Wednesday 15 March 2017

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Rawalpindi: Two terrorists arrested during CTD operation

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RAWALPINDI (Dunya News) – At least two terrorists of banned organization were taken into custody during Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) operation on Wednesday, Dunya News reported.According to details, the CTD personnel conducted an operation in area near Jabbar Road in Rawalpindi on intelligence report and nabbed two terrorists of banned outfit.The CTD personnel also recovered one hand grenade, explosive material, four detonators and a suicide jacket from the arrested terrorists and shifted them to some undisclosed location for further investigation.

Murder convict hanged in Gujranwala

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GUJRANWALA (Dunya News) - A death row prisoner was hanged in the Central Jail Gujranwala on early Thursday morning, Dunya News reported. The dead body of the convict was handed over to his heirs after the execution.Death row convict Muhammad Gulzar, who was a policeman, had killed Muhammad Shafiq, Irfan and Muhammad Sultan outside the court of Special Judicial Magistrate Taseer Ahmad in Zila Kutchery on May 20, 2002 to take revenge of his brother’s murder.A special court had awarded him death sentence in 2003 and he was hanged in the Central Jail Gujranwala today.

Lahore: Another policeman injured in firing incident dies

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – Police official Mian Rizwan, who was wounded in firing incident in Tibbi City area of Lahore on Tuesday, succumbed to his injuries at the Mayo Hospital on Thursday morning, Dunya News reported.At least three policemen were injured on Tuesday when some unidentified men opened fire on them near Lady Wellington Hospital at Lahore’s Ravi Road. The attackers who were in a car fled after the incident.The injured cops were shifted to Mayo Hospital where constable Zafar Iqbal died of his wounds on Tuesday while constable Mian Rizwan succumbed to his injuries today. Third victim Afzal is still in critical condition.

Football: Monaco dump Man City out of Champions League

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MONACO (AFP) - Tiemoue Bakayokos superb header fired Monaco into the Champions League quarter-finals as Wednesdays 3-1 victory condemned Pep Guardiolas Manchester City to a painful exit on away goals.Trailing 5-3 from the first leg in England, teenage starlet Kylian Mbappe put Monaco ahead on the night after just eight minutes at the Stade Louis II and Brazilian midfielder Fabinho converted the home sides second just before the half hour.Leroy Sanes 71st-minute goal handed City a 6-5 advantage on aggregate, but Bakayoko turned home Thomas Lemars free-kick 13 minutes from time as Monaco claimed a famous win.Monaco go through to Fridays draw for the last eight in Nyon carrying French hopes following Paris Saint-Germains shock elimination, while Guardiola suffered his earliest Champions League exit as a manager.Its an immense joy to score in the Champions League. I didnt expect this, said Bakayoko.Over two games we deserved to qualify. Now we want to keep going.The French league leaders suffered a blow before kick-off as Radamel Falcao, who scored twice in the first leg, failed to recover from a hip injury in time and was replaced by the versatile Valere Germain.Jemerson returned in place of the suspended Kamil Glik in defence, while Guardiola, who took charge of his 100th game in Europe, made two changes with Gael Clichy and Aleksandar Kolarov given the nod ahead of Nicolas Otamendi and Yaya Toure.Coach Leonardo Jardim had challenged Monaco to draw inspiration from the side which dumped out Real Madrid en route to the 2004 final, recovering from a 4-2 defeat in the first leg of that years quarter-finals before knocking the Spanish giants out on away goals.And the hosts were inspired by 18-year-old Mbappe, who has emerged as one of Europes most promising talents amid Monacos thrilling pursuit of the French title this season.Willy Caballero stood tall to repel Mbappes crisp early strike as he knifed through the City defence, but the Argentine goalkeeper was helpless as the teenager poked home Bernardo Silvas driven low cross just a minute later.City recovered from twice falling behind in the first leg, but the opening goal emboldened Monaco as Germain unleashed a searing strike from distance that zipped not too far over.Guardiola had emphasised the best form of defence would be attack for City, yet the visitors struggled to settle and Monaco grabbed their second goal in not dissimilar fashion on 29 minutes.Lemar fed the ball into the overlapping run of Benjamin Mendy, a reported target of Citys this summer, and the left-back picked out Fabinho to side-foot beyond Caballero.Mbappes electrifying pace posed a constant threat for City, but the Premier League side gradually began to pose Monaco problems as well although Raheem Sterlings hesitancy allowed the hosts to clear as the England winger looked to tee up Sergio Aguero.The Argentine striker then skied over from close range after Sane skipped past Andrea Raggi down the the left-hand flank, before Danijel Subasic thrust himself superbly in the way after Aguero was picked out by David Silva inside the area.Sane broke in behind the Monaco backline once more but steered his effort the wrong side of the near post with Subasic charging off his line, but City finally broke through with 19 minutes left.Sterling broke in from the right and his low shot was palmed away by Subasic, but Sane reacted quickest to thump the rebound into the roof of the net and change the complexion of the tie.However that merely drew an immediate response from Monaco as Lemar whipped in a devilish free-kick that Bakayoko expertly planted into the far corner to consign Guardiola to a first-ever last 16 European exit.

Football: Oblak stars in stalemate as Atletico progress

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MADRID (AFP) - Atletico Madrid booked their place in the Champions League quarter-finals for a fourth consecutive season but had goalkeeper Jan Oblak to thank for avoiding defeat in a 0-0 draw with Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday.Oblak produced a remarkable triple save midway through the second half as Atletico held on to their 4-2 first-leg advantage to take their place in Fridays draw for the last eight.It is not easy to be in the quarter-finals four years in a row, Oblak told BeIN Sports Spain.I hope Atletico will continue like this, keep growing like in the last few years and I am sure we can achieve great things.On a night of few Atletico chances, the home fans didnt even get to cheer the return of hero Fernando Torres.Two weeks on from being knocked unconscious in a sickening head clash Atletico boss Diego Simeone left Torres on the bench for the full 90 minutes.New Leverkusen boss Tayfun Korkut was taking charge of his first Champions League game after Roger Schmidt was sacked when Leverkusens first-leg defeat was followed by a 6-2 thrashing at Borussia Dortmund.Korkut summoned a much-improved performance from the Germans as they forced Atletico onto the back foot for long spells.However, the damage had already been done as the hosts registered their 17th clean sheet in their last 21 Champions League home games.Leverkusen had the chance to bring the tie back to life after just four minutes but Kevin Volland pulled his shot across Oblak and beyond the far post.Atletico have only ever been eliminated from the Champions League under Simeone by Real Madrid.Javier Hernandez got Reals winner in their quarter-final clash two years ago, but the Mexican didnt come back to haunt Simeones men as he blazed over with another decent opening.Atletico took until seven minutes before the break to threaten but then forced Bernd Leno into two fine saves in 60 seconds.Firstly, Angel Correa was denied before Kokes low driven shot was turned behind by the German international.Only a poor cross from Volland denied Hernandez what should have been a tap-in at the start of the second half after great work from Julian Brandt.At the other end, Atletico went close twice in quick succession once more as Correa danced inside two Leverkusen challenges before stabbing just wide.Antoine Griezmann was then inches away from his 22nd goal of the season with a measured chip over Leno that floated just wide.The highlight of the match came 21 minutes from time when Oblak pulled off an incredible triple save to end Leverkusens hopes of a comeback.Brandt pounced on a slack pass from Jose Maria Gimenez and after he was denied one-on-one with Oblak, the Slovenian twice pulled himself off the ground to save Vollands follow-up efforts.Oblaks work for the night wasnt done as he still had to make saves from long-range efforts by Leon Bailey, Wendell and Kevin Kampl to prevent Atletico slumping to just a second Champions League home defeat under Simeone.But the hosts held on to extend Spanish clubs winning run over German sides in European competition to 11 ties.

Tennis: Kyrgios topples defending champ Djokovic at Indian Wells

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INDIAN WELLS (AFP) - Nick Kyrgios ended three-time champion Novak Djokovics reign at Indian Wells on Wednesday, toppling the world number two in the fourth round of the years first Masters event.The 21-year-old Australian triumphed 6-4, 7-6 (7/3), notching his second victory over Djokovic in less than two weeks after stunning the Serb in their first career meeting at Acapulco.Djokovic had won 19 straight matches at Indian Wells in winning the title in 2014, 2015 and 2016. He also won the title in the California desert in 2008 and 2011.Kyrgios will get a shot at another big name in the quarter-finals. Hell take on the winner of the fourth-round match between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.Kyrgios is already the youngest player to record victories over the tennis Big Five of Djokovic, Federer, Nadal, Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka.I felt like in Acapulco the conditions were a lot different. So I knew I had serve well again today, Kyrgios said. Hes such a great player and professional and I knew it wasnt going to be easy at all.Im just in a good space mentally, added Kyrgios, whose explosive talent has often been overshadowed by his on-court antics. Im really happy, Im trying really hard for every point and obviously Im serving at a really high level.Kyrgios peppered Djokovic with 14 aces and the 14-time Grand Slam champion was clearly frustrated with his inability to make a dent in Kyrgioss serve.Djokovic couldnt muster a break point against the Australian, who has yet to be broken in the tournament.So it was do-or-die when Djokovic fended off two break points in the 11th game of the second set as they battled to the tiebreaker.A backhand long on his own serve from Djokovic on the opening point of the tiebreaker gave Kyrgios a quick advantage. He stretched it to 3-0 with two service winners and raced home.For Djokovic it was another disappointment in a year that started off promisingly with a title in Doha, but saw him shocked in the second round of the Australian Open.

Tennis: Kuznetsova cruises into Indian Wells semi-finals

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INDIAN WELLS (AFP) - Eighth-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova steamed into the semi-finals of the Indian Wells WTA tournament on Wednesday with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over fellow Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.Kuznetsova needed just 63 minutes to power past her 19th-seeded countrywoman, who had come out on top in the pairs two meetings in the past three months.Kuznetsova, 31, is a two-time Grand Slam champion who last year returned to the top 10 for the first time since 2010.She reached back-to-back Indian Wells finals in 2007 and 2008, but has never lifted the trophy.Kuznetsova next faces either seventh-seeded French Open champion Garbine Muguruza of Spain or third-seeded Czech Karolina Pliskova.Pliskova and Muguruza met in the third round at Indian Wells two years ago -- before both planted themselves firmly among the worlds top 10.Muguruza went on to reach the Wimbledon final that year, before capturing her first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros last year, while Pliskova was runner-up at the US Open last year.Pliskova is the highest-ranked player remaining in the field with the fourth-round exit of Germanys Angelique Kerber -- who is, nevertheless, poised to return to number one in the world.The Czech has dominated Muguruza, winning the last five of their six prior encounters.I think its one of the toughest matches I can have now, Muguruza said. I think shes playing very good. She has been very consistent, and, yeah, I have been watching her.The remaining womens semi-finalists will be decided on Thursday, when seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams takes on Russian Elena Vesnina and 2011 Indian Wells champion Caroline Wozniacki faces Frances Kristina Mladenovic.Williams, who ended a 15-year boycott of the event last year but lost in the second round, is after a first Indian Wells title.

Hawaii judge freezes Trump's revamped travel ban

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HONOLULU (AFP) - A federal court in Hawaii on Wednesday halted Donald Trumps revised executive order temporarily closing US borders to refugees and nationals from six Muslim-majority countries, dealing the president a humiliating fresh defeat.US District Judge Derrick Watson ruled that the state of Hawaii, in its legal challenge to the order, had established a strong likelihood that the ban would cause irreparable injury were it to go ahead.The court in Honolulu was the first to rule in a trio of legal challenges against the ban, which had been set to go into effect at midnight.Decisions were expected later Wednesday from federal courts in Washington state and Maryland.The ruling means a nationwide freeze on enforcement of section two of the order, banning entry by nationals of Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen for 90 days.It also halts section six, which would have suspended the US refugee admissions program for 120 days.There was no immediate comment from the White House, which had argued that the travel ban is necessary to keep extremists from entering the United States.The Trump administrations wide-ranging initial travel restrictions imposed on January 27 were slapped down by the federal courts, after sparking a legal, political and logistical furor.Trump signed a revised ban behind closed doors on March 6 with a reduced scope exempting Iraqis and permanent US residents but maintaining the temporary ban on the other six countries and refugees.The White House said those six countries were targeted because their screening and information capabilities could not meet US security requirements.But Watson rejected the White House claim that the order wasnt a Muslim ban, ruling that it would not be a leap to conclude that targeting these countries likewise targets Islam, because of their Muslim populations range from 90.7 percent to 99.8 percent.The judge made reference to several examples of Trump explicitly framing proposed action on immigration in religious language, including a March 2016 interview during which the then president-elect said: I think Islam hates us.Mr. Trump was asked, Is there a war between the West and radical Islam, or between the West and Islam itself? He replied: Its very hard to separate. Because you dont know whos who, the judge added.In Greenbelt, Maryland, Judge Theodore Chuang was expected to rule on a separate complaint filed by a coalition of advocacy groups that the amended order discriminates against Muslims.In his mind, the danger of Muslims and the danger of refugees is all combined danger, Omar Jadwat, a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union, said of the president.The first version of Trumps order triggered protests at home and abroad as well as chaos at US airports as people were detained upon arrival and either held for hours or sent back to where they came from.The Trump administration narrowed the restrictions in its revised order to try to ensure it would be unassailable this time around.This order doesnt draw any religious distinction at all, said Jeffrey Wall, a government attorney.Questioned about tweets that Trump sent and statements he made during the presidential campaign in which he promised to enact a Muslim ban, Wall said: There is a difference between a president and a candidate.But critics say the new order essentially remains a ban on Muslims coming to the United States, and therefore unconstitutional because it singles out people of a certain religion for discrimination.Since September 11, 2001, the worst attacks in the United States have been committed either by radicalized Americans or by people from countries not on the Trump travel ban list.Critics also argue that it will have a very negative effect on schools, universities and the business world, mainly the high tech sector, which employs many highly skilled immigrants.The new battle against Trumps order is being played out on several geographical fronts, but mainly on the west coast, which tends to be pro-Democrat.The state of Washington, joined by five other states, filed a complaint Monday with the same Seattle judge who stayed Trumps original travel ban in February.Trump responded by insulting that federal magistrate, James Robart, calling him a so-called judge.Robart will oversee the Washington state hearing on Wednesday and he could once again suspend all or part of the new order.

Nearly 100,000 Iraqis flee battle for west Mosul

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MOSUL (AFP) - Nearly 100,000 people have poured out of west Mosul in less than three weeks, the IOM said Wednesday, as Iraqi forces advance in their battle to retake the area from jihadists.Iraqi security forces launched a major push last month to recapture west Mosul, the most populated urban area still held by the Islamic State group with an estimated 750,000 residents when the battle began.Iraqi special forces units and police have made steady progress in the area, forcing IS out of a series of neighbourhoods and retaking important sites such as the airport, Mosul museum, train station and provincial government headquarters.But the battle for west Mosul -- which is smaller but more densely populated than the eastern side which Iraqi forces recaptured earlier this year -- has pushed a flood of people to flee their homes.Between February 25 and March 15, more than 97,000 people have been displaced from west Mosul, the International Organization for Migration said on its official Twitter account.It marks an increase of around 17,000 from the displacement figure the IOM released the previous day, though this does not necessarily indicate that all of those additional people fled in the past 24 hours.The IOM also said that Iraqi government figures indicated a total of more than 116,000 people from west Mosul had gone through a screening site south of the city.Men, women and children carrying their possessions sometimes walk for hours before arriving at a security forces checkpoint.From there they can take buses or pickup trucks to camps after the men go through initial screening aimed at identifying those with IS ties.Hajj Ahmed, a 55-year-old wearing a dark coat over a traditional robe who had recently fled Mosul, said that people were living under IS siege.They have been besieging people for seven days, Hajj Ahmed said, praising Iraqs elite Counter-Terrorism Service for saving them.All the buildings have been destroyed over our heads by the car bombs. Some families are still stuck there, he said.On the military front, Iraqs Joint Operations Command announced that soldiers and pro-government paramilitaries have recaptured the entire Badush area, northwest of Mosul.It is an area that includes Badush prison, where Iraqi paramilitary forces said they had uncovered a mass grave containing the remains of hundreds of people executed by IS after the jail was recaptured last week.Both Human Rights Watch and the United Nations have said that the jihadists killed up to 600 inmates at a ravine near the prison.Iraqi soldiers and members of pro-government paramilitary groups are fighting IS west of Mosul, while CTS and the Rapid Response Division -- a special forces unit operating with members of the federal police -- are spearheading the advance in inside the city.In Mosul, CTS forces hunted for bombs left by IS on Wednesday in areas that have recently been recaptured.CTS is conducting an operation to clear and search for bombs and explosives-rigged cars, Staff Lieutenant General Abdulwahab al-Saadi, one of the top commanders in the unit, told AFP.There is not any operation to advance and attack new neighbourhoods in west Mosul today, Saadi said.Staff Major General Maan al-Saadi, another CTS commander, also confirmed that the focus on Wednesday was on searching and clearing areas that had already been retaken.IS overran large areas north and west of Baghdad in 2014, but Iraqi forces backed by US-led air strikes have since retaken most of the territory they lost, launching the operation to retake Mosul -- the countrys last IS-held city -- in October.

Erdogan says 'spirit of fascism' rampant in Europe

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ISTANBUL (AFP) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday the spirit of fascism was running rampant in Europe, as pro-Ankara hackers defaced top Twitter accounts in an escalating crisis.Turkey and the European Union have become embroiled in an explosive crisis after key EU members The Netherlands and Germany blocked Turkish ministers from holding rallies to back constitutional changes expanding Erdogans powers in an April 16 referendum.Erdogan has repeatedly accused the two countries of behaving like Nazis, comments that have left The Hague and Berlin aghast and prompted warnings from Brussels for the Turkish strongman to show moderation.EU chiefs on Wednesday blasted his comments as detached from reality and incompatible with Turkeys ambitions to join the bloc.But far from stepping back, Erdogan ratcheted up his rhetoric a further notch, comparing the treatment of non-Europeans in Europe to that of the Jews in World War II and pointing to the rise of far-right populist politicians on the continent.The spirit of fascism is running wild on the streets of Europe, Erdogan said in a televised speech.Europe is heading towards being drowned in its own fears, Erdogan said. Turkophobia is mounting. Islamophobia is mounting. They are even scared of migrants who take shelter there.Several top Twitter accounts -- ranging from Germanys Borussia Dortmund football club, tennis legend Boris Becker, Amnesty International, the French economy ministry and BBC North America -- were defaced by pro-Turkey hackers with a message slamming Nazi Germany and Nazi Holland.NaziGermany. NaziHolland. This is a small Ottomanslap for you. See you on April16. I wrote what? Learn Turkish.The message also featured a swastika and was followed by a video showing extracts of Erdogan speeches.According to legend, an Ottoman slap was a barehanded technique used in the Ottoman army that was strong enough to kill an opponent on the spot.Twitter confirmed the attack. There was no immediate claim for the current mass cyberattack.Turkey has suspended high-level relations with The Netherlands and blocked its ambassador -- currently outside the country -- from returning to his post.Many in The Netherlands -- a country bombed and occupied by the Nazis in World War II -- were hugely offended by Erdogans comment that the country still had vestiges of the Nazis.Analysts believe Erdogan is exploiting the crisis to bring out nationalist votes and ensure victory in the April 16 referendum on the new constitution that opponents fear will create one-man rule in Turkey.Jean Marcou, professor at Sciences Po Grenoble in France, said the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) was deliberately playing up the row as it was not so sure of the result on April 16.The standoff comes as the Netherlands votes in an election where Prime Minister Mark Rutte is facing a strong challenge from far-right populist Geert Wilders.Erdogan Tuesday angered The Hague by bringing up the Srebrenica massacre of 1995, where Dutch UN peacekeepers failed to prevent the killing of 8,000 Bosnian Muslims by Bosnian Serbs.On Wednesday he went further, accusing the Netherlands of massacring over 8,000 Bosnian Muslims at Srebrenica.They have nothing to do with civilisation, Erdogan said in a new onslaught against the Netherlands. They are the ones who massacred over 8,000 Bosnian Muslims.With anger growing in Germany over Turkeys behaviour, Germanys biggest-selling daily Bild told Erdogan in an angry front page he was not welcome in the country.Bild tells the truth to Erdogans face -- you are not a democrat You are hurting your country You are not welcome here, said the paper.Berlins anger has been compounded by the jailing ahead of a trial on terror charges of dual Turkish-German national Deniz Yucel, the Turkey correspondent of the German newspaper Die Welt.An Istanbul court Wednesday rejected Yucels appeal against his pre-trial detention, his lawyer told AFP.Following a similar headline in Swiss tabloid Blick on Tuesday, Erdogan responded: All of Europe is mobilised for no campaign.Erdogan, whose country has for half a century tried to join the EU in an agonisingly slow process, said Europe after World War II claimed they turned a new page for themselves and for the world by forming the EU.But he said: They have emptied the European Union from inside with their attitude toward us.

Dutch PM beats back far-right challenge: exit polls

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THE HAGUE (AFP) - Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte appeared Wednesday to have easily defeated a strong challenge by far-right rival Geert Wilders in a key election seen as a bellwether of populist support in Europe.According to exit polls, Ruttes Liberal VVD party was set to scoop 31 seats, making it the largest in the new 150-seat parliament, with Wilders and his Freedom Party (PVV) beaten into second place alongside two others on 19 seats.Millions of Dutch had flocked to the polls in a near-record turnout, with the stakes high in an election pitting the pro-European Rutte against his anti-immigration and anti-EU rival.Following last years shock Brexit referendum and Donald Trumps victory in the US, the Dutch vote was being closely scrutinised as a gauge of the rise of populism on the continent ahead of crucial elections in France and Germany.This was the evening when The Netherlands, after Brexit and the American elections, said stop to the wrong kind of populism, Rutte told cheering supporters.Now of course its important to unite the country in the coming weeks and months and that we succeed in forming a stable government for the next four years, he added.Relieved European leaders, fearing the rise of anti-EU sentiment in one of the blocs founding members, congratulated Rutte.A spokesman for EU Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker hailed it as a vote against extremists while one senior European source told AFP on condition of anonymity: Common sense strikes back.Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault of France, where the far-right Marine Le Pen is currently seen winning the first round of the presidential election in April, congratulated Rutte for stopping the rise of the far-right.Wilders had pledged to close the borders to Muslim immigrants, shut mosques, ban sales of the Koran and leave the EU if he won the polls.He thanked his supporters in a message on Twitter, with his party looking likely to boost its number of MPs to 19 from 12 in the outgoing parliament.We won seats. The first gains are made. And Rutte is not rid of me yet, he said.On a warm Spring day, queues began early at polling stations and turnout reached 81 percent, just shy of the record of 88 percent set in 1977.One Muslim voter told AFP she was afraid of Wilders fiery anti-Islam rhetoric.If you have one person who criticises, its OK. But every time another person comes and then another one... then its really hard to defend yourself, student Khadiga Kallouh, 22 said.Rutte appeared to have benefited from his firm stance in a spiralling diplomatic spat with Turkey after authorities barred Turkish ministers from rallying support in the Netherlands for a referendum.Assuming the exit polls reflect the final result, Rutte will get the first chance to form the next coalition and could possibly turn to the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) and the Democracy party D66, which both matched Wilders with a predicted 19 seats.But with the three parties combined total of 69 seats, he would need another party to reach the 76-seat majority.Coalition talks to put a new government in place are expected to be tough and the process could take months.Rutte, who had 40 seats in the outgoing parliament, has vowed never again to work with Wilders, turned off by his incendiary message, and after the PVV caused an earlier coalition to collapse.The PVV is not such a revolutionary, Trumpian force, Leiden University expert Geerten Waling told AFP.People stick to responsible politicians mostly, he said, acknowledging though that the PVVs showing was not small.The analyst also pointed to the disastrous showing of the traditional Labour party, Ruttes sole partner in the outgoing coalition.Support for the party appears to have evaporated and it was predicted to lost 29 seats to hold on to just nine.Labour leader Lodewijk Asscher told supporters late Wednesday the voters have spoken, difficult as it is, but that is democracy.One of the biggest winners of the day was the young, charismatic Jesse Klaver, leader of the ecologist leftwing GroenLinks.In a remarkable turnaround, the party is likely to win 16 seats compared to just four in the outgoing parliament.Trumpeting the countrys economic growth and stability, Rutte is bidding for a third term as premier of the country -- one of the eurozones top economies and a founding EU member.

13 killed in Kenya in drought-related violence

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NAIROBI (AFP) - Thirteen people, mostly women and children, have been killed in central Kenya this week in a cycle of violence between rival farming tribes hit by drought, police and the Red Cross said.Police spokesman George Kinoti said the violence broke out on Monday when Ilchamus herdsmen, a sub-group of the Tugen people, launched an attack on members of the Pokot tribe seeking to steal their cattle.Two men died in the fighting in Baringo, which lies some 250 kilometres (150 miles) north of Nairobi.On Tuesday two Pokot women were killed, provoking further anger among the community which organised their own punitive overnight raid.Suspected Pokot raiders in a retaliatory attack to avenge the killing of their town women... attacked Mukutani market, killing five women and four children, Kinoti said in a statement.Four other people were wounded in the last attack, including a baby and two children, the Kenyan Red Cross said.It is unfortunate that the majority of those killed are children and women, Kenyan Red Cross Society head Abbas Gullet said in a separate statement.I call upon all involved parties to this conflict, especially community elders from the Pokot, Tugen and Ilchamus communities to come to the table and resolve this conflict, to avoid further loss of innocent life, he added.Outbreaks of violence have multiplied in central Kenya in recent weeks among groups of semi-nomadic herders mong the hardest hit by the drought which is affecting swathes of eastern Africa.Heavily armed herders have in recent weeks forced their way into private ranches in central Laikipia, slaughtering wildlife and destroying property in invasions blamed on a biting drought, but also local politics.A British farmer was shot dead on March 6 while going to inspect damage on his vast ranch caused by herders seeking pasture for their own animalsThe police spokesman said security operations had been intensified after the latest violence.

Winter storm paralyzes eastern Canada, six dead

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MONTREAL (AFP) - A blizzard moving north from the United States caused car pileups and school closures, and left six dead as heavy snow and powerful winds paralyzed eastern Canada on Wednesday.Two men were found frozen to death in their snow-covered car outside of Quebec City. One of them had called emergency services for help late Tuesday but officials on snowmobiles were unable to reach them in time.Two other motorists were killed in collisions on icy roads as blowing snow reduced visibility, and a 58-year old man died when he was struck by a snow plow.Up to 70 centimeters (28 inches) of snow fell on parts of Ontario, Quebec and the coastal Maritimes region, according to Environment Canadas weather office.Officials measured winds of 100 to 140 kilometers (about 60 to 90 miles) per hour, which led to snow drifts that stranded more than 300 vehicles for almost 12 hours in Montreal and caused numerous vehicle pile-ups.Nearly 70,000 households lost power overnight. Snow-clearing equipment was overwhelmed, leaving firefighters to rescue people trapped in cars throughout the region.The main highway between Toronto and Montreal remained closed after a 30-vehicle collision on Tuesday.The driver of an overturned truck carrying hydrofluoric acid died in the crash and several others were treated for exposure to the toxic spill.The scenes at area airports were also chaotic as passengers tried to re-book thousands of flights canceled the previous day.

South Africa to bowl against injury-hit New Zealand

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WELLINGTON (AFP) - South Africa won the toss and elected to bowl in the second Test against New Zealand at the Basin Reserve in Wellington on Thursday.The Proteas have kept the same line-up that played in the drawn first Test in Dunedin while injuries to Ross Taylor and Trent Boult have forced an understrength New Zealand to make several changes.Theres probably a bit in (the pitch) early. But its usually a good surface, South African captain Faf du Plessis said with the wicket showing a green tinge.To compensate for the loss of Taylor, who has been replaced by Neil Broom, and with Jeetan Patel preferred as the sole spinner, New Zealand have included all-rounder Colin de Grandhomme to prop up their batting stocks.This has meant going into a Test with only two frontline seamers. Tim Southee, who missed the Dunedin Test, returns to join Neil Wagner.Patel won out over Mitchell Santner for the spinners role, having claimed Quinton de Kocks wicket in four consecutive innings and with the Basin Reserve being his home ground.Wellington has a good history for South Africa who have won four of six Tests in the New Zealand capital.Although the last Test in 2012 was drawn, Vernon Philander took six for 81 in the first innings and Morne Morkel collected his career best six for 23 in the second.New Zealand won their last outing in Wellington two months ago when Bangladesh posted 595 for eight declared in their first innings and finished with the unwanted record of the highest first innings score in a losing Test.Teams:New Zealand: Tom Latham, Jeet Raval, Kane Williamson (capt), Neil Broom, Henry Nicholls, James Neesham, BJ Watling, Colin de Grandhomme, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner, Jeetan Patel.South Africa: Dean Elgar, Stephen Cook, Hashim Amla, JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock, Vernon Philander, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Morne Morkel.Umpires: Kumar Dharmasena (SRI), Rod Tucker (AUS).Third umpire: Bruce Oxenford (AUS).Match referee: David Boon (AUS).

Ronchi replaces banned Sharjeel at Leicestershire

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LONDON (AFP) - New Zealands Luke Ronchi is to replace Sharjeel Khan as one of Leicestershires overseas players in English county crickets Twenty20 Blast following the Pakistan batsmans domestic suspension for match-fixing, it emerged Wednesday.Both Sharjeel and Khalid Latif were suspended and then charged last month by the Pakistan Cricket Board after being accused of meeting a suspicious person linked to an international betting syndicate during the Twenty20 Pakistan Super League tournament.Last year, Sharjeel struck a blistering 59 as he and Latif shared a century stand during Pakistans crushing nine-wicket win over England in a Twenty20 international at Old Trafford.But with Sharjeels cricket future uncertain while a tribunal considers his case, Leicestershire will look to wicket-keeper/batsman Ronchi, who has a strike rate of 141.33 in 32 Twenty20 internationals to provide similar fireworks.The contractual status of Sharjeel Khan is a private matter between Leicestershire CCC and the player, and so unfortunately it is not something that we are able to comment on at this stage, said a club statement.Meanwhile Ronchi, 35, told the clubs website: I am delighted to have signed with Leicestershire Foxes for the NatWest T20 Blast.I love playing county cricket and cant wait to get started with my new team-mates, added Ronchi, who has previously played for Somerset and Birmingham (Warwickshire) and featured in every match of New Zealands run to the 2015 World Cup final.Meanwhile it was also announced that Ronchis fellow New Zealand international Matt Henry will play in the Blast for Leicestershires Midlands rivals Derbyshire.The 25-year-old fast bowler appeared in county cricket for Worcestershire last year.Henry, a veteran of six Twenty20 and 30 one-day internationals, will work alongside former Derbyshire and New Zealand batsman John Wright, whom the Midlands club have appointed as the first specialist Twenty20 coach in county cricket.
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