Afghan Taliban reject peace talks, vow to continue fighting::
KABUL: The Afghan Taliban under their new leader, Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada, on Wednesday rejected peace talks as a viable solution to bringing the Afghan insurgency to an end, and have stated that fighting will continue.
In an audio message released in Pushto, circulated by Taliban commanders, Haibatullah stated the "Taliban will never bow their heads and will not agree to peace talks."
Afghan Taliban's new chief added that "people thought we will lay down our arms after Mullah Mansour's death, but we will continue fighting till the end."
New Afghan Taliban chief
A spokesman of the Afghan Taliban on Wednesday confirmed the death of the group's chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour in a US drone strike.
In a statement sent to media Wednesday, the insurgent group said its new leader is Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada, a former head of the Taliban's judiciary and one of two Mansour's deputies.
It said he was chosen at a meeting of Taliban leaders.
Sirajuddin Haqqani, head of a network blamed for many high-profile bombs attacks in Kabul in recent years, and Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, son of former leader Mullah Mohammad Omar, will serve as deputies, Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban's main spokesman, said in the statement.
Both of the new deputies had earlier been thought to be the main contenders for the top job.
Mansour was reported killed in Pakistan on Saturday when his vehicle was struck by a US drone, believed to be the first time a Taliban leader was killed in such a way inside Pakistani territory.
After Mullah Mansour
The US and Afghan governments said Mansour had been an obstacle to a peace process that had ground to a halt when he refused to participate in peace talks earlier this year. Instead, he intensified the war in Afghanistan, now in its 15th year.
Mansour had led the Taliban since last summer, when the death of the movement's founder, the one-eyed Mullah Mohammad Omar became public. Mansour ran the movement in Mullah Omar's name for more than two years.
The group saw a resurgence under the firebrand supremo with striking military victories, helping to cement his authority by burnishing his credentials as a commander.
They briefly captured the strategic northern city of Kunduz in September in their most spectacular victory in 14 years. Southern opium-rich Helmand province is almost entirely under insurgent control.
The revelation of Mullah Omar's death and Mansour's deception led to widespread mistrust, with some senior leaders leaving the group to set up their own factions.
Senior Taliban figures have said his death could strengthen the movement, as he was a divisive figure. The identity of his successor was expected to be an indication of the direction the insurgency would take, either toward peace or continued war.
Akhundzada is a religious scholar known for issuing public statements justifying the existence of the militant Taliban, their war against the Afghan government and the presence of foreign troops in Afghanistan.
His views are regarded as hawkish, and he could be expected to continue in the aggressive footsteps of Mansour.
The Taliban statement called on all Muslims to mourn Mansour for three days. It also attempted to calm any qualms among the rank and file by calling for unity and obedience to the new leader.
Mullah Mansour was tailed by US intel from Iran: report::
Former Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Mansour was tracked down by United States (US) spy agencies when he was visiting his family in Iran, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.
Iran, however, has denied that Mansour entered Pakistan from the Islamic republic.
The WSJ report claims US surveillance drones don't operate in the Iran-Pakistan border area, due to which intercepted communications and other intelligence allowed agencies to track Mansour down and lay a trap for him as he crossed the border into Balochistan in a white Toyota Corolla.
Armed drones were sent across the Afghan border to lock on to the car and take down the target, officials told WSJ, before the Taliban leader could reach Quetta.
The WSJ said the killing of Mansour in Balochistan was a warning to Pakistan that the US would take action on Pakistani soil without prior notification if necessary.
US President Barack Obama and State Department Spokesman Mark Toner have both said American forces will continue carrying out strikes on Pakistani soil to "remove terrorists who are actively pursuing, planning and directing attacks against US forces".
Toner during a State Department briefing denied having knowledge of where exactly Taliban chief Mullah Mansour was eliminated. "I don’t have any more clarity of where the actual strike took place. What I can say was in that border region. I just can’t say on which side of the border it was," he said.
An earlier Dawn report said the US believes Mullah Mansour was a major impediment to peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban.
After joining the peace process in Murree in July 2015, the Taliban refused to return to the negotiating table when it emerged that former leader Mullah Omar had been long dead.
Pakistan security officials, however, believe that Mansour was not averse to peace talks but was in the process of consolidating his position in order to convince the rank and file to resume negotiations.
"Eighty per cent of his people were against the talks. Only 20pc favoured the peace process," one official said. "He was trying to consolidate to neutralise his opponents and prevail upon them to hold talks," he said, adding "there was a lot of division within the Taliban leadership on the peace process".
A Taliban delegation, the official said, was already in Pakistan to discuss the prospects and terms and conditions for talks.
"Things would have been much clearer in July," he noted. "But now it seems that the peace process has been pushed away by another six months to a year. Bad timing."
Italian navy captures dramatic moments of migrant shipwreck off Libya coast
Dramatic images released by the Italian navy on Wednesday captured the moment when a heavily overcrowded boat overturned in a shipwreck off Libya which left at least five people dead.
The blue fishing vessel, its deck heaving with people, tipped over after the migrants rushed to one side on spotting a rescue ship — an all too frequent mistake which has led to many disasters in the Mediterranean.
The migrants, many of them men, some already wearing orange lifejackets as a precaution, were captured in rare photographs as they clung to the boat's rails or each other, or dropped like stones into the sea.
Some are seen hanging on to the starboard edge by their fingertips as the trawler rolls, while others try to balance on the rim.
Pictures taken seconds later show the churning waters around the boat peppered with people trying to get away from the vessel which, now overturned, begins to sink, with four people still perched on its upturned hull.
The navy said its Bettica patrol boat had spotted “a boat in precarious conditions off the coast of Libya with numerous migrants aboard” but the trawler overturned shortly afterwards “due to overcrowding”.
The Bettica threw life-rafts and jackets to those in the water, while another navy ship in the area sent a helicopter and rescue boats.
Survivors can be seen in the photographs wearing life-rings, some swimming towards the Bettica as the helicopter whirrs overhead. The navy said 562 people had been pulled to safety.
The migrants had sounded the alarm by calling for help using a satellite phone some 18 nautical miles off Libya.
The Bettica went on to pluck another 108 migrants from their dilapidated vessel in a second rescue operation on Wednesday.
United States adds two Pakistan-based groups to terror blacklist
WASHINGTON: The United States (US) on Wednesday designated two Pakistan-based groups 'with links to the Taliban' as global terrorist threats.
As “Specially Designated Global Terrorists”, US citizens are forbidden from associating with the Tariq Gidar Group (TGG) and the Jamaat ul Dawa al-Qu’ran (JDQ), said a statement released by US State Department.
"Any assets owned by the groups in places under US jurisdiction will be frozen, and US law enforcement will be authorised to investigate their activity."
According to the statement, the TGG is linked to the Tehreek-i-Taliban — the Pakistani Taliban — and is based in Darra Adam Khel.
The faction, US officials believe, was responsible for the December 2014 massacre at the Army Public School in Peshawar that left more than 130 children dead.
The TGG is led by Umar Mansoor, who is said to also have ordered the January 2016 attack on a university in Charsadda that left more than 20 dead.
US State Department also says that the TGG was behind the 2008 kidnapping and beheading of Polish geologist Piotr Stanczak in Attock, in northern Pakistan.
The second group, the JDQ, is said to be based in Peshawar but has sworn allegiance to the late leader of the Afghan Taliban, Mullah Omar.
In addition to this link to the Afghan movement, the State Department says JDQ has alliances with Al-Qaeda and Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Washington blames the group for the 2010 kidnapping of British aid worker Linda Norgrove in Afghanistan.
Norgrove died after being wounded in the explosion of a grenade thrown by a US Navy SEAL commando during a failed rescue attempt.
Hardline cleric voted leader of Iran’s Assembly of Experts
TEHRAN: A hardline Iranian cleric who has been in the country’s power structure since its 1979 Islamic Revolution was chosen on Tuesday to lead the Assembly of Experts, a clerical body that picks the country’s next supreme leader.
The selection of 89-year-old Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, an ultraconservative who called for the execution of opposition activists after Iran’s disputed 2009 election and asked Iraqis to be suicide bombers against US forces in Iraq in 2003, signals the power hardliners still wield in Iran despite a recent nuclear deal with world powers.
In Tuesday’s vote, Jannati received the backing of 55 members of the 88-seat Assembly and beat two other candidates for the post of speaker, moderate Ebrahim Amini and conservative Mahmoud Hashemi Sharoudi. He will serve as the body’s speaker for two years.
Influential moderate Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a former president who has helmed the Assembly in the past, did not offer himself as a candidate in the voting.
Moderate President Hassan Rouhani, whose administration secured the nuclear deal last year, also is a member of the Assembly. After the vote, Jannati reiterated recent comments by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that the Assembly should remain “revolutionary,” state TV reported.
“I hope to work in a way that leads to happiness of the almighty God, the supreme leader and the people,” Jannati said. Clerics in the 88-seat Assembly serve eight-year terms in the body after being elected by popular vote.
Wawrinka makes smoother progress past Japan's Daniel
PARIS: Holder Stan Wawrinka avoided a repeat of his French Open first-round scare although the Swiss was still made to work hard for a straight-sets win over Japan's Taro Daniel on Wednesday.
The third seed won 7-6(7) 6-3 6-4 on a sunny Court Suzanne Lenglen to progress to the third round, although it was by no means straightforward against a skilful opponent ranked 93rd in the world.
Wawrinka, who needed five sets to scrape past Lukas Rosol in the opening round, found himself in trouble in the first set when he had two save two set points.
He dominated the second set but was a break down in the third before finishing with a flourish to secure a third round clash against French 30th seed Jeremy Chardy.
“I'm very satisfied after a tough first match,” the 31-year-old Wawrinka, again sporting a dazzling fluorescent yellow shirt, said in an on-court interview.
“Happy to be through in straight sets. I managed to be tougher with myself in the key moments. All in all I stayed focused on what I had to do.”
Ronaldo trains ahead of Champions League final
MADRID: Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo alleviated concerns over his fitness ahead of Saturday's Champions League final against Atletico Madrid as the three-time World Player of the Year returned to training on Wednesday.
Ronaldo limped off towards the end of training on Tuesday after suffering a knock on a persistent left thigh problem.
Real's all-time record scorer missed three games last month due to injury and was also left out a practice match on Saturday by coach Zinedine Zidane as a precaution.
Ronaldo is aiming to break his own record of 17 Champions League goals in a season in Milan having already netted 16 in the competition so far this campaign.
The Portuguese set his record mark with a goal from the penalty spot as Real beat Atletico 4-1 after extra-time in Lisbon two years ago in the only other final between two sides from the same city.
Chief Selector Inzamam announces 21 probables for English Test series
Pakistan Chief Selector Inzamam-ul-Haq on Wednesday announced a list of 21 probable cricketers for the English Test series kicking off on July 14.
The Pakistani side is to have five openers, seven middle-order batsmen, seven fast-bowlers, two spinners, and two wicketkeepers.
Pakistan players for skill camp:
Openers: Mohammad Hafeez (subject to fitness), Sami Aslam, Shan Masood, Khurram Manzoor
Middle-order: Azhar Ali, Younis Khan, Misbah ul Haq, Asad Shafiq, Iftikhar Ahmed, Asif Zakir, Akbar ur Rehman
Fast bowlers: Mohammad Amir, Rahat Ali, Imran Khan, Sohail Khan, Junaid Khan, Ehsan Adil, Wahab Riaz (subject to selection)
Spinners: Yasir Shah (subject to fitness), Zulfiqar Babar
Wicketkeepers: Sarfraz Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan
Pakistan 'A' players for skill camp:
Openers: Sharjeel Khan, Farukh Zaman, Jahid Ali
Middle-order: Saud Shakil, Babar Azam, Umer Siddique, Abdur Rehman Muzammil
All-rounder: Mohammad Nawaz
Fast bowlers: Hasan Ali, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Abbas, Azeez Ullah, Bilawal Bhatti
Spinners: Mohammad Asghar, Shadab Khan
Wicketkeeper: Mohamamd Hasan
The national side is currently undergoing physical training in the Pakistan Military Academy in Kakul.
"I discussed the training schedule with the trainers in Abbottabad and I think if such a camp is organised again for a longer period of time, it will help a lot," Inzamam said.
The two-week-long training course is scheduled to end on May 28 after which the players will be given two days of rest, he said.
"The week-long skill camp for the England tour will run from May 30 to June 5," the chief selector said while addressing a press conference at the Pakistan Cricket Board headquarters in Lahore.
Pakistan Test opener Ahmed Shehzad and Test middle-order batsman Umar Akmal have been axed from the tour. The two have come under fire for their disciplinary issues.
ICC president calls for warm Indo-Pak relations
LAHORE: International Cricket Council (ICC) president Zaheer Abbas while underlining the importance of Indo-Pak cricket relations said on Tuesday that the Indian Premier League (IPL) could be more value added if Pakistan cricketers also feature in the event.
Matches between Pakistan and India had got great importance and both countries should play against each other on regular basis, said the former Test batman while talking to reporters here.
“Players of both countries should play in each other’s leagues which will help strengthen cricket relations between the two countries,” he said.
The former Test batsman said that as ICC president he was not in a position to comment but he said he was a great supporter of warm cricket relations between the two neighbouring countries.
“Obviously, if cricketers of the entire world will be playing in the IPL, its value will enhance further and I think time has come now that the two countries improve their cricket relations by adjusting each other’s players in their respective leagues,” remarked the ICC president.
On the occasion, Zaheer also congratulated Shashank Manohar and Anurag Thakur for being elected as ICC chairman and BCCI president, respectively.
Zaheer, who completes his one year tenure as the last ICC president in July, said that he had telephoned Manohar and Thakur to congratulate both of them.
“Anurag has also invited me to come to India to watch IPL matches,” Zaheer said, adding that he was yet to decide on his visit to India.
Nonetheless, he reaffirmed there must be contacts between the two boards in order to strengthen cricket relations between the two countries.
United hold day two of talks with Mourinho
LONDON: A second day of negotiations to make Jose Mourinho the next manager of Manchester United were taking place Wednesday ahead of an expected announcement that he will take the job this week.
The former Chelsea and Real Madrid manager has agreed personal terms on a three-year deal with a likely annual salary of over $15 million but issues remain over image rights, Sky News reported.
Mourinho is mulling a move for Zlatan Ibrahimovic as one of his first moves in the job, according to media reports, after the star Swedish centre-forward played his last game for Paris Saint-Germain last week.
United finally sacked Louis van Gaal on Monday, two days after the club won the FA Cup with victory against Crystal Palace.
The Old Trafford club's failure to qualify for the lucrative Champions League proved fatal to the Dutchman's hopes of survival.
Mourinho isn't Manchester United
As talks between Mourinho's agent Jorge Mendes and the club's executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward were set to continue, Old Trafford legend Eric Cantona questioned whether he was the right man for the job.
“I love Jose Mourinho, but in terms of the type of football he plays, I don't think he is Manchester United,” the Frenchman told the Guardian.
Cantona added that he would have “loved” to see Pep Guardiola take over at the club.
Guardiola will instead take over at Manchester City next season.
'If I was Giggsy now I would look to start my career as a manager somewhere else'
Meanwhile, uncertainty lingered about the future of van Gaal's deputy Ryan Giggs, who had been seen as an eventual successor to van Gaal but was passed over.
His former Wales teammate Robbie Savage was among those who suggested that Giggs, who has spent 28 years at the club, should now look for opportunities beyond Old Trafford.
“If I was Giggsy now I would look to start my career as a manager somewhere else,” Savage said.
“If Giggsy can go out and make his own decisions now, do well somewhere, he can come back and the United job will be his.
Published in Dawn, May 25th, 2016
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