Monday 15 May 2017

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Steyn quest for record stalls

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CAPE TOWN (AFP) - Dale Steyns quest to become South Africas all-time leading Test wicket-taker has been put back until at least September after he ruled himself out of a Test series in England during July and August.Steyn, who turns 34 on June 27, has been stuck on 417 Test wickets -- four short of Shaun Pollocks national record -- since suffering a stress fracture of the shoulder during a Test against Australia last November.The fast bowler had been included in a South Africa A squad to tour England in June in what was seen as a fitness test ahead of the four-match Test series.But he told journalists in Johannesburg that his recovery has been slower than he hoped and will not be able to join the A team or to play in the Tests.I am able to do a lot of things -- running, hiking, gym work. But bowling is not one of them, he said.Steyn said he aims to play in two home Tests against Bangladesh in September and hopes to prove his fitness by returning to action when South Africa A play matches against Australia A and India A in August.It has been a frustrating two years for Steyn, who has only played in five of South Africas most recent 16 Tests, breaking down in three of them, first with a groin strain and twice because of shoulder problems.During that period he has taken only 15 wickets after looking set to soar past Pollock on the all-time list.Vernon Philander, Steyns long-time new ball partner, has also had injury problems.He has a contract with English county Sussex, but returned to South Africa last month for treatment on a groin injury.But the county expect him to return to action in a championship match against Durham starting Sunday.

Latham backs New Zealand young guns to star in Tri-Series

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DUBLIN (AFP) - New Zealand captain Tom Latham believes his emerging players can help the Blackcaps take the Tri-Series in Dublin after they made a winning start against Ireland.The 51-run victory at Malahide was sealed by a career best five for 50 from left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner and 79 from Neil Broom, but there were also three wickets for opening bowler Scott Kuggeleijn on his one-day international debut on Sunday.These guys called in have been putting in performances back home for the last couple of years and we back them 100 percent, said Latham.Our main goal is to win the Tri-Series and make the selectors think and if they can keep putting performances on the board it can only be good for New Zealand cricket, he added.Neil Broom played really well and the partnership he built with George Worker (who scored his maiden fifty in only his third ODI) put us in a position to get us close to 300.We havent played cricket for a while, and it wasnt the complete performance, but the guys came under pressure and played really well, explained Latham, whose side next face Bangladesh in Clontarf, another Dublin suburb, on Wednesday.With seven New Zealand internationals taking part in the Indian Premier League, rather than on tour in Ireland ahead of next months Champions Trophy one-day tournament in England, Latham was delighted at how his youthful side performed under pressure.Ireland were actually ahead of the Blackcaps after 38 overs, needing only another 80 from the last 12 overs with five wickets left to reach their victory target of 290 and claim their first top eight scalp outside a global tournament.But the next over saw the return of Santner and in it he claimed the wicket of debutant Simi Singh to spark an Ireland collapse which included the vital wicket of Niall OBrien, stumped by Luke Ronchi for 109, the former Leicestershire wicket-keepers first ODI century in his 85th match.Ireland played beautifully and Nialls innings put us under pressure but the way Mitch came back and how Kuggeleijn bowled so aggressively, that we are used to back home, it was a good response, said Latham, who was captaining New Zealand for the first time, in place of Kane Williamson who is still at the IPL.I enjoyed the captaincy and the win is good for the confidence although I have a couple of experienced guys to lean on and bounce ideas off.We played Bangladesh not so long ago, we know how strong they can be and well see what conditions are like. Itll be interesting to see what the wicket is like and well adapt our plans accordingly.

Risk of heart attack spikes after flu, pneumonia: study

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MIAMI (AFP) - Coming down with the flu, bronchitis or pneumonia can dramatically raise the risk of a heart attack -- up to 17-fold -- in the days and weeks following the infection, researchers said Monday.The findings confirm earlier research that pointed to an apparent link between respiratory infection and cardiac crises, scientists at the University of Sydney reported.A respiratory infection can act as a trigger for a heart attack, said senior author Professor Geoffrey Tofler.The data showed that the increased risk of a heart attack isnt necessarily just at the beginning of respiratory symptoms, it peaks in the first seven days and gradually reduces but remains elevated for one month.The study, published in the Internal Medicine Journal, was based on 578 patients who suffered a heart attack due to a coronary artery blockage.Patients were asked about their activities before having a heart attack, including if they experienced a recent flu-like illness with fever and sore throat, or of they had been diagnosed with pneumonia or bronchitis, said the report.Seventeen percent of patients reported symptoms of respiratory infection within one week of the heart attack, and 21 per cent within 31 days.Possible reasons for why respiratory infection may trigger a heart attack include an increased tendency towards blood clotting, inflammation and toxins damaging blood vessels, and changes in blood flow, said Tofler.Our message to people is while the absolute risk that any one episode will trigger a heart attack is low, they need to be aware that a respiratory infection could lead to a coronary event, he added.Dont ignore symptoms that could indicate a heart attack.Symptoms may include shortness of breath, pain and pressure in the chest and arms, nausea, dizziness or breaking out in a cold sweat.Heart attacks tend to happen most often during the winter, and could be linked to the seasonal rise in flu and other respiratory infections, researchers said.

Pakistan cricket will miss Younis, Misbah: Kevin Pietersen

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(Web Desk) – Renowned English cricketer and top order batsman Kevin Pietersen paid tribute to Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq with a video message on social media.Pietersen praised the two, calling them ‘brilliant cricketers, leaders and batsmen’. He believes that both would be missed by Pakistan cricket in future.Ultimate gladiator @KP24 pays tribute to now retired Pakistan greats @captainmisbahpk Younis Khan MisYou QuettaGladiators ShaanePakistan pic.twitter.com/DqhKuXOOUj— Quetta Gladiators (@TeamQuetta) May 15, 2017 He said Misbah and Younis are wonderful men and cricketers, adding that they have led their team through so much good stuff with fantastic opportunities and played in some brilliant places around the world to represent their country.While addressing his take on Misbah and Younis joint retirement, the 36-year-old said it is a sad time to see players of this quality retire but he wishes both best of luck in future.“They can be very, very proud of what they have achieved for the country of Pakistan,” he added.Pakistan registered their first-ever Test series victory in West Indies in the farewell match of both legends.

Turkish online editor-in-chief arrested

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ISTANBUL: (AFP) - A Turkish court on Monday ordered the formal arrest on terror-related charges of the editor-in-chief for the online edition of opposition daily Cumhuriyet, state media reported.Oguz Guven, who was detained on Friday by police in Istanbul, is accused of spreading propaganda for a terror organisation, the official Anadolu news agency reported.Guven has been formally arrested over a news story about the death in a traffic accident last week of senior Turkish prosecutor Mustafa Alper who had been a leading figure in the prosecutions of suspects detained over last years failed coup.Turkey blames the coup attempt on US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who has denied the charges.Anadolu said Guvens arrest was part of an investigation into a campaign including on social media to discredit those fighting against Gulen and his followers.A leading critic of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Cumhuriyet has seen dozens of its staff members charged under the state of emergency imposed after the failed coup.Most are in jail, including the papers current editor in chief Murat Sabuncu, veteran commentator Kadri Gursel and cartoonist Musa Kart.They are accused of membership of a banned terror group and aiding outlawed organisations, charges which supporters have denounced as ridiculous.Cumhuriyets former editor-in-chief, Can Dundar, was last year handed a five-year-and-10-month jail term and has now fled Turkey for Germany over a front-page story accusing the government of sending weapons to Syria.

Sharapova wins opening match in Rome

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ROME (AFP) - Maria Sharapova broke seven times to win her opening match at the Rome Masters on Monday, with the Russian wild card advancing over American Christina McHale 6-4, 6-2.The five-time Grand Slam champion, who is coming back onto the WTA after completing a 15-month doping ban, advanced to the second round at the sun-drenched Foro Italico as she beat McHale for a fifth time in a row.The former No 1, whose ranking has recovered into the 200s after a Stuttgart semifinal and a second round last week in Madrid, overcame seven double-faults in victory on the clay in 90 minutes.She came through a hic-cup near the end, losing serve as she prepared to wrap it up while leading 5-1, but recovered in the next game to emerge the winner.Sharapova is still waiting to hear if she will receive a wild card entry into Roland Garros starting a week from Sunday.Ill focussed on my match, Im playing tomorrow, Sharapova said; But nothing is a disappointment after being away from the game for 15 months.The match began unsteadily, with three breaks of serve in the first 17 minutes, McHale took an early 3-1 lead. But the rhythm steadied as the experienced Sharapova pegged back her opponent and got to work to sweep the first set from the back foot.Sharapova is playing Rome for the ninth time, winning the title in 2011, 2012 and two years ago; the 30-year-old owns 11 WTA tour-level titles on clay.Winning matches will get me places, so if thats where it got me today, then I will take it, the Russian said.The fact that Im back and playing three weeks in a row now and three events in a row for me is a big deal. Thats my focus.In the ATP mens first round, ninth seed David Goffin beat Thomaz Bellucci 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-4 and AmericanSam Querrey upset French 11th seed Lucas Pouille 7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (10/8).Tomas Berdych, the number 12, beat German Mischa Zverev 7-6 (9-7), 6-4; Jan-Lennard Struff put out Australian Bernard Tomic 6-7 (6-8), 6-1, 6-4.

Who's to blame for ransomware outbreak?

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - Questions are swirling over who is responsible for the security flaws exploited by hackers in the worlds biggest ransomware attack to date, which crippled thousands of businesses and public organizations around the world. Here are some answers:Who bears the blame?Because hackers exploited a security hole in some Windows versions discovered by the National Security Agency, Microsoft says the intelligence agency bears some responsibility.This attack provides yet another example of why the stockpiling of vulnerabilities by governments is such a problem, Microsoft president and general counsel Brad Smith said in a weekend blog post.Steven Weber, faculty director at the Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity at the University of California, said the fault is pretty distributed -- there are plenty of people to blame.Weber said the NSAs primary mission is intelligence: If I were sitting at the NSA I would push that argument right back to Microsoft, he argued. They would say, Its our job to stockpile those weapons and use them against our adversaries.Other factors were the large number of old, outdated software programs in use and often ineffective security systems.Cornell University computer scientist Stephen Wicker blamed profound ethical lapses both on the part of the US government and the computing public.The flaws were known to the NSA and CIA, but were kept secret by those organizations to be exploited for their own data collection purposes, Wicker said.But he added that a large number of businesses and other users failed to install a patch issued by Microsoft in March.This free-rider problem -- some manufacturers and users choosing to enjoy the benefits of the internet without taking the time and effort to maintain secure computing systems -- is also unethical, and is a problem that will get much worse as the Internet of Things (IoT) continues to grow, Wicker said.How did hackers get this tool?Microsoft effectively confirmed what many analysts have stated, that the ransomware known as WannaCry was designed to exploit NSA software that was leaked earlier this year by a group calling itself Shadow Brokers.President Vladimir Putin has said Russia -- which has been accused of cyber meddling in several countries -- had nothing to do with the massive cyberattack, and criticized the US intelligence community for creating the original software.But Bruce Schneier, chief technology officer for IBM Resilient Systems, has suggested that a state-sponsored actor, most likely Russia, was probably responsible for the initial hack of the NSA.Whoever got this information years before and is leaking it now has to be capable of hacking the NSA and/or the CIA, and willing to publish it all, Schneier said in a recent blog post.The list of countries who fit both criteria is small: Russia, China, and... and... and Im out of ideas.James Lewis, a cybersecurity specialist with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said he believes the exposure of the flaw likely leads back to Moscow -- but that the hackers who designed the malware are probably not Russian.One of the rules in Russia is that Russian criminals are not allowed to hack Russian targets, Lewis said. This does not fit the pattern of Russian-sponsored activity.The cybercrime market is really innovative, he added, and they are quick to take advantage of vulnerabilities.What about computer security at large?The attacks came a day after US President Donald Trump signed an executive order calling for improved cybersecurity in the federal government and better cooperation with the private sector.But few see this or any single initiative as a silver bullet.Weber said the attacks show the risks of an overreliance on computerized systems that are not fully secure.We have built an increasingly digital society on a very insecure foundation and we are starting to see the consequences of that, he said.Weber warned there is no single entity capable of fixing this problem in the near future, since security depends on so many factors.If you want to look for an upside, it would be this would be a wakeup call, to improve computer security, he said.At the same time, Weber noted that the attack could prompt more people to shun digital technology and turn back to analog systems that cant be hacked.Weber said there are already some signs that the public is losing confidence in the digital world as a result of security problems.For Silicon Valley and technology companies, their future depends on these underlying systems working, he said.

Karachi: One injured in dance party firing

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – A dance party at Hawke’s Bay Beach in Karachi on Monday reportedly came across firing by unknown persons which resulted in one causality, reported Dunya News.The dance party was told to be organised by police which collected approximately Rs. 0.4 to 0.5 million for permission and arrangements.VIDEO: Glimpse of Karachis dance partyMoreover, the attendees of the event were said to be indulged in taking drugs and consuming alcohol. The people were seen dancing with each other as they were intoxicated and drunk.According to sources, police had arranged the event and each participant was asked to purchase an entry ticket worth five thousand rupees.A girl had called CDA to let go the party’s DJ, however, a CDA official demanded Rs. 0.1 million for this purpose.The police arrested four suspects involved in firing while registered a case for the provision of attempted murder.

Frankfurt, London stocks set records

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LONDON (AFP) - The Frankfurt and London stock markets touched record peaks Monday, as investors eyed rallying oil prices, Chinas vast infrastructure spending plans and upbeat German election news.In morning trade, the British capitals benchmark FTSE 100 index hit an all-time peak at 7,460.20 points. It ended the day at a record closing level of 7,454.37.World oil prices leapt after oil ministers from Saudi Arabia and Russia -- the worlds two biggest oil producing nations -- declared Sunday that they would consider extending an output cut into 2018.That handed a boost to Londons sizeable energy sector, whose revenues and profits are boosted by rising crude futures.Frankfurts DAX 30 was catapulted to a new pinnacle at 12,832.29 points, partly on relief over Chancellor Angela Merkel strong win in a regional vote in Germanys biggest state. It finished the day with a record close at 12,807.04.Merkels Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party secured a strong win on Sunday in a regional vote in North Rhine-Westphalia, four months before national elections.There does not seem to be any common driver to explain the highs hit by the German and UK indices, but rather a coincidental lining up of stars, Spreadex analyst Connor Campbell told AFP.The DAX was fuelled by the CDU taking a tough seat in a regional election, while the FTSE it appears to be the commodity gains thanks to the Brent crude rise/Chinese infrastructure spending.US stocks also moved higher.China investmentChina hosted Sunday an international summit showcasing its Silk Road infrastructure project that it hopes will revive ancient trading routes and breathe life into the worlds number two economy, which grew last year at its slowest pace in a quarter of a century.Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged to pump an extra $124 billion (114 billion euros) into the China-bankrolled project, which involves a huge network of ports, railways, roads and industrial parks.Most Asian markets rose Monday, with Hong Kong achieving a sixth successive gain.Hong Kong closed up 0.9 percent at levels not seen since mid-2015, while Shanghai edged up 0.2 percent -- a third straight win.Seoul added 0.2 percent as investors ignored another missile test by North Korea.However Tokyo ended 0.1 percent lower on the back of a stronger yen, which hurts Japanese exporters.Back in China, official data showed output from the countrys factories and workshops slowed more sharply than expected in April, while retail sales were below par.Key figures around 1530 GMTLondon - FTSE 100: UP 0.3 percent at 7,454.37 points (close)Frankfurt - DAX 30: UP 0.3 percent at 12,807.04 (close)Paris - CAC 40: UP 0.2 percent at 5,417.40 (close)EURO STOXX 50: FLAT at 3,637.56New York - Dow: UP 0.4 percent at 20,976.69Tokyo - Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.1 percent at 19,869.85 (close)Hong Kong - Hang Seng: UP 0.9 percent at 25,371.59 (close)Shanghai - Composite: UP 0.2 percent at 3,090.23 (close)Euro/dollar: UP at $1.0980 from $1.0931 at 2100 GMTDollar/yen: UP at 113.64 yen from 113.33 yenPound/dollar: UP at $1.2915 from $1.2884Oil - Brent North Sea: UP $1.31 at $52.15 per barrelOil - West Texas Intermediate: UP $1.37 at $49.21

'Everything is there' say IOC 2024 bid inspectors after Paris tour

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PARIS (AFP) - Olympic officials admitted that they would have to really nitpick to find fault after spending Monday inspecting potential sites for the Paris 2024 bid.The IOCs 11-member evaluation commission, who examined rival bidders Los Angeles last week, started their day with a visit to the Eiffel Tower, the iconic backdrop to the triathlon start should the French capital be chosen to host the Games.They had a birds eye view from the Tower of many proposed venues including the Champs-Elysees and Grand Palais, and Saint-Denis to the north-east of the city where the Olympic village will be situated.The compact nature of Paris Olympic venues is offered as one of the bids main selling points with over 80 percent of venues covering 22 sports within a radius of 10 kilometres (8 miles) making Paris an Olympic park.The bid inspectors, led by Switzerlands Patrick Baumann, were then greeted at the Stade de France by Lilian Thuram who won the 1998 World Cup at the national stadium.We have to seduce them with emotion, that it would be fantastic if it was Paris, but also show that infrastructures also serve the people, Thuram said beside the stadiums athletics track.Joining Thuram at the Stade de France to press home the virtues of choosing Paris were Beijing Games 100m swimming champion Alain Bernard and multiple Paralympic champion Marie-Amelie Le Fur.During the tour Baumann broke sweat by testing his sprinting prowess against a bunch of youngsters and grabbed the opportunity to take a selfie with Tony Estanguet, Frances three-time Olympic canoeing champion and the bids co-chairman.Visits to all sitesThe Olympic bid exam board went on to visit all of the proposed 2024 sites in and around Paris, like the home of the French Open Roland Garros but also the non-sporting sites like the Champs-de-Mars, the central Paris park which will stage beach volleyball should Paris and not Los Angeles win the IOC vote in Lima in September.To find fault, you really need to nitpick, said Baumann at the end of the inspection.We had confirmation that with the Champs-de-Mars, the Grand Palais, Roland Garros, everythings thereAfter rubbing shoulders with French track and field gold medallists from the Paris-hosted World Athletics Championships in 2003 (Christine Arron, Muriel Hurtis, Leslie Djhone, Eunice Barber), the Olympic officials rounded off their day in the company of three Olympic boxing champions, Tony Yoka, Estelle Mossely (both 2016) and Brahim Asloum (2008).We were very happy to see many Olympic, world and European champions, said Baumann.Its clear that the passion and enthusiasm for these Games and for the different stadiums are great and impressive.Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo, speaking alongside Estanguet, stressed that France wants to welcome the world, France is behind us.Legacy is above all human.

JUI-F chief demands govt to mainstream FATA

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Chief of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Fazlur Rehman has reiterated his demands on Monday for the people of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) to mainstream them and give them the right to decision.While talking to the media outside the parliament, Fazlur Rehman said that it was beyond his understanding that why the government did not take the parties in confidence over legislation regarding FATA.It had been decided in a meeting convened earlier in the convention centre that the people of FATA would be given the power to decide about their future. Fazlur Rehman announced to oppose the government in case it does an about-face on the already agreed terms.

Indian officer given 'clean chit' after Kashmiri man tied to jeep

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(Web Desk) – Indian major was given ‘clean chit’ on Monday after he tied a Kashmiri man to bonnet of the jeep to shield himself and other passengers of stone-pelting by protesters last month.A video that surfaced in April showed a Kashmiri man tied to the bonnet of the jeep in bid to move protesters to not hurl stones.The brutally disgusting violation of human rights had little effect on the jury probing the issue after a furor.The Indian major has walked off unpunished proving Pakistan’s accusations against ‘puppet government’ of Occupied Kashmir valley.Kashmiris have been demanding right to self determination ever since partition of India and Pakistan in 1947.Former Chief Minister (CM) of Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah had taken to social media last month to condemn the incident. This young man was TIED to the front of an army jeep to make sure no stones were thrown at the jeep? This is just so shocking He had stated on Twitter.On April 26,Indian forces had ordered internet service providers to block popular social media services including Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp after an upsurge in violence in the region.The local government said that the services were being misused at hands of anti-national and anti-social elements and should be blocked for one month or until further notice in the interest of maintenance of public order.It was the first time the government has taken the step, although it regularly blocks the mobile internet signal in the volatile Kashmir valley.Watch video:Heres the video as well. A warning can be heard saying stone pelters will meet this fate. This requires an urgent inquiry & follow up NOW pic.twitter.com/qj1rnCVazn— Omar Abdullah (@abdullah_omar) April 14, 2017

Saudi king hopeful over 'historic' Muslim-US summit

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RIYADH (AFP) - Saudi King Salman on Monday expressed hope a historic summit to be held Sunday between Arab and Muslim nations and US President Donald Trump will enhance ties and promote tolerance.The summit will be one of three forums held during a visit by Trump, who is making Saudi Arabia his first overseas stop since assuming office in January.Trump has frequently been accused of fuelling Islamophobia but aides described his decision to visit Saudi Arabia as an effort to reset relations with the Muslim world.Along with the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), at least 18 other Muslim nations have been invited to the summit, including Turkey, Azerbaijan, Niger and Indonesia, which has the worlds largest Muslim population.Saudi Arabias regional rival Iran is not invited.Salman told a cabinet meeting in the Red Sea city of Jeddah that the meeting comes in light of the challenges and sensitive situations that the world is going through.According to the official Saudi Press Agency, he expressed his hope that this historic summit will establish a new partnership in the face of extremism and terrorism and spreading the values of tolerance and coexistence while enhancing security.Trump is to also hold a bilateral summit with Saudi Arabia and talks with the GCC on Saturday.Washington and Riyadh have a decades-old relationship based on the exchange of American security for Saudi oil.But US ties with Riyadh and its Gulf neighbours became increasingly frayed during the administration of president Barack Obama.Saudi leaders felt Obama was reluctant to get involved in the civil war in Syria and was tilting toward Shiite-dominated Iran.The Saudis have found a more favourable ear in Washington under Trump, who has denounced Irans harmful influence in the Middle East.

Macron appoints centre-right PM to widen appeal

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PARIS (AFP) - Frances new President Emmanuel Macron named Edouard Philippe, a little-known centre-right mayor, as prime minister on Monday, in his first major decision since taking power on a promise to lead a French renaissance.Philippe, a 46-year-old MP and mayor of the northern port of Le Havre, comes from the moderate wing of the rightwing Republicans party and is seen as a pragmatist.His appointment was seen as a strategic move by 39-year-old Macron, a former minister in the outgoing Socialist government who is trying to woo modernisers of all stripes to his new centrist party, La Republique en Marche (Republic on the Move, REM).Frances youngest ever president has already attracted dozens of Socialist MPs to his side, triggering a major realignment in French politics that has left the traditional parties floundering.Like Macron, Philippe is a product of Frances elite ENA college for senior public servants and worked for a while in the private sector.Relatively unknown outside his Le Havre fiefdom, he has already crossed the floor once in his career, defecting from the Socialists to the Republicans as a young politician.Break the rightOne of Macrons aides welcomed his appointment as a good move, telling AFP it would help him break the right.Taking office Sunday, the former investment banker who trounced far-right leader Marine Le Pen in the May 7 presidential run-off, said he aimed to restore Frances shattered self-confidence.The fervently pro-European Macron also said he would help rebuild the flagging European Union.He heads to Berlin later Monday for talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on how Europes power couple can drive reforms of the bloc.Mix of experience and new bloodLike Macron, Frances new prime minister has little truck with the entrenched left-right divide.After campaigning for Socialist prime minister Michel Rocard as a youth, he switched to the right, becoming a close ally of centre-right former prime minister Alain Juppe.Mayor of Le Havre, his home town, since 2010, the German-speaking father of three, who writes crime novels in his spare time, was elected to parliament in 2012.His first task will be to help Macron finalise his cabinet choices, to be announced on Tuesday.Frances new president has said he wants a mix of experience and new blood -- a balance he has attempted to achieve in his slate of candidates for the June 11-18 election.Macron needs a parliamentary majority to push through his ambitious plans to loosen Frances strict labour laws, boost entrepreneurship and reduce class sizes in tough neighbourhoods.But his year-old party faces a strong challenge from the losers of the presidential election, with the Republicans, Le Pens National Front, the hard-left France Insoumise (France Unbowed) and centre-left Socialists all plotting revenge.No arm-wrestlingIn his first speech as president on Sunday, Macron promised to restore Frances shattered self-confidence and help rebuild the flagging European Union.He said he wanted to convince people that France was at the dawn of an extraordinary renaissance and that the world and Europe need France now more than ever.His visit to Merkel is in keeping with Frances presidential tradition of making Berlin the first foreign port of call.Later this month Macron will hold talks with Donald Trump, when the US president -- believed to have preferred Le Pen over Macron -- visits Brussels for a NATO summit.In Berlin, Macron will push for deeper ties in the 28-member EU to help it overcome the imminent departure of Britain.Merkel has hailed Macrons election win, saying he carries the hopes of millions of French people and also many in Germany and across Europe.But the Frenchmans calls for the eurozone to have its own budget have received a cool response from Germany, which fears it would be forced to pay the lions share.Many countries including France would need to organise a referendum. Its not realistic, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble told Le Figaro newspaper.French MEP Sylvie Goulard, an ally of Macron who also has close ties to Berlin, predicted he would avoid causing any tensions with Germany.There will be no arm-wrestling, she said.Breathing new life into the EU is just one of a host of challenges Macron faces.On the home front, he will have to work quickly to tackle stubbornly high unemployment, combat the jihadist threat and heal divisions exposed by an often vicious election campaign.Hollandes five years in power were plagued by a sluggish economy and a string of terror attacks that killed more than 230 people.

'Pakistan, China to decide any country's CPEC membership'

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BEIJING (Dunya News) – Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said on Monday Pakistan and China will decide whether to add any country in China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, reported Dunya News.While talking to media persons during One Road One Belt forum, PM Nawaz responded to one of the questions saying that Pakistan wanted peaceful ties with all neighbouring states, including Afghanistan.He expressed hope for reclaiming mandate in 2018 elections. Nawaz Sharif said that the upcoming weeks after Dawn Leaks and Panama case issues ‘belonged to the government’.Nawaz Sharif attended One Belt, One Road (OBOR) summit in China and said the initiative would help overcome threats of terrorism, refugee movements, food and water security in the region.He welcomed the new OBOR family and told that the wider international community should coordinate and synergise their initiatives to create and enhance the space for cooperation.While telling about the benefits of CPEC, he stressed dialogue and communication with nations outside the belt-road routes as necessary to dispel apprehensions.“We applaud China for taking this historic initiative, which now has the complete ownership of all participating countries,” he added.
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