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Tuesday, December 1, 2015

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Dunya TV

Drifter charged with murder over Colorado shooting

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COLORADO SPRINGS (AFP) - A drifter was charged with first-degree murder Monday over a shooting spree that killed three people and wounded nine at a family planning center in Colorado.Robert Lewis Dear, 57, made his first court appearance via video link from the El Paso County jail in Colorado Springs, where he is being held, wearing what appeared to be a protective vest.He stood impassive next to his attorney as the judge advised him of his rights and read the charge against him, and set another hearing in the case for December 9, when formal charges will be filed.Several relatives of those killed or wounded in last Fridays shooting at the Planned Parenthood clinic watched the proceedings in the courtroom.Dear faces a minimum of life in prison and a maximum sentence of the death penalty over the killings that have revived the debate in the United States over both gun control and abortion.Investigators have yet to publicly explain Dears motive but several US media outlets, citing law enforcement officials, reported that he mentioned no more baby parts when questioned.The officials said Dears rantings also included comments about politics and President Barack Obama.Vicki Cowart, the head of Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains, said in a statement that witnesses to the shooting spree had confirmed Drew was motivated by opposition to safe and legal abortions.Weve seen an alarming increase in hateful rhetoric and smear campaigns against abortion providers and patients over the last few months, Cowart said. That environment breeds acts of violence.The rampage killed a police officer, Garrett Swasey, 44, and two civilians, Jennifer Markovsky, 35, a mother of two who was at the clinic supporting a friend, and KeArre Marcell Stewart, 29, an Iraq War veteran and father of two.Several vigils were held over the weekend in Colorado Springs, the states second-largest city and a place known for its conservative politics and fundamental religious organizations.An exasperated Obama said enough is enough, as he called for tighter controls on weapons of war.- Domestic terrorism -========================There were also calls for better protection for organizations that provide abortions, a procedure that remains highly divisive in the United States.Whipping people into a frenzy of hate and anger while providing them with easy access to firearms has proven disastrous in this country, Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid said in a statement.We have a responsibility as leaders to think very hard about what we say and do in this context.He said Democrats were working on reasonable gun safety proposals, and urged his Republican rivals, who hold majorities in both the Senate and House of Representatives, to support these measures.Critics, many of whom seek to outlaw abortion in the United States, have falsely accused Planned Parenthood of selling fetal organs and body parts for profit, and encouraging women to have abortions in order to expand such operations.Planned Parenthood receives some government funding but little of that goes for abortion procedures.We need to call the threats of violence and the intimidation of health care providers and patients what it is -- domestic terrorism, Karen Middleton, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Colorado, said in a statement.More public officials in Colorado and across the country, not just advocacy groups and the people on the frontlines, need to take a stand opposing domestic terrorism and supporting womens health.The shooting was the second in weeks in Colorado Springs to leave several victims.On October 31, a man armed with a semi-automatic rifle, a revolver and a pistol gunned down a bicyclist and two women at a house for women fighting alcoholism and drug abuse.He was killed in a shootout with police.

Oil prices rise in Asia with OPEC meeting in focus

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SINGAPORE (AFP) - Oil prices rose in Asia Tuesday, three days before an OPEC meeting in which the cartel is expected to maintain high output levels despite a global supply glut.Analysts say the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries is likely to focus more on maintaining market share against competitors than on slashing production in order to lift prices.US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for delivery in January was up 29 cents to $41.94 and Brent crude for January was trading 18 cents higher at 44.79 a barrel at around 0300 GMT.Crude oil remained on the soft side as many expect OPEC to be unwaving about its production target when the group gathers this Friday, said Bernard Aw, market strategist at IG Markets in Singapore.Crude prices are likely to stay sideways ahead of the OPEC meeting, where Iran is expected to announce plans to expand output.Iran is expected to increase its oil exports after crippling western sanctions are lifted under a landmark deal reached with major world powers in July to curb its nuclear programme.The sanctions have restricted Iranian oil shipments and analysts say their return to the market will further add to the crude oversupply.Irans deputy foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said last week his country expects the deal to come into force in early January, when Tehran will have implemented its commitments.Oil prices have been in retreat from levels above $100 a barrel reached in mid-2014, with the decline accelerating after OPECs November 2014 meeting signalled the group would keep output high.A key measure of Chinas manufacturing activity dropped to its weakest level in more than three years in November, data released Tuesday showed, further underlining weaknesses in the worlds top energy consumer.The official Purchasing Managers Index (PMI), which tracks activity in the crucial factories and workshops sector, fell to 49.6, the government statistics bureau said. It was the fourth consecutive month of decline and the lowest figure since August 2012.

Lahore: 972nd Urs of Data Ganj Bakhsh starts today

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LAHORE (Dunya News) - The three-day Urs ceremonies of 10th century saint Hazrat Ali bin Usman Sheikh Ali Hajveri (RA), commonly known as Hazrat Data Ganj Bakhsh (RA), will start today (Tuesday) in Lahore with enthusiasm and fervor.The Urs ceremonies will start at 10am with inauguration of milk sabeel. Thousands of devotees from all around the country have reached Lahore to attend the three-day Urs celebrations.Walkthrough gates and CCTV cameras have been installed for the safety of the devotees while more than 2,000 police personnel will to maintain law and order situation during Urs celebrations.

Coulter-Nile in Australia squad for West Indies

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ADELAIDE (AFP) - Paceman Nathan Coulter-Nile is in line to make his Test debut after being named Tuesday in Australias squad for the opening clash against the West Indies in Hobart next week.Coulter-Nile and fellow quick James Pattinson were both included in a 12-man squad for the Test, which gets under way at Blundstone Arena on December 10.Selectors also named Scott Boland on standby in case any of the four fast bowlers are not fit.National selectors will be forced to make at least one change to the starting XI, with pace spearhead Mitchell Starc out injured.However, with Peter Siddle having back trouble during Australias three-wicket win over New Zealand in Adelaide on Sunday and team management speaking about managing Josh Hazlewoods workload, there could be more.Hopefully all the bowlers from the Adelaide Test recover well over the next few days but we are mindful our fast bowlers have had a heavy workload over this series, chairman of selectors Rod Marsh said.Coulter-Nile, who has played 13 one-dayers and 11 Twenty20s for Australia, only recently started bowling following a shoulder injury.He should have bowled for Western Australia last weekend but was given a one-match ban for showing dissent at an umpires decision in the domestic second XI league, meaning he has not played first-class cricket since the Sheffield Shield final in March.In an ideal world we would have liked Nathan Coulter-Nile to have played some more Sheffield Shield cricket, Marsh said.But he has been a proven performer for Australia in short-format cricket and has very good pace. We think he is ready to compete at Test level if required.Fellow quick Pat Cummins remains sidelined with a serious back injury, while Mitchell Johnsons retirement has further stretched Australias fast bowling resources.Australia - David Warner, Joe Burns, Steve Smith (capt), Adam Voges, Shaun Marsh, Mitch Marsh, Peter Nevill, Peter Siddle, Josh Hazlewood, James Pattinson, Nathan Lyon, Nathan Coulter-Nile.

Sports: Murray, Fury shortlisted for BBC Sports Personality award

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LONDON (AFP) - Davis Cup hero Andy Murray and newly crowned world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury have been named on the shortlist for the BBCs 2015 Sports Personality of the Year award.Murray led Great Britain to their first Davis Cup title since 1936 over the weekend, while English underdog Fury recorded a stunning victory to end Wladimir Klitschkos reign as world champion in Dusseldorf on Saturday.While Murrays success in the team tennis and Furys triumph in the ring earned them late entries onto the shortlist, the favourite according to William Hill bookmakers is Jessica Ennis-Hill, who was crowned world heptathlon champion in August, 13 months after giving birth.There are two other contenders who enjoyed track and field success at the World Championships in Beijing. One is Mo Farah, who secured a unique treble double in distance running having won golds in both 5,000 metres and 10,000m at two World Championships and the Olympics.The other is Greg Rutherford, the long-jump world champion who became only the fifth British athlete to hold Olympic, Commonwealth, European and world titles at the same time.Last years winner of the BBC award, Lewis Hamilton, is also shortlisted again after successfully defending his Formula One world champion title, his third drivers championship in all.Tour de France winner Chris Froome is nominated, as is fellow cyclist Lizzie Armitstead, who won the UCI World Road Championship.Lucy Bronze, the defender who helped Englands womens football team to third place in the World Cup and was shortlisted for the player of the tournament, is also nominated. Kevin Sinfield, who retired from rugby league after an extraordinary career, including winning the Challenge Cup, League Leaders Shield and the Super League title in his final season, before switching codes to union is also included.The final contenders are Adam Peaty, who became the first British swimmer to win three gold medals at a single World Championships, and Max Whitlock, who ended Britains 112-year wait for a mens gold medallist at the World Gymnastics Championships.The winner will be decided by a public vote and announced at a live event from Belfast on December 20.

Football: Ronaldo, Messi, Neymar on shortlist for Ballon d'Or -- FIFA

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ZURICH (AFP) - Barcelona pair Lionel Messi and Neymar were on Monday named on the shortlist for FIFAs prestigious Ballon dOr along with double reigning title holder, Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid.While Portuguese Ronaldo has triumphed over the last two seasons (in a total of three wins), Argentinian Messi has previously claimed the coveted award four times while Brazilian Neymar makes the shortlist for FIFAs player of the year award for the first time.Messi was the catalyst for Barcelonas impressive run to three titles last season (the Champions League, La Liga and the Spanish Cup) and will be the standout favourite ahead of Ronaldo.The Portugal international might have finished the season without a trophy, but his individual talent shone out as he was La Ligas highest scorer with 48 goals, and has notched up a leading seven in the Champions League this term.World Cup-winning captain Carli Lloyd (USA/Houston Dash), Aya Miyama (Japan/Okayama Yunogo Belle), and Celia Sasic (Germany/1. FFC Frankfurt) are in the running for the FIFA Womens World Player of the Year award.Two Spanish coaches, Bayern Munichs Pep Guardiola and Barcelonas Luis Enrique made the shortlist of the FIFA World Coach of the Year for Mens Football award alongside Jorge Sampaoli, the Argentinian coach who led Chile to Copa America victory.And Jill Ellis (USA/USA national team), Mark Sampson (Wales/English national team) and Norio Sasaki (Japan/Japanese national team) are the final trio to battle it out for the FIFA World Coach of the Year for Womens Football award.All of the awards will be presented at the FIFA Ballon dOr award ceremony in Zurich on January 11, 2016.

Football: Messi voted La Liga's top striker for 2014-2015

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MADRID (AFP) - Barcelona star Lionel Messi, the favourite to win FIFAs prestigious Ballon dOr title, was on Monday voted the top striker in the Spanish league last season ahead of Real Madrid rival Cristiano Ronaldo.It is the sixth time that the Argentinian has won the title in seven editions of the trophy given by the Spanish football league, with the prize presented during a gala ceremony in Barcelona on Monday night.Messi, who scored 43 goals and was the catalyst for Barcelonas run to three titles last season -- the Champions League, La Liga and the Spanish Cup -- was selected following a computer analysis of the players statistics in the championship.Im proud to receive this award ahead of so many important players in La Liga, said Messi. This award in particular I want to dedicate to my son Thiago (aged 3) even if he still doesnt understand very well. Every time I leave the house he gets angry and asks me: Papa, are you going again to score goals? This award is for him.Messi also won the vote for the best striker following a poll of the captains of each of Spains top flight sides.Barcelonas Claudio Bravo was voted the best goalkeeper and Luis Enrique top coach while Real Madrids Sergio Ramos and James Rodriguez were named best defender and midfielder respectively.Valencias Algerian midfielder Sofiane Feghouli was voted the top African player and Barcelonas Brazilian striker Neymar, the best player from the American continent.Real Madrids Portuguese star Ronaldo, who scored the most La Liga goals last season with 48, won the publics choice award.Ronaldo, Messi and Neymar were all named on Mondays shortlist for FIFAs Ballon dOr which will be awarded on January 11.While Ronaldo has triumphed over the last two seasons (in a total of three wins), Messi has previously claimed the coveted award four times while Neymar makes the shortlist for the first time.Neymar, 23, said it was a great honour to be named for the first time alongside his illustrious La Liga rivals.

Formula One: Uncertainty rules as worried eyes look to 2016

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ABU DHABI (AFP) - Nico Rosbergs victory in Sundays season-closing Abu Dhabi Grand Prix may not install him as favourite to unseat his Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton, but it has given the three-time champion much to ponder ahead of the 2016 season.After three straight wins, the 30-year-old German has rebuilt his confidence and the confidence of the Mercedes team in him while Hamilton, who won his second successive title with Mercedes a month ago, appears to have struggled to find the motivation to resist his team-mates late-season vim.But, as Formula One heads home for a winter of rest and reorganisation, it is the sport itself that faces the biggest challenge next year with several teams struggling to cope with the huge costs, uncertainty surrounding the number of entries and no clear sense of direction for the future.Two-time champion Fernando Alonsos post-race rant at the inconsistency -- and ineffectiveness -- of the sports ruling body, the International Motoring Federation (FIA), summed up his season and the views of many after a year in which his team McLaren-Honda endured endless failings and disappointments.Its FIA things, said Alonso. We see the grandstands half empty on this circuit -- and half empty on most circuits... And there are championships, which are overtaking us on the right, like WEC, MotoGP... And then we are trying to make the cars louder I think we need a bit of common sense.Embroiled in financial, political and technical problems, the season ended on Sunday with few signals that a brighter future lies ahead. Earlier in the week, former FIA president Max Mosley told the BBC that F1 was in serious trouble and nobody wanted to buy the business because it had become too expensive.There are only two or three teams that can really afford to spend the money thats being spent now, said Mosley. The others are either on the verge of having to stop, or at least greatly disadvantaged by not having enough money. I dont really see how anyone can sell it until those problems have been resolved.The rich teams dont want the less rich teams to become competitive.All of which means that Ferrari, and to a lesser degree Mercedes, call the shots, as they did when shooting down proposals for a cheaper budget engine for the smaller teams.Renault have yet to announce their plans for next year, leaving a proposed take-over of Lotus in limbo, and Honda, after their chastening experience back in F1 with McLaren, are not yet in a position to challenge anyone.Red Bull, four times champions before Mercedes took over at the top, have yet to identify their engine supplier for 2016 and have accepted already that in another season with the current hybrid turbo formula they are not likely to fight at the front again.Next year will be very much an interim year for us, but I believe we can make significant strides, said team chief Christian Horner. I suppose when you look at it, the teams have collectively been spectacularly incapable of coming up with solutions and sensible remedies to the problems.And I think the problem we face in F1 is youve got vested interest.Within your own team, you try to protect the elements that are your strengths, that offer you that competitiveness over your opponents. And I think this is where F1 has tripped over itself.That may not be a note on which a season should end, but it signals more of the same for 2016.In an enlarged calendar, with a new American team in Haas and races in virgin F1 territory, the show will go on led by a Mercedes team hoping to continue its current ascendancy and with a much-improved Sebastian Vettel-inspired Ferrari in closer pursuit.But behind them, with Red Bull rebuilding, McLaren recovering and the rest battling to stay on top of their bills, it is difficult to predict how many teams will line up on the grid in Melbourne.

Supporters rejoice as candidates celebrate Islamabad by-polls success

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Supporters rejoiced Monday night as candidates for Islamabad’s by-polls celebrated their success. Supporters danced in the streets to the sound of ‘dhol’ and trumpets in the Federal capital, overjoyed on the victory of their candidates. Sweets were distributed among the supporters for the election success.But the festivities in Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz’s (PML-N) camps reached fever pitch as PML-N celebrated its overall victory, securing the maximum number of seats in the local government elections.Never far from celebrations, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) female supporters and candidates also joined in the celebrations with sheer jubilation over the achievement of their beloved candidates.Fireworks lighted the night sky signifying the joyous zeal of party workers as the celebrations continued long into the night.Also Read:PML-N victorious as Islamabad by-polls unofficial results releasedPML-N emerged victorious in Monday’s local body elections in the capital city, managing to secure 21 seats. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) followed behind with 16 seats while independent candidates were successful in appointment on 13 of the seats.A total number of 6,80,612 registered voters exercised their right to vote in LB elections in the federal capital out of which 3,67,960 are male voters and 3,12,652 female voters. At least 2,396 candidates are contesting for 550 seats in the federal capital of the country.Around 640 polling stuations were established out of which 261 were for males and 256 for females. However; 123 polling stations were be shared by both men and women.Tight security arrangements were made to ensure free, fair and transparent polling. Six hundred and twenty five Army troops and seven hundred personnel of Rangers along with hundreds of police officials were deployed in the capital for the purpose.

Leaders pledge climate rescue, but fault lines emerge

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LE BOURGET (AFP) - World leaders vowed Monday to save mankind from catastrophic climate change as an historic summit opened with the hope of all humanity laid on their shoulders, but fault lines quickly emerged.The heads of more than 150 nations -- a record -- kicked off 12 days of talks in search of an elusive pact that would shift the world economy away from its heavy use of fossil fuels blamed for global warming.They gathered at a conference centre in Le Bourget on the northern outskirts of Paris, swathed by heavy security following terror attacks in the city which appear to have spurred the push for a climate breakthrough.Never have the stakes of an international meeting been so high, because it concerns the future of the planet, the future of life, French President Francois Hollande said in an opening speech.The hope of all of humanity rests on all of your shoulders.Scientists warn that without urgent action to curb greenhouse gases, mankind will suffer worsening droughts, floods, storms and rising seas, threatening millions with hunger, disease and migration. Low-lying island nations would face oblivion.Mondays event was the largest single-day gathering of heads of state or government in history, the United Nations said, highlighting widespread global commitment to the climate fight.Many leaders also vowed to forge an ambitious deal in honour of the 130 people killed in the November 13 attacks in Paris, claimed by the Islamic State group.The leaders began their talks with a minute of silence to remember the dead.US President Barack Obama, who flew to Paris on the eve of the conference to pay homage to the victims, made a speech pledging American commitment and urging others to do the same.The United States of America not only recognises our role in creating this problem but embraces its responsibility to do something about it, Obama said, as he warned the hour of being too late was near.Obama had earlier met with Chinese President Xi Jinping, bringing together the leaders of the two biggest carbon emitters, to highlight a partnership on climate they began to forge last year.In his speech, Xi reasserted Chinas pledge for its carbon emissions to peak by 2030.But he also insisted rich nations shoulder comparatively more of the responsibility in curbing global warming.Addressing climate change should not deny the legitimate needs of developing countries to reduce poverty and improve their peoples living standards, Xi said.He demanded rich nations honour their commitment, dating back to 2009, to mobilise $100 billion a year by to tackle climate change in poorer countries.The United Nations has hosted annual conferences to address global warming since 1995, but its efforts have stumbled on divisions between rich and poor.Many poor nations insist rich countries bear the most responsibility for tackling the problem because they have burnt the most fossil fuels since the Industrial Revolution on their way to prosperity.But the United States and other developed nations argue more must be done by China, India and other emerging giants, which are voraciously burning coal to power their fast-growing economies.Underscoring the difficulties ahead in Paris, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated his nations determination to burn increasing amounts of coal and for developed counties to cut back more sharply.Justice demands that, with what little carbon we can still safely burn, developing countries are allowed to grow, Modi wrote in a column published in the Financial Times on Monday.The lifestyles of a few must not crowd out opportunities for the many still on the first steps of the development ladder.In his speech to the summit, Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe lashed out at miserly developed nations that wanted to burden us with cleaning up the mess they themselves have created.Bolivias leftwing president, Evo Morales, blasted capitalist greed for setting the planet on a path to doom.If we continue on the path trod by capitalism we are condemned to disappear, he warned.Stumbling blocks in Paris include providing finance for climate-vulnerable and poor countries, and transferring renewable technologies to developing nations.Scrutiny of commitments to curb greenhouse gases and the legal status of the accord are other expected negotiating battlegrounds.Still, important progress has been made in the runup to Paris, including a roster of voluntary pledges by 183 nations to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, and other pro-climate measures.UN climate chief Christiana Figueres said these provide the architecture for more ambitious efforts that could eventually reach the goal of limiting warming to less than two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) from pre-Industrial Revolution levels.To press world leaders into forging an agreement, more than half a million people participated in climate protests around the world over the weekend.French authorities had banned protests in Paris due to security fears following the terror attacks.But thousands of people in Paris gathered to create a two-kilometre (1.2-mile) human chain.Their stand was disrupted, however, when anti-capitalist militants infiltrated the protests, leading to clashes with riot police which saw hundreds of arrests.

Obama pushes for calm in angry Russia-Turkey row

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LE BOURGET (AFP) - US President Barack Obama pushed Monday for a de-escalation of a furious war of words over Turkeys downing of a Russian warplane, a White House official said.Obama called for an easing of inflamed Russia-Turkey tensions in a closed-door meeting with Russias Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of a climate summit in Paris, the official said.Hours earlier, Turkey sent back to Russia the body of a pilot killed when his plane was shot down by the Turkish air force on November 24 for allegedly violating its air space on the Syrian border, reports said.One of the Russian pilots aboard the downed plane was shot dead in Syria after parachuting from the burning aircraft, while the second was found safe and sound. One Russian soldier was killed in a rescue operation.Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan have been locked in a furious war of words since the incident and the Kremlin strongman rejected the Turkish leaders offer of face-to-face talks on the sidelines of the climate conference in the French capital. President Obama expressed his regret for the recent loss of a Russian pilot and crew member and reiterated the United States support for de-escalation between Russia and Turkey, the White House official said.The Russian and US leaders discussed efforts to bring about a ceasefire and political resolution to war in Syria, he said, though there appeared to be no breakthrough over Moscows support for Syrian President Bashar Al-AssadObama pushed Putin to focus Russias air campaign in Syria on Islamic State jihadists.President Obama reiterated his belief that it will be necessary for Bashar al-Assad to leave power as a part of the transition and stressed the imperative of focusing military efforts against ISIL, as our international coalition is doing, rather than targeting moderate opposition, the White House official said, using another acronym for IS.Obama also offered the prospect of rolling back sanctions if Russia fully implemented peace accords signed in February over the Ukraine crisis.The Minsk accords set out a lengthy political roadmap to resolve the conflict in the east between Kiev and pro-Russian rebels but have been delayed into next year due to wrangling between all sides. The Kremlin confirmed in a statement that Putin and Obama had met for half an hour in Paris, without providing further details. Russia on Monday laid out more details of retaliatory economic sanctions aimed at denting Turkeys key tourism and agricultural sectors. Moscow said it would halt fruit and vegetable imports from Turkey after Putin signed a decree over the weekend banning charter flights and the sale of package holidays, and scrapping Russias visa-free regime with the country.

Putin accuses Turkey over IS oil as pilot's body returns to Russia

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LE BOURGET (AFP) - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday accused Ankara of shooting down a Russian warplane to protect supplies of oil from the Islamic State group to Turkey, after snubbing his Turkish counterpart at a climate conference in France.Putin fired the latest salvo in the furious war of words over the downing of the Russian jet on the Syrian border last week as the body of a pilot killed in the incident was returned home.Turkish authorities meanwhile again pledged not to apologise over the incident, which has shattered ties between the two countries, as Moscow rolled out its sanctions aimed at exacting economic revenge on Ankara.After rejecting Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogans offer of face-to-face talks on the sidelines of a UN climate summit outside Paris on Monday, Putin accused Ankara of seeking to protect IS oil exports -- an important source of funds for the jihadist group.We have every reason to think that the decision to shoot down our plane was dictated by the desire to protect the oil supply lines to Turkish territory, right to the ports where it is loaded onto tankers, Putin said during a news conference on the fringes of the climate talks, echoing similar accusations he made last week.We have received additional information which unfortunately confirms that this oil, produced in areas controlled by the Islamic State and other terrorist organisations, is transported on an industrial scale to Turkey.The downing of the Russian jet on the Turkey-Syria border -- the first time a NATO member has shot down a Russian plane since 1952 -- has hammered ties between the two rival players in the Syria conflict. Putin did meet US President Barack Obama, who expressed his regret over the loss of life in the plane downing and called for a de-escalation between Russia and Turkey, a White House official said.Russia on Monday laid out more details of retaliatory economic sanctions aimed at denting Turkeys key tourism and agricultural sectors.Moscow announced it will halt fruit and vegetable imports from Turkey after Putin signed a decree over the weekend banning charter flights and the sale of package holidays, and scrapping Russias visa-free regime with the country. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev called the moves a first step as Moscow also said it would limit Turkish transport firms and tighten controls on construction contracts.The authorities however stopped short of targeting Russias major joint energy projects with Turkey.The announcement on the economic reprisals came as the body of pilot Oleg Peshkov, who was killed when the plane was shot down, arrived back in Russia from Ankara.A plane carrying the corpse of Peshkov was met by Russias defence minister outside Moscow after the body was bought from Syria to Turkey and handed over to Russian diplomats.Both pilots aboard the Su-24 warplane ejected and parachuted to the ground on the Syrian side of the border after being shot down by Turkish F-16s on November 24.Moscows defence ministry said Peshkov was shot dead from the ground while his comrade Konstantin Murakhtin was rescued by Russian and Syrian special forces. One Russian serviceman was also killed trying to rescue the pilot. Local reports said Peshkov will be buried Wednesday in his hometown Lipetsk, an industrial city in central Russia.After the downing of its jet Moscow has bolstered its firepower in Syria -- where it is flying a bombing campaign at the request of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad -- and on Monday said its planes were now equipped with air-to-air missiles. Russian media has portrayed the handover of the remains as a goodwill gesture on the part of Ankara after several days of heated rhetoric, but neither side has looked willing to back down.Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu insisted once again that Ankara would not apologise over the downing of the plane.Protection of our airspace, our border is not only a right but a duty for my government and no Turkish premier or president ... will apologise (for) doing our duty, he told a joint press conference with NATO head Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels.Davutoglu decried Russias sanctions against Turkey and called on Moscow to reconsider these measures in both our interests, while reiterating once again Ankaras willingness to talk.If the Russian side wants to talk, we are ready; if they want more information, we are ready; if they want to normalise relations, we are ready to talk, he said.

UN peacekeeper among 24 killed in Ugandan rebel attack in DR Congo

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GOMA (AFP) - An attack by Ugandan rebels in the restive east of the Democratic Republic of Congo has left at least 24 people dead, including a United Nations peacekeeper, the UN said Monday.UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon condemned the overnight attack in troubled North Kivu province, blamed on Ugandan rebels of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), and called for the perpetrators to be brought to justice.Felix-Prosper Basse, spokesman for the UN mission in DR Congo (MONUSCO) said that in addition to the peacekeeper, 12 rebels were killed, along with four Congolese soldiers and seven civilians who were hacked to death with machetes in a hospital in the town of Eringeti.I saw four civilians killed by bullets... and seven patients and a nurse cut up by machete at the hospital, a regional official told AFP at Eringeti, which lies in the north of North Kivu province. A local non-governmental organisation however gave a higher toll of 30 dead.MONUSCOs interim commander General Jean Baillaud confirmed to AFP that a Malawian soldier serving with the force had been killed, and a second was wounded when their unit tried to fight off the attackers.The rebels attacked our positions at Eringeti and we repelled them all night, said a Congolese army spokesman in the region, Lieutenant Mak Hazukay, declining to give any figures.The mostly Muslim rebels, who have been active in the forested region since being driven out of their homeland in 1995, are accused of a series of killings which have claimed the lives of more than 450 civilians since October 2014.In December that year, Congolese and UN troops launched a joint operation that helped to restore a degree of calm to the region, but the killings did not stop and spread northwards.The ADF, which first emerged in Uganda with the aim of toppling President Yoweri Museveni and setting up a hardline Islamist state, is accused of numerous serious violations of human rights.Its leader Jamil Mukulu was arrested in Tanzania in April and extradited to Uganda in July.The rebels also engage in a profitable illegal traffic in prized tropical timber.MONUSCO -- the United Nations Stabilisation Mission in the Congo -- comprises about 20,000 uniformed personnel overseeing the disarmament, demobilisation, repatriation and reintegration programme for rebel groups.

Seventeen killed in Guatemala prison fight: official

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ESCUINTLA (AFP) - Seventeen people have been killed in fighting inside a maximum security prison in Guatemala, officials said Monday as hundreds of police moved to take control of the facility.Army troops and police officers surrounded the Granja Penal Canada prison, which holds 3,100 inmates, following violence that erupted on Sunday.After police went inside to round up prisoners and search for reported firearms, AFP saw groups of inmates made to stand or sit on the grounds as officers monitored them, batons in hand.More than 2,000 police were deployed at the prison, backed by dozens of soldiers and an armored vehicle. The facility is circled by three security fences, one of them electrified.Meanwhile the death toll from the episode increased from 16 to 17 after one inmate died in a state hospital from injuries, an official from the district attorneys office said.The violence appeared to have been triggered during a prison yard football game, with tensions between general prisoners and bullying gang members spilling over, a police chief told AFP on condition of anonymity.The episode occurred during visiting hours, sending wives and girlfriends running, some with children. You could hear shooting all around, and I ran out with three of my children, which is why I had to go back to get the other one, one visitor, Heidy Solares, who came with four children told AFP. She didnt know what happened to her incarcerated husband, Estaban.Security forces initially refrained from entering because of reports of armed prisoners, Deputy Interior Minister Elmer Sosa said. There was no immediate action in order to avoid a confrontation between prisoners and police, he told reporters.Guatemalan media overnight showed images of black body bags holding inmates who were shot or stabbed to death being taken from the prison to a morgue.We are coordinating with prosecutors on an investigation, Sosa said.He added that the violence by the prisoners did not seem to be an attempt to escape.Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras are plagued by turf battles between violent street gangs fighting to control impoverished communities.The most powerful of these are the Mara Salvatrucha and Barrio 18, rival gangs whose members are usually held in separate prisons to avoid conflict.As in many Latin American countries, Guatemalas prisons are badly overcrowded. The prisons service said the Granja Penal Canada facility was built for only 600 inmates yet contained five times that, Guatemalan media reported.The number of homicides in Guatemala has soared this year, with the annual toll on track to be at least 6,000. Most of the murders are at the hands of gangs engaged in contract killings, extortion and drug trafficking.In a bid to curb the violence, Guatemala has deployed nearly 800 police and soldiers in the capital, which is home to some 3.3 million people.Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras together reported 15,802 murders in 2014, according to official figures.More than 50 percent of the victims across the three countries were younger than 25.This year through September, there have been 4,281 homicides in Guatemala and 4,942 in El Salvador. Honduras for the first six months of 2015 reported 2,628 murders.Guatemala, Central Americas most populous country with 15.8 million inhabitants, is still recovering from a 36-year civil war that ended in 1996.

IMF approves China's yuan as elite reserve currency

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - The International Monetary Fund welcomed Chinas yuan into its elite reserve currency basket on Monday, recognizing the ascendance of the Asian power in the global economy.The yuan, also known as the renminbi, will join the US dollar, euro, Japanese yen and British pound next year in the basket of currencies the IMF uses as an international reserve asset.IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde called the decision an important milestone in the integration of the Chinese economy into the global financial system.It is also a recognition of the progress that the Chinese authorities have made in the past years in reforming Chinas monetary and financial systems.The move by the IMF executive board, representing the institutions 188 member nations, solidifies Chinas ambition to see the yuan achieve global status as one of the worlds top currencies.China, the worlds second-largest economy, asked last year for the yuan to be added to the Special Drawing Rights basket, but until recently it was considered too tightly controlled to qualify. The yuan already had met the IMFs criteria for being widely used.The board approval had been widely expected after IMF staff experts earlier in November said that Chinese authorities had taken the steps necessary for the yuan to be called freely usable, and Lagarde endorsed their recommendation.Lagarde said the yuans inclusion in the basket was expected to help China open up further to the world economy.The continuation and deepening of these efforts will bring about a more robust international monetary and financial system, which in turn will support the growth and stability of China and the global economy, she said.IMF members can use the Special Drawing Rights basket to obtain currencies to meet balance-of-payments needs. The Fund also issues its crisis loans -- crucial to struggling economies like Greece -- valued in SDRs.The yuans entry into the basket takes effect on October 1, 2016.

Posted by IMRAN ALI SOOMRO (DARVESH) at 12/01/2015 08:31:00 AM

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