City await Barca as big guns eye next Chams League round

AFP Sports looks ahead to Tuesday’s Champions League action as Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City host Barcelona with a number of sides, including the Spanish champions, looking to seal a place in the next round (all kick-offs 1945 GMT unless stated):

Group A
Ludogorets Razgrad (BUL) v Arsenal (ENG)
At Sofia, Bulgaria
Mesut Ozil scored his first professional hat-trick in Arsenal’s 6-0 whitewash of Ludogorets last time out. With Olivier Giroud and Alexis Sanchez both grabbing braces at the weekend and Theo Walcott on a purple vein of form, the Gunners should have way too much for the Bulgarian champions. Plucky in their 3-1 home defeat to PSG, Ludogorets took a point at Basel and scored 15 goals in qualifying. But even if Arsenal fail to win here, they will qualify for the next round if PSG win in Basel.

Basel (SUI) v Paris Saint-Germain (FRA)
At Basel, Switzerland
Unai Emery’s PSG are starting to understand what the Spaniard wants tactically and they boast up front the red-hot Edinson Cavani, the Uruguayan striker who scored his 10th league goal of the season in a 1-0 win at Lille on Friday, where Angel Di Maria and Lucas showed promising fluidity around the targetman. A victory in Basel assures PSG of qualification, but Basel are unbeaten at home this season.

Group B
Besiktas (TUR) v Napoli (ITA), kick-off 1745
At Istanbul
Turkish champions Besiktas will go top of Group B if they follow up their 3-2 away win over Italians Napoli with a home win over them at their new stadium, where they have won 13 of their past 14 league fixtures. Euro 2016 star Ricardo Quaresma continues to impress for Besiktas and his free-kick and Cameroon striker Vincent Aboubakar’s brace brought their thrilling victory in Italy. For the visitors Spain’s Jose Callejon is the man to watch after he scored a seventh goal of the season in a 2-1 Italian league loss to Juventus on Saturday. Napoli can book a place in the next round if they win and Benfica draw with Dynamo Kyiv.

Benfica (POR) v Dynamo Kyiv (UKR)
At Lisbon
After a draw with Besiktas and a thumping at Napoli, Benfica got their campaign back on track with a 2-0 win at Dynamo in the last round of matches. The Portuguese champions and league leaders are on astonishing form, especially at their Stadium of Light stronghold. Knocked out narrowly in the quarter-finals by Bayern Munich last season, Benfica know a home win will place them nicely for another second-round spot. Kyiv got a confidence-boosting league win at the weekend but with a single point so far their Champions League survival depends on a result in Portugal for Serhiy Rebrov’s men-which looks a very tall order.

Group C
Manchester City (ENG) v Barcelona (ESP)
At Manchester
Lionel Messi scored three as Pep Guardiola’s return to Barcelona went belly up with a 4-0 defeat two weeks ago. On the bright side a six-match winless streak was snapped by a 4-0 league win over West Brom on Saturday as star striker Sergio Aguero scored twice. Barcelona only need a point to qualify for the next round but with Luis Suarez, Neymar and Messi about to be unleashed on the blue half of a Manchester side who have not lost at home for 12 games, this is Tuesday’s must-watch game.

Borussia Moenchengladbach (GER) v Celtic (SCO)
At Moenchengladbach, Germany
Lose here and Celtic are out, but the Scots-led by their passionate Northern Irish coach Brendan Rodgers-will be just as concerned to avoid anything like the 7-0 whipping they took at Barcelona in their last Champions League away game. The Germans beat Celtic 2-0 away and will be hoping Barcelona beat City in the other Group C game to steal a march on the Mancunians. Andre Schubert’s men have gone four league games without a win. In contrast, Celtic are on a 13-game unbeaten run in Scotland and striker Moussa Dembele has nine league goals so far.

Group D
Atletico Madrid (ESP) v Rostov (RUS)
At Madrid
With a mean defence and a fearsome attack featuring French duo Antoine Griezmann and Kevin Gameiro, a draw with Russians Rostov could qualify impressive Atletico Madrid for the next round. A win will certainly do it. A solitary Yannick Carrasco goal gave Atletico a narrow win in Russia two weeks ago and Carrasco scored twice on Saturday as his team breezed past Malaga, Gameiro bagging two as well. Diego Simeone’s men are top of the group with three wins including a celebrated Bayern Munich scalp. Visiting Spain for the first time, Rostov have a single point from a 2-2 draw at PSV so far.

PSV Eindhoven (NED) v Bayern Munich (GER)
At Eindhoven, Netherlands
PSV’s Champions League future depends on avoiding defeat here while Bayern can qualify with a win should Rostov lose in Madrid. Carlo Ancelotti’s side beat PSV 4-1 two weeks ago. Robert Lewandowski netted twice in a 3-1 win at Augsburg on Saturday while Dutch winger Arjen Robben was outstanding with two assists and a goal. Bayern are second in Group D, three points behind Atletico, who they host on December 6 having already lost 1-0 in Spain. Eindhoven are bottom of the table with one point from their three games.

Source : http://en.prothom-alo.com/sports/news/127187/City-await-Barca-as-big-guns-eye-next-Chams-League

Wickets tailored, designed to spin, blames Botham after Dhaka defeat

Ian Botham believes England’s end of year tour programme will be judged on their upcoming five-Test tour of India, rather than a stunning loss to Bangladesh.

England, 100 without loss at tea on Sunday’s third day in Dhaka, collapsed to 164 all out on a spin-friendly pitch to lose by 108 runs—their first Test match defeat by Bangladesh.

The result saw Bangladesh share the two-match series 1-1 and raised fresh concerns over how England would cope in similar conditions in India, whose attack will feature off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin—Test cricket’s number one-ranked bowler.

“It (a rapid collapse) can happen in that part of the world,” England great Botham told AFP in an interview in London on Sunday.

“The wickets are tailored, they are designed to spin. When you see spinners opening in Tests with the new ball, you get an idea of what’s coming.
“It’s good for them (Bangladesh). But what they’ve got to do is to start winning outside of their own country. That’s the acid test and that’s what England have got to do now.
“At the end of the day, they’ll be judged not so much on what happens in Bangladesh, but they will be judged more on what happens in India.”
While questions remain about England’s spinners, and their ability to play spin, Botham said all was far from lost for Alastair Cook’s side as they headed to India.
“England have got the bowlers who can take the pitch out of the equation with reverse swing,” the former pace bowling all-rounder added. “If they go out there and they perform they can win.”
Stuart Broad, controversially rested in Dhaka, is set to lead England’s pace attack and make his 100th Test appearance when the India series opener in Rajkot starts on November 9.
“I presented him with his cap when he first played in Colombo,” said Botham. “There was stuff about Stuart Broad ‘the enforcer’. He got a bit caught up in that.
“But he’s bowled his best spells when he bowls at the top of off stump, Australia at The Oval (when Broad took four for eight in 2009), Australia at Trent Bridge (eight for 15 in 2015).”

• ‘Box office’ Stokes -

As for the decision to rest Broad, Botham said: “Bowlers, rotate them. I was more in the Ben Stokes category. He won’t get rested and I wouldn’t have either.”
Durham all-rounder Stokes starred with both bat and ball in England’s 22-run win in the first Test against Bangladesh and Botham said: “I think he’s fantastic. I think he’s box office. I love watching him play, I like his attitude, I like the aggression.
“He’s the kind of cricketer you’ll cross the road to watch. It is all a learning curve for him now, but he learns quickly,” said Botham in an interview at a Hardy’s wine-tasting event in London.
Botham, however, forecast changes to England’s faltering top order.
“I think someone like Jos Buttler might come into the equation. Spinners, he can destroy them. They (England) are not going to do anything drastic. Maybe Buttler comes in for someone like Gary Ballance, perhaps?”
As the cricket-lovers among the wine-buffs at London’s Olympia exhibition centre posed for ‘selfies’ with Botham, he recalled how a friendship with the late English cricket broadcaster John Arlott—also a noted wine writer—had broadened his horizons.

“John took me under his wing when I was about 16 or 17,” said Botham, himself now 60. “We got on very well and stayed friends. I helped carry the coffin at his funeral. He was a wonderful man.
“I was a boy from Somerset and we used to drink cider. He started my education in wine.
“We bought a house just down the road from him (in the Channel Island of Alderney).

“Now when I go to Alderney I always get a very good bottle of red, go down to his grave, take the cork out, toast him with a glass, and leave the cork on the grave.”

Source : http://en.prothom-alo.com/sports/news/127181/Wickets-tailored-designed-to-spin-blames-Botham

Tigers make Test history, beating England

Bangladesh defeated England in the second and final Test of the series at Mirpur on Sunday, leaving behind frustration of losing marginally to the same side in Chittagong a few days back.

This is the first victory of the Tigers against one of the two oldest Test nations of the history. England is only the third Test side after Zimbabwe and the West Indies against which Bangladesh recorded win after getting Test status in 2000.
Sunday’s victory was as thrilling for Bangladesh as crushing the defeat was for England.
When the teams went to tea, neither predicted the game to be over by the close of the day. England were 100 for no loss and needed 173 more to win the Mirpur Test that had over two days yet to be played. Bangladesh, who had made it a habit to strike early in English innings, looked a little clueless.
But the first ball after tea changed everything. Mehedi Hasan Miraz baffled Ben Duckett, who looked pretty comfortable prior to that delivery with his maiden Test fifty, and his stumps were at sixes and sevens. Shakib Al Hasan removed Joe Root in the next over, but the worst for the English team was yet to come.
In the next over, Miraz sent home Gary Ballance and Moeen Ali, only to come back again to put an end to skipper Alastair Cook's 59-run innings.
Shakib then decided to join the party, picking up the wickets of Ben Stokes (25), Adil Rashid and Zafar Ansari while Miraz appeared as a nightmare for Jonny Bairstow and Steven Finn.
And just like that, England were all out on 164, handing the hosts a 104-run victory, the first in this format against the Three Lions.
Apart from the openers and Stokes, no English batsmen could reach double figures, while four failed to open the score, which only tells how deadly the Bangladesh spinning duo was.
In fact, in these two Test matches, Bangladesh spinners bagged all but one of the 40 English wickets.
Earlier, Bangladesh added 144 runs on the third day, making 296 in total in the second innings.
Imrul Kayes would rue missing out on another century, his 78-run innings cut shot by Moeen Ali when the left-handed batsman was trapped leg before the wicket.
Shakib also looked lively, but he could not go past 41 as Adil Rashid bowled him. Mushfiqur Rahim failed to reach double figures while the aggressive Sabbir Rahman managed 15 with three fours before his leg was pinned before the wicket and they went for lunch. Shuvagata Hom was unbeaten on 25.
Adil Rashid was the most successful bowler for England as he bagged four while Ben Stokes grabbed three and Zafar Ansari took two.
Miraz was duly adjudged the man-of-the-match for his 12 wickets. And seven wickets in the first Test makes it a staggering 19 scalps in the series and it was no wonder he was named the player-of-the-series. In doing so, the 19-year-old broke a 129-year old record -- bagging the highest number of wickets in a two-game Test series as a debutant.

Needless to say, the Tigers fans have got a new name to sing .

Source : http://en.prothom-alo.com/sports/news/127167/Tigers-make-Test-history-beating-England

Enrique seeks more precise Barca

Barcelona coach Luis Enrique insisted his side will need an improved display when faced with the very different challenge of former Barca boss Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City after labouring to a 1-0 win over Granada on Saturday.

Barca travel to Manchester on Tuesday having thrashed Guardiola’s men 4-0 less than two weeks ago to take a commanding lead of Champions League Group C thanks to a Lionel Messi hat-trick.
However, Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar endured a rare off night in front of goal as midfielder Rafinha bagged the only goal against an ultra defensive-minded Granada.
“Now we will go to Manchester and in theory we will have a team that presses us high and we’ll be left almost one against one,” said Enrique.
“You have to be very efficient and precise to overcome that pressure. If you overcome it, you are going to have chances and, if not, the opponent will win the ball in your half with quality players.”
In contrast to their Champions League position, Barca trail eternal rivals Real Madrid by two points at the top of La Liga after 10 games.
However, with four wins in a row in all competitions, Enrique believes Barca are headed in the right direction.
“We are close to the top but we are behind,” he added.
“There are still almost all the clashes between the title rivals to come, but I think we are headed in the right direction in La Liga and the Champions League.”
Rafinha’s fine overhead finish was his fifth goal in as many La Liga games as the Brazilian continues to make the most of his opportunities in a Barca squad ravaged by injuries.
And Enrique stressed the importance of goals from midfield to back up the threat posed by Messi, Suarez and Neymar.
“He’s getting into the box more which is something we always ask of midfield players.
“That’s the important thing. We have three unique, incomparable players up front, but the more players we can have taking chances and getting into the box the better.
“It is always a boost for the midfield players to score goals and in Rafa’s case he is a player that arrives very well from deep.”

Source : http://en.prothom-alo.com/sports/news/127059/Enrique-seeks-more-precise-Barca

Guardiola hails ‘special one’ Aguero

Sergio Aguero was branded Manchester City’s ‘Special One’ after ending the worst run of manager Pep Guardiola’s career.

Argentina forward Aguero scored twice in the first half against West Bromwich Albion before setting up the third for Ilkay Gundogan, who also grabbed the final goal in City’s 4-0 win at the Hawthorns.

It was a welcome result for City boss Guardiola, who had gone six games in all competitions without a win.

City remain top of the Premier League on goal difference ahead of Arsenal despite their recent struggles and they can now look forward to Tuesday’s Champions League clash against Barcelona with more confidence.

Aguero’s double took his tally to 13 goals this season and he will chase his 150th for City when Guardiola’s former club visit Eastlands this week.

After dropping Aguero for City’s 4-0 defeat at Barcelona recently, Guardiola was delighted with the contribution of the former Atletico Madrid star.

“Sergio is a special player. But I would like to convince him how important he is for us,” Guardiola said.

“We need him a lot and when he’s in that mood and shows that hunger, Sergio is definitive.

“He’s an important part of this club and we want to try to help him to become a bigger and bigger part of this fantastic club.

“Sergio is so important for us. We don’t have too many strikers-we have Sergio and Kelechi (Iheanacho) but he’s too young and he has to learn a lot.”

Aguero was sacrificed for tactical reasons in the first meeting with Barca, but Guardiola admitted his talisman has earned his place in the team for the return.

Asked if the marksman will start against Barcelona, he said: “I think so! But I’m not going to tell you which position!”

No excuses -
Guardiola was also pleased with Gundogan after the German playmaker netted his first brace in English football.

“Sergio scored two but so did Gundogan. He has the qualities with the ball in the middle, he’s safe and he’s really good with the ball one against one attacking central defenders,” Guardiola said.

“He showed that with the first goal with the pass to Sergio.”

Guardiola admitted City needed to end their winless run-so they didn’t lose their heads.

“I was very pleased-after six games we needed a win for the head (minds),” he added.

“The problem when you haven’t won for six games is you lack a bit of confidence for the next one.

“That happened in that period but we played well. But when you don’t win, your argument about how many good things you did sound like excuses.

“When we win you’re right, when we don’t, you just look for excuses.

“That’s why it was so important to win the game and I was very pleased with our performance in the first half.

“We won 4-0 but in the second half West Brom showed how good the Premier League is.

“For me it was difficult to understand why we had control in the first half, and then we didn’t in the second half with the same players.

“At 60, 65 minutes, anything could have happened, but the moment Ilkay Gundogan scored the third goal, the game was almost over.”

West Brom assistant head coach Dave Kemp admitted they couldn’t live with Aguero.

“Aguero’s two goals were tremendous. You know he’s a good player but you hope he’s off colour a little bit. He wasn’t, and you find yourself in trouble,” Kemp said.

“If something isn’t quite right they’re good enough to be all over you like a rash - as they were.

“Sometimes you have to hold your hand up. If you’re playing a lesser team sometimes you get away with it. Not against these.”

Source : http://en.prothom-alo.com/sports/news/127065/Guardiola-hails-%E2%80%98special-one%E2%80%99-Aguero

Asian elections for FIFA council to be held in February

Asian elections for three additional seats on the new FIFA Council will be held at the end of February in Kuala Lumpur after the extraordinary congress in Goa was postponed last month, the continent’s governing body said on Saturday.

Delegates to September’s Asian Football Confederation extraordinary congress, which had been called to conduct the election, voted down the agenda of the meeting in a row over the disqualification of a Qatari candidate.

“The Asian Football Confederation Extraordinary Congress will be held on February 28, 2017, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia,” the AFC said in a statement. “The AFC has informed its member associations about the new date.”

World governing body FIFA banned Qatari Saoud Al-Mohannadi two days before the election because of an ongoing ethics investigation, leaving insufficient time for new candidates to join the six remaining in the field.

With FIFA President Gianni Infantino watching on, forty two of the 44 members who had voting rights at the Goa meeting raised a “No” card when AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa called for the agenda of the meeting to be passed.

Al-Mohannadi, a vice-president of the Qatar Football Association who denies any wrongdoing, was one of the favourites to win a seat on the new body and had cleared the necessary FIFA integrity check.

A FIFA ethics investigator in August recommended Al-Mohannadi be banned from the game for at least two-and-a-half years for refusing to cooperate with an inquiry.

Asia’s three additional seats on the new council, which replaces the old FIFA Executive Committee and has already met twice, include one reserved for a woman.

Australian Moya Dodd, formerly a co-opted member of the Executive Committee, was slated to take on Mahfuza Ahkter of Bangladesh and Han Un-Gyong of North Korea.

AFC said the new extraordinary congress in Malaysia would also hold an election for the seat of another FIFA Council member for the term 2017-2019, currently held by Sheikh Ahmad Fahad Al Ahmad Al Sabah, the Kuwaiti president of the Olympic Council of Asia.

Source : http://en.prothom-alo.com/sports/news/127073/Asian-elections-for-FIFA-council-to-be-held-in

Lifetime ban for refugees arriving by boat : Australia

Australia moved Sunday to bar any refugee or asylum-seeker who arrives in the country illegally by boat from ever being able to apply for a visa, even as tourists or for business.

The lifetime ban will be put to parliament when it next sits, with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull saying it was necessary to send an “absolutely, unflinching, unequivocal message” that boatpeople will never be allowed in Australia.
“This is a battle of will between the Australian people, represented by its government, and the criminal gangs of people-smugglers,” he said.
“You should not underestimate the scale of the threat. These people-smugglers are the worst criminals imaginable. They have a multibillion-dollar business.
“We have to be very determined to say no to their criminal plans.”
Amendments to the migration act would be backdated to mid-2013, when former Labor prime minister Kevin Rudd declared: “As of today, asylum-seekers who come here by boat without a visa will never be settled in Australia.”
Canberra currently sends all boatpeople to offshore processing camps on the Pacific islands of Nauru and Papua New Guinea’s Manus.
They are already blocked from being resettled in Australia even if found to be genuine refugees. They can either return home, make a life on Manus or Nauru, or go to a third country.
The new legislation would affect those sent to Nauru and Manus from 19 July, 2013, including those who have returned home, and anyone who arrives in the future.
But children will be exempt and the immigration minister would have the power to make exceptions.
The Nauru facility holds just over 400 men, women and children.
Some 800 men are detained on Manus, which Australia in August agreed to close after a Papua New Guinea court ruling that holding people there was unconstitutional and illegal.
Rights group have alleged there is widespread abuse and self-harm in the camps.
Turnbull said the move would reinforce to refugee advocates still hoping Australia will accept some of those on Nauru or Manus that it will never happen.
“We have one of the most generous humanitarian programs in the world,” he said.
“But the only reason we can do it, the only reason it has the public acceptance that it does, is because we are in command of our borders.”
Australia has boosted its annual humanitarian refugee intake in recent years from 13,750 to 18,750, and has also agreed to take 12,000 displaced in Syria and Iraq.
Grave concerns
Refugee advocates said the plan was unacceptable, with Save the Children fearing it will further exacerbate the mental anguish of those held in the Pacific camps.
“We have grave concerns that this kind of announcement will push people over the edge,” said the organisation’s director of policy and public advocacy in Australia Mat Tinkler.
“The government must act urgently to give hope to these people, not continue to take it away.”
Refugee and Immigration Legal Centre lawyer David Manne agreed that the proposal punished genuine refugees.
“This does nothing to address that fundamental question about where they are going to be taken so that they can rebuild their lives in safety and with dignity,” he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Since the start of “Operation Sovereign Borders” in September 2013, the conservative government has managed to halt the flood of boat arrivals, and drownings, that characterised previous Labor administrations.
Labor said Sunday it had yet to decide whether to back the visa ban.

Source : http://en.prothom-alo.com/international/news/127085/Lifetime-ban-from-Australia-for-refugees-arriving

6.6M quake strikes central Italy

A strong earthquake measuring 6.6 magnitude struck central Italy on Sunday, causing the collapse of more buildings and historic churches in small cities and towns already shaken by tremors in the past week.

The quake measured 7.1 according to an initial estimate by the US Geological Survey and was later revised to 6.6, the biggest since almost 300 people were killed in central Italy on 24 Aug by a quake that levelled several small towns.
While there were no immediate reports of casualties on Sunday, damage was substantial.
Live television coverage showed the collapse of a church in the centre of Norcia, a town near Perugia in Umbria. Parts of the town had already been sealed off.
Buildings damaged in Norcia included the historic Basilica of St. Benedict and the town hall.
Sunday’s earthquake followed a series of tremors to strike the country in the past five days.
It was felt as far north as Bolzano, near the border with Austria and as far south as the Puglia region at the southern tip of the Italian peninsula and was felt strongly in the capital Rome.
A series of strong earthquakes struck the area on Wednesday.

Source : http://en.prothom-alo.com/international/news/127103/Quake-measuring-7.1M-strikes-central-Italy

Spain ends 10-month political crisis

Spain finally turned the page on a rollercoaster 10-month political crisis Saturday as lawmakers voted the conservatives back into power despite bitter divisions.

Prime minister Mariano Rajoy won a parliamentary confidence vote, pledging to plough on with his economic policies, despite the opposition blaming austerity in his first term for deepening inequalities.
“Do no expect me to... damage economic recovery and job creation,” the 61-year-old told lawmakers in a pre-vote parliamentary session, referring to Spain’s return to growth under his watch.
Rajoy only won the vote thanks to the abstention of most lawmakers from the Socialist party, which opted to let their arch-rival govern rather than go to third elections in poll-weary Spain.
170 lawmakers voted for Rajoy, 111 against and 68 Socialists abstained.
‘They don’t represent us’
The Socialists’ decision to abstain drew stinging criticism from its rivals including far-left Podemos, and divided the party so seriously that Socialist chief Pedro Sanchez was ousted earlier this month.
Hours before the vote, Sanchez himself gave a tearful statement to the media, announcing he was quitting as a lawmaker so he would not have to abstain and allow Rajoy to govern.
Near parliament, several thousand protesters took to the streets amid a heavy police presence, unhappy about corruption and sweeping spending cuts during Rajoy’s first term, shouting: “They don’t represent us.”
“It’s going to be the same government, or similar, (as in) the past four years, which was disastrous for Spain,” said Carmen Lopez, a 65-year-old retired computer technician.
In parliament itself, party leaders strongly criticised Rajoy and one another—just as they have done for the past 10 months as the country went through two inconclusive elections.
This unstable period saw Spain go from jubilation after polls last December ended the two-party hold on power as millions voted for two upstart parties—to disillusion following polls in June that returned inconclusive results once again.
Rajoy’s Popular Party (PP) won both elections but without enough parliamentary seats to govern alone. As no political grouping was able to agree on a viable coalition, Spain looked set for more elections.
That changed last weekend when the Socialists opted to abstain in Saturday’s confidence vote after weeks of in-fighting that saw Sanchez ousted.
Rajoy’s nomination will be formalised by royal decree of King Felipe VI.
French President Francois Hollande congratulated Rajoy late Saturday, expressing the wish in a letter that neighbours Spain and France will together relaunch “the European project” to create “a stronger, safer continent”.
‘Turbulent’ term
Unlike when he came to power in 2011 with an absolute majority, Rajoy’s party will only have 137 out of 350 seats in parliament and will face huge opposition, forcing him to negotiate every bill.
“You are in the clear minority and under tight surveillance of this lower house. The Socialist party will devote itself to monitoring your every step,” Antonio Hernando, the Socialists’ parliamentary spokesman, told Rajoy.
Among his priorities will be the 2017 budget, which may need at least five billion euros ($5.5 billion) in spending cuts to reduce the deficit in the face of EU pressure.
But further cuts are likely to face stiff opposition both in parliament and on the street.
He will also face rising separatist sentiment in the northeastern Catalonia region.
After the vote, Rajoy sought to strike a conciliatory tone.
“If we all make an effort, we can reach agreements and we have to try and turn this difficult and complex situation into an opportunity,” he told reporters.
He added that he would announce the composition of his new government on Thursday.
Political analyst Pablo Simon said his term in office would be the most “turbulent” ever in Spain and could prompt Rajoy to call early elections if he faces gridlock in parliament.
But he predicted it would not be as difficult for Rajoy as some have anticipated.
The Socialists will need time to regroup and will not want early elections, knowing they would fare badly after their very public breakdown, he said.
The PP also has a majority in the senate, and may be able to form pacts with smaller parties in the lower house to see laws through, Simon added.

Source : http://en.prothom-alo.com/international/news/127097/Spain-ends-10-month-political-crisis

Jihadists storing loot at Swiss port? Geneva says no

When a leading French politician said Switzerland’s free ports were helping terrorists hide stolen assets, Swiss officials offered a blunt rebuke.

In response to French finance minister Michel Sapin’s charge, authorities in Geneva insisted they had cleaned up their act and suggested he come and check things out for himself.
“Had (the comments) been made several years ago, we could have taken them seriously. Today, they are simply unacceptable,” Pierre Maudet, economics chief in Geneva’s cantonal government, told Switzerland’s One FM.
Maudet’s chief of staff, Patrick Baud-Lavigne, added that “a letter has been sent to Mr. Sapin inviting him to come make an on-site inspection.”
Sapin’s supposed insult was made at a G20 meeting earlier this month.
He called free ports a “weak link” in countering terrorist financing as they helped Islamic State group (IS) sympathisers traffic artistic and archaeological treasures stolen from Iraq and Syria.
“These free ports exist in certain countries. I am referring in particular to Switzerland,” he said.
A place to hide loot?
The original concept behind free ports was to provide places to store goods in transit, protecting them from excessive tariffs and bureaucracy.
Perhaps not surprisingly, highly secured warehouses where basically anything could be stashed tax free with few questions asked became increasingly attractive to nefarious operators.
Switzerland became a free port hub, mirroring the country’s banking system which has long been known as a place to store enormous wealth with little scrutiny on the origins of funds.
The Geneva free ports, established in 1854, now include two separate heavily guarded facilities where endless rows of valuable wine are kept alongside thousands of works of art including Picassos, Van Goghs and Monets—assets likely worth billions of dollars.
In recent years, questions have been raised about some of the goods held at Geneva’s secretive warehouses.
In April, port authorities sequestered Amadeo Modigliani’s painting “Seated Man With a Cane”, which had allegedly been looted from a Jewish art dealer by the Nazis and has been valued at $25 million (23 million euros).
Questions about the piece emerged after the Panama Papers leaks uncovered the identity of its owner.
There has, however, been no public confirmation of Sapin’s suggestion that treasures looted by jihadists had been kept in Geneva.
Baud-Lavigne said “there is a little bit of fantasy and misunderstanding around the free ports.”
But officials have conceded the Geneva facilities had previously been used to traffic archaeological goods and have implemented a series of transparency measures.
New rules
Geneva free ports chief Alain Decrausaz told AFP these new rules should ease concerns about the facility being exploited for terrorist funding.
Federal government guidelines approved earlier this year require the name and address of merchandise owners be mentioned on inventory lists, he said.
And last month, new systems for the “control of archaeological antiquities” were adopted, requiring anyone transporting such goods be approved before arriving at the port.
If there any doubts as to the provenance of any item, international auditing giant KPMG can ask for more information or conduct a “complete inspection” of the cargo, Decrausaz explained.
One unresolved issue is customs agents.
Decrausaz said he has repeatedly asked for more, but the federal government claims that with 1.3 million migrants and refugees pouring into Europe over the last two years, Switzerland can’t afford to take staff away from border controls to beef up customs at the port.

Source : http://en.prothom-alo.com/international/news/127107/Jihadists-storing-loot-at-Swiss-port-Geneva-says

Iceland to bargain after election fails absolute majority

Iceland on Sunday faced a wrangle over its next government after the anti-establishment Pirate Party and its allies gained ground but fell short of a majority in snap elections sparked by the Panama Papers scandal.

Prime Minister Sigurdur Ingi Johannsson told the national broadcaster RUV he would resign on Sunday after his Progressive Party suffered a plunge in support.
Polls had predicted the “Pirates” would benefit from a public urge to punish establishment parties after Johannsson’s predecessor, Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson, stepped down over allegations about family holdings stashed in tax havens.
In the end, the Pirates and three left-of-centre allies gained 28 seats, four short of the 32 needed to command an overall majority in the 63-member parliament, the Althingi, according to preliminary results announced late Saturday.
“We are very satisfied,” said “Pirates” cofounder Birgitta Jonsdottir, an activist, poet and WikiLeaks supporter.
“We are a platform for young people, for progressive people who shape and reshape our society ... like Robin Hood because Robin Hood was a pirate, we want to take the power from the powerful to give it to the people,” Jonsdottir told AFP, referring to the English outlaw of legend.
Founded just four years ago, the Pirates were credited with as many as nine seats, making them the third largest party in the island nation.
Its allies are the Left-Green movement, which picked up 10 seats, the Social Democrats, with four, and the centrist Bright Future, with five, according to the preliminary results.
The Pirate Party, whose headquarters is onboard a boat anchored in the port of Reykjavik, see themselves as a force to reinvigorate democracy.
They have set down a five-point programme that includes constitutional change to make leaders more accountable, free health care, greater protection of natural resources and the closure of tax loopholes for large corporations.
They also want Icelanders to hold a referendum on EU membership—a long-standing political issue whose objective they oppose but wish to be settled.
Among other groups, the centre-right Progressive Party picked up seven seats while the Independence Party had 21 seats.
The centre Regeneration Party, which could be the kingmakers in the election, garnered seven seats in the Icelandic parliament.
The leader of the Independence Party, Finance Minister Bjarni Benediktsson, will be given the mandate to negotiate on the majority in the parliament.
Tense negotiations
The negotiations would be very tense between the Regeneration Party and the Independence Party, from which it split over disagreement to hold a referendum on joining the EU.
“We have not been negative towards other parties or how governments should be formed,” leader of the Regeneration Party, Benedikt Johannesson said.
Implicated in the Panama Papers scandals, Benediktsson denies having wanted to escape taxes by creating a company in the Seychelles, saying he has never invested a dime.
The election was triggered after the Panama Papers revealed that 600 Icelanders including cabinet ministers, bankers and business leaders had holdings stashed away in offshore accounts.
Iceland, a volcanic island with a population of 332,000, has returned to prosperity since its 2008 financial meltdown.
Gross domestic product (GDP) growth is expected to be above four percent this year thanks to tourism revenues and a recovering financial system.
The crisis eight years ago saw Iceland’s three biggest banks and its oversized financial sector collapse, while the country was forced to seek a bailout from the International Monetary Fund.
A string of bankers were jailed, the failed banks were temporarily nationalised and then sold, and foreign investors had to accept write-downs on their debt holdings.
Olafur Hardarson, professor of political science at the University of Iceland, attributed the Pirates’ rise in popularity to voters’ anger at the 2008 crisis.
“They have managed to focus on the anti-politics and anti-establishment feelings of a lot of voters (who) have been frustrated in Iceland since the bank crash,” Hardarson told AFP.

Source : http://en.prothom-alo.com/international/news/127109/Iceland-to-bargain-after-election-fails-absolute

Turkey sacks 10,000 more civil servants post coup

Turkish authorities have dismissed more than 10,000 civil servants over their suspected links with U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, blamed by Ankara for orchestrating the failed coup in July.

Thousands of academics, teachers and health workers were among those removed through a new emergency rule decree published on the Official Gazette late on Saturday while 15 media outlets, almost all of which reported from the largely Kurdish southeast, were shut down.
Through the decrees, elections to choose a rector at the universities have also been abolished. President Tayyip Erdogan will directly appoint the rectors from the candidates nominated by the High Educational Board (YOK).
Turkey has formally arrested more than 37,000 people and has already sacked or suspended 100,000 civil servants, judges, prosecutors, police and others in an unprecedented crackdown the government says is necessary to root out all supporters of Gulen from the state apparatus and key positions.
A state of emergency imposed right after the bloody failed coup in July has been extended for another three months until January after Erdogan said the authorities needed more time to eradicate the threat posed by Gulen’s network as well as Kurdish militants who have waged a 32-year insurgency.
The total number of media outlets shut down since the start of the state of emergency has now exceeded 160.
The extent of the crackdown has worried rights groups and some Western allies, who fear Erdogan is using it to curtail dissent. The government says the actions are justified by the threat to the state on July 15, when more than 240 people died.
Ankara wants the United States to detain and extradite Gulen so that he can be prosecuted in Turkey on a charge that he masterminded the attempt to overthrow the government. Gulen, who has lived in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania since 1999, denies any involvement.

Source : http://en.prothom-alo.com/international/news/127111/Turkey-sacks-10-000-more-civil-servants-post-coup

Openers give England edge

Openers Alastair Cook and Ben Duckett gave England the perfect start as the duo added 100 runs before tea in their chase of 273 on the third day of Dhaka Test.
Duckett, who hit his maiden Test fifty, was not out on 56 while Cook was unbeaten on 39.
Earlier, Bangladesh added 144 runs on the third day, making 296 in total in the second innings.
Imrul Kayes will rue missing out on another century, his 78-run innings cut shot by Moeen Ali when the left-handed batsman was trapped leg before the wicket.
Shakib Al Hasan also looked lively, but he could not go past 41 as Adil Rashid bowled him. Mushfiqur Rahim failed to reach double figures while the aggressive Sabbir Rahman managed 15 with three fours before his leg was pinned before the wicket and they went for lunch.
Shuvagata Hom's unbeaten 25 may prove to be vital in the end as well.
Adil Rashid was the most successful bowler for England as he bagged four while Ben Stokes grabbed three and Zafar Ansari took two.

Source : http://en.prothom-alo.com/sports/news/127115/Openers-give-England-edge

Five-goal Real turn on the style against Legia

Holders Real Madrid have moved into a commanding position in Champions League Group F after cruising to a 5-1 victory over Legia Warsaw.

Gareth Bale scored his first European goal since December 2014 to give the hosts the lead in the 16th minute with a curled left-foot drive and an own goal by Legia's Tomasz Jodlowiec, deflecting in Marcelo's shot, doubled their advantage on Tuesday.

Miroslav Radovic pulled one back for the Poles from the penalty spot but Marco Asensio made it 3-1 in the 37th minute with a low shot on his Champions League debut.
Substitute Lucas Vazquez volleyed home a cross in the 68th minute and former Juventus striker Alvaro Morata rounded off the win by converting a pass from Cristiano Ronaldo, who is still waiting for his 100th goal in UEFA competitions, in the 84th.

Photo: Reuters

Real are second in Group F, level on seven points with Borussia Dortmund, and both teams will seal their place in the last 16 if Zinedine Zidane's side win at Legia and the Germans beat Sporting Lisbon at home on Nov. 2There was concern in Madrid before the game about the threat that would be posed by visiting fans after violence marred Legia's game against Dortmund in September.
There was trouble outside the Santiago Bernabeu stadium before kickoff on Tuesday, with five supporters and two police officers suffering minor injuries, according to local media reports.
On the pitch, Legia nearly caused the holders an early surprise with Jodlowiec shooting straight at Keylor Navas and midfielder Vadis Odjidja hitting the post.

Photo: Reuters

Real took the lead soon after though, Bale cutting inside from the right to strike into the far corner. Jodlowiec turned in Marcelo's shot soon after but a foul by Real defender Danilo allowed Radovic to reduce the deficit from 11 metres.Twenty-year-old winger Marco Asensio built on his impressive start to his Real career by netting his fourth goal of the season with a confident strike after being teed up by Ronaldo.
Ronaldo, the leading marksman in Champions League history, turned provider again by releasing substitute Morata for the fifth goal after Vazquez had lashed home the fourth.
The prolific Portuguese narrowly missed out on a century of goals in UEFA competitions by striking wide of the far post.

 

source : http://bdnews24.com/sport/2016/10/19/five-goal-real-turn-on-the-style-against-legia

State senate candidates debate issues in Alamance County, beyond

The two North Carolina District 24 Senate candidates seeking to represent Alamance County residents in the General Assembly during the next term went head to head Tuesday to debate and discuss the issues at hand.
Republican incumbent Sen. Rick Gunn and candidate John Thorpe, a Democrat, sat next to one other on stage at the Paramount Theater as they answered questions read by moderator John Black during a forum co-hosted by the Times-News and WPCM.

At times, the exchange became heated.
The forum began with a question directed at Gunn about North Carolina’s House Bill 2, asking him whether the legislation was irrelevant, as Gov. Pat McCrory said in an interview last week, citing a federal directive to public schools concerning bathrooms and pending court decisions.
“I don’t believe I’d use the word irrelevant,” said Gunn, who has defended the bill. “What happened is pretty simple. Charlotte knew from day one that, first of all, they were doing something against our constitution. You cannot set that kind of ordinance without the state of North Carolina being involved. We told them that was not going to work and we were going to react to it if they did it.”
Gunn continued that the General Assembly, by passing HB2, had “reacted to what Charlotte mandated us to do,” but that legislators had been open to repealing their ordinance if Charlotte repealed its ordinance, which concerned the use of bathrooms by transgender individuals, among other provisions.
He clarified that his “position as it’s related to bathrooms has been and is now and will continue to be that we do not need to allow men to go into little girls’ dressing rooms, locker rooms, shower facilities or bathrooms,” and that middle- and high-school male students shouldn’t share such facilities with female students.
Thorpe alleged that Gunn had “decided to flip flop” on “something he voted for,” and that the bill does more than
“It restricts workers’ rights,” Thorpe said, adding that workers couldn’t file state discrimination lawsuits, which Gunn subsequently corrected, and that it had hurt business in Charlotte.

As for the top three challenges facing North Carolina and what each candidate would do to address those issues, Gunn cited a divide between rural and urban areas in the state and “a terrible problem with access to capital,” the need to continue developing roads and other transportation systems around the state and the lack of funding for the state pension plan.
“We owe it to our teachers, we owe it to our state employees, to get our pension plan righted and healthy,” Gunn said.
Thorpe said teachers need to be paid “a real amount of $50,000” instead of politicians only claiming the average teacher makes that much, that more resources need to be allocated for mental health programs and that Medicaid should be expanded across the state.
“If you don’t believe that these are the three major things that facing the state right now, then you need to talk to a guy that I know by the name of Jesus Christ who always said that these three things are the way we should prosper and move forward,” Thorpe said.
Asked what issues specific to Alamance County needed to be addressed, Thorpe said he would help secure funding for Stepping Up, an Alamance County initiative to provide help for the mentally ill in the criminal justice system, and for automatic license plate readers for police patrol vehicles. Thorpe also indicated he would work with the N.C. Department of Transportation to record the live video feeds captured on some state roads.
Gunn said he was concerned with “crime, drugs, human trafficking and gangs in our community” and that law enforcement needs the right tools and legislation to address those problems.
“If you talk to any of our law enforcement agencies, if you talk to the sheriff, it’s literally a never-ending battle,” Gunn said.

He also said “we’ve got a problem with the Crime Lab,” referring to the state-run laboratory that tests evidence for law enforcement agencies that has experienced long-term backlog.
Thorpe replied that Gunn had “been elected again and against and again and never sponsored a bill to do either one of those things.”
Sarcastically, Gunn said “I guess I’m supposed to sponsor every bill,” and challenged Thorpe to look up the economic development and safety bills Gunn had introduced, citing “Jessica’s Law” as legislation he sponsored that results in a suspect being charged with first-degree murder if a baby is born alive and then dies from injuries inflicted before birth.
The legislation, based on baby in Alamance County dying in 2008 after her mother was shot, is actually called Lily’s Law.
On how North Carolina can competitively recruit and retain teachers, Thorpe suggested the state bring back its Teaching Fellows program as well as “make sure we’re treating those who retire very well” and to “make sure our retirement reflects inflation.”
Gunn began by offering that “for every teacher that leaves the state of North Carolina, we have four teachers that are coming here.”
He added that it “takes a good salary” and “takes a great benefits package,” and that legislators had altered the pay scales for teachers, so that those working 15 years could now potentially make the highest salary level, which previously was reserved for those working 30 years.

Thorpe challenged that point, to which Gunn replied that Thorpe was confused and he could send Thorpe the Department of Public Instruction’s pay scale.
Thorpe closed by saying “we have to clean up our environment,” including Jordan Lake, and that the state’s employment rate needs to increase.
“I believe my opponent Senator Gunn is actually a very good man, we just differ on ideology,” Thorpe said. “We both want to live in a state that’s better for each and every one of y’all. We just have a difference in opinion on how to get there.”
Gunn’s closing statements included comments about the need to take care of veterans living in North Carolina, as well as explaining a phrase used in the statewide economic development community, “Alamance envy.”
“People are literally envious of what’s going on in our county,” Gunn said, referring to “the synergy that’s going on” between county and municipal governments, and local public and private education entities.

source : http://www.thetimesnews.com/news/20161018/state-senate-candidates-debate-issues-in-alamance-county-beyond

United, Liverpool share spoils

Arch rivals Liverpool and Manchester United failed to spark as England’s two most successful clubs played out a forgettable 0-0 draw in the Premier League on Monday.

Victory would have lifted Jurgen Klopp’s in-form Liverpool level with leaders Manchester City and Arsenal, but they remain fourth after seeing a five-game winning streak come to an end at Anfield.

Liverpool came closest to winning, United goalkeeper David de Gea thwarting Emre Can and Philippe Coutinho, while Zlatan Ibrahimovic spurned the visitors’ best chance with a weak header.

Klopp could console himself with a first clean sheet in 10 league games, but it was the first time his side had failed to score at home in the league since a 1-0 loss to United exactly 10 months previously.

Jose Mourinho’s United remain seventh and have won only one of their last five league games, although this was a display much more in keeping with the defensive rigorousness their manager demands.

It was the first night game in front of Anfield’s rebuilt Main Stand and Mourinho unveiled a new formula for the occasion, fielding Paul Pogba in an advanced role behind Ibrahimovic.

Liverpool were without the injured Georginio Wijnaldum and with Adam Lallana only fit enough for the bench, there was a sluggishness to their play in the early stages that United looked to exploit.

The visitors had four attempts on goal before Liverpool mustered one, home goalkeeper Loris Karius gathering deflected shots by Ibrahimovic and Marouane Fellaini and pushing away a Marcus Rashford cross.

Rashford and fellow winger Ashley Young dropped deep in United’s defensive phase and Liverpool were reduced to one sight of goal in the first half, De Gea catching Roberto Firmino’s back-post header.

Referee Anthony Taylor, who attracted attention in the build-up due to the fact he hails from Altrincham in Greater Manchester, kept his cards in his pocket despite several late challenges.

But his patience ran out when United centre-back Eric Bailly caught Daniel Sturridge and Young was then booked for dissent after Jordan Henderson escaped censure for a foul on Ander Herrera.

Pogba created a glorious chance for Ibrahimovic early in the second half with a deep cross from the right, but the Swede totally misjudged his header and the ball bounced harmlessly square.

At the other end, De Gea got down smartly to thwart Can, who had neatly sidestepped Chris Smalling, and also produced a flying full-stretch save to touch Coutinho’s 25-yard curler wide.

Lallana’s introduction for the anonymous Sturridge just before the hour enlivened Liverpool and Mourinho responded by sending on Wayne Rooney for Rashford.

Lallana’s clever flick freed Firmino for a late chance, but the Brazilian was denied by an impeccably timed sliding tackle from Antonio Valencia.

source : http://en.prothom-alo.com/sports/news/125607/Man-U-stifle-Liverpool

Iraqi forces ‘ahead of schedule’ in Mosul

Iraqi security forces were “ahead of schedule” after the first day of an offensive for the Islamic State-held city of Mosul, a Pentagon official said Monday.

A US-led coalition has for months been helping train Iraqi forces for the fight for Mosul—the last IS stronghold in Iraq—and the military offensive finally got underway early Monday.

“Early indications are that Iraqi forces have met their objectives so far, and that they are ahead of schedule for this first day,” Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said.

But he warned it was unknown how long the battle would last. A top US general earlier said it would take several weeks or even longer.

“We are in the first day of what we assume will be a difficult campaign that could take some time,” Cook said.

After IS overran large parts of Iraq and Syria in early 2014, the United States formed a coalition that launched an air campaign to strike the Sunni extremists and to train local, partnered forces to do the fighting.

The coalition has trained more than 45,000 Iraqi troops and launched more than 10,000 precision strikes in Iraq—including more than 70 in the Mosul area this month, the Pentagon says.

The start of the long-awaited assault has raised deep concerns for hundreds of thousands of civilians trapped in Iraq’s second-largest city, with aid groups warning of a massive humanitarian crisis.

The Iraqi government has dropped thousands of leaflets on Mosul telling residents what to do during the offensive.

“My understanding is that there may be as many as seven million leaflets dropped in the next 48 hours or so to try and educate the population of Mosul as to the safest way to conduct themselves as this fighting plays out,” Cook said.

“There is an effort to try and reach out to the people of Mosul to try and make them as aware as possible of what’s to come and the dangers they face.

source : http://en.prothom-alo.com/international/news/125615/Iraqi-forces-‘ahead-of-schedule’-in-Mosul

22 killed in India hospital fire

At least 22 persons were killed and several injured after a major fire broke out in the Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital in Bhubaneswar on Monday evening.

While the government-run Capital Hospital’s officials confirmed receiving 14 bodies, eight bodies were received by the AMRI Hospital in Bhubaneswar.

“A total 22 persons have died. While 14 have died in Capital Hospital, eight died in AMRI Hospitals,” said Akhila Bihari Ota, Revenue Divisional Commissioner (Central).

Over 50 patients were rescued from the dialysis ward and the adjoining Intensive Care Unit, the officials said.

The rescued patients were shifted to All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Bhubaneswar and other hospitals, said Health Minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who visited Capital hospital to oversee treatment of evacuated patients, ordered a Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC) level probe into the whole incident.

Expressing his grief over the incident, he said free treatment would be provided to the injured persons.

The Chief Minister also spoke with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and briefed about efforts towards treatment of injured.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep anguish over the deaths in Odisha capital Bhubaneswar.

“Deeply anguished by the loss of lives in the hospital fire in Odisha. The tragedy is mind-numbing. My thoughts are with bereaved families,” he tweeted.

Odisha Health Secretary Arti Ahuja said an inquiry committee has been constituted to inquire into the fire and whether the hospital authorities had taken safety measures or not.

The probe team comprises the Khurda Collector, Director of Medical Education and Training and the District Fire Officer, she added.

The cause of the fire is said to be an electrical short-circuit. The fire broke out in the intensive care unit (ICU) of dialysis ward of the hospital, said sources.

About seven fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the fire.

Fire Service Director General Binay Behera said fire personnel were engaged to control the fire and carry out rescue operation.

“Rescuing the patients and those present in the hospital is our priority. We are yet to assess the damage and ascertain the source of the fire,” Behera said.

Modi said he spoke to Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda and asked him to facilitate transfer of all the injured to All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Bhubaneswar. “Hope the injured recover quickly,” Modi said.

Nadda tweeted: “Deeply saddened by the fire incident in Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital, Bhubaneswar. My condolences rest with the bereaved families.”

Talking to CNN News 18, Nadda said: “We have told the State Government that whatever help is required, will be extended by the Central Government. If there is any situation where the patients need our help we are ready for that too.

The government has set up a helpline number: 9439991226.

Union Petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan informed that he spoke to Odisha Health Minister and offered all possible help to deal with this tragic incident.

Meanwhile, SUM Hospital suspended three employees and formed an internal inquiry committee to probe the lapses.

source : http://en.prothom-alo.com/international/news/125609/22-killed-in-fire-in-India-hospital

Ecuador cuts Julian Assange’s internet access

Anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks said on Monday that its founder Julian Assange’s internet was shut down by the government of Ecuador, deflecting blame from the US or British governments which have sparred with Assange for releasing sensitive material.

“We can confirm Ecuador cut off Assange’s internet access Saturday, 5 pm GMT, shortly after publication of (Hillary) Clinton’s Goldman Sachs speechs (sic),” the statement from WikiLeaks said.

Assange has lived and worked in Ecuador’s London embassy since June 2012, having been granted asylum there after a British court ordered him extradited to Sweden to face questioning in a sexual molestation case involving two female WikiLeaks supporters.

WikiLeaks said Assange lost internet connectivity on Sunday night.

“We have activated the appropriate contingency plans,” added the Twitter message on Monday. People close to WikiLeaks say that Assange himself is the principal operator of the website’s Twitter feed.

The Ecuadoran government offered no immediate comment on the question of internet access, but the country’s foreign minister, Guillaume Long, said Assange remained under government protection.

“The circumstances that led to the granting of asylum remain,” Long said in a statement late on Monday.

The government of leftist President Rafael Correa has long backed Assange’s right to free speech, though the Wikileaks saga has caused some strain in relations with the United States, including the expulsion of diplomats in 2011.

Correa, whose term will end next year, has said he is behind Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, who he says he knows personally, in the US presidential election.

“For the good of the United States and the world ... I would like Hillary to win,” Correa told broadcaster Russia Today last month.

Over the last two weeks, Democratic Party officials and US government agencies have accused the Russian government, including the country’s “senior-most officials,” of pursuing a campaign of cyber attacks against Democratic Party organizations ahead of the Nov. 8 election.

WikiLeaks has been one of the most prominent internet outlets to post and promote hacked Democratic Party materials. While denying any connection with a Russian hacking campaign, Assange has refused to disclose WikiLeaks’ sources for hacked Democratic Party messages.

Sources close to both the Democratic Party and WikiLeaks say they believe WikiLeaks has acquired as many as 40,000-50,000 emails hacked from the personal accounts of John Podesta, the former White House advisor who now chairs Clinton’s presidential campaign.

Despite Assange’s complaint that his internet connection was cut, WikiLeaks posted on Monday afternoon what it said was a fresh batch of Podesta’s emails.

According to a summary of the latest emails posted on Russia Today, a media outlet with close links to the Russian government, highlights include campaign staff discussions about “galvanizing Latino support” and about how to handle media queries about Clinton’s “flip-flopping” on gay marriage.

source : http://en.prothom-alo.com/international/news/125623/Ecuador-cuts-Julian-Assange’s-internet-access