Dunya TV

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• Obama urges steps from Iran over nuclear dispute
• Blasts at Nigeria bus park kill at least 20
• Italy says India violating diplomatic immunity
• Heavy rains leave 13 dead in Brazil
• Djokovic, Serena lead injury-hit Miami lineup
• Resurgent Nadal sets sights on clay-court season
• Beckham remains on top of best paid list
• Athletics: London considers Commonwealth bid
• Woods and Vonn reveal love interest
• Oil rises as Cyprus worries ease
• Bracewell given chance to make Test squad
• Czech President asks Zardari to help on missing women
• Altaf vows to eradicate outdated system
• NATO slams Karzai over US-Taliban remarks
• Palestine calls for fiscal aid to avert collapse

Obama urges steps from Iran over nuclear dispute Posted: WASHINGTON (AFP) - US President Barack Obama urged Iran on Monday to take immediate and meaningful steps to move toward an enduring, long-term settlement with the world over its disputed nuclear program.In a video message in honor of the Iranian Nowruz holiday, Obama said that if Tehran took such action the Iranian people will begin to see the benefits of greater trade and ties with other nations, including the United States.Iran is under increasingly biting international sanctions imposed over its nuclear program, which the United States and other Western nations fear is aimed at producing an atomic weapon, but which Tehran says is entirely peaceful.Both the United States and Israel have refused to rule out military action to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, and the issue is likely to top the agenda this week during Obamas first trip to Israel as president.Obama said last week that it would take over a year or so for Iran to build a nuclear bomb.In the message in honor of Nowruz -- the Persian New Year -- Obama appealed to ordinary Iranians, saying the people of Iran have paid a high and unnecessary price because of your leaders unwillingness to address this issue.As Ive said all along, the United States prefers to resolve this matter peacefully, diplomatically.Indeed, if -- as Irans leaders say -- their nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, then there is a basis for a practical solution.Obama delivered his first annual Nowruz address to Iran shortly after being sworn in in 2009 as part of a policy of engagement with Irans leadership.But the administration backed away from the approach later that year when Iran cracked down on protests over a disputed election, and has since helped to secure international sanctions that have increasingly isolated Tehran.The two countries have had tense relations since the 1979 Iranian revolution that toppled the US-allied Shah and the hostage crisis later that year, in which radical students held more than 50 Americans for 444 days.Obama closed the Nowruz message by quoting the famed medieval Persian poet Hafez, saying: Plant the tree of friendship that bears the fruit of fulfillment; uproot the sapling of enmity that bears endless suffering.

Blasts at Nigeria bus park kill at least 20 Posted: KANO (AFP) - A series of blasts targeting three buses full of passengers in Nigerias second city of Kano killed at least 20 people on Monday, a rescue official told AFP.The Sabon Gari area of the city where the explosions occurred was cordoned off by soldiers after bloodied bystanders fled the scene in panic, according to residents.Kano, the largest city in Nigerias mainly Muslim north, has been repeatedly targeted by Islamist group Boko Haram, blamed for killing hundreds in the region since 2009.I saw three buses on fire. One of them was fully loaded with passengers waiting to leave the station at the time of the blasts. At the moment there are at least 20 dead, said the rescue official who requested anonymity.This figure is not the final toll because we are still conducting rescue and the figure may rise, added the official, who asked his name be withheld as he was not authorised to speak to journalists.Mechanic Tunde Kazeem, who works at the targeted New Road bus station, said the explosion was followed by billows of black smoke and there was a lot of confusion with people rushing out of the motor park, some of them with blood on their clothes.While the official confirmed at least two explosions, some residents have reported hearing up to three blasts, in what may have been a coordinated attack that is likely to blamed on Boko Haram.The station was attacked in January of last year in a blast which wounded several people and which was blamed on the radical Islamist group.The security forces were not immediately available to comment on the attack and there has not yet been a claim of responsibility.The targeted station primarily services passengers heading to the mostly Christian south of Nigeria.Boko Haram has previously targeted Christians, including through a series of suicide bombings at churches packed with worshippers on Sundays.The group has also been blamed for killing officials, security personnel and other symbols of authority in an insurgency it says is aimed at establishing a Muslim state in northern Nigeria.The group has also purportedly claimed the kidnapping of a seven members of a French family, including four children, abducted last month near in the Nigerian border in Cameroon.In an audio recording obtained by AFP on Monday, Boko Haram demanded the release of its members it says are being held in Nigeria and Cameroon in exchange for the release of the hostages.Boko Haram is believed to include a number of factions with various interests and shifting demands.Its presumed leader, Abubakar Shekau, has been designated a global terrorist by the United States and experts say the group may have fostered ties with foreign extremists, including Al-Qaedas north Africa affiliate.Nigeria is Africas most populous nation and largest oil producer, where poverty remains rampant, particularly in the north.

Italy says India violating diplomatic immunity Posted: ROME (AFP) - Italy on Monday said India was violating a convention on diplomatic immunity by preventing the Italian ambassador from leaving the country in an escalating row over two Italian marines on trial for killing two Indian fishermen.The Supreme Courts decision to prevent our ambassador from leaving the country without the courts permission is a clear violation of the Vienna convention on diplomatic relations, the foreign ministry said in a statement.Italy continues to believe that the case of its two marines should be resolved according to international law, the statement said.Italy wants to keep friendly relations, it added.Indias top judge earlier on Monday said that Italys ambassador Daniele Mancini had forfeited his diplomatic immunity over his role in securing the release of the two marines, who skipped bail while on trial for murder in New Delhi.Chief Justice Altamas Kabir said Mancini, who had negotiated the Italians release last month so they could vote in an election, had waived his immunity by giving an undertaking to a court that the pair would return.Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone, who are accused of murdering two Indian fishermen last year, had been given permission to fly to Italy to cast their votes in the election on the understanding that they would return.But the Italian government announced last week that it would renege on its commitment to send the men back, prompting fury in New Delhi.The Indian government has warned of consequences and is reviewing its ties with Italy, while the case is being watched carefully by Indias allies because it could set precedents over the treatment of foreign diplomats.New Delhi has put its airports on alert to prevent Mancini from leaving the country and the Supreme Court issued instructions that appropriate steps should be taken to restrain him.Without legal protection he could be prosecuted for contempt of court.The marines face murder charges in India after shooting dead the fishermen off Indias southwestern coast in February last year, when a fishing boat sailed close to the Italian oil tanker they were guarding.They say they mistook the fishermen for pirates.Italy insists the marines should be prosecuted in their home country because the shootings involved an Italian-flagged vessel in international waters, but India says the killings took place in waters under its jurisdiction.Relations between the two countries have also been soured by corruption allegations surrounding a $748 million deal for the purchase of 12 Italian helicopters, which the Indian government is now threatening to scrap.

Heavy rains leave 13 dead in Brazil Posted: RIO DE JANEIRO (AFP) - Landslides triggered by heavy rains have killed 13 people over the past 24 hours in the Brazilian tourist town of Petropolis, an official said Monday.We are in a state of maximum alert, Rio state governor Sergio Cabral told a news conference in Petropolis, a former imperial capital located 68 kilometers (42 miles) north of Rio de Janeiro, as he updated the death toll from 10.He urged residents to leave high risk areas and to seek refuge in shelters provided by city authorities amid worsening downpours.Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, in Rome to attend Tuesdays installment of Pope Francis, called Cabral to offer federal help to deal with the impact of the flooding, her office said.Among the victims are two civil defense officials who took part in rescue efforts, Sergio Simoes, the Rio state civil defense secretary, told Globo television earlier.Simoes described the situation in the town, where emperor Pedro II and his court used to spend the summer, as very serious.The continuing rains heighten the risks of mudslides. There are many vulnerable areas in the mountainous region and as a result we are very concerned, he said.Up to 390 millimeters (15 inches) of rain have fallen in some city districts in the past 24 hours, when only 270 millimeters were anticipated for all of March.Petropolis Mayor Rubens Bomtempo urged residents to remain indoors and warned of the possibility of more landslides.A civil defense statement said the rains also affected other Rio state towns, including Angra dos Reis, Mangaratiba, Niteroi and Teresopolis.In January 2011, more than 900 people died in Rio states rugged region after heavy downpours spawned flooding and landslides.

Djokovic, Serena lead injury-hit Miami lineup Posted: MIAMI (AFP) - World number ones Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams head the fields in the WTA and ATP Masters Miami hardcourt event that begins on Tuesday, although several big names will be among the missing.Rafael Nadal, who secured the Indian Wells title on Sunday for his third title since his comeback from nagging knee injuries, and Swiss World No. 2 Roger Federer are absent on the mens side, which features 45 of the worlds 50 top players.Injured World No. 10 Samantha Stosur of Australia is missing on the womens side, having suffered a right calf injury that forced her to drop out of her quarter-final at Indian Wells.Djokovic will try to claim his fourth Miami title while Williams attempts to take her sixth career crown at the $8.5 million tournament, which provides first-round byes to seeded players.Williams will play her first event since reclaiming the World No. 1 ranking at Dubai, where she reached the final.Serbian star Djokovic lost to Argentinas Juan Martin del Potro in the Indian Wells semi-finals, ending his 22-match winning streak in a run that included a fourth Australian Open title, his sixth career Grand Slam crown.I need a few days off and Ill move on to Miami, said Djokovic, who could become the first player since Andre Agassi in 2003 to lift a third Miami title in a row.Del Potro, who also ousted World No. 2 Andy Murray of Britain in the Indian Wells quarter-finals, is looking for big things at Miami as well after falling to Nadal in the Indian Wells final.After tomorrow I will be happy for this tournament and get motivation for the future, for the next one, and be ready, waiting for another chance like I made in this tournament, Del Potro said.Im excited to play Miami. Many Argentinian fans, friends, family, come to watch me there. Its a very good tournament. Im so excited to be playing there. But first I need a couple of days for recovery, for rest, and I wish to do a similar tournament there.Djokovic won at Miami in 2007 as well as the past two years and has reached the final in four of the past six years. He will play his opener Friday against either Gilles Muller or Lukas Rosol and could face 30th seed Feliciano Lopez of Spain in the third round.Reigning US Open and Olympic champion Murray, who lost to Djokovic in last years Miami final, will try to add to his 2009 title, which came with a victory over Djokovic.Australian Bernard Tomic or a qualifier will await Murray in his first match.Spanish third seed David Ferrer, in Djokovics half of the draw, looks to bounce back from a second-round defeat at Indian Wells. He will open against a qualifier but del Potro could be a quarter-final opponent for Ferrer.The South American will open against against either Tobias Kamke or Blaz Kavcic.Czech fourth seed Tomas Berdych, who could meet Murray in a semi-final, will open against either Daniel Gimeno-Traver or Denis Istomin.On the womens side, Williams has a trophy haul that includes Miami titles in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007 and 2008. The 31-year-old American also reached the final in 1999 and 2009 and she could become the first six-time Miami winner.The 15-time Grand Slam champion is looking to sustain the 2012 form that brought seven titles, including the US Open, Wimbledon and the London Olympics.Williams will open against either Flavia Pennetta or Johanna Larsson on Thursday.Indian Wells runner-up Caroline Wozniacki is a possible quarter-final opponent for Williams, provided the Danish ninth seed escapes a fourth round that could see her face Chinas Li Na.Li is battling back after an ankle injury suffered in losing the Australian Open final.Defending champion and fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland could meet Venus Williams or Sloane Stephens in the fourth round.World No. 3 Victoria Azarenka and Indian Wells champion Maria Sharapova are on a semi-final collision course.Four-time Grand Slam champion Sharapova will open against wither Canadian wild card Eugenie Bouchard or a qualifier.

Resurgent Nadal sets sights on clay-court season Posted: INDIAN WELLS (AFP) - Rafael Nadal appears poised to reign again on the clay courts of Europe, now that his balky knee has stood the test of the worlds best on the punishing hard courts of Indian Wells.The fearsome forehand, the quickness, the sheer grit that have long characterised his game were all on display on Sunday as Nadal rallied from a set and a break down to beat Juan Martin del Potro for the Indian Wells Masters crown -- his biggest triumph since returning from a seven-month absence resting and rehabilitating his damaged left knee.By the time his Indian Wells run was done, Nadal had answered all the questions -- most importantly his own -- as to how his knee would hold up and where his game would be.Seriously, he said, its impossible to have better comeback, no?Strictly speaking, the comeback appears to be complete. With a 17-1 match record Nadal is actually off to the best start to a season in his career.He contested four finals in four events and won three titles. True, he wasnt slugging it out with the worlds best at the Australian Open in January, but he called his 6-0, 6-2 destruction of compatriot David Ferrer in the final at Acapulco one of the best clay-court matches hes ever played.Hes going to be fighting for the first position very soon, del Potro predicted.With his victory at Indian Wells, Nadal has already made a key jump in the rankings, supplanting Ferrer at No. 4.That puts him numerically back in line with his companions in the big four of mens tennis -- Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Andy Murray.Most importantly it will spare him the kind of quarter-final match-up he ran into in Indian Wells, when his fifth seeding saw him drawn in the same quarter as defending champion Federer.Not that Nadal had any trouble dispatching the Swiss great, just as he had taken care of red-hot Latvian Ernests Gulbis and as he would handle sixth-ranked Czech Tomas Berdych.With his first hard-court title since 2010 safely secured, Nadal turned his attention to the European clay-court season, opting out of the Miami Masters on doctors advice.He needs to rest his knee, for which he still takes anti-inflammatories before his matches, and he needs to devote time to rehab work to strengthen his left quadriceps to prevent further injury.He plans to play next in Monte Carlo in April, with Barcelona, Madrid and Rome pencilled in before the French Open -- where he has won seven of his 11 Grand Slam titles.Nadal has dominated that red clay route like no-one else over the last eight years, but insists he goes into every season aiming to prove himself again.For me, clay doesnt mean victory, he said. This is the surface that I love to play and I had great success in the past, but every year is a different year.Every year I have to improve. So Im going to go to Monte Carlo with the same expectations as ever, and Im going to try my best to arrive there healthy and in good shape playing well.Del Potro, whose own Grand Slam breakthrough at the 2009 US Open was followed by a 2010 season shortened by a serious wrist injury, said Nadals ability to return from his extended absence so quickly on every level was remarkable.Its very difficult, he said. First you have to lose the fear about your problem, and then take matches to feel good.Del Potro was deeply impressed by the speed with which Nadal progressed, from his first tournament back at Vina del Mar to Indian Wells.Its amazing how fast he has recovered the level, del Potro said.When del Potros final shot floated wide on match point on Sunday, Nadal slid to his back, shouting at the blue California sky.When you have one comeback like Im having, you remember all the low things, lower moments that you had during this seven months, doubts and all these things, Nadal said. Hopefully Im past that.

Beckham remains on top of best paid list Posted: PARIS (AFP) - David Beckham is out in front as the highest-paid player in world football, according to a report that appears in Tuesdays edition of France Football magazine.The veteran Englishman, who joined Paris Saint-Germain in January on a short-term deal until the end of the season, is nearing the end of his playing career but still comes in ahead of world player of the year Lionel Messi and prolific Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo.France Football report that Beckham will earn 36 million euros ($46.7m, 30.9m) in 2012-13, leaving him just ahead of four-time Ballon dOr winner Messi.Beckham, who left the Los Angeles Galaxy in December, is reported to have earned an annual salary of 1.7 million euros, with his income supplemented by 1.3 million euros in bonuses and some 33 million euros from other sources, including advertising deals.The 37-year-old Beckham revealed after signing for PSG that all money due to him from his contract with the French giants would be donated to charity.In contrast, Messis income of 35 million euros includes 13 million in salary and bonuses, with the remainder coming from advertising and other sources.Ronaldo comes in third, with total income reaching 30 million euros, including 13.5 million euros from salary and bonuses.The magazine also reports that Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho is the best-paid coach in the world game, earning 14 million euros a year.Behind him are two Italians, Carlo Ancelotti at Paris Saint-Germain (12 million euros), and Marcello Lippi at Chinese club Guangzhou Evergrande (11 million).

Athletics: London considers Commonwealth bid Posted: LONDON (AFP) - London will consider a bid to stage the 2022 Commonwealth Games after successfully hosting the Olympics last year.With the London 2012 Games regarded as a big hit among fans and athletes alike, Neale Coleman, the London Mayors adviser on Olympic legacy, revealed on Monday that an attempt to bring the Commonwealth event to the English capital could be on the cards.Asked about the need to make full use of the Olympic Stadium in east London by hosting more top-class athletics, Coleman told ITV News: It is something that is certainly in our minds at the moment.We have great potential to use the stadium and the facilities there and to bid in the future for big sporting events.One possibility certainly is that we havent had a Commonwealth Games in London for a very, very long time.It is a fantastic event, it brings people together in a unique way. We do have the facilities there that would make a bid possible.It is something that is certainly in our minds at the moment.England last staged the Commonwealth Games in Manchester in 2002.A series of key events on the sporting calendar are now heading towards Britain, including the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games and Englands Rugby World Cup in 2015.There is also the World Athletics Championships and the Paralympic Athletics World Championships which will be held at Londons Olympic Stadium in 2017.We have got a fantastic series of events building on that Olympic legacy of sporting events, Coleman added.We think that the Commonwealth Games could play a further role in developing that over the next decade.

Woods and Vonn reveal love interest Posted: MIAMI (AFP) - Tiger Woods, the 14-time major golf champion whose infamous sex scandal with multiple mistresses led to a 2010 divorce, is dating ski star Lindsey Vonn, the two US sports icons announced on Monday.I guess it wasnt a well-kept secret but yes, I am dating Tiger Woods, Vonn said in a Twitter posting and a longer statement on her Facebook page that included pictures of the couple.Our relationship evolved from a friendship into something more over these past few months and it has made me very happy. I dont plan on addressing this further as I would like to keep that part of my life between us, my family and close friends. Thank you for understanding and your continued support xo LVWoods posted a Twitter message that said, Just posted some pictures of @Lindseyvonn and me on Facebook and wrote his own statement revealing his relationship with Vonn on his Facebook page.This season has been great so far and Im happy with my wins at Torrey and Doral, Woods said. Something nice thats happened off the course was meeting Lindsey Vonn. Lindsey and I have been friends for some time, but over the last few months we have become very close and are now dating.We thank you for your support and for respecting our privacy. We want to continue our relationship, privately, as an ordinary couple and continue to compete as athletes.Woods dominated golf until 2009 when his marital infidelity with several women was revealed, leading to a televised public apology and a break from golf in a spectacular fall from grace that cost him several rich endorsement deals.Woods divorced Elin Nordegren the following year. The couple had a daughter, five-year-old Sam Alexis, and a four-year-old son, Charlie.It was one year ago this week that Woods won the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill for his first PGA victory in 30 months, ending a drought that coincided with the aftermatch of the sex scandal.World No. 2 Woods has already won twice this year, at Torrey Pines in January and at Doral earlier this month, and will resume his quest to beat the record 18 career major titles won by Jack Nicklaus next month at the Masters.Woods, 37, is not the only star golfer with a sporting love connection. World No. 1 Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland is dating ninth-ranked womens tennis star Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark.For Vonn it is a rare bright note in a season that has been marred by problems off and on the piste with a stomach ailment seeing her hospitalised, her revelations of battling depression for several years and her divorce with Thomas Vonn being finalised.The 28-year-olds season came to a premature end when she tore right knee ligaments in the Super-G event at the World Ski Championships in Austria in February and underwent surgery to repair the damage.She has said she plans to be ready to defend her Olympic downhill title at next Februarys Sochi Winter Olympics.

Oil rises as Cyprus worries ease Posted: NEW YORK (AP) - The price of oil reversed sharp early losses and finished higher Monday as nervousness over a bailout plan in Cyprus abated.Benchmark oil for April delivery rose 29 cents to end at $93.74 a barrel in New York. It had dropped as low as $91.76 earlier in the day.Traders initially worried about possible fallout from a plan to pay for a bailout for cash-strapped Cyprus by slapping a tax on deposits in the country's banks. Some bank customers withdrew as much of their cash as they could and the fear was the panic could spread to other countries and prompt capital flight from weaker EU economies.Stock markets in Asia and Europe fell sharply. But as U.S. markets recovered somewhat from an early steep decline, oil started to rise.Natural gas rose again, building on a monthlong run that has seen the price jump 23 percent. Futures gained 1 cent to finish at $3.88 per 1,000 cubic feet.Brent crude, used to price many kinds of oil imported by U.S. refineries, fell 31 cents to end at $109.51 per barrel on the ICE Futures exchange in London.

Bracewell given chance to make Test squad Posted: WELLINGTON (AFP) - Seamer Doug Bracewell will be added to New Zealands squad for the third Test against England if he can prove he is match fit, coach Mike Hesson said Tuesday.Bracewell missed the first two Tests, earning a reprimand from management after he cut his foot while cleaning up broken glass after a house party earlier this month.Hesson said the 22-year-old would be confirmed in the squad if he came through a one-day domestic fixture in Christchurch on Wednesday unscathed.Dougs availability creates a real battle for spots for this deciding Test against England, he said.It also helps to manage the workload for a group of bowlers who have carried a heavy load during the first two Tests.Whether Bracewell breaks into the playing XI is another matter after captain Brendon McCullum on Monday expressed a preference for sticking with the team that earned draws against England in Dunedin and Wellington.The rest of the squad is unchanged from the first two Tests.New Zealand squad: Brendon McCullum (captain), Trent Boult, Doug Bracewell, Dean Brownlie, Ian Butler, Peter Fulton, Tom Latham, Bruce Martin, Hamish Rutherford, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Neil Wagner, BJ Watling, Kane Williamson.

Czech President asks Zardari to help on missing women Posted: PRAGUE (AFP) - New Czech President Milos Zeman on Monday appealed to his Pakistani counterpart for help in locating two Czech women abducted last week in the restive southwestern province of Baluchistan.Sworn into office last week, Zeman on Monday wrote a personal letter to Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, presidential spokeswoman Hana Burianova told reporters.Pakistani security forces have so far been unable to locate the two women who were taken at gunpoint last Wednesday, around 550 kilometres (350 miles) west of Quetta, the main town of Baluchistan, which borders Afghanistan and Iran. So far no one has demanded a ransom.Identified as Hana Humpalova and Antonie Chrastecka, both psychology students, the women had apparently crossed into Pakistan from Iran on holiday.A Pakistani policeman who was escorting the women was reportedly also kidnapped with them, but later released.The Pakistani side has been very active. Their interior ministry has created a crisis unit, Czech foreign ministry spokeswoman Johana Grohova said Monday.Kidnappings plague parts of Baluchistan and northwest Pakistan, where criminals looking for ransoms snatch foreigners and locals, sometimes passing their hostages on to Taliban and Al-Qaeda-linked groups.A Swiss couple, also apparently on holiday, were held captive by the Pakistani Taliban for more than eight months after being abducted in 2011 in Baluchistan. They were found safely in March 2012 in circumstances that remain unclear.The following month, British Red Cross worker Khalil Dale, 60, was found dead nearly four months after he was abducted on the outskirts of Quetta.Baluchistan is in the grip of a nine-year separatist uprising by nationalists demanding political autonomy and a greater share of profits from the provinces wealth of natural oil, gas and mineral resources.

Altaf vows to eradicate outdated system Posted: MIRPUR KHAS (Dunya News): While speaking at the 29th Foundation Day of the MQM on Monday by telephonic address, he said that his revolutionary workers would continue their untiring struggle to eradicate outdated system from the society.He vowed that he would introduce such a revolutionary system in the state where looters of national wealth would be hanged publicly.He said that the country has been bestowed with all kinds of blessings; it needs only an honest and hardworking leadership may be able to serve the people rather than exploiting them.He said that health and education would be provided to all and sundry without any discrimination.He added that at least 50% quota would be allocated for women in all sections of the society.He said that no leniency would be shown towards violators; rather they would be punished severely.Terming the murder of Professor Sibte Jafar as yet another attempt to incite differences among the public along sectarian, he urged the people to remain calm and defeat this conspiracy.The MQM chief added that in their government, a poor man, if they are unable to hire a lawyer, would be able to fight their own case.Apart from Karachi, MQM workers also made arrangement in other cities of the country particularly in Lahore and Islamabad.

NATO slams Karzai over US-Taliban remarks Posted: BRUSSELS (AFP) - Charges by Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai of US collusion with the Taliban are absolutely ridiculous, NATO head Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Monday.Asked about Karzais outburst last week, Rasmussen said he was concerned and hoped Kabul would instead acknowledge the effort made by NATO allies in blood and money to bring progress to Afghanistan.I reject the idea there is so-called collusion between NATO forces ... and the Taliban. It is an absolutely ridiculous idea, he said, noting that Karzai had later modified some of his comments.We respect Afghan sovereignty but we want acknowledgement that we have invested blood and treasure in helping President Karzais country to move forward, he told a press conference.Karzai will stand down after elections in April 2014, with NATO forces set to end their combat role completely by the end of that year.Karzai has a record of off-the-cuff remarks that critics often say raise tensions.But others say his words are carefully chosen and speak directly to Afghanistans young, often illiterate and poorly educated population.Last weeks remarks prompted a warning by the US commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan that they could increase the threat of attack from militants and rogue Afghan forces.Karzais remarks could be a catalyst for some to lash out against our forces -- he may also issue orders that put our forces at risk, US General Joseph Dunford said in an advisory reported by The New York Times at the weekend.Were at a rough point in the relationship, Dunford said in his advisory. (Militants) are also watching and will look for a way to exploit the situation -- they have already ramped up for the spring.

Palestine calls for fiscal aid to avert collapse Posted: RAMALLAH (AFP) - The Palestinian Authority has urged the world to step up financial aid and press Israel to allow economic development, over fears of political collapse due to Israeli fiscal strangulation.We call on the international community to... pressure the government of Israel to release our revenues and to provide the financial support required to maintain basic functions and services, said a Palestinian Authority report seen by AFP on Monday.The recent confiscation of Palestinian-owned revenues by Israel comes on top of an already severe fiscal crisis that was caused by a large shortfall of external support, it added.The report was released ahead of a Tuesday meeting in Brussels of international donors, and nearly four months after the Palestinians won upgraded UN ranking as a non-member observer state.On January 30, Israel said it had released $100 million of the tariffs and tax monies it collects on behalf of the Palestinian Authority, which were frozen last year as punishment for the UN bid.The report urged international partners, particularly those within the Arab region, to consider the implications of the current fiscal crisis and a possible slide into institutional and political collapse for the Palestinian Authority.A prosperous, sovereign and independent Palestine requires international support to allow.... development in Area C, the 60 percent of the West Bank that is under Israeli control, and Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, the report added.It underlined the importance of Area C as the backbone of the Palestinian economy, saying agricultural production therein could yield an additional $2.25 billion (1.7 billion euros) of revenue per year.It demanded immediate Palestinian access to all roads in Area C and the removal of all checkpoints in the West Bank to allow freedom of movement.In a separate report to donors also released on Monday, the office of UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Robert Serry said Israel must ease financial restrictions on the Palestinian Authority.Israel should refrain from withholding and/or delaying the transfer of clearance revenue owed to the PA as well as from using it to offset Palestinian utility bills, he said.It also warned that Palestinian state-building achievement was at increased risk and the PA was facing ever greater political and financial pressure, urging Israel to ease Palestinian access to Area C.

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