NEWS PULSE: November 2014

Sunday, November 30, 2014

Dunya TV

PTI announces timings for Nov 30 rally
Will give 'Plan C' during Islamabad public meeting: Imran Khan
Sharapova mocks new IPTL format in Tennis
Man linked to heroin ring in '71 film nabbed again
Manchester United beats Hull City as RVP, Rooney, Smalling strike
Israeli cricket umpire and former captain died after being hit by ball
PP-148 Bhakkar: Independent candidate Inamullah Niazi leads
When pigs fly? Not on this US Airways plane
Protesters bring US commerce, transit, traffic to standstill
Ch Nisar visits Red Zone, reviews security arrangements
Protest against court decision in black boy death case, 16 arrested
Lithuania builds world's largest-ever coin pyramid
3 minutes 7 second of noise and 3 minutes silence for Nelson Mandela
Zimbabwe fined for slow over rate against Bangladesh
Iraqi forces battled Islamic State group fighters in Ramadi, Iraq

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Saturday has announced the schedule of the day for the rally in Islamabad on November 30.The PTI rally would start at 12 pm noon whereas end before 7pm in the evening.PTI chairman Khan would address the rally after Maghrib prayer and spend the night in “azadi” container.PTI is going to demonstrate a protest against the alleged rigging in the General Elections 2013.The venue is being decorated for the rally from the Parade Lane to the Jinnah Avenue.Stage secretary of PTI Faisal Javed said that the people of the country would once again vest their trust in the PTI leader.Reportedly, scores of women from all over the country have reached Islamabad a day before the rally.They are confident that the number of women supporters in November 30 rally would be larger than those in all past rallies.It will be a big challenge for the party to maintain discipline and take security measures for the protection of the participants when PTI is going to practice its political power in the country’s capital.

Will give 'Plan C' during Islamabad public meeting: Imran Khan

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ISLAMABAD: (Dunya News) – Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan has said that he will give ‘Plan C’ during Islamabad public meeting on November 30, reported Dunya News. He said that the government has blocked all the roads within Islamabad and the roads leading to it but nothing will be able to stop PTI workers.Addressing the sit-in today (Saturday) in Islamabad, Imran Khan said that the PTI workers have shocked everyone by attending the sit-in continuously for 108 days. He said that Ayyub Khan was a dictator but the nation was vibrant during his time but after Ayyub’s fall, Pakistan started to slide down and ever since Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Co-Chairman Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Asif Ali Zardari have joined hands, Pakistan’s downward slide has accelerated.Imran Khan said that the rulers are coward and they have blocked all the roads in Islamabad because they fear they will be held accountable for their deeds if the nation stood up. He said that he would never be able to forget the events of August 31. He promised to bring all those ‘responsible’ for August 31 events to the book.“Today, sit-in has made the people understand their rights”, said Imran. He claimed that the petrol prices were brought down under sit-in’s pressure.“First we staged the sit-in under ‘Plan A’ and then held public meetings under ‘Plan B’. Tomorrow, I will give ‘Plan C’ which will make it impossible for Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to run the government and if ‘Plan C’ failed, I will give ‘Plan D’ as well”, said Imran.Chairman PTI said that November 30 will be a decisive date and he will present the ‘Plan C’ on this day.

Sharapova mocks new IPTL format in Tennis

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MANILA: (AFP) - Maria Sharapova expressed mock disgust Saturday at the inaugural International Premier Tennis League tournaments beeping shot-clock, part of a novel experiment designed to speed up tennis and make it more fun to watch.The world number two likened the 20-second clock, which beeps loudly when players take too long winding up with their serve, to a bedside alarm clock.I feel like pressing snooze all the time, the Russian star said, giggling with reporters when asked what she disliked most about the new IPTL format.The reigning French Open champion and five-time Grand Slam singles winner ended her two-day stint in Manila on a losing note, both in the womens singles and in mixed doubles.After securing her Manila Mavericks teams only win against the UAE Royals on Friday by beating Kristina Mladenovic, Sharapova sprayed double faults and unforced errors across the court Saturday to bow 3-6 to world number five Ana Ivanovic.Sharapova also lost both her mixed doubles matches with teammate and world number six Andy Murray on Friday and Saturday.The shot-clock is among various innovations made by the IPTL, aimed at speeding up the game to appeal to viewers with shorter attention spans.The team-based format calls for ties consisting of five one-set matches, with no advantages and no let. The first to six games wins.At 5-5, players go into a five-minute shootout instead of the traditional tiebreak. Players receiving a serve can also call a happiness power point once per set, meaning the point will count double.The new tournament also features skimpily-clad female cheerleaders dancing to loud music during timeouts. Its organizers are touting it as the future of the sport. Other players on the IPTL tour had mixed reactions to the shot-clock.Were used to playing in quiet conditions since we were kids so every little noise kind of disturbs us, veteran Carlos Moya, Sharapovas Manila Mavericks teammate, told reporters.Doubles specialist Sania Mirza of the Indian Aces team said she tends to serve fast anyway and rarely gets to the last five seconds, when the clock starts beeping loudly.Its going to be distracting, but it keeps us disciplined, she added. Indian Aces playing coach Fabrice Santoro said all four teams in the IPTL circuit had swiftly found out they enjoyed using the power point feature. Very quickly we found out that it was important to do it at 30-40, he added.Sharapova said she only committed to play two IPTL matches this year, which also includes December stops in Singapore, New Delhi and Dubai, so she can resume preparations for the regular 2015 tennis tour.For the singles players its a bit of off-season so were using it as a little bit of preparation, she said.After narrowly missing out on a chance to return to the top of the womens rankings at the end of the season after recovering from a shoulder injury, the Russian said her main focus next year would be to stay healthy. I came into the season without many expectations and Im actually quite happy, she said, stressing she had started the year ranked fourth in the world.I was in a position many times of the year to fall out of the top 10 and finished the year number two, so its been quite a successful year and next year I set myself much bigger goals.Sharapova has previously said getting more Grand Slams would be her priority over reclaiming the number one ranking, currently held by 18-time Grand Slam winner Serena Williams.

Man linked to heroin ring in '71 film nabbed again

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HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - Alfred Catinos criminal record is a colorful history of drug dealing and prison sentences dating back to the 1960s, when federal authorities say he was part of the French Connection heroin smuggling ring that spawned an Oscar-winning movie of the same name.Catinos illicit career took him from the streets of the Bronx in New York City to France to Connecticuts Gold Coast, where he soon will be sentenced for his role in yet another drug operation.Catino, 73, was one of 16 people busted in Connecticut in 2012 in a conspiracy to distribute marijuana, cocaine and oxycodone in Fairfield County. He pleaded guilty to a drug conspiracy charge and is set to be sentenced Dec. 16 in federal court in Bridgeport. He remains detained without bail.Law enforcement officials had no idea about Catinos history when they arrested him, said Brian Boyle, an assistant special agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration.Once we ran some checks on him, it was surprising, Boyle said. He had some connections a while back to The French Connection case, and then he surfaces here.The French Connection was the major supplier of heroin to the United States, sending in hundreds of millions of dollars worth for years until police busted it up in the early 1970s. Federal authorities say it involved Turkish heroin refined in Marseille, France, and smuggled into the U.S.A big bust in the case in 1962 by New York City detectives was the subject of the 1971 film The French Connection starring Gene Hackman and Roy Scheider.Catinos lawyer, Frank Riccio II, said Catino doesnt deny being part of the French Connection.Catino pleaded guilty in June to conspiring to sell controlled substances, admitting he was part of a group involved in a failed effort to distribute about 200 pounds of marijuana from California to Connecticut and sell cocaine and oxycodone. Hes facing seven to nine years in prison.All the other defendants also pleaded guilty.The bust was the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Connecticut State Police and local officers that included court-ordered wiretaps on the cellphones of Catino and others.Federal court records show Catino was indicted in 1966 for selling heroin in the Bronx and sentenced to five years in prison.He was convicted by a federal jury in 1974 of again selling heroin in New York City and sentenced to 12 years in prison, but he fled to France while out on bail appealing the conviction, court records show. He was caught dealing heroin in France and sentenced to five years in prison there in 1978.Catino was deported to New York in 1981 after that jail term ended, then began serving the 12-year sentence he had skipped out on, court records show.He was caught again dealing heroin in New York in 1997 and pleaded guilty to a drug conspiracy charge, getting a nearly 12-year prison sentence.Riccio speculated that Catino likely turned again and again to the drug trade because thats all he knew.His history, I suppose it is what it is, Riccio said. Im not going to make a blanket statement about him. He is an incredibly intelligent man who has always been kind and courteous to me.

Manchester United beats Hull City as RVP, Rooney, Smalling strike

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MANCHESTER, England (AP) - Robin van Persie answered his critics with a first Premier League goal in a month as Manchester United cruised to a 3-0 victory over Hull to remain in the top four on Saturday.Defender Chris Smalling and striker Wayne Rooney also scored as United completed a hat trick of wins for the first time under Louis van Gaal.After a slow start to the season, Uniteds bid to return to the Champions League appears to be on track.United is two points behind Manchester City, which plays at second-placed Southampton on Sunday. Hull is only out of the relegation zone on goal difference.

Israeli cricket umpire and former captain died after being hit by ball

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JERUSALEM (AFP) - An umpire and former captain of Israels national cricket team died on Saturday after being hit in the jaw by a ball, the countrys cricket association said.His death comes just two days after Australian batsman Phillip Hughes died of a severe head injury after being hit by a bouncer in a New South Wales match in Sydney.Israeli police ruled out foul play in the incident that led to the death of the umpire, named by the Israel Cricket Association as 55-year-old Hillel Oscar, in the southern port city of Ashdod.ICA chief Naor Gudker told AFP Saturdays game was the last in the national league season.Were simply in shock, he said from the hospital where Oscar was pronounced dead.The international umpire was both a former member and captain of the countrys national team, Gudker said.Police said they were investigating his death.We know a ball was hit in his direction, he tried to escape it, he fell -- what happened there is still being investigated, Gudker told AFP.The entire Israel Cricket Association and players bow their heads in his memory. He was a wonderful man, cricketer, and umpire, Gudker said.

PP-148 Bhakkar: Independent candidate Inamullah Niazi leads

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BHAKKAR: (Dunya News) – Independent candidate Inamullah Niazi is leading the PP-148 by-election in Bhakkar after results of 100 polling stations. Inamullah Niazi has so far secured 37,693 votes while Ahmad Nawaz Noorani is following him with 31,497 votes.The provincial assembly seat was vacated after the death of Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz’s (PML-N) MPA Najeeb Ullah Niazi. Three candidates are running for this constituency including Inamullah Niazi, Ahmad Nawaz Noorani and Pakistan Awami Tehreek’s (PAT) Nazar Abbas.According to unofficial results of 100 polling stations, Inamullah Niazi is leading by 6196 votes while PAT’s candidate has secured 9332 votes.Sweets are right now being distributed among the celebrating workers at Inamullah Niazi’s office as the supporters foresee victory.

When pigs fly? Not on this US Airways plane

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(AP) -- The pig was ordered off a U.S. Airways plane at Bradley International Airport in Connecticut on Wednesday after crewmembers determined the animal had become disruptive, Laura Masvidal, a spokeswoman for U.S. Airways parent American Airlines, said Friday.The pig had been brought aboard the flight by a passenger as an emotional support animal, Masvidal said. She said both the pig and its owner left the aircraft before it took off. She had no other details and did not immediately know where the flight was headed.Jonathan Skolnik, a University of Massachusetts professor who was on the flight, said he initially thought the female passenger was carrying a duffel bag. Then he smelled a stench.Its no duffel bag but a rather stout PIG ... on a leash, he said in an email sent to The Associated Press. Am I dreaming?The woman sat next to him and tethered the pig to the armrest, Skolnik said.Oh no, it gets worse: the pig is incontinent, he wrote.The passenger scrambled to keep control of the pig while trying to clean up its mess, Skolnik said. Then the pig began running back and forth, he said.Emotional support animals are allowed on commercial flights under U.S. Department of Transportation rules as long as they are not disruptive, Masdival said.

Protesters bring US commerce, transit, traffic to standstill

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FERGUSON, Missouri: (AP) - Demonstrators across the U.S. disrupted commerce, transit and traffic days after the announcement that a grand jury in suburban St. Louis declined to indict the white police officer who fatally shot a black 18-year-old.Numerous storefronts in the Ferguson area had their windows covered with plywood with messages painted across many of them letting neighbors know that the shops are still open. Demonstrators temporarily shut down three large malls in suburban St. Louis on Black Friday, one of the busiest shopping days of the year, and then marched in front of the Ferguson police department to protest the grand jurys decision.Several stores lowered their security doors or locked entrances as at least 200 protesters sprawled onto the floor while chanting, Stop shopping and join the movement, at the Galleria mall in Richmond Heights a few miles south of Ferguson, Missouri, where Officer Darren Wilson fatally shot Michael Brown, who was unarmed, on Aug. 9.The action prompted authorities to close the mall for about an hour Friday afternoon, while a similar protest of about 50 people had the same effect at West County Mall in nearby Des Peres. And several dozen demonstrators led to a temporary closure of the Chesterfield Mall.Later Friday night, a group of about 100 protesters marched down South Florissant Road in front of the citys police and fire departments chanting, blocking traffic and stopping in front of some businesses.I served my country. I spent four years in the Army, and I feel like thats not what I served my country for, said Ebonie Tyse, 26, of St. Louis, as National Guard trucks and police cruisers roamed the street in front of her. I served my country for justice for everyone. Not because of what color, what age, what gender or anything, she said.Sixteen people were arrested, according to St. Louis County Police spokesman Shawn McGuire. Fifteen of those arrested were for misdemeanor peace disturbance. One man, Joygill Moriah of the Bronx, New York, was charged with assaulting a police officer, resisting arrest and peace disturbance. He did not have a listed attorney. Only one of those arrested was from the St. Louis area. Eight were from New York City.Browns killing reignited a debate over how police treat young black men. It drew attention to racial tensions simmering in Ferguson and other U.S. communities four decades after the civil rights movement of the 1960s. Two-thirds of Fergusons residents are black but the police force is almost entirely white.Monday nights announcement that Wilson wouldnt be indicted for fatally shooting Brown prompted violent protests that resulted in about a dozen buildings and some cars being burned in Ferguson. Dozens of people were arrested.The rallies have been ongoing but have grown more peaceful this week, as protesters turn their attention to disrupting commerce. Elsewhere on Friday, protests in Chicago, New York, Seattle and northern California where protesters chained themselves to trains were among the largest in the country on Black Friday.In Oakland, more than a dozen people were arrested after about 125 protesters wearing T-shirts that read Black Lives Matter interrupted train service from Oakland to San Francisco, with some chaining themselves to trains. Later in San Francisco, a march by hundreds turned ugly as protesters smashed windows and hurled bottles and other objects at police, leaving two officers injured. Police responded by making arrests but have not said how many. Dozens of people in Seattle blocked streets, and police said some protesters also apparently chained doors shut at the nearby Pacific Place shopping center.In Chicago, about 200 people gathered near the citys popular Magnificent Mile shopping district, where Kristiana Colon, 28, called Friday a day of awareness and engagement. Shes a member of the Let Us Breathe Collective, which has been taking supplies such as gas masks to protesters in Ferguson.We want them to think twice before spending that dollar today, she said of shoppers. As long as black lives are put second to materialism, there will be no peace.Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon on Friday announced that he will call a special session of the General Assembly to provide funding for public safety efforts related to protests. A news release from his office said that due to the increased presence of the State Highway Patrol and the Missouri National Guard in the region, the states financial obligations for emergency duties are on track to exceed what had been appropriated.

Ch Nisar visits Red Zone, reviews security arrangements

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Saturday paid a visit to the Red Zone to review the security arrangements for the much hyped Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) rally on November 30.Ch Nisar was given a detailed briefing by the Chief Commissioner Islamabad and high-ranked police officials on his arrival.The Interior Minister said that a vigilant eye would be kept at the extremist elements in the surroundings of the Red Zone.He further said that strict security arrangements would be done not only for the people of Islamabad but also for the participants of the PTI rally.

Protest against court decision in black boy death case, 16 arrested

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FERGUSON, Missouri (AP) Demonstrators across the U.S. disrupted commerce, transit and traffic days after the announcement that a grand jury in suburban St. Louis declined to indict the white police officer who fatally shot a black 18-year-old.Numerous storefronts in the Ferguson area had their windows covered with plywood with messages painted across many of them letting neighbors know that the shops are still open. Demonstrators temporarily shut down three large malls in suburban St. Louis on Black Friday, one of the busiest shopping days of the year, and then marched in front of the Ferguson police department to protest the grand jurys decision.Several stores lowered their security doors or locked entrances as at least 200 protesters sprawled onto the floor while chanting, Stop shopping and join the movement, at the Galleria mall in Richmond Heights a few miles south of Ferguson, Missouri, where Officer Darren Wilson fatally shot Michael Brown, who was unarmed, on Aug. 9.The action prompted authorities to close the mall for about an hour Friday afternoon, while a similar protest of about 50 people had the same effect at West County Mall in nearby Des Peres. And several dozen demonstrators led to a temporary closure of the Chesterfield Mall.Later Friday night, a group of about 100 protesters marched down South Florissant Road in front of the citys police and fire departments chanting, blocking traffic and stopping in front of some businesses.I served my country. I spent four years in the Army, and I feel like thats not what I served my country for, said Ebonie Tyse, 26, of St. Louis, as National Guard trucks and police cruisers roamed the street in front of her. I served my country for justice for everyone. Not because of what color, what age, what gender or anything, she said.Sixteen people were arrested, according to St. Louis County Police spokesman Shawn McGuire. Fifteen of those arrested were for misdemeanor peace disturbance. One man, Joygill Moriah of the Bronx, New York, was charged with assaulting a police officer, resisting arrest and peace disturbance. He did not have a listed attorney. Only one of those arrested was from the St. Louis area. Eight were from New York City.Browns killing reignited a debate over how police treat young black men. It drew attention to racial tensions simmering in Ferguson and other U.S. communities four decades after the civil rights movement of the 1960s. Two-thirds of Fergusons residents are black but the police force is almost entirely white.Monday nights announcement that Wilson wouldnt be indicted for fatally shooting Brown prompted violent protests that resulted in about a dozen buildings and some cars being burned in Ferguson. Dozens of people were arrested.The rallies have been ongoing but have grown more peaceful this week, as protesters turn their attention to disrupting commerce. Elsewhere on Friday, protests in Chicago, New York, Seattle and northern Californiawhere protesters chained themselves to trains were among the largest in the country on Black Friday.In Oakland, more than a dozen people were arrested after about 125 protesters wearing T-shirts that read Black Lives Matter interrupted train service from Oakland to San Francisco, with some chaining themselves to trains. Later in San Francisco, a march by hundreds turned ugly as protesters smashed windows and hurled bottles and other objects at police, leaving two officers injured. Police responded by making arrests but have not said how many. Dozens of people in Seattle blocked streets, and police said some protesters also apparently chained doors shut at the nearby Pacific Place shopping center.In Chicago, about 200 people gathered near the citys popular Magnificent Mile shopping district, where Kristiana Colon, 28, called Friday a day of awareness and engagement. Shes a member of the Let Us Breathe Collective, which has been taking supplies such as gas masks to protesters in Ferguson.We want them to think twice before spending that dollar today, she said of shoppers. As long as black lives are put second to materialism, there will be no peace.Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon on Friday announced that he will call a special session of the General Assembly to provide funding for public safety efforts related to protests. A news release from his office said that due to the increased presence of the State Highway Patrol and the Missouri National Guard in the region, the states financial obligations for emergency duties are on track to exceed what had been appropriated.

Lithuania builds world's largest-ever coin pyramid

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VILNIUS: (AFP) - The Baltic nation of Lithuania on Saturday unveiled what it billed as the worlds largest-ever coin pyramid ahead of its switch from the litas currency to the euro on January 1.Volunteers spent nearly three weeks arranging one million coins, worth 10,000 litas (2,900 euros), into a pyramid over one metre (yard) tall.We have certainly beaten the world record. Previously, the biggest pyramid of this kind was made up of 600,000 coins, said 26-year-old volunteer Domas Jokubauskis. All the coins will eventually be donated to a childrens charityThe Baltic nation of three million, which joined the EU in 2004, will become the 19th member of the eurozone on January 1, 2015.Its neighbours Estonia and Latvia joined the European single currency in 2011 and 2014 respectively, eyeing improved investor confidence.Lithuanians are divided over the currency switch, with 47 percent supporting it and 49 percent against it, mainly due to fears of price hikes, according to a Eurobarometer survey in September.The litas helped to consolidate Lithuanias statehood on the two occasions it restored independence from Moscow, in 1918 and 1990.The new euro coins will still feature the national coat of arms -- featuring a knight on horseback with a sword and shield -- which has identified the countrys currency since the 14th century.

3 minutes 7 second of noise and 3 minutes silence for Nelson Mandela

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JOHANNESBURG (AFP) - The South African government will lead an international moment of noise and silence on the first anniversary of Nelson Mandelas death, the former presidents foundation said Saturday.Friday will mark one year since the 95-year-old statesman and Nobel peace prize winner passed away.The Nelson Mandela Foundation said the event, lead by Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa, would begin with three minutes and seven seconds of noise using bells and sirens, instruments, vuvuzelas and loudhailers, followed by three minutes of silence.The time lapse from the ringing of the bells to the end of the moment of silence is six minutes, seven seconds and is symbolic of the 67 years Madiba spent in the service of humanity, the foundation said in a statement.The organisation called on schools, community centres, places of worship, and individuals to take part in the commemoration.The event is billed to begin at 0756 GMT and finish at 0803 GMT.It will follow an interfaith prayer service in Pretoria and the laying of a wreath by veterans from the countrys struggle against apartheid.Several events have been planned to mark the one year anniversary of Mandelas death, including a friendly cricket match between South Africas national cricket and rugby teams.The icon of South Africas struggle against Apartheid spent much of last year in hospital. His death was met with a worldwide outpouring of grief.

Zimbabwe fined for slow over rate against Bangladesh

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DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) - Zimbabwe has been fined for falling one over short of the minimum rate during the fourth one-day international against Bangladesh on Friday in Mirpur.The elite panel of ICC match referees imposed the fines after the side, led by Elton Chigumbura, was ruled to be short of its target when time allowances were taken into consideration.Chigumbura was fined 20 percent of his match fee, while his players received 10 percent fines.Bangladesh won the match by 21 runs and leads the series 4-0. The fifth and last ODI is on Monday.

Iraqi forces battled Islamic State group fighters in Ramadi, Iraq

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BAGHDAD (AFP) - Iraqi forces battled Islamic State (IS) group fighters Saturday in Ramadi, where a fierce jihadist offensive threatens one of the last pockets in Anbar province still under government control.Fierce fighting pitting security forces and tribal units against IS is taking place in the Al-Hoz, Muallimin and Bakr neighbourhoods, a police major told AFP.The clashes have been going on for several hours, he said, without specifying how many casualties the violence had claimed.Al-Hoz district, in the south of the Anbar provincial capital, fell to IS during the past week of fighting in Ramadi, a large city on the Euphrates 100 kilometres (60 miles) west of Baghdad.Sheikh Omar al-Alwani, the leader of one of the Sunni tribes opposing the jihadists and fighting alongside the government in Anbar, said slow military progress was being made.The army and tribal fighters are advancing slowly in Al-Hoz today. They control the entrances to the neighbourhood, he told AFP by phone.There are many booby-traps and we dont have a bomb disposal unit with us so we can only take position in a house once we have tossed a hand grenade in it to see if it is rigged with explosives, he explained.If the army stays with us, we can claim back the entire neighbourhood soon, he said, adding that Iraqi air raids had destroyed IS sniper positions and armoured vehicles on Saturday.Police and army officers said that a partial curfew was in place in Ramadi and that reinforcements had been deployed to protect the main government compound in the city.Parts of Ramadi and all of Fallujah, to its east, have been outside government control since the beginning of the year, but much more of Anbar province has since been seized by IS, which spearheaded a sweeping June offensive that overran swathes of Iraq.

Saturday, November 29, 2014

Dunya TV

At least 120 dead in Nigeria mosque suicide attack
2 dead as Islamists and police clash in Cairo
Tennis: Ivanovic says 'hard to imagine' faster future for game
Football: Pele improving but still on dialysis - hospital
Football: Rodriguez, Di Maria and Schweinsteiger on World XI short-list
Oil plunges to new multi-year lows on OPEC decision
Ruble scrapes new lows as Russia braces for cheap oil
Huge outpouring for Australia's tragic Hughes
Hesson admits playing was tough after Hughes tragedy
Hughes death will cast shadow over Sri Lanka ODI: Cook
Brazilian Central Bank presents Rio de Janeiro Olympics 2016 coins
Blasts at mosque in Nigeria kill 35 people
Mayhem as US 'Black Friday' hits Britain
University in Hyderabad result of people's prayers: Altaf Hussain
Syrian refugees request to leave Greece

At least 120 dead in Nigeria mosque suicide attack

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KANO (AFP) - At least 120 people were killed and 270 others wounded on Friday when two suicide bombers blew themselves up and gunmen opened fire during weekly prayers at the mosque of one of Nigerias top Islamic leaders.The attack at the Grand Mosque in Kano, the biggest city in the mainly Muslim north of the country, came just as Friday prayers had started. The mosque is attached to the palace of the Emir of Kano Muhammad Sanusi II, Nigerias second most senior Muslim cleric, who last week urged civilians to take up arms against Boko Haram.The blasts came after a bomb attack was foiled against a mosque in the northeastern city of Maiduguri earlier on Friday, five days after two female suicide bombers killed over 45 people in the city.National police spokesman Emmanuel Ojukwu told AFP that the bombers blew themselves up in quick succession then gunmen opened fire on those who were trying to escape.Ojukwu said he did not know whether the suicide bombers were male or female, after a spate of attacks by women in recent months, and did not give an exact figure on the number of gunmen.But he said an angry mob killed four of the shooters in the chaotic aftermath. Witnesses in the city said they were set on fire.An AFP reporter at the Murtala Mohammed Specialist Hospital morgue counted 92 bodies, most of them men and boys with blast injuries and severe burns.As night fell, hundreds of people were desperately trying to use the lights on their mobile phones to identify loved ones. But a senior rescue official said later that there were at least 120 dead and 270 wounded. Emergency workers were still trying to visit all hospitals, he added.The Emir of Kano last week told worshippers at the same mosque that northerners should take up arms against Boko Haram, which has been fighting for a hardline Islamic state since 2009.He also cast doubt on Nigerian troops ability to protect civilians and end the insurgency, in rare public comments by a cleric on political and military affairs. The emir, who is currently thought to be out of the country, is a hugely influential figure in Nigeria, which is home to more than 80 million Muslims, most of whom live in the north. Officially the emir is the countrys number two cleric, behind the Sultan of Sokoto, and any attack could inflame tensions in Nigerias second city, which is an ancient seat of Islamic learning.Sanusi was named emir earlier this year and is a prominent figure in his own right, having previously served as the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.During his time in charge of the CBN, he spoke out against massive government fraud and was suspended from his post in February just as his term of office was drawing to a close. Boko Haram has repeatedly attacked Kano. On November 14, a suicide bomb attack at a petrol station killed six people, including three police.The Islamists have a record of attacking prominent clerics. In July 2012 a suicide bomber killed five people leaving Friday prayers at the home of the Shehu of Borno in Maiduguri. The Shehu is Nigerias number three Islamic leader. Boko Haram threatened Sanusis predecessor and the Sultan of Sokoto for allegedly betraying the faith by submitting to the authority of the secular government in Abuja. In early 2013, the convoy of Sanusis predecessor was also attacked.Andrew Noakes, co-ordinator of the Nigeria Security Network of security analysts, said the attack fit a pattern of violence targeting religious and traditional leaders seen as allies of the state.He said it was possible that the group carried out the attack as a direct response to Sanusis comments last week, although it may have been planned beforehand.Whatever the case, the group has sent a message to northern leaders that crossing them will have consequences, Noakes said in an email exchange.Boko Haram attacks in recent months have ranged from the far northeast of Nigeria, across the wider north and northwest, using hit-and-run tactics, suicide bombings and car bombs.The authorities in Cameroon, Chad and Niger have all expressed concern about Boko Harams ability to conduct cross-border strikes, particularly as the dry season approaches.

2 dead as Islamists and police clash in Cairo

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CAIRO (AFP) - Two people were killed Friday as Islamist protesters and police clashed in Cairo just hours after attackers shot dead two soldiers, including a senior officer, in the Egyptian capital.The army and police had fanned out across Cairo and other cities in anticipation of rallies called by an Islamist group that opposes the militarys overthrow of president Mohamed Morsi last year.Hours before the small marches left from mosques, gunmen in a car killed a brigadier general in a shooting outside a hotel in the east of the city that also left another soldier dead and one wounded, the military and health officials said.The assailants fled and were not identified, but the jihadist group Ansar Beit al-Maqdis later claimed responsibility. The organisation is spearheading an insurgency in the Sinai peninsula and has killed scores of policemen and soldiers. It recently pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group that controls parts of Iraq and Syria.Protests by Islamists in Egypt are increasingly giving way to armed attacks amid a deadly security crackdown that has killed hundreds of people and left thousands in jail.In Cairos working class district of Matariya, at least two people were killed when protesters clashed with police, health and security officials said.A health ministry official said one had been shot in the chest.A friend identified him as Mohammed Hassan, and told AFP the dead man was an Islamist who had regularly attended anti-government demonstrations.The police fired randomly at the protesters, he said.However, the interior ministry said police came under fire from the protesters, and officers arrested one of them carrying a shotgun.In all 224 people were rounded up by police, the ministry said, for planning or carrying out acts of violence during the protests. Nearly half of them were arrested before the demonstrations got underway.Smaller marches, quickly dispersed by police, were reported elsewhere.In Cairos Haram district, only about 20 protesters turned up and fled at the sight of police. Officers frogmarched one suspected demonstrator left behind to a waiting police car.The protests were called by the little-known Salafi Front, part of a loose network of Islamists who oppose the armys overthrow of the Islamist Morsi in July 2013.The interior ministry said in a statement that police experts had defused eight rudimentary bombs across the country.Also on Friday, an army officer and a policeman were wounded in an exchange of gunfire with unknown assailants in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria, a security official said.Islamists, particularly Morsis Muslim Brotherhood movement, were the strongest political bloc in Egypt before the military toppled him, following mass demonstrations demanding his resignation.Morsis ouster led to a deadly crackdown on his supporters that has killed hundreds. Thousands have also been arrested and jailed.The Brotherhood has also been blacklisted as a terrorist group, making mere membership of the 86-year-old organisation punishable by a prison sentence.Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the former army chief who toppled Morsi and won a presidential election earlier this year, has pledged to eradicate the group.The Brotherhood insists it is peaceful, but the crackdown that has caused it to go underground is believed to have radicalised some of its members.

Tennis: Ivanovic says 'hard to imagine' faster future for game

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MANILA (AFP) - Ana Ivanovic demolished Daniela Hantuchova in an impressive International Premier Tennis League debut on Friday, but said it was hard to imagine the game evolving to adopt the much faster format.The Serbian world number five routinely broke her fellow baseliner Hantuchovas serve in a 6-0 win that was over in a whirlwind 15 minutes, as the tournament got underway in Manila.I think it will be hard to imagine the fast-paced, television-friendly IPTL format replacing tennis as it is played in the mens and womens tours now, Ivanovic told a news conference later.As for rules its very hard because weve been playing by certain rules for a long, long time.The IPTL, which will also have stops in Singapore, New Delhi and Dubai next month, has a team format with ties consisting of five one-set matches, with no advantages. The first to six games wins.A 20-second shot-clock between points guarantees quick play, and at 5-5, players go into a timed shoot-out in which they must accumulate the most points before time is up.Players receiving a serve can also call a happiness power point once per set, meaning the next point will count double.Reigning US Open champion Marin Cilic, who defeated world number six Andy Murray, called it the most important feature of the IPTL.It can turn the game around and it can make it interesting, he said.However it was the shootout that won the Croat the match, 6-5.World number two Maria Sharapova, boosted by the partisan crowd in the 16,000-capacity Mall of Asia Arena, rallied from 2-5 down to beat Kristina Mladenovic, 6-5.However, her and Murrays Manila Mavericks eventually went down 4-1 to Cilic and Mladenovics UAE Royals.I didnt want to lose my first singles match in Manila, the Russian said as she thanked the fans for their overwhelming support.Sharapova faces Ivanovic in the headline match-up on Saturday. IPTL officials have touted the rapid format, which has attracted many top players on the mens and women circuits, as the future of the sport.The IPTL also features skimpily-clad female cheerleaders dancing to loud music during timeouts.I think with this format, we want the crowd to make as much noise as possible. We want it to be like a basketball match, Murray said. But Ivanovic, whose effort helped her Indian Aces team beat Hantuchovas Singapore Slammers 4-1, said its speed changes the dynamic of the game a lot.I need some more time and breaks in between, Ivanovic said, especially with balls sometimes not being in place.Most of the other players were also bemused by the shot clock on Friday, while both Murray and Cilics veteran team-mate Goran Ivanisevic grumbled about the slowness of the court surface.Ivanovics team-mate Gael Monfils, who eventually won against Lleyton Hewitt 6-1, was penalised and went behind 0-15 in the fifth game of the singles match because he could not serve fast enough.It was very slow, very strange. Balls were flying then stopping, Ivanisevic said.The ball bounces very high. Sometimes its quite difficult to control, Murray said.Ivanovic pointedly described the IPTL tournament, which comes after the end of the 2014 tour, as an exhibition but conceded it was actually an interesting concept.Tonight was (my) first match for a long time and (was) without match practice, she said.I really enjoyed it and was really happy to win that first game and I kind of settled in and played well after that.However, with Ivanovic scheduled to play at all four stops of the IPTL tour this year, she said it was likely to affect her preparations for the 2015 regular season.Definitely. Its a long two weeks and Im still going to do my own training on the side while still playing and competing, so well see.

Football: Pele improving but still on dialysis - hospital

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SAO PAULO (AFP) - Brazil football legend Peles health is improving but he is still receiving an intensive treatment known as hemodialysis for a urinary infection, the hospital treating him said Friday.Pele, 74, is in better clinical condition, said the Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo, adding that he was lucid and breathing on his own but still receiving hemodialysis, which involves filtering a patients blood through an artificial kidney that cleans it before returning it to the body.The hospital said the measure was a temporary kidney support and that no other treatment was currently required.Pele, whose real name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento, is widely regarded as the greatest player of all time.He was admitted to hospital Monday and diagnosed with a urinary infection.After the hospital said Thursday that he had been placed in intensive care, he took to Facebook and Twitter to insist that he was fine and had simply been moved to another room for more privacy.I want to take this opportunity to let you know that I am doing fine, he wrote.I am blessed to receive your love and support, and thank God this is nothing serious.I was simply relocated to a special room within the hospital for privacy purposes only. While I appreciate all the visitors that came to see me, I really need to continue my treatment and recovery in peace.He said he would spend the upcoming holidays with family and looked forward to beginning 2015 with renewed health, adding he had many international trips already planned.His agent Jose Fornos said that the star was tired after receiving too many visits, and added that his treatment could go on for eight days.Pele underwent surgery for kidney stones at the same hospital on November 13.He had to cancel an appearance at his museum in Santos, on the coast near Sao Paulo, on November 12 as he began showing symptoms of the illness.And he was also forced to miss a gathering of members of the Brazil team that won the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, who had come together to mark the 45th anniversary of his 1,000th career goal.But he appeared to be in good humor when he was released from hospital two days later, joking with journalists: I am ready to play tomorrow.Nicknamed O Rei (The King), Pele was born in a humble home in the city of Tres Coracoes. He is considered by many as the greatest footballer in history with his exploits for Brazil and a career that saw him score 1,281 goals in 1,363 games.He scored 77 goals in 91 games for his country and won his first World Cup aged just 17, scoring twice in the 1958 final win over hosts Sweden.In 1977, he inspired New York Cosmos to the US national title in his final season with the club, which featured fellow greats Franz Beckenbauer, Italian striker Giorgio Chinaglia and former Brazil captain Carlos Alberto.

Football: Rodriguez, Di Maria and Schweinsteiger on World XI short-list

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PARIS (AFP) - A short-list of 15 midfielders from whom three will be selected for a World XI was released by footballs World governing body FIFA on Friday.The World XI team, which is voted for by tens of thousands of players worldwide, is to be presented at the FIFA Ballon dOr award ceremony on January 12th.All of those on the list were stars of the 2014 World Cup including top scorer James Rodriguez of Colombia, plus Angel Di Maria of beaten finalists Argentina and Bastian Schweinsteiger of the champions Germany.Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi will feature on the list of strikers to be revealed on December 1st, while candidates for the goalkeeper position and defenders have already been released.Midfielders short-list:Xabi Alonso (Esp/Bayern Munich), Angel Di Maria (Arg/Manchester United), Cesc Fabregas (Esp/Chelsea), Eden Hazard (Bel/Chelsea), Xavi (Esp/Barcelona), Andres Iniesta (Esp/Barcelona), Toni Kroos (Ger/Real Madrid), Luka Modric (Cro/Real Madrid), Mesut Ozil (Ger/Arsenal), Andrea Pirlo (Ita/Juventus), Paul Pogba (Fra/Juventus), James Rodriguez (Col/Real Madrid), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Ger/Bayern Munich), Yaya Toure (ICoast/Manchester City), Arturo Vidal (Chi/Juventus).

Oil plunges to new multi-year lows on OPEC decision

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NEW YORK (AFP) - Global oil prices plunged Friday to new multi-year lows after the OPEC oil-producing cartel decided to maintain crude output in an oversupplied market.US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for delivery in January closed at $66.15 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, down $7.54 from the closing price Wednesday. It was the lowest WTI close since September 2009.The NYMEX was closed Thursday for a holiday. As the New York market closed in an abbreviated session Friday, in London, Brent oil for January delivery sank below $70 for the first time in four and a half years, to $69.78 a barrel. Brent settled at $70.15 a barrel, down $2.43 from Thursdays close.The selloffs came after the 12-nation Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) opted Thursday to maintain its collective output ceiling at 30 million barrels per day, where it has stood for three years, sending prices plunging.OPEC refused to cut production despite oversupply that has sent prices tumbling by more than a third since June, with analysts warning of further falls to come.OPEC confirmed what many market participants had expected by leaving their official production quota unchanged, said Sucden analyst Kash Kamal.Many investors had hoped for some positive steps forward as the global supply glut continues to exert considerable downward pressure on futures prices, he added.At Thursdays OPEC gathering in Vienna, the cartel came under pressure from its poorer members, including Venezuela and Ecuador, to trim production as tumbling prices were eating into revenues and raising fears over their economies.However, the groups powerful Gulf members led by kingpin Saudi Arabia resisted the calls to turn down the taps unless they are guaranteed market share, particularly in the United States, where shale gas has contributed to the global supply glut.Another member, Kuwait, supported the move with the countrys oil minister Ali Omair saying: We decided that price will adjust itself based on supply and demand and that OPEC is supposed to safeguard its market share in order not to lose its clients.He suggested the United States should also bear responsibility and lower its own output of shale oil.Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro declared Thursday that he would keep pushing OPEC to slash output.The oil market has plunged in recent months, depressed by plentiful supplies, the stronger dollar and demand fears in a weakening global economy.OPECs decision to keep output is the main reason for prices to drop quite rapidly, said Daniel Ang, an investment analyst with Phillip Futures in Singapore.Prices are likely to be going down for the rest of the year, he told AFP.Ang, who closely tracks the oil market, said he expects WTI to end 2014 in the low 60s and Brent in the mid-60s.This weeks OPEC decision was meanwhile perceived by some analysts as an attack on the booming US shale energy sector.OPEC is dominated by Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, who also have the highest tolerance for low oil prices due to the economies of scale generated by their huge super fields, said analyst Nick Campbell at consultancy Inspired Energy.Therefore, in order to combat low demand and a new supply threat -- both mainly in the United States -- the trick is to drop your price.Technological innovations have unlocked shale resources in North America and raised daily US oil output by more than 40 percent since 2006, but at a production cost which can be three or four times that of extracting Middle Eastern oil.US shale producers costs are estimated to be much higher than most OPEC producers and, therefore, by pushing the oil price lower they are hoping to drive the higher cost current producing wells to the margin and, more importantly, stop new sites developing, added Campbell.US oil output is soaring thanks to shale energy, which involves blasting a high-pressure blend of water, sand and chemicals deep underground in order to release hydrocarbons trapped between layers of rock.

Ruble scrapes new lows as Russia braces for cheap oil

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MOSCOW (AFP) - Energy-rich Russias currency extended Friday its slide into record low territory and the government lowered its crucial oil price forecast in the wake of OPECs decision to leave its output target unchanged.The ruble shed another 1.6 percent against the dollar and stood near the 49.35 mark in evening trading on the Moscow Exchange. It gave up the same percentage point and was valued at almost 61.55 against the euro -- also a historic low.The beleaguered currency has been trying to find its footing ever since the OPEC cartel decided on Thursday evening not to cut back production to support oil prices that have fallen by a third since June.The value of energy on international markets is critical here because Russia -- eager to limit borrowings at a time of extreme tensions with the West -- will generate a whopping 52 percent of its 2014 revenues from oil and gas sales.But the global energy glut and corresponding price collapse has contributed to a ruble slide that began during the first turmoil in Ukraine this winter and accelerated in recent weeks.The currency has now lost about a third of its value since the start of the year -- the same as during the 2008-2009 global financial crisis.Such falls are especially sensitive to Russians who saw their ruble savings wiped out with the collapse of communism in the 1990s.The Kremlins approval rating in that era once dipped below five percent.But Vladimir Putin has proven to be a teflon president whose increasingly militant talk and overtly anti-American sentiments appeal to Russian nationalists and help keep his own support level near 80 percent. The veteran Russian leader was dismissive on Friday of the turmoil hitting the worlds commodity markets and Moscows own trading floor.We do not see anything extraordinary here. The winter is coming and I am sure that the market will level off in the first quarter and the middle of the year, he said in televised remarks.Russias central bank -- its regular support for the ruble permanently suspended at the start of the month -- also vowed to jump in should things get out of hand.In case we identify risks of destabilisation, the Bank of Russia will be ready to conduct currency interventions, the central bank said in a statement carried by the RIA Novosti state news agency.Yet Russias growth is still likely to flatline this year and contract in 2015 -- a malaise attributed to Putins failure to improve market conditions and develop industries that could ease the budgets dependence on oil.The 2014 state spending plan is based on an average oil price of $93 a barrel.But Economy Minister Alexei Ulyukayev admitted on Friday that the 2015 draft will have to be revised to account for a Brent crude price that stood at $73.20 on Friday evening.There is a strong probability that it will be closer to $80 a barrel, Ulyukayev told reporters.This situation once against confirms our position that Russias budget policies must be adapted to new oil prices, Maxim Oreshkin of the finance ministrys strategic planning department added.Russias most powerful oil executives were also entering the winter holiday season in a sour mood.The head of state crude giant Rosneft cautioned that prices may even approach levels not seen since early 2009. We think the price could fall to $60 and below, but in the course of the first half of the year, Igor Sechin told Austrias Die Presse daily.Lukoil private oil firm vice president Leonid Fedun said the joint effect of falling prices and Western sanctions will probably see Russias oil production drop from its current peak of about 525 million tonnes to 490 million tonnes within five years.This decrease will not be dramatic -- it will be more similar to what is happening in the North Sea, he told the Financial Times.

Huge outpouring for Australia's tragic Hughes

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SYDNEY (AFP) - Flags flew at half-mast and thousands of fans and players paid tribute Friday as Australia and the world cricket community united in an outpouring of grief for the tragic death of batsman Phillip Hughes.Cricketers the world over paused to remember the player, and a spontaneous putyourbatsout campaign received a massive response with thousands posting pictures of bats on Twitter.Australias stunned Test team comforted each other in a grief counselling session at the Sydney Cricket Ground, where Hughes was knocked unconscious while batting in a domestic game on Tuesday.The 25-year-old died two days later on Thursday from massive bleeding in his brain, becoming one of the highest profile deaths in sport since Formula One icon Ayrton Senna in 1994.Shock at the freak accident pulsed around the globe as Hughes featured on front pages worldwide and flags were at half-mast at Lords, the home of cricket in London.New South Wales authorities announced a public memorial service for Hughes, while next weeks first Test against India hung in the balance. Four players in Australias Test squad -- David Warner, Brad Haddin, Shane Watson and Nathan Lyon -- were on the field when he collapsed after being hit by a Sean Abbott delivery.Six or seven days is not a long time, but right now with where we all are, it seems like a million miles away, said Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland, referring to next weeks game in Brisbane.Sutherland said the understanding and empathy of Indias powerful Board of Control for Cricket has been absolutely outstanding.They understand that these are unique and extraordinary circumstances, he said, adding: We all love cricket and no one loved cricket more than Phillip. Cricket will go on and it will go on when were ready.Both the Sydney Cricket Ground and the cavernous Melbourne Cricket Ground lowered their flags to half-mast, while club teams from Australia to India paused in a minutes silence.Before play in the third Test against Pakistan, New Zealands players lined up their bats and caps outside their dressing room in sombre tribute.Both teams in Sharjah, who cancelled play on Thursday in shock at the news, also held a minutes silence and donned black armbands.Rank-and-file fans and superstars alike contributed to putoutyourbats, posting pictures of bats leaning against front doors, stadiums and statues.Previously anonymous Sydneysider Paul D. Taylor, who started the campaign, said he was amazed and humbled by the outcome.Google Australia joined the trend, decorating its home page with the poignant image of a single bat.The tragedy transcended sports. Golf number one Rory McIlroy wore a black ribbon as he played the Australian Open in Sydney, and tennis star Rafael Nadal offered his condolences.Fans of Western Sydney Wanderers planned a minutes applause at 63 minutes -- Hughes score when he was struck down -- during Saturdays derby match against Sydney FC.Australias rugby team will wear black armbands when they play England at Twickenham on Saturday, and a message of sympathy came from New Zealands All Blacks.Meanwhile support remained for Abbott, 22, the unlucky fast bowler who delivered the fateful ball and who was said to be broken by the incident.That lad is absolutely shaken and broken at the moment, former Test quick Jason Gillespie told Fox Sports.Doctors said the ball cannoned into the base of Hughes skull, splitting his vertebral artery and causing massive bleeding in his brain.Hughes, who was struck below his helmet, remained standing for a few seconds after the blow, before crashing to the pitch face-first. Experts called it a freak injury with only 100 cases ever reported, and only one known incident as a result of a cricket ball.

Hesson admits playing was tough after Hughes tragedy

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SHARJAH (AFP) - New Zealand coach Mike Hesson Friday admitted his players were struggling in grief over the passing of Australian batsman Phillip Hughes, saying they discussed not playing the match at all.Before the start of second days proceedings Pakistan and New Zealand players and officials observed a minute of silence in respect of Hughes who passed away on Thursday after being hit by a bouncer in a first-class match in Sydney.Teams had agreed to abandon the second days play on Thursday when the tragic news poured in from Australia and Hesson admitted it was tough to play for his players.I think everybody was hit in different ways, said Hesson of the after-effects. Everybody in the team is affected, some very deeply affected and today wasnt about cricket, today was about supporting one of our fellow player.The players were really struggling and there is no doubt about that. I think the key for us was to help the individuals in the group who were struggling more than the others and get through the day.Asked how close the New Zealand team came to not continuing the Test on Friday, Hesson said: There was a lot of discussion taking place regarding the Test match continuing, this morning the Test match continued and we knew that so we turned up and we were aware of that and we worked on helping each other get through the day.New Zealand dominated the day by dismissing Pakistan for 351 from a strong 281-3 and then raced to 249-1 with Brendon McCullum hitting a fiery 153 not out.Off-spinner Mark Craig took a career-best 7-94 but Hesson said nobody was thinking of performance.We werent conscious of the performance, we were just looking after each other, said Hesson, whose team did not celebrate the fall of wickets in the morning. The game was irrelevant at that stage, that was just a natural reaction (not celebrating) by a group of people whose mind was elsewhere.Hesson said nobody fielded close to the batsman and no bouncer was bowled. We didnt have anyone under the close field and under a helmet and didnt bowl any bouncer and that was to show respect.Hesson praised Craig and McCullum.I think Mark drifted the ball and certainly created lots of curves and got rewards, said Hesson of the spinner.Brendon can play like that and he was going through a range of emotions today but that certainly showed the character of the man to play the way he did, said Hesson of McCullum who played alongside Hughes for New South Wales.

Hughes death will cast shadow over Sri Lanka ODI: Cook

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COLOMBO (AFP) - Alastair Cook says England and Sri Lanka will play with heavy hearts in their one-day international on Saturday, but that the show must go on as a mark of respect to Phillip Hughes.The talented Australian, 25, died in a Sydney hospital on Thursday after sustaining serious head injuries while batting in a domestic Sheffield Shield game match two days earlier.England captain Cook said the teams had decided to go ahead with Saturdays second ODI in Colombo to show our respects in the right way for Phil, but admitted they may not play with their usual flair.It was been a really sad day yesterday, a tragic day for cricket, a sombre-looking Cook told reporters on Friday ahead of the match at Premadasa stadium.Words I say here are not going to do any justice. Its an incredibly sad changing room for us and all our thoughts are with Hughes family and those Australian players who knew him so well.I think the intensity will probably be less tomorrow, but both sides agreed we should carry on playing and show our respects in the right way for Phil, and try and put on a good show.Sri Lanka lead the seven-match series 1-0 after winning the opening match by 25 runs in Colombo on Wednesday.Cook, a left-handed opener like Hughes, said the tragedy will not change his approach to the game.I certainly would not change the way I play, he said. You cannot have doubts in the back of your mind when you walk out to bat, (otherwise) you wont be playing very well.But we have got to keep trying to improve player safety, even though I think the improvements even since Ive started playing cricket have gone through the roof, especially helmets and in technology.The game of cricket will move on, but its a real reminder to everyone how precious life is and how lucky we are to be playing cricket.The series is an opportunity for both sides to prepare for the World Cup which takes place in Australia and New Zealand in February and March.

Brazilian Central Bank presents Rio de Janeiro Olympics 2016 coins

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RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) - Coins to commemorate the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympics were presented Friday by the Brazilian Central Bank along with four designs that will enter general circulation.The commemorative coins feature one gold design and four in silver. The gold coin depicts Rios famous Christ the Redeemer statue on one side, and a 100-meter sprint design carrying the Olympic motto: Citius, Altius, Fortius (Faster, Higher, Stronger).The silver coins show well-known Rio landmarks where people practice sports. The coins also show natural aspects of the city and Brazil. The general circulation coins show Olympic and Paralympic sports. The selling price for the gold coin is 1,180 reals about $470. The silver coins sell for 195 reals (about $80). Officials said 36 different styles of coins will be minted by 2016.

Blasts at mosque in Nigeria kill 35 people

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KANO, Nigeria: (AP) - Police say 35 people were killed when multiple explosions tore through the central mosque in Nigerias second-largest city.State Deputy police commissioner Sanusi Lemu said 150 others also sustained various degrees of injuries in the blasts Friday in the city Kano.Hundreds had gathered to listen to a sermon in a region terrorized by attacks from the militant group Boko Haram.

Mayhem as US 'Black Friday' hits Britain

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LONDON (AFP) - Police blasted stores for bringing Black Friday to Britain, with the US sales event descending into chaotic fist fights as frenzied consumers battled to grab discounted goods.In scenes of pandemonium around the country, common civility went out the window as yelling customers punched it out in a bid to secure reduced-price televisions and coffee makers.Police in Manchester said three people had been arrested as the sales spiralled out of control after stores in the city in northwest England opened at midnight.The events of last night were totally predictable and I am disappointed that stores did not have sufficient security staff on duty, said Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Peter Fahy.This created situations where we had to deal with crushing, disorder and disputes between customers.His deputy Ian Hopkins said they had to close several outlets of Tesco, Britains biggest retailer.People have been trampling on each other and its been akin to a mini-riot in some of the stores, he said.A ladys had her wrist broken, a member of the public in a wheelchair had a TV dropped on them and a security guard in one of the stores has been punched.They urged stores to learn the lessons for next year and work with the police to reduce the risks of disorder.A Tesco source said: We will work with them following this event to make any improvements for next year.Jamie Hook was buying food at the Stretford Tesco in Manchester late on Thursday when the screaming started.I looked at the massive crowd to see people climbing over shelves and displays, staff running for cover, fights breaking out, stock flying through air, people breaking through carrying televisions -- and this was before the sale had even started, he said, according to the BBC.The lady on the till I was at was in tears, terrified.Shaun Thompson, 21, said he saw a female member of staff in the store with what appeared to be a black eye.It just went mad. People were shouting their heads off and a few minutes after that it exploded, he said.People were ripping covers off the shelves, they were fighting with each other, fighting over TVs.I have never seen anything like it in my life. It was quite scary.Footage from an ASDA supermarket in Wembley, northwest London, showed security staff struggling to contain a crowd of shoppers grappling for cut-price televisions.Some customers had to be separated as the sale sparked furious exchanges, while two women were seen wrestling over a TV.London police sergeant Paul Marshall said on Twitter: Even on Black Friday shoving people to the floor so you can get 20 off a Coffee Maker is still an assault.The sales event takes place each year in the United States the day after their Thanksgiving holiday.The imported event is expected to be one of Britains busiest shopping days this year.

University in Hyderabad result of people's prayers: Altaf Hussain

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HYDERABAD: (Dunya News) – Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain has said that setting up of university in Hyderabad is the result of oppressed masses’ prayers, Dunya News reported. He said that he wished to see Governor Sindh Dr. Ishratul Ibad and Malik Riaz laying the foundation stone of the university.Addressing the ceremony conducted for celebrating the announcement of university on Friday, Altaf Hussain said that the establishment of the university was a longstanding demand of the people of Hyderabad and finally it was being met.Altaf Hussain announced to distribute sweets worth Rs. 700,000 among citizens and bangles worth Rs. 100,000 among the women of the city as a gift. MQM workers celebrated the announcement of university at Koh-i-Noor Chowk of Hyderabad.

Syrian refugees request to leave Greece

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ATHENS (AFP) - Some 200 Syrian refugees protesting in Athens on Friday asked to be allowed access to other European countries, fearing deteriorating conditions in crisis-hit Greece.Crisis-hit Greece alone cannot support the weight of accommodating war refugees, said Nander Halbuni, a representative of the Syrians who have been camping on Syntagma Square in central Athens for over a week.The only solution for ourselves and our families is to have the right to go to another country to start a new life of dignity for our children, he told reporters.The Syrians began their protest on November 19 to demand housing from the Greek authorities, after spending the previous months sleeping in parks or on the street.Over a dozen among them who have mounted a hunger strike have been been hospitalised after fainting.Greece is one of the main points of entry into the European Union for people fleeing war-torn and poor countries in Africa, the Middle East and the Indian sub-continent.Many of the recent arrivals are escaping the war in Syria, where more than 200,000 people have been killed, according to UN figures.Some 28,000 Syrians have been caught illegally entering Greece since January, compared to just 8,500 last year.

Friday, November 28, 2014

Over dozen companies apply for public offers in FY'15

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