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Wednesday, December 2, 2015

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Dunya TV

Peru to expel American after 20-year terror sentence

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LIMA (AFP) - Peru on Wednesday will expel Lori Berenson, the only American to serve time for terrorism in the South American nation, after completing her 20-year sentence, authorities said.She will go through immigration normally but she is departing as someone being expelled, an immigration official said.Berenson, a New Yorker who is now 46, was arrested in 1995 and convicted of cooperating with the MRTA, an armed leftist group which plotted to take over the legislature.While that didnt happen, a year later on December 17, 1996 the MRTA seized the Japanese ambassadors residence in Lima, taking 600 hostages during a Christmas party.Berenson was tried and sentenced over the original MRTA plot. Most of the leaders of the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement, which was crushed in 2000, were killed or sentenced to life in prison.Berenson, who has been living in Lima under house arrest after serving three quarters of her sentence behind bars, gave birth in prison. She has a six-year-old son with her attorney and now ex-husband Anibal Apari.Six years ago, she asked for forgiveness from those who were affected by her actions.She admitted being an MRTA member but said she was not a leader or someone who committed violent acts.

Hong Kong up on Wall St lead but Shanghai dips

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HONG KONG (AFP) - Hong Kong shares edged up for a second day early Wednesday, following a positive lead from Wall Street, but worries about Chinas economy saw Shanghai edge lower in the first few minutes.The Hang Seng Index in Hong Kong rose 0.23 percent, or 52.03 points, to 22,433.38.But the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index slipped 0.17 percent, or 6.03 points, to 3,450.28, while the Shenzhen Composite Index, which tracks stocks on Chinas second exchange, lost 0.31 percent, or 6.85 points, to 2,191.43.

Obama warns of climate security risks as tough talks begin

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LE BOURGET (AFP) - US President Barack Obama warned Tuesday global warming posed imminent security and economic risks, as negotiators embarked on an 11-day race to seal a UN pact aimed at taming climate change.But, speaking after attending an historic climate summit with 150 other leaders, Obama voiced confidence mankind would make the tough decisions to brake rising temperatures.Obama and others employed lofty rhetoric Monday to inject energy into the start of the UN negotiations, which are due to deliver a global masterplan on December 11.The president followed that up Tuesday with grim warnings for the near future if the temperature curve went unchecked.Before long we are going to have to devote more and more of our economic and military resources, not to growing opportunity for our people, but to adapting to the various consequences of a changing planet, Obama said.This is an economic and security imperative that we have to tackle now.The talks in Paris aim at an accord which, taking effect from 2020, would slash carbon emissions -- the emissions that come mainly from burning fossil fuels -- and deliver hundreds of billions of dollars in aid for climate-vulnerable countries.But it is only the latest chapter in a 25-year-old diplomatic saga marked by spats over burden-sharing and hobbled by a negotiation system of huge complexity.Behind their vows of support, many leaders have often preferred the short-term benefits of burning cheap and dependable fossil fuels to power prosperity, ignoring the consequences of carbon pollution.Despite this, Obama said he believed the global political landscape was shifting, boding well for Paris and beyond.Climate change is a massive problem, it is a generational problem. And yet despite all that, the main message I have got is, I actually think we are going to solve this thing, Obama said.At the heavily secured summit venue in Le Bourget on the northern outskirts of Paris, a city on edge since the November 13 terror attacks that killed 130 people, bureaucrats from 195 nations began a frantic effort to distill a 54-page text into a global warming blueprint.They have until just Saturday to iron out as many differences as they can, before handing the text over to environment and foreign ministers and a final push for a pact.We are really up against the clock and up against the wall, Daniel Reifsnyder, one of the talks co-chairs, told the negotiators on Tuesday morning.While there are grounds for optimism, a similar effort failed spectacularly in the 2009 edition of the annual UN talks in Copenhagen, which aimed at a post-2012 deal.Heaping pressure on negotiators, researchers for respected group Climate Action Tracker said Tuesday the clock was ticking even faster than before.If planned new coal-fired plants come online, they said, the added emissions would wreck hopes of meeting the UN target of curbing warming to two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) from pre-Industrial Revolution levels.There is a solution to this issue of too many coal plants on the books: cancel them, said Pieter Van Breevoort of Ecofys, an energy research organisation which is part of Climate Action Tracker.Renewable energy and stricter pollution standards are making coal plants obsolete around the world, and the earlier a coal plant is taken out of the planning process, the less it will cost.The UNs World Meteorological Organization (WMO) warned last week that the symbolic and significant milestone of 1 C warming would likely be passed this year. Many issues could derail the Paris talks, including poor nations demands for billions of dollars in support from rich countries to help them reduce their emissions and adapt to the devastating consequences of global warming.Dozens of poor nations are insisting that a safer warming target of 1.5 C also be enshrined in the accord, along with the 2 C goal backed by the United States, China and other big polluters. Small low-lying island states fear that giving up on the lower target would doom them to oblivion as seas rise.The legal status of the accord is another bone of contention.Obama is facing intense domestic opposition over committing the United States to any international legal framework on climate change, which many prominent Republicans say is a hoax or lacking in evidence.The president said Tuesday he supported legally binding commitments for some areas within a planned Paris pact, though not national voluntary action plans submitted to the UN charting how countries propose to cut their emissions.The process, the procedures, that ensures transparency and periodic reviews, that needs to be legally binding, Obama said.Under UN rules, the final pact has to be approved unanimously, or not at all.Some developing nations have been quick to voice their objections in Paris to what they perceive as rich-world hypocrisy.Nicaraguas lead negotiator, Paul Oquist, said Tuesday his country would not make any pledge to cut its emissions -- a key plank of the planned pact -- because that would let rich countries off the hook.On Monday, the leaders of China, India, Zimbabwe and many other developing nations also told the summit rich nations must shoulder the biggest burden, and they should still be able to pollute more so they can fight poverty.

US special ops forces to fight IS jihadists in Iraq, Syria

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States will increasingly rely on special operations troops to battle Islamic State jihadists in Iraq and Syria, US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said Tuesday, while calling on international powers to beef up their own efforts.Speaking to lawmakers in the House Armed Services Committee, the Pentagon chief said he was deploying a specialized expeditionary targeting force to Iraq to work alongside local Iraqi and Kurdish peshmerga forces battling the IS group.The jihadists captured vast areas of territory and several key cities across Iraq and Syria last year, and the United States and its allies have been struggling to defeat them ever since.The Obama administration -- cautious after the war in Iraq -- initially ruled out boots-on-the-ground deployments to fight the IS group, and depended on air power to attack the jihadists, leading a coalition of nations in bombing them since August last year.But there is growing acknowledgement in the Pentagon that it is impossible to effectively fight the IS group without some US ground presence.Officials in October announced the deployment of 50 special operations forces to work with anti-IS fighters in Syria and help glean intelligence and identify targets for US and coalition bombers to strike.Citing security concerns, Carter was evasive when asked how many additional special forces troops would go to Iraq, but said it would be a larger number than the 50 in Syria. The United States currently already has about 3,500 troops in Iraq, but their mission is to train and advise local forces.Though the new troops will be based in Iraq, they will have the ability to conduct raids across the border in northern Syria.These special operators will over time be able to conduct raids, free hostages, gather intelligence, and capture ISIL leaders, Carter said, using an alternative abbreviation for the IS group.This force will also be in a position to conduct unilateral operations into Syria.Carter, who is Obamas fourth defense secretary and began his job in February, said the move would put IS leaders on notice.You dont know at night who is going to be coming in the window, he said. Thats the sensation that we want all of ISILs leadership and followers to have.He cited a raid in October in which US Special Operations forces and Kurdish peshmerga troops stormed an IS-run prison near Hawijah in northern Iraq, freeing some 70 captives who were facing imminent execution. One US service member died in the operation.Carter also hinted he might send additional special forces to Syria, beyond the 50 already disclosed.Were prepared to do more, he said. I have every reason to believe the president will allow us to do more and authorize us to do more when we have more opportunities.US lawmakers regularly summon Pentagon officials to testify about the progress of the effort to counter IS jihadists.Though about 65 nations are in the US-led coalition, American warplanes and drones do the lions share of work.Speaking more than two weeks after terror attacks in Paris left 130 dead, Carter called on international powers to ramp up efforts to defeat the IS group.The international community -- including our allies and partners -- has to step up before another attack like Paris, he said.The more contributions we receive from other nations, the greater combat power we can achieve using our own force.His comments come as the British parliament prepares to debate whether the Royal Air Force should start bombing in Syria.Despite more than a year of daily plane and drone strikes against the IS group, the United States is still struggling to win and lawmakers expressed frustration at the slow pace of the campaign.Carter was joined by his top commanding officer General Joe Dunford. Asked whether the IS group had been contained, Dunford said: We have not contained ISIL.Then, when asked by Congressman Michael Turner of Ohio if the United States was winning now, Carter would say only that we will win.

Facebook's CEO and wife to give 99 percent of shares to their new foundation

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SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) Mark Zuckerberg will put 99 percent of his Facebook Inc (FB.O) shares, currently worth about $45 billion, into a new philanthropy project focusing on human potential and equality, he and his wife said Tuesday in a letter to their newborn daughter.The plan, which was posted on the Facebook founder and chief executive officers page, attracted more than 570,000 likes, including from singer Shakira, former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Melinda Gates, wife of Microsoft founder Bill Gates. The Gates and other high-profile billionaires such as Warren Buffett have set up foundations of their own to dedicate their massive fortunes to philanthropic endeavors.Zuckerberg, 31, who will control the new initiative jointly with his wife, Priscilla Chan, while remaining in charge of the worlds largest online social network, said he would sell or give up to $1 billion in shares in each of the next three years.Zuckerberg will keep a controlling stake in Facebook, valued at $303 billion as of Tuesdays close, for what the company called the foreseeable future. According to Facebooks most recent proxy statement, Zuckerberg owned 4 million Class A shares and 422.3 million Class B shares, which have 10 times the voting power of A shares. Combined he held 54 percent of the voting power of the companys shares.Zuckerberg said he plans to remain CEO of Facebook for many, many years to come.Zuckerbergs new project, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, is not his first in the world of philanthropy. When he was 26, he signed the Giving Pledge, which invites the worlds wealthiest individuals and families to commit to giving more than half of their wealth to philanthropy or charitable causes over their lifetime or in their will.Mark and Priscilla are breaking the mold with this breathtaking commitment, Buffett said on Facebook. A combination of brains, passion and resources on this scale will change the lives of millions. On behalf of future generations, I thank them.Melinda Gates chimed in, The first word that comes to mind is: Wow. The example youre setting today is an inspiration to us and the world.Buffett himself pledged shares of his Berkshire Hathaway Inc (BRKa.N) company that were then worth $31 billion to Gates foundation in 2006, and at the time ranked as the largest single gift.A YOUNG PHILANTHROPISTZuckerberg is relatively young to commit so much of his wealth. Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) co-founder Gates was 45 in 2000, the year he and his wife founded the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Buffett was 76 in 2006 when he committed to give away all of his Berkshire Hathaway stock to philanthropic organizations.About $350 billion is given away each year in the United States by charities, said Stacy Palmer, editor of the Chronicle of Philanthropy. She said Zuckerberg and his wifes announcement was remarkable not just because of the size of the donation, but because of their ages.Our lists of the top donors are usually dominated by people in their 70s or 80s, she said. This is a message to other young people who are deciding what to do with their great wealth.In welcoming the birth of his first child on his Facebook page, Zuckerberg posted a photo of himself, his wife and their daughter, Maxima, nicknamed Max, along with a post entitled A letter to our daughter. (on.fb.me/1MVnGOj)In the 2,220-word letter, Zuckerberg and Chan, a pediatrician, touched on issues including health, education, Internet access and learning before announcing the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, which aims to advance human potential and promote equality.They plan to give away 99 percent of their Facebook shares over their lifetimes to advance the initiative, which was formed as a limited liability company. It will begin by focusing on curing disease, Internet connectivity, community building and personalized learning - the idea that technology can help students learn at different paces.Maxima Chan Zuckerberg was born early last week — though Facebook did not specify her birth date — and weighed 7 lbs 8 ounces (3.4 kg) at birth. Last month, Zuckerberg announced he would take two months of paternity leave after the birth.Chan and Zuckerberg have so far committed $1.6 billion to their philanthropy. They have given several donations this year, including to public schools, initiatives to bring better wireless Internet access and to San Francisco General Hospital, where Chan works as a pediatrician.Zuckerberg and Chan said they will share more details when they return from their maternity and paternity leaves.Zuckerberg has started his leave, a Facebook representative said, and will be available if absolutely needed. Sheryl Sandberg, chief operating officer, and Mike Schroepfer, chief technology officer, will run the company in Zuckerbergs absence.

Peace in Syria when West ends support for 'terrorists': Assad

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PRAGUE (AFP) - President Bashar al-Assad said peace would only come to war-torn Syria when the West and its Middle Eastern allies stop supporting terrorists, in an interview aired Tuesday on Czech TV.Asked what it would take to bring an end to Syrias devastating four-year civil war, Assad said: When those countries that I mentioned -- France, UK, US, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and some other -- stop supporting those terrorists.The next day the situation will be better and in a few months we will have full peace in Syria, definitely. If they stop, said Assad, whose regime receives direct military backing from Russia.If you want to fight and defeat them (terrorists), you have to cut and suffocate their supplies, their armaments, money ... coming mainly through Turkey and with the support of the Saudis and the Qataris, he said.Since the outbreak of the 2011 revolt that later morphed into a brutal, multi-front civil war, Assads regime has branded all its opponents, armed or unarmed, terrorists.The United States and other Western powers fighting Islamic State jihadists, who claimed responsiblity for the deadly November 13 attacks in Paris, have long insisted Assad must step down as part of any political solution to the Syrian conflict.France has been adamant in its opposition to Assad, describing him as a butcher of his own people amid the civil war that has so far claimed a quarter million lives and created millions of refugees, triggering the biggest humanitarian crisis since World War II. On a trip to Washington last week, French President Francois Hollande reiterated his determination to see Assad step down in order to give Syria a chance for peace, saying it should be as soon as possible.He has been the problem -- he cannot be the solution, Hollande said.Assad hit back Tuesday, telling Czech public TV that the French only stepped up bombing of Islamic State targets after the Paris terror attacks to dissipate the feeling of the French (people), nothing serious.He meanwhile described military assistance provided to his regime by Russian President Vladimir Putin as very serious in fighting terrorism.Turning to a showdown between Turkey and Russia over Ankaras downing of a Russian jet fighter forces along the Turkish-Syrian border, Assad said opposition supporter Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was playing with fire. I think it (shooting down Russian jet) has shown the real intention of Erdogan who, lets say, lost his nerve just because the Russian intervention has changed the balance on the ground.So the failure of Erdogan in Syria, the failure of his terrorist groups means his political demise, he added.

Israel PM admits forces operating in war-hit Syria

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JERUSALEM (AFP) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitted for the first time Tuesday that Israeli forces have been operating in Syria, where the Iran-backed regime is battling rebels including the jihadist Islamic State.We occasionally carry out operations in Syria to prevent that country from becoming a front against us, Netanyahu told reporters during a visit to northern Israel.We also do everything to prevent weapons, particularly lethal ones, being moved from Syria to Lebanon, he added.Netanyahu did not provide further details and his comments were the first public recognition that Israel has been active in conflict-riddled Syria.Several purported strikes have occurred in recent months, targeting alleged Iranian arms transfers from Syria to Lebanon and destined for Israels arch-foe, the Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah.But these strikes were not officially acknowledged by Israeli authorities.Israel opposes the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, which has been battling an armed rebellion since March 2011, but has sought to avoid being dragged into the war in neighbouring Syria.Russia, an ally of the Assad regime along with Iran, launched an air campaign against his opponents in late September.On Sunday, Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon said a Russian warplane had recently entered Israeli-controlled airspace from Syria but the intrusion was resolved without incident.It was apparently an error by the pilot who was flying near the Golan, Yaalon said.Israel seized most of the Golan Heights from Syria in 1967 and later annexed the territory in a move never recognised by the international community.Yaalon said Israel and Russia had made arrangements to avoid clashes over Syria, with the agreement said to include a hotline and information sharing.Netanyahu echoed his comments on Tuesday, saying the Israeli and Russian military forces are in close coordination to avoid such incidents.Their remarks came in the aftermath of the downing by Turkey over a Russian warplane which Ankara said had entered Turkish airspace -- a claim denied by Moscow.

NATO to keep 12,000 troops in Afghanistan next year

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BRUSSELS (AFP) - NATO will keep some 12,000 troops in Afghanistan for an extra year in 2016 to prevent the country again becoming a terrorist safe haven, alliance head Jens Stoltenberg said Tuesday.NATOs Resolute Support advice and training mission was supposed to end this year but Taliban battlefield successes, especially their recent brief capture of the northern city of Kunduz, prompted a radical re-think.Today, NATO allies and Resolute Support operational partners have agreed to sustain the Resolute Support presence ... during 2016, Stoltenberg said after alliance foreign ministers endorsed the decision.The mission ... will continue to be kept under review and, if necessary, will be adjusted to ensure its effectiveness.Troop numbers will be 12,000 approximately, in line with current strength, he added.The United States and allies invaded Afghanistan in 2001 shortly after the 9/11 terror attacks to oust the Taliban from Kabul.NATO took over command of the operation in 2003 and US troop numbers peaked at around 90,000. The alliance ended combat operations at the end of 2014, leaving in place the Resolute Support mission.Taliban militants are still mounting attacks while the Islamic State is gaining a foothold in the country.Stoltenberg said NATO had compelling reasons to complete its mission in Afghanistan with a stable government in place able to ensure security.We are in Afghanistan to prevent Afghanistan becoming again a safe haven for terrorists. If Afghanistan becomes a safe haven, that will also be a threat to us, he said.He said the 28 NATO allies were also reviewing how to provide fresh funding for the Afghan armed forces for the period 2017-20, after they put up $4.0 billion previously.US President Barack Obama announced in October after the Kunduz attack that he would keep the bulk of the some 10,000 US troops in Afghanistan for another year because Afghan forces are still not as strong as they need to be.

Tennis: Bad boys Tomic, Kyrgios turned corner: TA chief

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SYDNEY (AFP) - Bad boys Nick Kyrgios and Bernard Tomic have matured and turned the corner, Tennis Australia chief Craig Tiley says, after a season which will be remembered for all the wrong reasons.Both players endured turbulent years with on and off court controversies, including brushes with officialdom and the law, overshadowing anything they did on court.Despite being the nations top-ranked players, neither was considered as nominees for the prestigious Newcombe Medal -- which rewards Australias most outstanding elite tennis player and ambassador.But Tiley said Tennis Australia had mended its fences with the pair and he expected them to be on their best behaviour at their home Grand Slam, the Australian Open, next month.Id love nothing more than both Bernie and Nick to have a great 2016, as we all would, Tiley, who is also tournament director of the seasons first major at Melbourne Park, told Wednesdays The Australian newspaper.Theres no rifts; no animosity between Tennis Australia and those two guys. They are making a real go of a professional tennis career.They know what our expectations are and when they meet them they get rewarded and if they dont, they dont.During the past year Tomic clashed with Tennis Australia and was suspended for a Davis Cup tie. He was also arrested over a raucous penthouse party in Miami, while outspoken Kyrgioss sex slur at Stan Wawrinka in August sparked stinging criticism from fellow players.Tiley said he has had conversations with both players.Weve got a good relationship with both of them, no question, he said.I spent time with Bernie in the UK when he played Davis Cup and in my view he is saying all the right things. They are both different people and they are both extremely talented.Were fortunate in Australia to have them among a group of good male players. Thats great for us.

Repeated barrel-bombing of Syria hospital killed 7: MSF

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GENEVA (AFP) - The Doctors Without Borders charity on Tuesday condemned the repeated barrel-bombing of a hospital in a besieged, opposition-held part of the war-ravaged Syrian province of Homs, leaving seven dead and 47 wounded.The organisation, which goes by its French initials MSF, said the hospital attacked Saturday morning was one it supports.This bombing shows all the signs of a double-tap, where one area is bombed and then a second bombing hits the paramedic response teams or the nearest hospital providing care, Brice de le Vingne, MSF director of operations, said in a statement.This double-tap tactic shows a level of calculated destruction that can scarcely be imagined, he added.MSF said the first barrel bomb was dropped from a helicopter on a populated area of Al-Zafarana town near the city of Homs on Saturday at 9:40 am (0740 GMT), killing a man and a young girl and wounding 16 people.Soon after the patients were all admitted to the Al-Zafarana hospital, three more barrel bombs landed nearby, killing one bystander and wounding 31 patients under treatment and medical staff.Parts of the hospital were destroyed and the kidney dialysis unit was heavily damaged, MSF said.The most critically wounded patients were transferred to three nearby hospitals. Five of them died en route.In total, seven people died and 47 were wounded, including 23 women and children under the age of 15, MSF said.The organisation said it was offering support to repair or relocate the hospital facility, and was preparing to send essential medical supplies to help the hospital team continue operating.This makeshift hospital was providing a lifeline of care to around 40,000 people, de le Vingne said.It is already a tragedy that seven people, including a small girl, have been killed, but if the hospital has to close down or reduce activities, that is a double tragedy for the people living under the permanent threat of war, with nowhere else to turn for medical assistance, he added.MSF, which operates six medical facilities in northern Syria and directly supports more than 150 health posts and field hospitals across the country, reiterated its call for all parties in the Syrian conflict to avoid attacking civilians and civilian infrastructure, including hospitals and ambulances.The multiplication of these atrocious attacks, with overwhelmingly high numbers of civilians, including women, children and medical staff, wounded and killed, must cease, it said.

Football: De Bruyne sends Man City into League Cup semis

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LONDON (AFP) - In-form Kevin De Bruyne struck twice as Premier League leaders Manchester City overpowered Hull City 4-1 on Tuesday to lead three top-flight teams into the League Cup semi-finals.De Bruyne had scored one goal and made two in Saturdays 3-1 win over Southampton and he continued in the same vein as the 2014 winners saw off second-tier Hull, with Wilfried Bony and Kelechi Iheanacho also scoring.Gerard Deulofeu starred as Everton won 2-0 at Middlesbrough and Stoke City beat Sheffield Wednesday 1-0 to guarantee an all-Premier League last four ahead of Liverpools trip to Southampton on Wednesday.City made five changes for the visit of Hull, currently fourth in the Championship, with David Silva captaining the side at the Etihad Stadium on his first start following two months out with an ankle problem.Sergio Aguero was absent, having taken a knock in the win over Southampton, but Bony ensured that he was not missed by following in to open the scoring in the 12th minute after De Bruyne had hit the post.Iheanacho replaced Bony in the 71st minute and got on the score-sheet nine minutes later, toeing in a cross from Raheem Sterling.De Bruynes brace arrived late on, the Belgium forward exploiting a defensive mistake to prod home in the 82nd minute and then sweeping a free-kick into the top-left corner three minutes from time.Andrew Robertson tucked away an injury-time consolation for Hull.Former Barcelona winger Deulofeu stole the show as Everton won at Championship high-fliers Middlesbrough, who had eliminated Manchester United on penalties at Old Trafford in the fourth round.The 21-year-old Spaniard broke the deadlock in the 20th minute at the Riverside Stadium, wriggling between two defenders and shaping a low shot into the bottom-left corner from the edge of the box.Eight minutes later he set up Evertons second goal, bamboozling Fernando Amorebieta with a flurry of step-overs and crossing for Romelu Lukaku to head in his 13th goal of the season, and sixth in five games.Championship side Wednesday had stunned Arsenal 3-0 in the previous round, but their cup adventure came to an end at Stokes Britannia Stadium.Peter Crouch limped off with an apparent hamstring injury in the early stages, but his replacement, Joselu, teed up Ibrahim Afellay to volley in Stokes opener on the half hour.Phil Bardsley wrapped up the win with 15 minutes to play by driving home from a free-kick as Stoke reached the last four for the first time since they won the tournament in 1972.

Football: Qatar powers ahead with World Cup preparations

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DOHA (AFP) - Battered by criticism over human rights, facing investigation over corruption and the financial fallout from an energy price slump, Qatar is forging ahead with multi-billion dollar work on the 2022 World Cup.Five years on from being controversially awarded the right to host the worlds most-watched sporting event, World Cup organisers say construction has begun on six of at least eight venues that will be in used in 2022, including preparatory work on an 80,000-seater stadium in Lusail where the final will be held.Lusail is a new $45 billion city being built 15 kilometres (10 miles) north of Doha. Qatar will even complete work on the first ground, the 40,000-seater Khalifa International Stadium -- the venue for the 2019 World Athletics Championships -- by the end of 2016, six years before the first game will be played, boast World Cup officials .Elsewhere, work has begun on the Al Rayyan stadium, the Qatar Foundation Stadium and the Al Wakrah stadium -- which takes the dhow boats that carried generations of Qatari fishermen and pearl divers to sea as a design inspiration.All are 40,000 seat venues, which will host matches up to the quarter-finals.Also underway is work at the Al Bayt Stadium. This 60,000 capacity venue will host one of the World Cup semi-finals.A final decision will be taken by FIFA at the end of the year about how many stadium will be used in 2022.The work can be monitored and overseen on CCTV by some of the more than 400 members of Qatars World Cup organising team from an all-white space-age control room in their skyscraper Al Bidda Tower headquarters on the Doha waterfront.Great progress has been made so far in preparations, Nasser Al-Khater, assistant general secretary of Qatars organising committee, said last month. Since winning the bid in 2010, incredible amounts of work have gone in.Qatar plans to spend $225 billion (212 billion euros) on new infrastructure, the Qatar National Bank estimated in a report in September, much of which will be used during the World Cup.Despite Qatar looking for potential budget cuts elsewhere, spending on the World Cup is protected, finance minister Ali Sherif Al-Emadi said this year. Most notable of the huge projects underway is the Doha Metro, estimated to cost around $36 billion. This will begin running in 2019 in an attempt to alleviate Qatars congested roads. So far 21 boring machines have carved away 60 percent of the 113 kilometres (70 miles) of tunnels needed for the network.The plan is to have 37 stations operating in four years, say World Cup officials. A tram line will be built to Lusail.There are also new roads and a new docks being built in the west of Qatar. Among others projects is a vast almost $5 billion reservoir programme designed to help conserve water in the desert state.World Cup organisers claim up to one million people will visit Qatar in November and December 2022, when the tournament will be staged.A new airport -- the $17 billion Hamad International -- is already in use.Even the national football team seems to have caught the preparation bug and could qualify for the World Cup finals for the first time for the 2018 tournament.However, flooding at the end of November exposed flaws in some of the major projects, including several leaks allowing in rainwater at the airport.This prompted an investigation by the Qatari prime minister, the threat of criminal procedures and a ban on potential defendants leaving the country.

Golf: Gloomy Tiger has 'no timetable' for comeback

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LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Former world number one Tiger Woods said Tuesday he has no date for his return from back surgery, revealing that he had yet to hit a ball since undergoing two operations to alleviate pain from a pinched nerve.Woods, speaking at the Hero World Challenge at Albany Golf Club in the Bahamas which benefits his foundation, said he was frustrated by the inability to set a date for his return.Therein lies the tough question and tough answer, Woods said. I dont have an answer for that. ... There is no timetable. Thats the hardest part for me. Theres nothing I can look forward to.Woods once led the world ranking for a record 623 weeks but has since fallen to 400th in the world after struggling with form and fitness in recent years.Woods underwent microdiscectomy surgery to remove a fragment that was causing a pinched nerve in September. He had another surgery to aid discomfort in October. The latest procedures came after the same surgery in March 2014.Woods played in only 11 events in 2015 because of his fitness problems, having played only seven tournaments the previous year.Its different than the other surgeries, Woods said. For nerves, there is no timetable.

Two terrorists killed during search operations in Karachi

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – Rangers and police have intensified search operations in Karachi after two Army personnel were martyred by unidentified gunmen at the M. A. Jinnah Road on Tuesday.According to details, Rangers conducted a search operation near Northern Bypass on a tip-off that criminals are present in the area upon which terrorists opened fire at the raiding party. Rangers personnel returned the fire as a result two terrorists were killed.A Rangers spokesperson informed media that the identity of the dead terrorists is not yet known.Also Read: Karachi: 4 terrorists killed in encounter with RangersOn the other hand, police arrested 20 suspects during a search operation in Manghupir area. According to SSP South, 35 other suspects were arrested during search operations in Saddar and areas around M. A. Jinnah Road.Rangers also arrested one person during a search operation in Bheempura area while another five were arrested from M. A. Jinnah Road. The arrested persons were shifted to some undisclosed location for further investigation.

Lahore: Road accident claims two lives

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – At least two people were killed when a speeding mazda collided with a truck near a police check post in Thokar Niaz Beg area of Lahore on early Wednesday morning. According to rescue sources, one person died on the spot while other succumbed to his injuries during treatment at the hospital. One person was also injured in the accident. The dead and injured were shifted to Jinnah Hospital.

Posted by IMRAN ALI SOOMRO (DARVESH) at 12/02/2015 08:49:00 AM

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