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Saturday, January 4, 2014

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

16 perish in Karachi killing spree

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KARACHI(Dunya News) - Bloodbath continues in Karachi as 16 more people were shot dead in different parts of violence-hit city during the last 24 hours.According to details, some unidentified gunmen opened fire at a police mobile in Orangi Town area, killing two cops and injuring another. The deceased were identified as Aleem and Younus while Kamran received bullet wounds.In Pak Colony, a man named Riaz was shot dead in firing incident while two people, including a vendor, were killed in Five Star Chowrangi and Haidri areas.Four more people were shot dead in separate firing incidents in Old Golimar, Sohrab Goth, Baldia Twon and Gulshan-e-Hadeed areas while a policeman named Mohsin was soht dead in Sachal area.Earlier, two brothers were gunned down near Moti Mahal area of Gulshan Iqbal. The victims were identified as Sajid and Abid.In protest against the incident, angry mob took to the streets and blocked the main road.Another person was killed near Indus Plaza in Sohrab Goth area while a body of a person identified as Munir was found near Bismillah Chowk in Baldia Town.Meanwhile, Rangers personnel conducted raids in Maskan Chowrangi, Gulshan Iqbal and Sohrab Goth. Seven suspects were arrested in the operation and heavy arms were recovered from their possession

Firing incidents claim 13 lives in Karachi

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KARACHI: In various violence incidents in Karachi, a number of citizens have been killed raising the death toll to 13. Protesters staged a riot in Gulshan Iqbal which resulted in closure of traffic on Rashid Minhas Road and University Road.Unidentified persons opened indiscriminatory fire at a juice center and fast food restaurant situated at Maskan Chorangi Gulshan Iqbal late night, which resulted in killing of juice shop’s owner Malik Hussain Ali and two personnel Abdul Wahid and Nadir Ali on the spot, injuring another four.In another incident near Gulshan Iqbal Moti Mehel, brothers Sajid and Abid were gunned down also by unidentified men. Following the incident, angry protesters burned tires to close the adjacent roads which result in suspension of traffic on Rashid Minhas Road and University Road. A number of heavy contingents of police and rangers were deployed to control the situation and the protest concluded after two hours.Yet another incident took place at Purana Golimar area where a man was gunned down.In another separate incident, man was shot dead near Sohrab Goth Indus Plaza. Baldia Town Bismillah chowk area also saw a casualty of a man identified as Munir whose body was discovered by locals.Another man was gunned down at Gulshan Hadeed Link Road and a police officer, who was injured in firing in Suchal, has passed away in hospital. The deceased police officer Mohsin was posted at Suchal police station.Rangers personnel conducted raids in Maskan Chowrangi, Gulshan Iqbal and Sohrab Goth. Seven suspects were arrested in the operation and heavy arms were recovered from their possession.Karachi’s peace has been seriously disturbed with the recent increase in the number of target killing incidents especially because most killings are attributed to ‘unidentified persons’ who are never brought to justice. The number of incidents reported is much larger than the number of people arrested for the said charges.Federal government, with alliance of provincial government has been conducting targeted operations against the alleged culprits in new government’s bid to bring back Karachi’s peace. Most political leaderships had endorsed government’s initiative in this regard with an exception of MQM that had withdrawn its support after alledging the authorities of being biased. The target operations are lashed out at, since then.An extraordinary number of security personnel including contingents of police and rangers actively petrol sensitive areas in Karachi as an attempt to lower down the number of target killing incident. Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh is also the economic hub for entire country and the law and order disturbance has given a serious blow to the economy as foreign investment in the country is seriously affected.

Lahore: Basant from Feb 21 till March 5, notification issued

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LAHORE: (Dunya News) - Punjab government has announced to hold Basant festival at Changa Manga forest in Lahore from February 21 till March 5; formal notification in this regard has already been issued, Punjab government sources told Dunya News. Punjab government has assigned the task to make necessary arrangements in this regard to DCO Kasur, directing him to submit a report after making an observation of the arrangements afterwards.Authorities have also been directed not to allow kite flying activities anywhere else. The government source also warned of the strict action against the culprits violating the law.Notification said that other cultural festivals will also take place during those dates.The festival has been delayed by another month as the previous notification, also issued today, had said the festival will take place from January 21 till February 5. The revised notification has also been issued minutes ago, Dunya News reported.Muslim League(N) leader Hamza Shahbaz had hinted the lifting of ban on Basant during the inauguration of Punjab Youth Festival last month. Week before that, Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto had announced revival of Basant and kite flying through ‘Sindh Festival’.Kite flying has been banned in the province for the past four years; the ban was mainly the result of accidents linked to the thread used for flying kites. Hundreds have died in Basant related accidents in the past decade, in the years whenkite flying was allowed.

US braces for record lows in big freeze

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NEW YORK (AFP) - Authorities in the United States have warned residents to stay indoors after a fierce winter storm killed at least 11 people, with forecasters saying Saturday that the Arctic blast could hit record lows.A state of emergency was declared in New York and New Jersey after heavy snow fell on Thursday and there was no sign of respite from the brutal chill that has struck since the start of the year in parts of the northeast US and Canada.One of the coldest Arctic outbreaks in the past two decades is now set to plunge the Midwest close to record lows, weather forecasters say, predicting Chicago could see some of its coldest weather ever on Monday, with temperatures hovering around minus 10 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 23 degrees Celsius).Gusty winds could bring what forecasters at the National Weather Center called very dangerous levels of wind chill.Incredibly, it may feel as cold as -50 to -60 (Fahrenheit) on Sunday night over sections of the north-central states with the frigid air remaining in place into early next week, it said.Authorities have urged people in the worst-hit areas to spend the first weekend of the new year indoors for their own safety and to allow rescue and clean-up teams to get to work as quickly as possible.Chicagoans are a hearty bunch, said Matt Smith, spokesman for the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services.But when temperatures get as cold as they are predicted, you want to start thinking out things in advance, the Chicago Tribune quoted him as saying, adding that the department had advised people stay indoors and to stock up on medical supplies and food.The storm has been the first big test for New York Citys new Mayor Bill de Blasio, who only took up his job Wednesday.If you want safe, clear streets, stay home, he said Friday.De Blasio shoveled snow in front of his Brooklyn house on Friday before repeating appeals for drivers to stay off the roads to help the city clear its 6,200 miles (9,900 kilometers) of roads.Thousands of domestic and international flights have been cancelled or delayed in several US cities including at New Yorks John F. Kennedy Airport and in Chicago, Boston and Philadelphia, while thousands of miles of roads were also affected.Added to the mix was a flood alert for much of Massachusetts Atlantic coastline.On Friday, a worker was killed when he was crushed by a 100-foot (30-meter) pile of salt being prepared to treat roads in the Philadelphia area, media reports said.A 71-year-old woman suffering from Alzheimers disease froze to death after walking out into the cold and getting lost in northern New York state, authorities said.At least nine other deaths were blamed on the storm, named Hercules.Eastern Canada has also been badly hit, and residents in many parts of Newfoundland lost power on Saturday morning, local media reported.Temperatures there had plunged to minus 15 degrees Celsius, but the wind chill made it feel as cold as minus 35, the reports said.The bracing weather was also set to impact Sundays crucial National Football League play-off between the Green Bay Packers and the San Francisco 49ers.Some media speculated that the eagerly anticipated clash at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin, might be the coldest NFL game in history as freezing temperatures and blustery winds threatened a wind-chill factor as low as minus 35F.The Packers say they will help fans battle the big freeze at the open-air stadium by handing out free coffee and hot chocolate.

German economy grapples with immigration from Romania, Bulgaria

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BERLIN (AFP) - Europes top economy Germany is grappling with how to handle immigration from poor EU members Romania and Bulgaria now that their citizens can seek work anywhere within the bloc.Restrictions that barred residents from EUs two poorest states looking for jobs in some of its wealthiest members expired on January 1, sparking fears by some of mass invasion and so-called benefits tourism.Britain, where hundreds of thousands of immigrants have settled since the European Union first expanded into eastern Europe in 2004, in December rushed through legislation restricting EU migrants from claiming unemployment handouts.Germany, Europes economic powerhouse where the minimum wage is about five times what it is in Romania and Bulgaria, is now also considering steps it could take.Days before the government of conservative Chancellor Angela Merkel is due to examine possible measures to make benefits abuse more difficult, Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel called for a debate on the issue.I think its not necessary to exaggerate this issue. But it shouldnt be minimised either, he said in an interview with the Bild newspaper on Saturday.Gabriel and Merkel agreed in talks on Friday on the need for tougher measures against those abusing the countrys generous welfare system.We dont need all-out discrimination of the Bulgarians and Romanians, but nor should we ignore the problems some big German cities face with the immigration of poor people, Gabriel said.Next Wednesday the government will objectively tackle this issue during the first ministerial meeting of the year, he said.Bulgaria and Romania joined the EU in 2007, becoming the blocs poorest members.Wary of large numbers of jobseekers arriving from the two countries, several nations kept their job markets closed to Romanian and Bulgarian citizens for several years.The last of these restrictions expired on January 1, including in some of the blocs wealthiest nations -- Austria, Belgium, Britain, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands and Spain.Weeks before the expirations, Britain rushed through measures to limit so-called benefit tourism, by having new EU migrants wait for three months before applying for out-of-work payments and other benefits.Britains difficult experienceThe issue of eastern European immigration is a highly sensitive one in Britain, where the Labour government in power when the EU expanded east in 2004 vastly underestimated the number of new arrivals and admitted it should have done more to limit the influx.We had a pretty difficult experience when the eight countries joined a decade ago, Nigel Mills, a lawmaker from Prime Minister David Camerons Conservative Party, told AFP.We had forecast 13,000 coming and more like a million came. It was pretty disastrous.Like Britain, prosperous Germany also presents a strong lure to Romanian and Bulgarian migrants. The minimum wage for a 19-year-old there is the equivalent of 1,140 dollars per month, compared with $232 in Romania and $208 in Bulgaria, according to the World Banks 2014 economic profiles of the countries.In addition, the country has a generous welfare system, where any family with children legally residing in the country has a right to ask for state benefits.Bucharest and Sofia have slapped down the immigration fears, with both Romanian premier Victor Ponta and his Bulgarian counterpart Plamen Oresharski repeatedly saying in December that there would be no mass arrival of migrants from their countries on January 1.In Sofia, President Rosen Plevneliev said in his New Years Eve speech that Bulgarians would like to have a worthy job at home, and not to buy a one-way ticket and leave Bulgaria.Not all voices in Germany have been alarmist on the immigration issue.Germany, where the population is getting older, needs at least 1.5 million qualified foreign workers in the coming years to maintain its growth and to guarantee its social system, Martin Wansleben, the director of German Chamber of Commerce and Industry, was quoted as saying on Saturday in the Neue Osnabruecker Zeitung daily.We must continue to improve the reception of immigrations, its a duty for the entire society, he said.

Sindh govt challenges SHC verdict on delimitations

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KARACHI (Web Desk) - The Sindh government has filed an appeal in the Supreme Court of Pakistan against Sindh High Court (SHC) verdict that declared new delimitations as illegal.Sindh Advocate General Khalid Jawed Khan filed the petition on behalf of the provincial government in the apex court’s Karachi registry, questioning SHC judgment of December 26, 2013.He said the SHC had no lawful authority or jurisdiction to pass order regarding the local government elections which were scheduled for Jan 18 in terms of the order passed by the Supreme Court.The AG said that with the SHC judgment, fate of the local government elections was put into disarray. He said the Sindh government, which was keen to proceed with the elections, was now completely helpless because of self contradictory order of the SHC division bench.Khan said that delimitations of the constituencies were carried out lawfully by the Sindh government.He argued that if delimitation is carried out by the provinces on the basis of old census blocks, the existing electoral rolls which are based on new census blocks will become incompatible with the new delimitation and the same will have to be prepared afresh for the local government polls.The AG pointed out that proposal of the SHC division bench to constitute independent commission for delimitation exercise was unnecessary and uncalled for as delimitation is an executive function.Without naming Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), he said that some parties were opposing ‘urbanisation’ so as to gain personal electoral benefits.The SHC has set aside hundreds of those delimitations which were done to the complete satisfaction of the residents and the candidates and the judgment of bench is liable to be set aside on this ground alone and elections may be allowed to be held accordingly, he contested.

Erdogan denounces plot against Turkey

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ISTANBUL (AFP) - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose Islamist-leaning government is engulfed in a corruption scandal, on Saturday called the political crisis a plot against Turkeys future and stability by rival forces.At a luncheon in Istanbul with generally pro-government intellectuals, writers and journalists, Erdogan reiterated his view that shadowy groups in Turkey and abroad are conspiring to oust him from power.What they wanted to do was an attempted assassination of the national will, he said in the address later shown on television.They tried to carry out a judicial coup in Turkey.... But we are going to oppose this operation, this December 17 plot that targeted the future, the stability of our country, Erdogan said.Erdogans conspiracy charges are in reaction to a vast corruption investigation that led to the arrests on December 17 of key allies including high-profile businessmen and the sons of former ministers.The prime minister was forced to reshuffle his cabinet after three key ministers -- fathers to the implicated sons -- resigned. Some lawmakers have also quit his Justice and Development Party (AKP).The corruption scandal has affected the economy with the Turkish lira currency at a record low against the dollar and shares tumbling on the Istanbul stock exchange this week.Erdogan on Saturday expressed confidence that Turkey would overcome its current difficulties. He pointed to municipal elections set for March as a test for the regime in upcoming presidential elections in August.We will not allow a cloud to be cast over Turkeys future, he said.Meanwhile Turkish President Abdullah Gul has promised that any corruption would not be hushed up.If acts of corruption are covered up, society will disintegrate, said Gul on television Friday night. Nothing must be hidden. Those who have not committed a crime, have nothing to fear.Gul and Erdogan were co-founders of the AKP in 2001. Since a government crackdown in June on protesters opposed to plans to develop an Istanbul park, the two leaders have carefully avoided any confrontation but they have been demonstrating different styles in the crisis -- Erdogan is seen as authoritarian while Gul has appeared as a unifier.Erdogans government, in power since 2002, has accused loyalists of US-exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen, whose movement wields influence in the police and judiciary, of instigating the corruption probe.A journalist at the Erdogan meeting Saturday, Fikret Bila, said the premier told them that he had received a letter from Gulens movement, possibly drafted by Gulen himself, calling for reconciliation between the two sides.Gulen, who left Turkey for the United States in 1999 after being accused of plotting to form an Islamic state, has denied involvement in the graft investigation.

India's new anti-graft party announces to contest national polls

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NEW DELHI (AFP) - Indias new anti-graft party announced Saturday it would contest most of the seats in upcoming general elections after its stunning poll showing in the nations capital earlier this month.One of the Aam Aadmi (common man) Partys top leaders, Prashant Bhusha, announced the decision after the first day of a two-day meeting of the partys top decision-making body in New Delhi to plan strategy for the elections, due in May.The Aam Admi Party (AAP), formed just a year ago, will fight the general elections, contest in the maximum number of states and in as many seats as possible, Bhushan told reporters in televised remarks in New Delhi.He said the party was looking for honest candidates.The party won 28 seats in the 70-seat Delhi state assembly in polls in early December, routing the Congress party, which rules at the national level.The AAPs success has engendered hope among corruption-weary Indians that it could signal the beginning the clean-up of the nations graft-ridden politics.Congresss rout in Delhi and three other state polls has been seen as one more sign the powerful Nehru-Gandhi dynasty, which has given India three premiers since independence, may lose office in the looming general elections.The rookie partys performance in Delhi is being closely watched to see what it could deliver for the rest of India.Party head Arvind Kejriwal, the new chief minister of the capital who has already slashed electricity costs and announced supplies of free water, has vowed to end the privileged culture surrounding Delhis politicians and make his administration down-to-earth.Kejriwal and his ministers have refused to occupy the sprawling bungalows built by Indias former colonial rulers, opting for simpler dwellings or to stay in their own homes.Their cars, meanwhile, are minus the red beacons and sirens that allowed their predecessors to zip through traffic.The Aam Admis symbol is a broom -- to sweep away Indias endemic corruption and bribery.The Aam Admi party said on its website that it would announce who would contest the elections within two weeks.Earlier this month, Indias parliament, heeding the anti-corruption voter mood, approved the appointment of a powerful anti-graft ombudsman to investigate wrongdoing in government.Public tempers have mounted over string of corruption scandals embroiling the ruling Congress party.Some 30 percent of Indian lawmakers in federal and state assemblies had criminal charges against them last year, according to local media.But following a Supreme Court order last July, many faced being expelled from their seats.

Misbah-ul Haq praises his counterpart Angelo Mathews

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ABU DHABI (AFP) - Pakistan captain Misbah-ul Haq praised his counterpart Angelo Mathews for his fightback which earned Sri Lanka a respectable draw in the first Test in Abu Dhabi on Saturday.Mathews hit a career-best 157 not out following his 91 in the first knock to help Sri Lanka avert a probable defeat after Pakistan dominated the first three days.Pakistan had gained a valuable 179-run lead over Sri Lankas first innings total of 204 and had their rivals in a spot of bother at 186-4 on day three.But Mathews put on 138 for the fifth wicket with Dinesh Chandimal (89) and unbroken 156 for the sixth wicket with Prasanna Jayawardene (63 not out) to pull Sri Lanka out of trouble.Set a challenging 302 in 67 overs on the last day, Pakistan finished on 158-2.Misbah said Mathews turned the match on its head.Test cricket is all about this. In getting somebody out in the first innings, you cant just think you won the match, said Misbah.This is how teams fight back, they fought hard and batted well and I think this Test ends up even-Stevens and both did really well. Mathews batted very well and turned the match.Misbah refused to agree his team did not try to achieve the target.No I dont think so .. with first three wickets we were just trying to build partnership, that was our plan that if we can reach around of 170 - 180 with eight or nine wicekts in hand then we can push onward but when Ahmed Shahzad got out then we thought we should go for the draw, said Misbah, who hoped the pitch would assist spinners more in the second Test starting in Dubai on Wednesday.Dubai must be different and the ball started to spin on the third day so there must be an important role of the spinner there, said Misbah.Off-spinner Saeed Ajmal, who took 18 wickets in Pakistans 1-0 series win here in 2011, went wicket-less in his 49 overs on a Sheikh Zayed Stadium pitch which eased out for batsmen after first day.Mathews said he went for safety-first on the fifth day.First of all we had to make sure that we didnt get into a losing position, said Mathews, who batted for an hour and 30 minutes before declaring at 420-5.It was a see-saw game and they dominated for the first three days and it was remarkable to stage a comeback and I am happy that we did that through our batting, said Mathews.This was the best I have batted for Sri Lanka and I am proud to have justified my place in the team, he said.

Ski Jumping: Takanashi suffers first defeat of season

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CHAIKOVSKY (AFP) - Home hopeful Irina Avvakumova triumphed at the Russian resort of Chaikovsky on Saturday, inflicting a first defeat of the season on Japanese starlet Sara Takanashi.A day after finishing third at the same venue, the 22-year-old Avvakumova claimed her first victory on the circuit with two jumps over 100 metres for a total of 249.2 points.Germanys Carina Vogt finished second for the second consecutive day with 244.9 points, while Takanashi was third with 243.1 points.The 17-year-old Takanashi, who won the first four events of the season, remains comfortably out in front in the overall standings, with Avvakumova in second spot.Results1. Irina Avvakumova (RUS) 249.2 pts (100.0 101.5 m), 2. Carina Vogt (GER) 244.9 (101.0 99.0 m), 3. Sara Takanashi (JAP) 243.1 (98.5 98.5 m), 4. Katharina Althaus (GER) 243 (67.0 97.0), 5. Coline Mattel (FRA) 241.5 (100.0 97.0 m)Overall standings (after five of 19 events)1. Sara Takanashi (JPN) 460 pts, 2. Irina Avvakumova (RUS) 315, 3. Carina Vogt (GER) 306, 4. Daniela Iraschko-Stolz (AUT) 277, 5. Ema Klinec (SLO) 175

Saudi ambassador meets with Ch Nisar

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ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) - Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has said the government is keen to take bilateral ties between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to new heights.He expressed these views during a meeting with Saudi Ambassador Dr Abdul Aziz Ibrahim Al-Ghadeer in Islamabad today. He said special ties between the two countries have grown with the passage of time.Welcoming the upcoming visit of Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saudi Al Faisal to Pakistan‚ Nisar Ali Khan said the two countries enjoy unique brotherly relations‚ which were rooted deep in history.He said Saudi Arabia had always supported Pakistan and the government and people hold the Saudi leadership and the people of that country in very high esteem.The ambassador informed the minister that the Interior Minister of Saudi Arabia would like to visit Pakistan as per the invitation of his Pakistani counterpart.The minister said this upcoming visit would add a new dimension to the already close relations between the two countries.

Twin blasts in Quetta kill one, injure 11

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QUETTA (Dunya News/Agencies) – Back-to-back blasts on Saturday killed one and injured 11 others, including advisor to the Balochistan chief minister Majid Abro along with his guard, in the southwestern Pakistani province of Balochistan, which borders Afghanistan and Iran, officials said.In first attack, an explosives-packed motorcycle detonated at a taxi stand in the Sibi district of Balochistan, killing one person and injuring nine others.Unknown people parked the explosive-laden motorcycle at a taxi stand in Bakhtiarabad town on (the) main Sibi-Jacobabad national highway, Mohammad Akhtar, a local administration official, said.In the second attack, in the Balochistan provincial capital of Quetta, Abdul Majid Abro received minor injuries along with one of his colleagues.According to bomb disposal squad official, four kilogrammes of explosives were used in that blast, detonated by remote control.So far, no one has claimed responsibility for the attacks.Oil- and gas-rich Balochistan has been badly hit by sectarian violence, mainly targeting Shiite Muslims from the Hazara ethnic community.

Death toll rises to 13 in Indian building collapse

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PANAJI (AFP) - Thirteen bodies were pulled from the wreckage of a building under construction that collapsed in a coastal village in the Indian tourist state of Goa on Saturday, authorities said.The residential building caved in at mid-afternoon, when around 50 labourers were working on the site, Shekhar Prabhudesai, superintendent of police, told AFP.We have got 13 bodies from the wreckage. We expect the death toll to rise, Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar told AFP.Rescue workers using cranes and bulldozers, shovels and bare hands, struggled to shift concrete slabs and other debris to free the workers as hundreds of onlookers stood watching the rescue efforts.The building collapse, the latest of a string of deadly construction cave-ins in India recently, occurred in the seaside village of Canacona, south of the capital city of Panaji.Initial reports said that the building under construction was five stories.Fire and emergency services crews rushed to the spot and the chief minister said military reinforcement had been called in.We will immediately arrest the builder, the contractor and municipal officials involved in sanctioning this construction site, the chief minister said.I am personally monitoring the situation, he added.The bodies were shifted to a morgue at a nearby hospital.

Schumacher still 'critical' as probe focuses on helmet camera

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GRENOBLE (AFP) - Michael Schumacher remains in a critical but stable condition, his spokeswoman said Saturday, as French investigators hoped a helmet-mounted camera he was wearing at the moment of his ski accident could answer a raft of questions.A spokeswoman for the retired Formula One chmapion denied some reports that his family had been reluctant to hand over the camera -- taken by authorities on Friday -- because of privacy reasons.Michaels helmet camera was voluntarily given to the investigating authorities by the family, said spokewoman Sabine Kehm in a statement. That this should have been done against the wishes of the family is untrue.The existence of the GoPro camera was publicly revealed late Friday, five days after the December 29 accident in the French Alps near the Meribel ski resort.It had been known since Tuesday that the seven-time world racing champion hit his head on a rock so hard that his helmet was split in two.It was not known whether the camera filmed the champions descent down the slope or whether the images have been damaged by the impact on the rock.Police on Friday questioned Schumachers 14-year-old son Mick, who was skiing with his father at the time, as well as a friend, at the Grenoble hospital.Kehm said Schumacher remains in critical but stable condition and that no more press conferences were scheduled before Monday.Schumacher turned 45 on Friday while still in an induced coma.Fans marked the birthday with a silent vigil outside the facility, part of which was organised by Ferrari, Schumachers former team.Camera could reveal speedThe GoPro miniature camera, robust and popular among extreme sports enthusiasts, has a 170-degree wide angle lens that takes in much of the view and can show parts of the users body including the face depending on how it is mounted.The latest models can take up to 30 images a second for six hours.If there are images and they are usable, they should shed light on the circumstances of the accident on a small, seemingly innocuous off-piste section of Meribel located between two ski slopes -- one classed as easy and the other as intermediate.Conflicting statements have emerged, notably about how fast Schumacher was going when he crashed.Investigators are tasked with determining responsibility in the accident, with high stakes possibly involved regarding any insurance compensation.Albertville prosecutors and the ski resort say Schumacher was skiing at great speed. Kehm has challenged that, saying he could not have been going fast because it appears he helped a friend who had just fallen.Prosecutors are also looking at whether the limits of the pistes next to the accident site were correctly marked, and whether the safety releases on Schumachers skis operated properly.I dont think its normal that between two marked slopes there would be this passage with rocks showing that is not fenced off, said Philippe Streiff, a former French racing driver, in the French sports daily LEquipe.A paraplegic since an accident in Rio de Janeiro, Streiff visited the Grenoble hospital on Friday to hand a message to Schumachers wife Corinna.Other family members at his bedside include his two teenage children, his father Rolf and brother Ralph, who is also a racing driver.Although Schumacher was conscious when airlifted from the unmarked run in the Meribel resort, where he owns a property, he was agitated and soon fell into a coma, prompting his transfer to the Grenoble hospital.He has undergone two operations to remove blood and pressure from his brain.On Saturday Kehm said any information on Schumachers condition not coming from the doctors treating him or from his management must be treated as invalid and pure speculation.The accident has shocked legions of fans used to seeing Schumacher cheat death on the race track.Ferrari, which brought in fans to Grenoble Friday from Italy and elsewhere in France on board two buses, put a message on its website, saying Forza Michael, or Go Michael in Italian.He is tackling the most important fight of his life and therefore we want to send him very special wishes, said Schumachers old team as similar messages poured in from around the world.German former tennis ace Boris Becker wished his compatriot Happy Birthday on Twitter, adding Fight Schumi in a German hashtag.The family responded in a statement Friday by saying the incredible sympathies shown today by the Ferrari fans outside the hospital has utterly overwhelmed us and moved us all to tears.We are deeply grateful for it and also for all the heartwarming and heartfelt wishes for Michael to get well soon, which have reached us from all over the world.However, the Ferrari tribute created controversy, with some accusing the Italian racing giant -- which asked fans to sport its trademark colour red and its insignia -- of bad taste.Schumacher, who made his debut in 1991, dominated Formula One during his career, winning more world titles and races than any other driver. He retired in 2012.

Putin scraps blanket ban on protests at Sochi Games

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MOSCOW (AFP) - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday reversed a blanket ban on protests at the Winter Olympics in Sochi, bowing to pressure from the International Olympic Committee (IOC).Russia had initially banned any political protests in the Russian Black Sea resort city during the February Games as part of a tough security crackdown, ostensibly aimed at preventing attacks by Islamist militants.Putin signed a presidential decree saying that demonstrations, pickets and marches can be held but that their locations and routes must be agreed with city officials in Sochi along with regional police and security forces.The decree, published on the Kremlins website, allows officials to set limits on how many people can take part in protests during the Games, which run from February 7 to 23.Putin had issued a previous decree in August that forbade any rallies or marches over issues unrelated to the Games from being held inside the tightly controlled security zone.The draconian measure was to take effect on January 7 and last until March 21 after the city hosts the Paralympic Games from March 7 to 16.The IOC on Saturday praised the decision, saying that it came after Putin promised the committee last year that he would relax rules on protests.We welcome this announcement - it is in line with the assurances that President Putin gave us last year and part of the Russian authoritys plans to ensure free expression whilst delivering safe and secure Games, the IOC said in a statement.IOC President Thomas Bach said in December that the Russian organisers had agreed to allow a protest zone at the Games after discussions with the committee.Putin has ordered organisers and regional officials to select a single location in the city where protesters would be able to gather freely, his spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the RIA Novosti news agency.The president charged the Olympic Games organisers along with the leadership of the Krasnodar region and Sochi city hall with picking out a spot in the city where it would be possible to freely hold actions, rallies and other events -- including if necessary protests, Peskov said.Putin is currently in Sochi where he is inspecting the Olympic sites. On Saturday he viewed rehearsals of the opening ceremony whose details are being kept strictly under wraps. Journalists were barred, Russian news agencies reported.US President Barack Obama and European leaders including British Prime Minister David Cameron have announced they will not attend the opening ceremony amid concerns over Russias rights record and particularly a recent law banning homosexual propaganda.The authorities in other Russian cities including Moscow regularly instruct organisers of political protests to move events away from central areas and limit the number of participants. Limiting protests to a single location would go beyond the usual restrictions, however.Russia is introducing extremely strict security measures during the Games, including drone surveillance, limited transport access to the city and the monitoring of the phone records of athletes and journalists accredited to the event.Fears that Islamist militants could stage attacks during the Games were heightened by two suicide bombings last month in the southern city of Volgograd, a transport hub 700 kilometres (400 miles) from Sochi.
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