retired lieutenant general Michael Flynn, a top military counsel to the Republican billionaire and one of his earliest campaign surrogates, as his national security advisor.All three have accepted their appointments, Trumps transition team said in statement.I enthusiastically embrace President-elect Trumps vision for one America, and his commitment to equal justice under law, said Sessions, a 20-year veteran of Congress.I look forward to fulfilling my duties with an unwavering dedication to fairness and impartiality, added the 69-year-old, who was also one of Trumps earliest backers.Trump described him in the statement as a world-class legal mind who was greatly admired by legal scholars and virtually everyone who knows him.The appointments represent the president-elects first steps to appoint a cabinet after a transition effort that so far has been marred by infighting and reshuffles on the team getting ready for the January 20 inauguration.For director of the Central Intelligence Agency, Trump tapped Pompeo: a congressman who became well known in the controversy over a deadly militant attack against the US consulate in Benghazi, Libya in 2012.He will be a brilliant and unrelenting leader for our intelligence community to ensure the safety of Americans and our allies, Trump was quoted as saying in the statement.The 52-year-old co-authored a report slamming then-secretary of state Hillary Clintons handling of the attack, in which the US ambassador and three other Americans died.And as national security adviser, Trump turned to the 57-year-old Flynn, who is set to play a key role in shaping policy for a president with no experience in government or foreign policy.I am pleased that Lieutenant General Michael Flynn will be by my side as we work to defeat radical Islamic terrorism, navigate geopolitical challenges and keep Americans safe at home and abroad, Trump said.A registered Democrat, Flynn served as Trumps leading national security adviser during the campaign and was a highly visible surrogate, with a hardline stance on Islamic extremism. He described it in an interview with the New York Times as an existential threat on a global scale.Flynn is highly respected as a decorated military intelligence officer who helped combat insurgent networks in Afghanistan and Iraq. But he left the military after President Barack Obama fired him as head of the Defense Intelligence Agency in 2014 following complaints about his leadership style.Flynns appointment does not need approval from the senate.But that of Sessions as attorney general does, and hes got baggage: racially charged comments he made in the 1980s and which once cost him a chance for a job for life as a federal judge.Back in 1986 Sessions said that a prominent white lawyer was a disgrace to his race for defending African-Americans. Sessions acknowledged saying this in testimony to the US Senate at the time, but he insisted he did not mean it.In the 1980s he also allegedly addressed a black prosecutor working for him as boy, and joked about the Ku Klux Klan, saying he had thought its members were OK, until I found out they smoked pot, according to The New York Times.The reported appointments came a day after Trump met with a foreign leader for the first time -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.He was the first representative to meet with Trump from a US ally rattled by Trump comments during the campaign that questioned US loyalty to joint security arrangements and free trade accords, among other commitments.Abe said after the 90 minute meeting in New York that Trump was a leader in whom I can have great confidence.Trump was headed Friday to his exclusive golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, transition officials said, a location that offers more seclusion and comes amid complaints about the congestion in front of Trump Tower on New Yorks bustling Fifth Avenue.Trump is reportedly set to meet over the weekend with Mitt Romney, the moderate, failed presidential candidate -- and formerly vehement critic of Trump -- who is thought to be in the running for secretary of state, alongside former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani.Romney, who lost to Obama in 2012, had described Trump as vulgar, dishonest and out of line with US values, rebuking the tycoon for proposals such as banning the entry of all foreign Muslims.If chosen Romney would bring a more orthodox Republican worldview to foreign policy. In 2012 Romney described Russia as the top geopolitical threat -- a sharp contrast to Trump, who has exchanged compliments with President Vladimir Putin.Trump has drawn outrage by tapping anti-establishment firebrand Stephen Bannon, who pushes white identity politics, as chief strategist. House Democrats urged him to cancel the appointment.

European leaders, Obama vow to hold fast to NATO

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BERLIN (AFP) - US President Barack Obama and top European leaders Friday warned Donald Trump to stick to a strong transatlantic partnership, urging ongoing NATO cooperation and pressure against Russia.Trumps shock election win has sparked fears of drastic policy upheavals as he has challenged a near 70-year-old security shield for US allies under NATO and vowed to withdraw from hard-fought deals on the climate and Irans nuclear programme. The US president-elects admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin has also raised questions over his attitude toward Moscows backing for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as well as Russias role in the Ukraine conflictIn the Berlin talks, Obama and the leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Spain agreed on the necessity of working collectively to move the transatlantic agenda forward, said a White House statement.That meant securing diplomatic resolution to the conflicts in Syria and eastern Ukraine, including putting the heat on Russia through continued sanctions until it met its commitments under a peace deal for Ukraine.At the moment, progress on the ceasefire accord was unseen, said German Chancellor Angela Merkel after the talks, in which the leaders also affirmed the importance of continued cooperation through multilateral institutions, including NATO. On Thursday, Obama had sounded a note of cautious optimism that Trump could change his position and tone once he takes on the role as president. Theres something about the solemn responsibilities of that office ... that forces you to focus, that demands seriousness, Obama said at a joint press conference with Merkel.And if youre not serious about the job, then you probably wont be there very long. Because it will expose problems.Fridays meeting is the first of its format since Trumps election. It opened with the burning question of the US-led coalitions battle against Islamic State jihadists in Syria and Iraq, as well as Europes migrant crisis, before delving into the Ukraine conflict.But it also included an emotional and affectionate exchange as European leaders said goodbye to Obama, who was on his farewell tour of the continent after eight years in office, said an aide to French President Francois Hollande.In the visit, which first took Obama to Athens before he arrived in Berlin on Wednesday, the US leader took pains to stress the importance of a united Europe, as the EU faces unprecedented challenges that threatened to rip it apart.The EU remains one of the worlds great political and economic achievements, and those achievements should not be taken for granted, Obama said.He urged the leaders to look beyond their national crises and focus on the 28-member bloc as a whole, as the achievements that we have seen on this continent, in contrast to a divided Europe of the previous century, are ones that remind us of how important it is that we work together.Frances Hollande is grappling with record low approval ratings ahead of next Mays election that could see far-right candidate Marine Le Pen reach the second round run-off vote, or even win outright.Italys Matteo Renzi and Spains Mariano Rajoy meanwhile are battling state debt woes.And British Prime Minister Theresa May, whose country shocked the world when it voted to quit the EU, was updating Merkel on her Brexit plans in a separate meeting.Ahead of the potentially bitter Brexit negotiations, Obama called on Brussels and London to work towards a future relationship that preserve as closely as possible the economic and political and security relationships between the UK and EU.Obamas choice of Berlin as the main stop for his European farewell tour has been interpreted by some observers as the passing of the baton of the defence of liberal democracy to Merkel, who also chairs the Group of 20 industrial and developing powers next year.In a departure for the leader of a country that once took lessons from the United States on basic freedoms, Merkels congratulatory message to Trump tied future cooperation to respecting common democratic values, including respect for human dignity.Obama gave a ringing endorsement to Merkel, who is expected to announce Sunday that she will run for a fourth term in next years elections, and acknowledged that she would have heavy international burdens to shoulder. I wish I could be there to lighten her load somewhat. But shes tough, said Obama, who Friday headed off to Lima for a summit of Asia-Pacific leaders.

Trump settles Trump University lawsuits for $25 mn

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NEW YORK (AFP) - US President-elect Donald Trump has agreed to a $25 million settlement in class action lawsuits accusing the now-defunct Trump University of fraud -- a deal that will spare him the embarrassment of further legal wrangling as he prepares to enter the White House.Todays $25 million settlement agreement is a stunning reversal by Donald Trump and a major victory for the over 6,000 victims of his fraudulent university, New York state attorney general Eric Schneiderman said in a statement Friday.I am pleased that under the terms of this settlement, every victim will receive restitution and that Donald Trump will pay up to $1 million in penalties to the State of New York for violating state education laws.A spokesperson for Schneidermans office said the settlement covers all three cases against Trump University: two in California and one in New York.The agreement came just an hour before a hearing in a San Diego federal court was about to begin to decide on a request by Trump -- who is currently holding daily consultations on his new cabinet -- to delay the trial.The six-year-old lawsuit brought by former students alleges that now-defunct Trump University -- which was not an accredited college or university -- fleeced students by tricking them with aggressive marketing.Students paid as much as $35,000 to enroll, wrongly believing they would make it big in real estate after being taught by experts hand-picked by Trump, the suit says. Trumps lawyers counter that many students have given the program a thumbs-up and those who failed to succeed have only themselves to blame. The school operated from 2005 to 2011.In February, Trump tweeted that the program had a 98 percent approval rating: I could have settled but wont out of principal

Tennis: Murray targets perfect end to family's dream year

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LONDON (AFP) - Andy Murray has set his sights on a dream finish to 2016 for himself and brother Jamie as they target ATP Tour Finals glory.Both Andy and Jamie are through to the semi-finals of the Tour Finals in the singles and doubles respectively.Andy stepped up his bid to retain the world number one ranking when he crushed US Open champion Stan Wawrinka 6-4, 6-2 in his last group match on Friday.Jamie and Brazilian partner Bruno Soares also had plenty to celebrate on Friday when defeat for Nicolas Mahut and Pierre-Hugues Herbert confirmed they will finish the year as the worlds top ranked doubles team.Andy will face big-serving Canadian Milos Raonic in the semi-finals on Saturday.World number two Novak Djokovic, seeking to regain the top ranking from Murray, takes on Japans Kei Nishikori on the other last four clash.With the Murray brothers within touching distance of lifting the silverware on finals day on Sunday, Andy reflected on a memorable period for the Scottish stars, who have won a combined three Grand Slam titles and one Olympic gold in 2016.The whole year has been fantastic for both of us. Obviously we would like to finish it perfectly if we can, Andy said.Still theres a good chance that doesnt happen. But, regardless of what happens over the weekend, we can look back on this year and be very proud of what weve done as a family.We were always competing against each other from a young age. Now we dont, I think were probably each others biggest fans.Its really special to get to watch what hes achieved in the biggest competitions in the sport. Neither of us ever would have expected this when we were growing up. We need to try and enjoy it.Andy only needed a set against Wawrinka to make the last four and he quickly wrapped up that part of the equation before going on to avenge last years Tour Finals exit at the hands of the Swiss.I weathered the early storm a little bit. Stan came out hitting the ball huge. He was hitting a lot of winners, a lot of aces, Murray said.But, once I got through the early part of the match, I started to create chances in most of his service games. I served very well myself. I got a lot of free points with my serve.While the rest of the tennis world looks ahead to what would be an enthralling winner-takes-all clash between Murray and defending champion Djokovic in the final, the Scot is getting carried away.Murray is all too aware of the dangers posed by Raonic, even if he has won their five meetings this year, including in the Wimbledon and Queens final just across London.And, asked if he was relieved to avoid playing Djokovic in the last four, Murray underlined the threat posed by Raonic.Theres a good chance that, if I want to win the tournament, I would have to win against Novak. That would either be in the semis or the final. I dont think that makes a whole lot of difference, Murray said.Ive got a big match obviously against Milos now, a tough one. Im certainly not taking anything for granted. I know it will be hard. I know Ill need to play well to win.But I feel like my games in a good place. I played much better today than I did a couple of days ago. Physically I feel good. So Im looking forward to the weekend.

Golf: Garcia top in Dubai after late Westwood stumble

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DUBAI (AFP) - A final-hole bogey by overnight leader Lee Westwood handed the lead of the $8 million DP World Tour Championship to Sergio Garcia and Francesco Molinari, while Henrik Stenson remained in control of the Race to Dubai on Friday.Westwood, the champion in the inaugural year back in 2009, looked in good position to retain sole possession of the lead after a great drive down the par-5 18th hole, but his second shot rolled into the water and he ended up with a bogey to finish on eight-under par 136 at the halfway stage of the season-ending championship.Garcia and Molinari, who had finished in the groups ahead of Westwood, both shot five-under par 67s to add to their 68s on Thursday.A group of four players -- Tyrrell Hatton of England, Charl Schwartzel of South Africa, Austrias Bernd Wiesberger and Dutchman Joost Luiten -- were tied for fourth place at seven-under par 137.In the battle for the Race to Dubai honour, leader Stenson retained the advantage despite playing nowhere near his best in a three-under par 69 round.The Swede, who is looking to secure his second European No.1 crown having also won in 2013, made some long putts even as his long game deserted him.However, his rivals failed to make any significant advances with second-placed Danny Willett shooting 70 and joining him on three-under par, while No.3 Alex Noren was on four-under par after a 69.Stenson, who saved two crucial pars on the 13th and 14th holes with long putts, said: I had a better putter for sure. I made some nice birdies out there I thought and still scrambled for par pretty well.Yeah, long game is not the way we want it, but Im hanging in there, fighting. Keeping it in play most of the time. Its just hard when Im in the rough a bit more than I would have liked to and its just hard to control. I am not great playing but a much better day than yesterday. Hopefully, I can build on this.Garcia, whose last win on the European Tour came at the 2014 Qatar Masters, moved into contention in the Middle East once again with a round that featured some sensational ball-striking on another day when afternoon wind bothered the players.Except for two bad tee shots, one of which resulted in his solitary bogey on the 13th, Garcia was in complete control as he made six bogeys.I played nicely. Obviously, didnt hit good tee shots on 12 and 13, but we gave ourselves a lot of birdie chances. We could have scored better. We could have made some more putts but its not easy, when youre having 12, 15, 18-footers. Youre going to miss some of them, said the world No.15.Im excited about my chances. Its good to be out there with a chance, the last tournament of the year. I just want to make sure that I keep playing the same way Ive played these first two days and see where that takes us.World No.36 Molinari also made only one bogey, on the 10th hole.Maybe yesterday the start was even better, but played pretty solid the whole round. I think I had a little lapse in concentration on the 10th and then recovered well. Im happy where I am after two rounds, the Italian said.Defending champion Rory McIlroy shot a four-under par 68 -- a seven-shot improvement on his 75 from Thursday, and felt he was still in with a chance to win over the weekend.I holed a few more putts today. Mentally yesterday, I was still on holiday I think. I just wasnt really with it. Wasnt at the races. I felt a bit better out there today, he said.I have to wait and see what the guys do this afternoon. I guess if Im within sort of eight or nine shots going into the weekend, I still feel like I have a decent chance.

Golf: Magnificent Ko roars into Tour Championship lead

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MIAMI (AFP) - World number one Lydia Ko fired a sensational course record 10-under-par 62 to power into a three-shot lead at the halfway stage of the season-ending LPGA Tour Championship on Friday.The teenager from New Zealand blasted 11 birdies on her way to taming the 6,450-yard layout at the Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida.It was an extraordinary performance from the 19-year-old, whose round might have been even better had it not been for a bogey on the par-three 12th.Ko needed only 22 putts to compile her round, which followed a first-round 70 on Thursday which saw her start the day at two under.Kos majestic display left her sitting on 12 under, a 36-hole aggregate of 132, three shots clear of Ryann OToole and South Koreas Soyeon Ryu, both at nine under.Beatriz Recari and Kim Sei-Young were a further shot back on eight under after carding matching 68s.Jessica Korda and Mariajo Uribe climbed into a four-way tie for sixth place at seven under after shooting 66s.Chinas overnight leader Feng Shanshan slipped down the leaderboard however after a one-over-par 73. Feng is seven back from Ko on five under.But the day belonged to Ko, who opened her second round with three consecutive birdies and never looked back.Going into today my goal definitely wasnt a 62, a delighted Ko said. But the first few holes gave me a really good momentum and I was able to carry that for pretty much the rest of the round.I was putting good so whenever I was within a distance that felt comfortable I was thinking, Hey, I could hole this.It was just that kind of a day. When you see the putt it just feels like the balls going to feed into the hole.Kos round leaves her firmly on target to claim victory in the $2 million tournament. A win this weekend would also see her clinch the CME Globe title, the LPGA Tours points race, which would earn her another $1 million bonus.Her two closest rivals in the points race -- which Ko has won for the past two seasons -- finished the second round well down the leaderboard.Thailands Ariya Jutanugarn, the CME Globe points leader, is eight shots off the lead after a four-under-par second-round 68.Canadian teenager Brooke Henderson was unable to improve on her level-par first round, firing another 72 to remain at even, 12 shots adrift of Ko.Ko however said she would not allow herself to be distracted by the points-race permutations.I think the key mindset for me has been not thinking about everything that could happen, she said. I know that for me to win player of the year I need to win this championship. For me its more important to make sure I finish my season strong so I dont feel the pressure.

Boxing: Pound for pound on the line as Ward, Kovalev collide

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LOS ANGELES (AFP) - The right to be described as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world is on the line Saturday when Andre Ward and Sergey Kovalev meet in Las Vegas in a battle of the unbeatens.Ward, the 2004 Olympic champion and former super middleweight world champion, is aiming to grab Kovalevs unified light-heavyweight crown in a long-anticipated collision at the T-Mobile Arena.The bout is being promoted under the banner Pound for Pound, a 12-round scrap billed as a showdown to determine who deserves to be regarded as the best fighter on the planet.While some critics might be inclined to argue in favor of other fighters -- notably the undefeated four-division world champion Roman Chocolatito Gonzalez -- few will attempt to make that case in Las Vegas this weekend.For Ward (30-0, 15 knockouts), the logic is simple. Both he and Russias Kovalev (30-0, 26 knockouts) have beaten the best that their preferred divisions have to offer. The pound-for-pound tag is justified.Its hard to say definitively, but I think it would be really, really hard to argue against (the winner being pound-for-pound king), Ward said.Im saying this based on both of our resumes and based on the fact that we are both willing to step up and face each other at this stage of our career.Were both 30-0 and we both have a lot to gain and a lot to lose. I think that the winner of this fight should be pound-for-pound number one, the 32-year-old added.Kovalev, 33, who has bludgeoned his way to the top of his division on the back of brutal punching power in both fists, meanwhile says he is preparing for war.This fight is a great opportunity for both of us to show the boxing world who is the best pound-for-pound, Kovalev said. Its going to be a war between us.After an 18-month layoff, Ward fights for the third time in 17 months, his most recent triumph a unanimous decision over Colombias Alexander Brand three months ago before a hometown crowd in Oakland, California.Ward is adamant that the bout will be more than just a clash of styles -- his elusiveness versus the raw power of Kovalev.If it was just about me being a neutralizer some of these big punchers would walk right through me. Theres more to me than that, Ward said. Hes not a brawler. He thinks in there. Were ready for whatever he brings. Thats the key. Its about making constant adjustments.Theres a lot at stake. Its going to come down to who wants it more.Kovalev, 33, has long sought a meeting with Haitian-born Canadian southpaw Adonis Stevenson, the World Boxing Council champion who is 28-1 with 23 knockouts.However, when no deal could be struck, Kovalev surrendered his mandatory challenger rights to face a fighter he said he thinks will be his toughest foe yet.He has never lost before. But its my job. Let me do it and break his zero, Kovalev said. I dont have any different strategy. My strategy is just to win.Hes in the way of my goals and my dreams. I cant give this to him. I want to destroy him.
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