Friday 23 December 2016

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Internet nail-varnish dare nets sick Dutch 6-year-old a million

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THE HAGUE, Dec 23, 2016 (AFP) - A terminally ill Dutch six-year-old boy, who hoped to raise a few hundred euros for other sick children by daring people to paint their nails in garish colours, had raised more than one million by Friday.Tijn Kolsteren, who was diagnosed with brain cancer in May, launched the appeal only two days ago but it has quickly fired the imagination of the Dutch public who had donated more than 1,270,000 euros ($1,326,000) at the last count.Paint your nails, make a donation and then challenge three of your friends to do the same, dares the donation page, which invites participants to share their pictures on social media using the hashtag lakaan (meaning the polish is on).Most poor children diagnosed with pneumonia dont live until the age of five, said the young boy on the site. Thats why we have to put up a fight.Celebrities, politicians, presenters and actors have been among thousands of people who have posted pictures of their painted nails online, with far-right politician Geert Wilders plumping for deep red.I got really emotional when I heard the story about this little guy -- it made a really big impression on me, Prime Minister Mark Rutte said at his weekly press conference.The appeal is part of a traditional event in The Netherlands where radio DJs lock themselves away for several days without food or drink to raise money. This year, proceeds are going to the Red Cross.Although Tijns cancer was diagnosed on May, it was only last week that his family learned that a course of chemotherapy had failed to reduce its size.Despite this bad news, we wanted to do something for children who wont maybe even make it to six, his father Gerrit told public television channel NOS.We came up with the idea together: Tijn had already painted his nails with a friend and liked it. I wanted to do something similar to the Ice Bucket challenge and men painting their nails is a bit taboo, he added, referring to the internet craze that raised millions.The Dutch press hailed the boy as a hero, with the tabloid AD putting a picture of him dressed as a superhero under the headline SuperTijn.

Mourinho says Manchester United are ready to let Schneiderlin go

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LONDON (AFP) - Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho said on Friday he is willing to let midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin leave Old Trafford amid interest from Premier League rivals West Bromwich Albion.Schneiderlin, capped 15 times by France, has asked to leave United having made only eight appearances so far this season.West Brom have made a bid for the player, according to British press reports, with the BBC saying the Baggies have offered 13 million pounds ($15.9m, 15.2m euros).Asked if the 27-year-old had told him he wished to move away, Mourinho replied: Yeah. (Hes a) great professional, a fantastic boy, very honest, very open and (he) opens his heart a couple of times.My answer is simple: if hes playing regular with me I have the right to say, no way. If hes not playing regular I have no right to tell a player that wants to be happy, I have no right to say to a player, youre going nowhere.My answer was -- if the offer is right and our board thinks that the offer is a good offer in relation to the quality of a very good player like Morgan, I would not stop him to go.

Gujranwala: Pickpocket robs groom of Rs 275,000, jewellery

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GUJRANWALA (Dunya News) - A young pickpocket robbed a groom of Rs 275,000 and his mother of the jewellery at a wedding on Friday night in Gujranwala, reported Dunya News.It was Baraat event in Shalimar Town when the pickpocket entered the wedding hall and deprived the groom of all the money, he had got in Salami.The mother of the groom was also deprived of the jewellery. The theft was reported and police started investigating the matter after reaching the scene.

Sri Lanka underdogs in South Africa series

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PORT ELIZABETH (AFP) - Sri Lanka will be underdogs when they challenge a resurgent South Africa in a three-Test series starting at St Georges Park on Monday - but will hope that the traditionally slow pitch in Port Elizabeth will negate South Africas strong fast bowling attack.Even without the injured Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel, South Africas pace trio of Vernon Philander, Kagiso Rabada and Kyle Abbott is likely to provide a stiff examination of a Sri Lankan batting line-up which has minimal experience of coping with the kind of pitches that are found outside Asia.St Georges Park, though, usually has less pace and bounce than South Africas other Test venues and the hosts have a relatively modest record there of six wins, four losses and four draws since returning to Test cricket in 1992.It could also provide some assistance for Rangana Herath, Sri Lankas veteran left-arm spinner who is likely to be the biggest threat to the South African batsmen. Herath took nine wickets and was man of the match when Sri Lanka gained their only previous Test win in South Africa, in Durban in 2011/12.South Africa, meanwhile, will be seeking a strong finish to a year in which there have been three different captains of the Test team.The year started badly with Hashim Amla resigning as captain midway through a losing home series against England. That loss, which followed a 3-0 humiliation in India late in 2015, cost South Africa their number one ranking in Tests. They slipped as low as seventh after some earlier triumphs were discarded when the ratings were adjusted in May.AB de Villiers was appointed captain for the last two Tests against England but a long-term elbow injury ruled him out of home matches against New Zealand and an away series in Australia - both of which were won under the leadership of stand-in Faf du Plessis, enabling South Africa to climb to fourth in the rankingsWith De Villiers still not fit enough to face Sri Lanka in the Tests - he is targeting a return in the one-day series which starts in late January - he resigned the captaincy and recommended his former schoolmate as his full-time successor.Under Du Plessis, South Africa were a tight-knit unit in Australia and coach Russell Domingo wants the side to build on their success there.Domingo said that despite the difference in conditions from other home venues, the guys love coming to Port Elizabeth. We feel that the wicket suits us to a degree. The ball tends to reverse swing because of the abrasive wicket. If there is a little bit of an easterly wind or overhead conditions we are able to exploit those conditions as well.Its never historically been a fast wicket, its a wicket where you have to be patient and you have to grind out runs. Thats the strength of this particular side, our levels of patience and being able to withstand those types of periods.Teams:South Africa (likely): Faf du Plessis (captain), Stephen Cook, Dean Elgar, Hashim Amla, JP Duminy, Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock (wkt), Vernon Philander, Keshav Maharaj, Kyle Abbott, Kagiso Rabada.Sri Lanka (from): Angelo Mathews (captain), Dinesh Chandimal (wkt), Kusal Mendis, Kusal Perera, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kaushal Silva, Dhananjaya de Silva, Upul Tharanga, Dilruwan Perera, Rangana Herath, Lahiru Kumara, Nuwan Pradeep, Dushmantha Chameera, Suranga Lakmal, Vikum Sanjaya.Umpires: Aleem Dar (PAK), Bruce Oxenford (AUS).TV umpire: Rod Tucker (AUS).Match referee: David Boon (AUS).

Tennis: Del Potro out of Australian Open

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WELLINGTON (AFP) - On-going fitness issues have forced Juan Martin del Potro out of next months Australian Open and his planned warm up event in New Zealand, organisers of the Auckland Classic announced Saturday.Juan Martin del Potro has confirmed he will withdraw from the Australasian swing due to fitness issues, the Classic organisers said in a statement, referring to the two tournaments in January.Del Potro confirmed via his management team overnight that he has not had sufficient recovery time and will be withdrawing from the (Auckland) Classic and the Australian Open. The announcement came a month after del Potro staged an incredible comeback to down world number six Marin Cilic of Croatia in an epic five-setter to set Argentina up for their first Davis Cup crown. Del Potro was the 2016 tennis comeback success story.After missing most of last year because of injury, he began 2016 ranked 1,042th and finished at 38th after a meteoric rise which included wins over Stan Wawrinka, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray. The 1.98 metre (6ft 6in) del Potro beat Roger Federer in the final of the 2009 US Open and the following year reached a career high of world number four before he began to be troubled by wrist injuries. Auckland Classic director Karl Budge said it was disappointing for tennis that these ongoing issues are keeping him off court.

Tennis: Madison Keys to miss Australian Open

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LOS ANGELES (AFP) - American Madison Keys, who finished the 2016 season ranked eighth in the world, will miss the Australian Open tennis championships after minor wrist surgery.I will not be ready to play the 2017 Australian Open, Keys, 21, said in a Twitter posting in which she also announced that she will again be coached in 2017 by former world number one Lindsay Davenport.Three days after the year-end WTA Championships I had minor arthroscopic surgery on my left wrist, Keys tweeted. The procedure was very short, did not involve any tendon issues and went very well.She said she had been training with Davenport -- who coached Keys in 2014 and 2015 -- at the US Tennis Association facility in Orlando, Florida, but didnt want to rush her return.I will be back soon and cant wait to compete again, said Keys, who won her second career WTA title at Birmingham in 2016.The Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of 2017, will begin on January 16 in Melbourne.

Dense fog disrupts air and road traffic in Punjab

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – Dense fog and poor visibility on night between Friday and Saturday disrupted air and road traffic in plain areas of Punjab, Dunya News reported.The flight operation at Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport was disrupted due to thick fog as visibility dropped to 50 metres. All the international and domestic flights coming to land there have been diverted to other airports.Vehicular traffic movement was also affected in several cities of Punjab due to poor visibility. The Motorway has been shut down from Lahore to Pindi Bhattian as visibility was down to zero due to dense fog. National Highway from Pattoki to Okara was also affected by fog.The Motorway police have appealed the drivers to use GT Road for travel from Lahore to Sheikhupurs and Pindi Bhattian. The Motorway police have also urged the drivers to drive slowly and switch on fog lights. They also requested people to stay home and avoid unnecessary travelling.

Israel rejects UN settler vote, lashes out at Obama

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JERUSALEM (AFP) - Israel lashed out at US President Barack Obama over a UN Security Council resolution passed Friday demanding it halt settlements in Palestinian territory, while vowing it would not abide by it.Israel rejects this shameful anti-Israel resolution at the UN and will not abide by its terms, a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus office said.The Obama administration not only failed to protect Israel against this gang-up at the UN, it colluded with it behind the scenes, it said.Israel looks forward to working with President-elect (Donald) Trump and with all our friends in Congress, Republicans and Democrats alike, to negate the harmful effects of this absurd resolution.Israel also announced diplomatic retaliatory steps against Senegal and New Zealand, two of the four countries that pushed for a vote on the resolution. Israel does not have diplomatic relations with the other two, Malaysia and Venezuela.In a rare and momentous step, the United States abstained from Fridays vote, enabling the adoption of the first UN resolution since 1979 to condemn Israel over its settlement policy.The text was passed with support from all remaining members of the 15-member council.The landmark move by the Security Council came despite intense lobbying efforts by Israel and Trump to block the resolution.But the Obama administration has grown increasingly frustrated with settlement building in the West Bank, which Israel has occupied for nearly 50 years.There have been growing warnings that settlement building is fast eroding the possibility of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the basis of years of negotiations.Settlements are constructed on land the Palestinians view as part of their future state and have long been seen as illegal under international law.The United States has traditionally served as Israels diplomatic protector, shielding it from resolutions it opposes.It is Israels most important ally and provides it with more than $3 billion per year in defence aid.But there had been mounting speculation that Obama would allow such a resolution to pass before he leaves office on January 20.Trump has signalled he is likely to be far more favourable to Israel.His nominee for ambassador to the country, David Friedman, favours moving the embassy to Jerusalem and has voiced support for settlement building.Obama and Netanyahu have had testy relations, but Israels statement after the vote was particularly harsh toward the US administration, as were comments earlier in the day from an anonymous Israeli official.Earlier on Friday, the Israeli official said that Obama and US Secretary of State John Kerry were behind this shameful move against Israel at the UN.After the vote, Netanyahu ordered Israels ambassadors in New Zealand and Senegal to return for consultations, a statement from his spokesman said.Israel also called off a planned visit by the Senegalese foreign minister in three weeks, while all aid programmes to Senegal were cancelled.Meanwhile, a spokesman for Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas called the resolution a big blow for Israeli policies.The move was an international and unanimous condemnation of settlements and strong support for the two-state solution, Nabil Abu Rudeina told AFP.Saeb Erekat, a former peace negotiator and the number two in the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), spoke of a historic day.December 23 is a historic day and a victory for international legitimacy, international law and international documents, said Erekat.The resolution demands that Israel immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory, including east Jerusalem.It states that Israeli settlements have no legal validity and are dangerously imperilling the viability of the two-state solution that would see an independent Palestine co-exist alongside Israel.Some 430,000 Israeli settlers currently live in the occupied West Bank and another 200,000 in annexed east Jerusalem, which the Palestinians see as the capital of their future state.

Karachi: Two accused apprehended in police operation

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – Crackdown against criminal elements under National Action Plan (NAP) continues in Karachi as two more accused were taken into custody during police operation in different parts of the city on Friday, Dunya News reported.According to details, police conducted an operation in Brigade area and arrested an accused named Fayaz alias Iffi. Police recovered stolen mobile phones and a motorcycle from him. Police also recovered arms from his possession.Police also conducted an operation in Darakhshan area on a tip-off and arrested a drug peddler identified as Saeed. Large quantity of narcotics was also recovered from the arrested accused.On the other hand, dacoits opened fire a wounded a man on resisting a robbery attempt in Chakiwara area. The victim was identified as Irfan.

Fire gutted house in Toba Tek Singh

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TOBA TEK SINGH (Dunya News) – According to details, fire broke out in a house in Maseetiyan Colony area of Toba Tek Singh on Friday which engulfed the entire building very quickly, Dunya News reported.Rescue and fire brigade teams reached the spot and brought the fire under control after a hectic effort. No loss of life was reported in the incident.Rescue sources said that the fire destroyed household items worth lakhs of rupees. Sources further said that the fire was caused due to short circuit.

UN demands end to Israeli settlements after US abstains

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UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - The UN Security Council on Friday demanded that Israel halt settlements in Palestinian territory, after the United States refrained from vetoing a resolution condemning its closest Middle East ally.In a rare and momentous step, the United States instead abstained, enabling the adoption of the first UN resolution since 1979 to condemn Israel over its settlement policy.Applause broke out in the chamber after the text was passed with support from all remaining members of the 15-member council. The landmark move by the Security Council came despite an effort led by Israel and backed by US President-elect Donald Trump to block the text.Trump reacted after the vote in a tweet, vowing: As to the U.N., things will be different after Jan. 20th.Ambassador Samantha Power said the US abstention stemmed from concerns that the expansion of the Jewish outposts was threatening the two-state solution aimed at achieving peace by creating a Palestinian state alongside Israel.We do not believe that outside parties can impose a solution that has not been negotiated by the two parties, nor can we unilaterally recognize a future Palestinian state, said Power.But it is precisely our commitment to Israels security that makes the United States believe that we cannot stand in the way of this resolution as we seek to preserve a chance of attaining our longstanding objective of two states living side by side in peace and security, she said.The settlement problem has gotten so much worse that it is now putting at risk the very viability of that two-state solution, said Power.Israeli settlements are seen as a major stumbling block to peace efforts, as they are built on land the Palestinians see as part of their future state.Palestinian President Mahmud Abbass office said the vote was a big blow to Israeli policy and a show of strong support for the two-state solution.The United Nations maintains that settlements are illegal, but UN officials have reported a surge in construction over the past months.Some 430,000 Israeli settlers currently live in the West Bank and a further 200,000 Israelis live in east Jerusalem, which the Palestinians see as the capital of their future state.The resolution demands that Israel immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem.It states that Israeli settlements have no legal validity and are dangerously imperiling the viability of the two-state solution. Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon criticized the administration of President Barack Obama for not vetoing this disgraceful resolution.I have no doubt that the new US administration and the incoming UN secretary general will usher in a new era in terms of the UNs relationship with Israel, said Danon.An Israeli official earlier bitterly complained that the US abstention was an abandonment of Israel which breaks decades of US policy of protecting Israel at the UN and undermines the prospects of working with the next administration of advancing peace.The vote was scheduled at the request of four countries -- New Zealand, Malaysia, Senegal and Venezuela -- who stepped in to push for action after Egypt on Thursday put the draft resolution on hold.Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi had backtracked on the move to condemn Israels settlement policy after receiving a phone call from President-elect Trump, who spoke out in favour of a US veto.The United States vetoed a similar resolution in 2011, which was the sole veto cast by the Obama administration at the Security Council.Washington has used its veto 30 times to block council resolutions concerning Israel and the Palestinians, according to Security Council Report, a research organization.It last abstained in 2009 on a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had urged Washington to block the draft, pointing to years of US willingness to stand up in the UN and veto anti-Israel resolutions. He received vocal support from Trump, who campaigned on a promise to recognize Jerusalem as Israels capital.As the United States has long maintained, peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians will only come through direct negotiations between the parties, and not through the imposition of terms by the United Nations, Trump said in a statement Thursday.Trump has chosen as ambassador to Israel the hardliner David Friedman, who has said Washington will not seek to curtail settlement building in the occupied West Bank.The Middle East peace process has been comatose since a US initiative to re-launch peace talks collapsed in April 2014. France has announced plans to host an international conference on January 15 to try to restart talks based on the two-state solution.

Syria army, civilians reclaim ruined Aleppo streets

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ALEPPO (AFP) - Syrian troops strengthened their hold over Aleppo on Friday after retaking full control of the city, as residents anxious to return to their homes moved through its ruined streets.The army announced on Thursday it had recaptured the former rebel stronghold of east Aleppo following a landmark evacuation deal that saw thousands of opposition fighters and residents bussed out.It was the biggest victory for President Bashar al-Assads forces in nearly six years of civil war and a major win for his foreign backers, with key ally Russia hailing the very important step.Braving the cold, war-weary residents crossed districts that had become dangerous front lines, eager to return to neighbourhoods they had not seen in years.An AFP correspondent saw civilians wrapped in coats trekking through the cold, some rolling their belongings on wheelbarrows.I came to check on my house, which I havent seen in five years, resident Khaled al-Masri said. I really hope my home wasnt badly damaged.The evacuation operation ended more than four years of fierce fighting in Aleppo, which had been divided between government forces in the west and rebels in the east since 2012.Opposition forces still control an area west of Aleppo and at least two civilians were killed Friday in the first rebel rocket fire on the city since it fell under government control, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.Seven civilians were also wounded in the fire on the Al-Hamdaniyeh district, the Britain-based monitor said, while state news agency SANA reported three killed.The evacuation agreement was brokered by rebel backer Turkey and regime supporter Russia.Russian President Vladimir Putin called Assad Friday to congratulate him on the liberation of Aleppo, the Kremlin said.This success was possible thanks to mutual efforts of all who came together in the fight with international terrorism in Syria, it said.Earlier, Putin hailed Aleppos recapture, calling it a very important part of the normalisation in Syria, saying the next step would be conclusion of a ceasefire agreement on all of Syrias territory.The Kremlin also announced Putin had signed an order to expand Russias naval facility in the Syrian city of Tartus, while Russian military police had been despatched to recaptured parts of Aleppo.We sent in a battalion of military police yesterday evening to maintain order in the liberated territories, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said.On Friday morning, government fighters moved into Ansari, Al-Mashhad, and other neighbourhoods they had not entered since mid-2012.They searched for improvised explosive devices and mines, clearing buildings to prepare the way for civilians to return, the Observatory said.As they finished sweeping through the main streets, soldiers moved into the smaller alleyways to check for bombs, an AFP correspondent in one district said. In Bustan al-Qasr, a heavily damaged neighbourhood near Aleppos famed Old City, bulldozers removed rubble from the streets.As the army moved through Al-Mayssar district, Umm Abdo, 42, said she had found her former home but it had been destroyed.Theres nothing left... but houses can be rebuilt, she said.Syrias war transformed Aleppo from the countrys industrial hub to a worldwide symbol of bloodshed and devastation.The army on Thursday announced the return of security to Aleppo after its release from terrorism and terrorists.The regime victory came after state television said the last convoy of four buses carrying rebels and civilians had left east Aleppo and arrived in the government-controlled Ramussa district south of the city.The evacuation deal, overseen by the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Syrian Red Crescent, put an end to a month-long offensive waged on Aleppos east by pro-government forces.The assault was backed by pro-government militia, including powerful Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah.In a televised speech on Friday, Hezbollah head Hassan Nasrallah said the armys win in Aleppo put an end to any hopes Assads regime would collapse.After Aleppo, one can comfortably say that the goal of regime downfall has failed, Nasrallah said.He described the fight for Aleppo as one of the toughest battles that the region has seen in years.The ICRC said the evacuation operation had seen 35,000 people bussed out of Aleppo and another 1,200 evacuated from Fuaa and Kafraya, two Shiite-majority towns in northwest Syria besieged by rebels.Nearly six years in, the conflict has killed more than 310,000 people and displaced half of Syrias pre-war population.As well as a major strategic gain for Assad, the armys win in Aleppo has put the spotlight on the role of powerbrokers Russia, Iran and Turkey, which agreed this week to guarantee new peace talks and backed expanding a ceasefire.Repeated attempts at peace for Syria have failed, but UN envoy Staffan de Mistura has said he hopes to convene fresh talks in Geneva in February.In other violence, the Islamic State group killed 27 Syrian soldiers and allied militiamen in a series of attacks near the ancient city of Palmyra in the past 24 hours, the Observatory said.

Putin warms to Trump, flexes muscles on Syria

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MOSCOW (AFP) - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday appeared to cosy up to US President-elect Donald Trump while asserting his authority as the key powerbroker in Syria.At his annual end-of-year press conference, the confident Kremlin strongman praised Trump for tapping into the public mood in the US to claim his surprise win in November.He went to the end, though nobody believed that he would win except us, Putin said. Ties between Moscow and Washington hit their lowest point since the Cold War under President Barack Obama due to the Ukraine crisis and Russias military intervention in Syria. But the election of Trump, who praised Putin as a strong leader, has provided a surprise boost for the Kremlin, with the Russian economy still struggling due to Western sanctions and lower oil prices. Trump during the campaign was saying that he thinks its right to normalise Russian-American ties and said it for sure wont get worse as it cant get any worse, Putin said. I agree and together well think about how to make them better, he said, adding he would head to the US for talks if Trump invited him. Officials in the US have accused Russia of cyber attacks aimed at interfering with the US vote, with some alleging Moscow sought to tip the balance in favour of Trump. Putin followed Trump and rejected the allegations, insisting as the President-elect said entirely correctly, who knows who these hackers were?The Russian leader also sought to play down a potential nuclear stand-off with the future US president, a day after they both pledged to bolster their nuclear capabilities.Putin insisted there was nothing unusual about Trumps call in a tweet Thursday to bolster Americas nuclear capability, hours after the Russian leader ordered his top brass to strengthen Moscows nuclear potential.We will never look to be dragged into an armed race and to spend resources that we cant afford, Putin said, after insisting he understood the US was the stronger military power. We just say that we are stronger than any aggressor.While Putin was offering warm words for the incoming US leader, he was also flexing Russias muscles as the key powerbroker in the Syrian conflict.The Syrian army said late Thursday that it had retaken full control of Aleppo, scoring its biggest victory against opposition forces since the civil war erupted in 2011.The liberation of Aleppo from radical elements is a very important part of the normalisation in Syria, and I hope, for the region overall, Putin told defence minister Sergei Shoigu in a meeting aired just as the press conference was starting. The Russian leader later in the evening phoned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to congratulate him on finishing the liberation of Aleppo from fighters, the Kremlin said.Putin said during his marathon press conference that he hoped that fresh peace talks could get all sides in the conflict to agree to a nationwide ceasefire.The next step must be the conclusion of a ceasefire agreement on all of Syrias territory, he said. Putin said that the presidents of Turkey, Iran and Syria had agreed to take part in new peace talks, which Russia had proposed take place in the Kazakh capital Astana.Moscow has been conducting an air campaign in Syria in support of long-time ally Assad since September 2015 and has taken steps to boost its presence in the country. Russia forged a deal with Turkey -- which supports groups seeking to topple Assad -- that saw rebel fighters and civilians leave Aleppo.In another sign of strength, as he was addressing journalists, the Kremlin said Putin had signed an order to expand Russias naval facility in the Syrian city of Tartus.Russias defence ministry said in October that Moscow was poised to turn the Tartus facility into a permanent base, without providing a timeline for its transformation.

IS kills 27 Syria regime fighters near Palmyra: monitor

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BEIRUT (AFP) - The Islamic State group killed 27 Syrian soldiers and allied militiamen in a series of attacks near Palmyra in the past 24 hours, a monitor said on Friday.The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said IS began launching attacks on Syrian regime forces and their allies on Thursday night and that clashes were ongoing.IS targeted several villages with a majority population from Syrian President Bashar al-Assads Alawite clan, an offshoot of Shiite Islam, said Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman.The jihadists were trying to totally surround the Tayfur military airport and cut its supply route, said Abdel Rahman.The Britain-based Observatory said the base is located between the cities of Palmyra and Homs in central Syria.The jihadists retook Palmyra in central Syria on December 11, just eight months after the army backed by Russia drove them out.Since then clashes have rattled the region and on Monday attacks by IS on the Tayfur base killed at least 20 regime force members, according to the Observatory.Palmyra is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and its recapture by IS gave the jihadists a propaganda boost as they face assaults on two of their key strongholds -- Raqa in Syria and Iraqs second city Mosul.

88 dead in Turkish raids on IS-held Syria town: monitor

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BEIRUT (AFP) - At least 88 civilians have been killed in 24 hours of Turkish air strikes on an Islamic State group bastion in northern Syria, a monitoring group said Friday.A barrage of raids hit Al-Bab on Thursday, killing 72 civilians including 21 children, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Bombardment continued on Friday, leaving another 16 civilians dead, including three children.Eighty-eight civilians have been killed in 24 hours, Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP. He said it was the bloodiest attack by Turkish forces that his monitoring group had recorded since Ankara began its intervention in Syria in late August. The Observatory says it determines whose planes carry out raids according to their type, location, flight patterns and the munitions involved.Turkish forces and their Syrian rebel allies have been seeking to capture Al-Bab, about 25 kilometres (15 miles) from the northern Syrian border, for weeks. On Thursday, IS released a video purportedly showing two captured Turkish soldiers being burned alive, after Ankara vowed to respond to 16 of its troops being killed in the fight against the jihadist group. Turkish troops entered Syria on August 24 in support of pro-Ankara Syrian rebels, with the aim of ousting IS jihadists as well as Kurdish militia from the border area.Turkish forces regularly carry out air strikes in support of the ground operation in Syria, but officials insist that the utmost is done to avoid civilian casualties.
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