Ducks beat the slumping Arizona Coyotes, 3-2, in overtime

January 7, 2017

Overtime finally worked for the Ducks. It came on a baffling play by the opposing goaltender after Anaheim clawed for two points against one of the worst teams in the NHL that was missing three players in the final period.
The hockey gods saw to it that Ondrej Kase was the hero. Perhaps the Ducks’ most humble player scored with 35.6 seconds remaining in overtime to give the Ducks a 3-2 win against the Arizona Coyotes on Friday at Honda Center .
Kase whacked at a puck that Arizona goalie Mike Smith inexplicably held on to for several seconds and Kase converted it as Anaheim got its first overtime win this season.
“My stick broke and I didn’t get anything on it and it ends up in the back of the net,” Smith said of the goal. “I tried to do too much.”
“It’s amazing,” Kase said. “Every score is good. We needed this score.”
Kase, whose English is limited in media situations, usually lets his goal celebrations tell the story. His teammates surrounded him to share the joy. It was his fourth NHL goal and, by his account, his first overtime goal.
“He’s a funny kid,” Cam Fowler said. “He’s been working really hard. I can see the progression in his game, and how far he’s come. He’s been a big player for us. He scored some big goals. I was really happy for him tonight to get that one. It’s the first overtime winner, hopefully something he can remember.”
Anaheim appeared on its way to a win after Chris Wagner’s seeing-eye goal in the second period gave it a 2-1 lead, but the Coyotes tied it 3:12 into the third period and were in position to win it despite a rash of injuries.
The Coyotes lost forwards Martin Hanzal and Jordan Martinook and defenseman Jakob Chychrun, who took an elbow from Ducks wing Nick Ritchie in the third period.
Wagner wheeled around the right circle and threw the puck on net with Smith guarding the post. Wagner’s shot hit Smith’s pad and somehow found an opening to bounce into the net.
Factor in two goal posts that Arizona hit earlier and Anaheim seemed to have luck on its side.
But for most of the game, the Ducks found themselves in a deadlock with the Coyotes, who took a minus-42 goal differential, the second worst in the NHL, into the game. Arizona has been without forwards Max Domi, a noted Ducks killer, and Brad Richardson because of long-term injuries.
The Coyotes still have a top line with speed that tied it 1-1 off a rush 79 seconds into the second period. Hanzal went to the net and had Anthony Duclair’s pass redirect off his body and into the net. The goal ended goalie John Gibson’s shutout streak at more than 114 minutes.
The Coyotes might have taken a lead shortly after on a curious play when Ducks defenseman Brandon Montour appeared to throw his stick at Tobias Rieder to stop Rieder on a partial breakaway. Replays seemed to show that Montour did not touch the puck first before the stick left his hand. Rieder looked at the official — such a play usually results in a penalty shot — but no penalty was called.
Corey Perry ’s play has seen an uptick lately and he helped the Ducks get the game’s first goal. Rickard Rakell and Josh Manson set up Perry between the circles and Perry wristed a shot that went in off Joseph Cramarossa for Cramarossa’s third career goal.

Similarity rank: 1.1

Sentiment rank: -1

© Source: http://www.latimes.com/la-sp-ducks-coyotes-20170106-story.html
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Vegas Play of the Day: Detroit Lions at Seattle Seahawks

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January 7, 2017

Seattle Seahawks’ Thomas Rawls (34) leaps over Carolina Panthers’ Daryl Worley to score a touchdown in the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 4, 2016, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
By Case Keefer ( contact )
Saturday, Jan. 7, 2017 | 2 a.m.
We’re entering the third season of the annual South Point-lined Play of the Day competition, effective July 1.
Starting bankrolls have reset to $10,000, with the maximum bet being to win $1,000 and the minimum wager $300. Ray Brewer won the 2015-2016 season, after Taylor Bern prevailed in 2014-2015. Bern stepped away in the middle of the 2016-2017 season with a 16-12 record and $13,317 bankroll, with Mike Grimala taking his place.
In my preview column earlier in the week, I agonized over which teams to pick in both wild-card games with point spreads of more than a touchdown. Three days later, I’m wavering on one of the picks but feel fully confident in the other.
The Seahawks are the latter. The more I think about it, the more I have a hard time envisioning the Lions making this game competitive.
Detroit’s last three games, which it lost by a total of 49 points, are more indicative of its value as a team than all the close wins it snuck out in the middle of the season. And none of those games were in a venue as tough as CenturyLink Field.
The Lions didn’t even play a game on the West Coast all year, let alone in this part of the country’s most unforgiving venue. The Seahawks’ offense hasn’t been great, but this is a favorable matchup for it to get right.
The Lions have the second-fewest sacks in the league, and won’t be able to punish the Seahawks for their soft offensive line. They’re also weak in the secondary, and Russell Wilson should be able to take advantage by peppering Doug Baldwin and Jimmy Graham with passes.
Seattle will have a big lead in this game. A backdoor cover is the only thing that worries me, but it’s not a big enough worry to push me off the Seahawks.

Similarity rank: 1.1

Sentiment rank: -0.9

© Source: http://lasvegassun.com/blogs/talking-points/2017/jan/07/vegas-play-of-the-day-detroit-lions-at-seattle-sea/
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Ronaldo scores as Madrid matches Barcelona's unbeaten record

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January 7, 2017

Cristiano Ronaldo began his year by scoring in the 5-0 demolition of Granada on Saturday in La Liga as Real Madrid tied Barcelona’s Spanish record of 39 games unbeaten in all competitions.
Francisco « Isco » Alarcon scored twice and Karim Benzema and Casemiro added a goal each at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.
Madrid is six points ahead of second-placed Barcelona, which plays fourth-placed Villarreal on Sunday.
Ronaldo, who was rested in Madrid’s first-leg 3-0 win against Sevilla in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday, scored with a close-range header off a cross by Marcelo in the 27th minute.
« It was important to begin the year like this, » Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane said. « We have to keep this pace the rest of the year. »
Madrid’s last setback was a 2-0 loss at Wolfsburg in the quarterfinal first leg of the Champions League in April. Since then, it has won 30 games and drawn nine under Zidane, a run that included three titles.
Zidane, who has lost only two games since taking over Madrid a year ago, had already matched the club record of 34 games without a defeat set in 1989 under coach Leo Beenhakker.
The Spanish record set by Luis Enrique’s Barcelona last season ended with a loss to Madrid at Camp Nou in April.
« It gives us great satisfaction to equal this record, » Zidane said. « We have no limits and we will do everything possible to keep this going. »
Madrid, which has won eight of its last nine league games, will have a chance to take the record outright in the second leg at Sevilla on Thursday.
Isco opened the scoring with a low shot from inside the area in the 12th after a mistake by the Granada defense while trying to move the ball forward, and Benzema — in an offside position — added to the lead in the 20th off the rebound of a shot by Luka Modric.
Benzema, who also was rested against Sevilla, has scored in seven consecutive games against Granada. He has a total of 10 goals in 11 matches against the team from southern Spain.
Ronaldo increased the lead after Marcelo cleared a defender in the left side before making a perfect cross into the area, and Isco netted again from close range after a low cross by Modric from the right flank for 4-0 in the 31st.
Casemiro scored the final goal in the 58th after a free kick by James Rodriguez, who entered in the second half after impressing against Sevilla midweek.
Madrid was still without injured defenders Sergio Ramos and Pepe, as well as forward Gareth Bale.
Granada remained second-to-last in the 20-team standings.
Third-placed Sevilla plays at fifth-placed Real Sociedad later Saturday, while sixth-placed Atletico faces Eibar.

Similarity rank: 1.1

Sentiment rank: 2.8

© Source: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports/article125136589.html
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Green: Warriors' 4th-quarter offense 'atrocious'

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January 7, 2017

OAKLAND, Calif. — Draymond Green didn’t speak highly of the Golden State Warriors ‘ fourth-quarter offense after blowing a 24-point lead at home and losing to the Memphis Grizzlies in overtime, 128-119, Friday night.
« Our fourth-quarter offense has been atrocious, and I don’t know if you could see, » Green said. « Everyone only notices in losses, but I actually pay attention to things when we win also. »
Golden State managed to score only 13 points in the final quarter. Before that, the defending Western Conference champs appeared to be on their way to their fifth straight victory. But the team says the offense became stagnant and movement became minimal.
Editor’s Picks Warriors stunned in OT after late collapse
Leading by as much as 24 points, the Golden State Warriors fell to the Memphis Grizzlies 128-119 in overtime.
In the midst of their offensive lull, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said he noticed something.
« I didn’t like our body language, » Kerr said. « That’s the main thing. I thought we were playing a really good, solid game through three quarters. We were taking care of the ball and defending, but the fourth quarter, once they made that run, our body language was bad. That can’t happen and that bothered me. »
Green made an argument that the poor body language surfaced in the third quarter, and admitted he was probably the main culprit.
Even though it was a colossal, embarrassing meltdown, Green said he was relieved they picked up their sixth loss of the season.
« I’m actually happy we lost today because there’s some things that we need to correct in order to win a championship, and that’s our goal, » he said. « So trying to win every regular-season game really don’t matter. I want to see us get better each and every time we step on the floor, and I don’t feel like that’s been happening for the things we need to get better at. So, I’m kind of thrilled that we lost because you usually make corrections when you lose. »
There was a play in the fourth quarter that summed up the Warriors’ frustration with their late-game offensive decisions.
The Warriors were up two with 22 seconds left in regulation. Klay Thompson collected an offensive rebound and kicked it out to Kevin Durant who dribbled some time off the clock and ended up shooting a contested 3-point from the top of the key that clanked off the rim.
Memphis gathered the rebound and called timeout. Green was furious as he stormed to the bench while shaking his head in disdain. As great as Durant is one-on-one, Golden State allowed Memphis to get its defense set.
« We had Kevin with an iso at the top, » Kerr explained. « He had Zach [Randolph] on him and I thought about taking a timeout, but I liked the matchup and so I let the play go through. »
Durant said Green was a little miffed that they didn’t work the pick-and-roll with Stephen Curry on that possession.
« We just stayed with it, » Grizzlies center Marc Gasol said. « We played together and shared the ball offensively, really unselfish. »
That defensive stop by Randolph on Durant was huge.
Out of the timeout, Mike Conley got Green to switch out on him and he penetrated and then hit a step-back jumper to tie the score before heading to overtime.
Memphis’ first lead of the game came in overtime, 113-111, and the Grizzlies never gave it up from there. Afterward, Green brought up Thompson, saying all he was doing was standing around during the latter parts of the game because the ball wasn’t moving.
He said that’s the team’s fault, not Thompson’s.
« We just haven’t executed very well, » Kerr said. « Maybe that’s something that we can do better as a coaching staff, trying to get guys in better position. We’ll look at the tape and continue to experiment and try different things. But we have to close games better and execute better offensively. »
Green agreed.
« We’ve got some things that we need to correct to be a championship team, and right now we’re not that, » Green said.

Similarity rank: 1.1

Sentiment rank: -1.5

© Source: http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/18424098/golden-state-warriors-draymond-green-calls-team-fourth-quarter-offense-atrocious
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Trump says cyberattacks had "no effect" on election outcome after briefing

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January 7, 2017

Last Updated Jan 7, 2017 1:13 AM EST
Top intelligence officials briefed President-elect Donald Trump Friday on Russia’s hacking efforts to interfere with the U. S. election.
Following the briefing at Trump Tower in New York, Mr. Trump released a statement on what he called a “constructive meeting and conversation” saying that the cyberattacks had “no effect on the outcome of the election.”
“While Russia, China, other countries, outside groups and people are consistently trying to break through the cyber infrastructure of our governmental institutions, businesses and organizations including the Democrat National Committee, there was absolutely no effect on the outcome of the election including the fact that there was no tampering whatsoever with voting machines,” Mr. Trump said.
The president-elect said there were attempts to hack the Republican National Committee, but they were unsuccessful in breaching the organization. He vowed to “aggressively combat and stop cyberattacks” as president and expressed confidence in the intelligence community.
“I had a constructive meeting and conversation with the leaders of the Intelligence Community this afternoon. I have tremendous respect for the work and service done by the men and women of this community to our great nation,” he said.
But on Friday night, Mr. Trump tweeted that “gross negligence” by the DNC allowed the hacking to happen.
Gross negligence by the Democratic National Committee allowed hacking to take place. The Republican National Committee had strong defense!
Earlier in the day, Mr. Trump didn’t explicitly say whether he’s convinced that Russia was behind the cyberattacks against the election.
The officials who briefed him were Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, CIA Director John Brennan and FBI Director James Comey. They’re preparing to point to multiple motives for Moscow’s alleged meddling in their classified report, which will be presented to the public in an unclassified version.
Earlier Friday, the intelligence chiefs briefed senior lawmakers Friday morning, and they briefed President Obama on Thursday.
President-elect Donald Trump sits down Friday with leaders of U. S. intelligence agencies that he has been openly criticizing. Mark Jacobson, seni…
At her weekly press conference, Minority Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said the intelligence officials had given a “very interesting presentation.”
“It was really quite a stunning disclosure ,” Pelosi said. “When you see this report, you will see with confidence how the intelligence community has identified what we have seen.”
But Mr. Trump has been deeply skeptical of allegations that Russia was involved.
President-elect Donald Trump is set to receive evidence of Russian hacking from U. S. intelligence officials at Trump Tower Friday. David Sanger,…
Several advisers were expected to join Mr. Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence for the briefing. That includes his incoming chief of staff and national security adviser and the chiefs of the CIA and Homeland Security department.
In an interview with The New York Times Friday morning, Mr. Trump called the focus on cyber attacks from Russia during the election “a political witch hunt.”
“China, relatively recently, hacked 20 million government names,” he said about the breach at the Office of Personnel Management. “How come nobody even talks about that? This is a political witch hunt.”
“With all that being said, I don’t want countries to be hacking our country,” Mr. Trump said. “They’ve hacked the White House. They’ve hacked Congress. We’re like the hacking capital of the world.”
The president-elect also tweeted an hour before the intelligence chiefs arrived that he was asking Congress to “investigate top secret intelligence shared with NBC prior to me seeing it.”
I am asking the chairs of the House and Senate committees to investigate top secret intelligence shared with NBC prior to me seeing it.
The White House says it was not the source of the leak on U. S. intelligence on Russian hacking to NBC. White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Mr. Trump’s tweet “leads me to conclude that his concerns are about something other than protecting classified information.”

Similarity rank: 7.4

Sentiment rank: 0.8

© Source: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/intelligence-chiefs-brief-trump-russia-hacking/
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Vladimir Putin 'ordered secret campaign to help Donald Trump win US election'

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January 7, 2017

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a hidden campaign to influence America’s presidential election in favour of Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton, US intelligence agencies have declared.
It was the US government’s first formal allegation supporting sensational claims that Mr Trump and his supporters have staunchly resisted.
The intelligence report, an unclassified version of a more detailed classified account given earlier to Mr Trump, the White House and congressional leaders, withheld the government’s evidence to back up its assertions.
Mr Trump, in a brief interview with The Associated Press, said he « learned a lot » from his discussions with intelligence officials, but declined to say whether he accepted their assertion that Russia had meddled in the election on his behalf.
« It was a really great meeting, I really like those people a lot, » said Mr Trump, who has challenged the intelligence community since winning the election. « I learned a lot and I think they did also. »
Mr Trump would not detail what evidence he was presented with, saying only that he learned « a lot of confidential things ». Because Mr Trump is not yet president, he is legally constrained from revealing classified information.
He later tweeted: « Gross negligence by the Democratic National Committee allowed hacking to take place. The Republican National Committee had strong defense! »
The unclassified version of the intelligence report was the most detailed public account to date of Russian efforts to interfere with the US political process, with actions that included hacking into the email accounts of the Democratic National Committee and individual Democrats like Mrs Clinton’s campaign chairman John Podesta.
Russia also used state-funded propaganda and paid « trolls » to make nasty comments on social media services, the report said. There was no suggestion that Russia affected actual vote counting or tampered with ballot machines. President Barack Obama requested the report last month and wanted it completed before inauguration day.
The report, for the first time, explicitly tied Mr Putin to the hackings, called it the « boldest effort yet » to influence a US election, and said the Russian government provided emails to WikiLeaks – something the website’s founder, Julian Assange, has repeatedly denied.
The intelligence agencies also said Russia will continue to try to influence future events in the US and worldwide, particularly among US allies.
Since Election Day, the intelligence agencies said, Russia has launched a « spear-phishing » campaign to try to trick people into revealing their email passwords, targeting US government employees and think tanks that specialise in national security, defence and foreign policy.
The report said: « Russia’s goals were to undermine public faith in the US democratic process, denigrate Secretary Clinton and harm her electability and potential presidency.
« We further assess Putin and the Russian government developed a clear preference for President-elect Trump. »
Mr Putin most likely wanted to discredit Clinton because he blames her for inciting mass protests against his regime in late 2011 and early 2012, and because he resents her for disparaging comments she has made about him, the report said.
The report was released shortly after intelligence officials finished briefing Mr Trump – a move probably intended to bolster the intelligence findings against criticism from the president-elect.
Mr Trump has been dismissive of the intelligence agencies’ claims of Russia’s involvement for months, long before he saw the classified information on Friday.
AP

Similarity rank: 7

Sentiment rank: 3.8

© Source: http://www.independent.ie/world-news/vladimir-putin-ordered-secret-campaign-to-help-donald-trump-win-us-election-35348739.html
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Israel kürzt Zahlungen an UN aus Protest gegen Resolution

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January 7, 2017

Tel Aviv (dpa) – Israel kürzt aus Protest gegen eine UN-Resolution, die den Siedlungsstopp in den besetzten Palästinensergebieten fordert, seine Zahlungen an die Vereinten Nationen.
« Der Staat Israel hat sich dazu entschieden, für 2017 einen signifikanten Teil unserer jährlichen Beiträge in der Höhe von rund sechs Millionen Dollar (5,7 Millionen Euro) auszusetzen », teilte ein Sprecher des Außenministeriums mit. Dies entspreche dem Betrag, den die UN aus ihrem Budget « anti-israelischen Organisationen » zuteile, wie dem Bereich für palästinensische Rechte (DPR).
Die Kürzung sei eine Reaktion auf die UN-Resolution 2334, twitterte der israelische Botschafter bei den UN, Danny Danon. Aktuell zahlt Israel jährlich rund 38 Millionen Euro an die UN, wie das israelische Fernsehen unter Berufung auf die israelische UN-Vertretung berichtet.
Der UN-Sicherheitsrat hatte am 23. Dezember eine Resolution verabschiedet, die Israel zu einem vollständigen Siedlungsstopp in den besetzten Palästinensergebieten einschließlich Ost-Jerusalems auffordert. Die USA als traditioneller Verbündeter Israels hatten sich bei dem Votum enthalten. Erst dadurch war die Verabschiedung der Resolution mit den Stimmen der anderen 14 Ratsmitglieder möglich geworden.
Israel hatte während des Sechstagekriegs 1967 unter anderem das Westjordanland und den arabischen Ostteil Jerusalems erobert. Die Palästinenser beanspruchen diese Gebiete als Teil eines künftigen eigenen Staates.
Mittlerweile wohnen knapp 600 000 Israelis in 125 Siedlungen im Westjordanland sowie in Ost-Jerusalem. Dazu kommen rund 100 wilde Siedlungen, für deren Legalisierung sich Netanjahus rechts-religiöse Regierung zuletzt stark machte.

Similarity rank: 3.2

© Source: http://www.sueddeutsche.de/news/politik/konflikte-israel-kuerzt-zahlungen-an-un-aus-protest-gegen-resolution-dpa.urn-newsml-dpa-com-20090101-170107-99-782916?source=rss
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Florida: Tote und Verletzte bei Schüssen auf Flughafen

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January 7, 2017

Ein Mann hat auf dem Flughafen von Fort Lauderdale im US-Bundesstaat Florida mindestens fünf Menschen erschossen und acht Personen verletzt. Die Polizei erklärte, sie habe den Schützen festgenommen. Es handele sich um einen Einzeltäter.
Ein Bewaffneter hat am internationalen Flughafen der US-Großstadt Fort Lauderdale in Florida fünf Menschen erschossen. Es gebe zudem acht Verletzte, teilte das Büro des zuständigen Sheriffs in Broward County mit. Der Schütze sei in Gewahrsam genommen worden. Das Motiv des Täters sei noch nicht bekannt, erklärte das Büro von Gouverneur Rick Scott.
Ob es sich um Terrorismus oder das Werk eines « geistig Verwirrten » handele, müsse sich erst noch zeigen, sagte der Senator von Florida, Bill Nelson. Ihm zufolge handelt es sich bei mutmaßlichen Schützen um einen 26 Jahre alten Mann aus Anchorage in Alaska, bei dem ein Militärausweis gefunden worden sei.
Die Familie des Verdächtigen berichtete von psychischen Problemen des Irak-Veterans. Ein Beamter teilte mit, der Mann habe dem FBI im November gesagt, dass die Regierung seinen Verstand kontrolliere und ihn zwinge, Videos der Terrormiliz Islamischer Staat anzuschauen.
Nach Behördenangaben eröffnete der Verdächtige nach seiner Ankunft an einem Gepäckband das Feuer. « Die Leute haben angefangen zu schreien und versuchten, aus jeder möglichen Tür herauszukommen oder sich unter den Stühlen zu verstecken », sagte Augenzeuge Mark Lea dem Sender MSNBC.
Der Täter habe wahllos um sich geschossen und nichts gesagt, als er an den Gepäckbändern auf- und abgegangen sei. Er habe zwischen dem Gepäck hindurchgeschossen, um Menschen zu treffen, die sich versteckt hätten, sagte Lea.
Der gesamte Flughafen wurde vorübergehend gesperrt. Behörden und Augenzeugen berichteten, der Schütze habe nach seiner Tat seine Waffe auf den Boden geworfen und sich mit ausgestreckten Armen und Beinen hingelegt. Dan wurde er festgenommen.
Regionale TV-Sender zeigten Aufnahmen, auf denen Hunderte Menschen zu sehen waren, die auf dem Rollfeld standen. Augenzeugen berichten, den Passagieren sei gesagt worden, dass dort der sicherste Platz auf dem Flughafen sei.
Als einer der Ersten hatte der frühere Regierungssprecher von Präsident George W. Bush, Ari Fleischer, über den Kurznachrichtendienst Twitter von der Situation berichtet. Er befand sich demnach zum Zeitpunkt des Vorfalls auf dem Flughafen. « Es sind Schüsse gefallen. Alle rennen weg », schrieb er. « Alles ist jetzt wieder ruhig, aber die Polizei lässt niemanden aus dem Flughafen raus, zumindest nicht dort, wo ich gerade bin », schrieb Fleischer weiter.
Der Flughafen wird jährlich von rund 25 Millionen Passagieren genutzt. Er ist damit hinsichtlich der Passagierzahlen größer als der drittgrößte deutsche Flughafen Düsseldorf.

Similarity rank: 3.2

65 Tote – war es ISIS? | Autobombe explodiert vor Gericht in Syrien

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January 7, 2017

Wer für den Anschlag verantwortlich ist, war zunächst nicht bekannt. In der Vergangenheit hatten sowohl Terroristen von ISIS als auch Geheimdienst-Agenten des Assad-Regimes Autobomben und Sprengsätze in Azaz zur Explosion gebracht, um der Opposition zu schaden. Ein Bekennerschreiben gab es bis zum Nachmittag nicht.

Similarity rank: 3.3

Mehrere Tote bei Protesten gegen hohe Spritpreise in Mexiko

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January 7, 2017

Mexiko-Stadt (dpa) – Bei landesweiten Protesten in Mexiko gegen die Erhöhung der Benzinpreise sind Medienberichten zufolge seit Sonntag bis zu sechs Menschen ums Leben gekommen. Über 900 Demonstranten wurden festgenommen und 400 Geschäfte geplündert, wie die Zeitung « Milenio » berichtete.
Unternehmerverbände forderten am Freitag den Einsatz des Militärs, um den Plünderern Einhalt zu gebieten. Im Bundesstaat Hidalgo seien zwei Menschen umgekommen, als die Polizei eine Straßenblockade räumen wollte, teilten die lokalen Behörden mit. Weitere 20 Menschen seien verletzt worden. Drei Fahrzeuge, darunter ein Streifenwagen der Polizei, wurden in Brand gesetzt.
Im Süden des Staates Veracruz, in der Gemeinde Agua Dulce, wurde ein Mensch während der Proteste überfahren und starb, wie die Zeitung « Milenio » am Freitag unter Berufung auf die Behörden berichtete. Außerdem seien am Donnerstag zwei Leichen mutmaßlicher Plünderer in der Nähe ausgeraubter Geschäfte in Veracruz gefunden worden. Ein Polizist wurde am Mittwoch von einem Fahrzeug überfahren und tödlich verletzt, als er einen Überfall auf eine Tankstelle verhindern wollte.
Die Polizei kämpft seit Sonntag gegen Krawalle und Plünderungen an. In Puebla bildeten Bewohner von drei Stadtteilen mit Stöcken, Macheten und Steinen bewaffnete Bürgerwehren, um Plünderer abzuschrecken. Rund 70 Prozent der Geschäfte im Zentrum der 1,4 Millionen Einwohner zählenden Stadt blieben am Freitag geschlossen, wie « Milenio » berichtete. In Veracruz versperrten mit Eisenstangen und Macheten bewaffnete Geschäftseigentümer die Zugänge zu Einkaufszentren.
Seit der Erhöhung der Benzinpreise am Sonntag um bis zu 20 Prozent wird überall im Land protestiert. Es kam zu zahlreichen Ausschreitungen, Straßensperren wurden errichtet, tausende Geschäfte blieben aus Angst vor Diebstahl geschlossen. Für diesen Sonntag werden weitere landesweite Proteste und eine Demonstration in Mexiko-Stadt erwartet.
Der Preisanstieg erfolgt im Rahmen der von der mexikanischen Regierung vorangetriebenen Liberalisierung der Treibstoffpreise, die sich folglich den internationalen Schwankungen des Erdölpreises anpassen. In Mexiko war jahrzehntelang der Benzinpreis von der Regierung weit unter den Marktpreisen festgelegt worden.