Saturday, 31 August 2013

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

France to await US congressional decision on Syria

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PARIS (AP) - France will wait for its parliament and the U.S. Congress to consider possible military action on Syria before making a decision about whether to launch strikes against Bashar Assad's regime, President Francois Hollande's office said Saturday.The comments from an official in the French president's office came as the world reacted to word from President Barack Obama that he believes the United States should respond with force over an alleged chemical weapons attack by the Syrian regime, but that he has decided to put the issue before the American legislature first.France, under Hollande and his Socialist government, has been the most vocal and visible country to show willingness to join the United States in military action against Syria's regime following the suspected chemical weapons attack in rebel-held or contested areas last week. The U.S. claims it killed 1,429 people, including more than 400 children, marking a grave and intolerable escalation in Syria's two-year civil war that has left 100,000 dead.Before his speech about Syria outside the White House on Saturday, Obama explained his decision to Hollande in a phone call, the official in the French presidency said on condition of anonymity because she wasn't authorized to be publicly named according to presidential policy. Hollande told Obama that he already had decided to convene France's parliament on Wednesday to take up a debate about Syria.The two presidents reaffirmed their joint willingness to act, and have an absolute and shared conviction that Assad's regime was behind the chemical weapons attack, the official said.Unlike in Britain, Hollande does not need the permission of parliament to order France to intervene militarily. Britain's parliament on Thursday rejected efforts by Prime Minister David Cameron to have British forces possibly take part in military action against Syria.In his speech, Obama said the U.N. Security Council has been completely paralyzed and unwilling to hold Assad accountable. As a consequence, many people have advised against taking this decision to Congress, and undoubtedly, they were impacted by what we saw happen in the United Kingdom this week when the Parliament of our closest ally failed to pass a resolution with a similar goal, even as the prime minister supported taking action.After Obama's speech, Cameron tweeted: I understand and support Barack Obama's position on Syria.French officials said France is ready to strike once Hollande gives the order, though he has said he hasn't yet made a decision. The officials haven't publicly specified how the French military posture has changed in preparation for a Syria action, though analysts say that France's most likely contribution would involve firing cruise missiles on targets in Syria.At the U.N. Security Council, Russia and China have repeatedly blocked efforts by fellow permanent members Britain, France and the United States to pass tough resolutions against Assad's regime.Egypt's Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy said Cairo rejects military intervention in Syria except under Chapter 7 of the U.N. charter, whereby it is proven that the country has become a danger to international peace security. Fahmy also asked that any decision be put off until the report of the U.N. investigators regarding the use of chemical weapons comes out.Speaking on MBC Egypt TV, in comments relayed by the state-run news agency MENA, Fahmy said Obama was seeking Congress' approval to immunize himself politically in the wake of controversial U.S. military action in Iraq and Afghanistan.

White House sends Congress draft Syria resolution

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WASHINGTON (AP) - The White House has sent Congress a draft of a resolution authorizing President Barack Obama to use military force against Syria.The draft follows through on Obama's decision, announced Saturday, to seek congressional approval for a strike against Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime.The resolution lays out the administration's claim that Assad's regime killed more than 1,000 people in an Aug. 21 chemical weapons attack. It says the objective of a U.S. military response would be to deter, disrupt, prevent and degrade the regime's ability to use chemical weapons.The resolution authorizes Obama to use the military as he determines necessary and appropriate to serve that goal.The draft doesn't lay out a timeline for action. But it does say only a political settlement can resolve the Syrian crisis.Earlier, in a statement issued from White House, President Barack Obama said that ten days ago, the world watched in horror as men, women and children were massacred in Syria in the worst chemical weapons attack of the 21st century. Yesterday the United States presented a powerful case that the Syrian government was responsible for this attack on its own people.Our intelligence shows the Assad regime and its forces preparing to use chemical weapons, launching rockets in the highly populated suburbs of Damascus, and acknowledging that a chemical weapons attack took place. And all of this corroborates what the world can plainly see hospitals overflowing with victims; terrible images of the dead. All told, well over 1,000 people were murdered. Several hundred of them were children young girls and boys gassed to death by their own government.This attack is an assault on human dignity. It also presents a serious danger to our national security. It risks making a mockery of the global prohibition on the use of chemical weapons. It endangers our friends and our partners along Syria's borders, including Israel, Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon and Iraq. It could lead to escalating use of chemical weapons, or their proliferation to terrorist groups who would do our people harm.In a world with many dangers, this menace must be confronted.Now, after careful deliberation, I have decided that the United States should take military action against Syrian regime targets. This would not be an open-ended intervention. We would not put boots on the ground. Instead, our action would be designed to be limited in duration and scope. But I'm confident we can hold the Assad regime accountable for their use of chemical weapons, deter this kind of behavior, and degrade their capacity to carry it out.

Possible US-led attack on Syria sparks rallies

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HOUSTON (AP) - Protesters around the world took to the streets Saturday to protest for and against a possible U.S.-led attack on Syria as President Barack Obama announced he would seek congressional approval for such a move.Obama said the United States should take action against Syria to punish it for what it says was a deadly chemical attack that killed more than 1,400 people launched by Syrian President Bashar Assad this month, but he wants Congress to debate the issue and take a vote. Obama has said any possible strike would be limited.In Houston, home to a large population of Syrian-Americans, about 100 people lined up on opposite sides of a street in an upscale neighborhood to express opposing views on a possible U.S. attack.We want any kind of action. The world has stood silently and it's been too long. Something needs to be done, said Tamer Barazi, a 23-year-old civil engineer who carried a Syrian flag and a sign stating Syrian Americans for peace, democracy and freedom in Syria.Standing across the street in Houston's sweltering heat were those opposing U.S. intervention, outnumbering the supporters of an intervention. Some carried signs stating We Don't Want Obama's War and Hands Off Syria.How would you like another country to decide who is going to be the president of the United States?, asked 53-year-old Hisam Saker, a Syrian-American property manager who has lived in Houston for 33 years.In Washington, as Obama addressed the nation from the Rose Garden, crowds of anti-war demonstrators gathered outside the White House. Obama, hands off Syria shouted the anti-war demonstrators, who carried yellow signs reading No War On Syria.Across the street, Syrians and Syrian Americans who support U.S. action waved flags from their country and shouted for Assad's ouster.The conflict's been going on for, what, almost 2 years now. Estimates are 100,000 Syrian civilians have been killed and all of a sudden the U.S. government has manufactured the excuse of the use of chemical weapons in Syria to use that excuse to intervene in Syria, said Tristan Brosnan, 25, of Washington.In London, more than 1,000 protesters carrying Syrian flags and placards marched to Downing Street and rallied in Trafalgar Square.And about 700 people turned out for an anti-war demonstration in Frankfurt, Germany, police said. Organizers said only a sovereign, independent Syria free of foreign interference would make it possible for the Syrian people to shape the country's future.At a protest organized by left-wing opposition parties in Amman, Jordan, Kawthar Arrar described any military intervention as an aggression on the whole Arab world. The protesters gathered outside the U.S. embassy, chanting slogans and setting fire to American and Israeli flags.U.N. inspectors left Syria on Saturday after a four-day, on-site investigation in the area where the chemical attack is suspected.The protesters in London hailed Thursday's U.K. parliament vote against British participation as a victory.Chemical weapons are terrible weapons, but when you think of all the thousands of people that have been killed by British and American troops in Afghanistan and Iraq you realize that it isn't true that another war would solve the problem, former Labour Party lawmaker Tony Benn told the protesters.Anti-war rallies were held in cities across the U.S. In Boston, more than 200 protesters demonstrated in the Boston Commons against the possible use of force against Syria by the U.S. They waved signs and chanted Don't Bomb Syria over and over again, and at least one speaker said congressional authorization wouldn't make an attack acceptable.More than two dozen protesters gathered in Little Rock at the Arkansas Capitol to oppose a possible U.S. attack. Some wore T-shirts proclaiming NO U.S. INTERVENTION IN SYRIA.I had friends that died in Iraq, and I don't want more people to die for nothing, said Dominic Box, 23, expressing some of the fears of a war-weary public.In downtown Chicago, about 40 people walked quietly in the rain, circling a sculpture in Daley Plaza. Some carried signs that read No War In Syria and Shut It Down.

Egypt security forces arrest top Sinai militant

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CAIRO (AP) - Egyptian security forces said they arrested Saturday a top wanted militant in the Sinai Peninsula, while authorities reported a failed attempt to disrupt traffic on the strategic Suez Canal but gave scant detail.Canal authority chairman Mohab Mamish said a terrorist element had tried to disrupt navigation in the waterway by targeting a Panama-flagged ship. In comments carried by official news agency MENA, he said the attempt was completely unsuccessful and the container carrier unharmed. He did not say how the ship was targeted.Authorities have taken extra security measures to safeguard the waterway as lawlessness and violence gripped Sinai, where militants and smugglers rove relatively freely and target security forces and posts.Mamish said military troops dealt firmly with the situation, and that navigation was largely uninterrupted. Earlier Saturday, residents of Port Said, a city that lies along the waterway, said they heard a loud bang. It was not immediately possible to reach witnesses later Saturday.Egyptian authorities have heightened their security arrangements in recent weeks, following the military coup that ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi on July 3.They accuse opponents of the coup of trying to destabilize the country, and have waged a security crackdown against members of the Muslim Brotherhood, from which Morsi hails, and other allies, arresting hundreds.Pro-military media and state TV have frequently described the crackdown on Morsi supporters as a fight against terrorism.Morsi supporters have held near-daily protests since the coup but deny they are violent. After a bloody dispersal of their major sit-ins earlier this month, however, some retaliated by attacking police stations, government buildings and churches.In Sinai, violence has only worsened since Morsi's overthrow.The militant arrested there Saturday is suspected of leading an al-Qaida-linked group in an ambush where 25 off-duty policemen were lined up and shot last week, security officials said. The attack was one of the area's worst militant strikes on security forces.The man, Adel Mohammed, also known as Adel Habara according to one official, has already been sentenced to death in absentia for killing soldiers in the Nile Delta last year.Habara's arrest could potentially undermine militant activities in the area, where over two dozen security men have been killed alone since July. The security official said two other suspects were arrested along with Habara.Authorities have been engaged in a long-running battle against militants in the northern half of the strategic region, which borders the Gaza Strip and Israel.Earlier Saturday, security officials said 31 suspected militants have been arrested since Thursday, including two caught seeking treatment for wounds sustained in clashes with police.In other violence nearby, a riot police officer was shot in the chest Friday while on patrol in the city of El-Arish, the capital of North Sinai governorate, the Interior Ministry said Saturday.According to one security official, four militants have also been killed since Thursday. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.Since the ouster of Morsi, his supporters have been organizing regular protests calling for his return. Several thousand took to the streets on Friday in scattered protests in different parts of Egypt, though demonstrations have largely waned in recent days.

Putin urges US to hold off on striking Syria

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MOSCOW (AP) - Russian President Vladimir Putin urged President Barack Obama on Saturday not to rush into a decision on striking Syria, but to consider whether strikes would help end the violence and be worth the civilian casualties they would inevitably cause.Speaking for the first time about the suspected chemical weapons attack on Aug. 21, Putin also questioned whether Syrian government troops should be held responsible. He said it would make no sense for them to carry out such a devastating attack while they were on the offensive.In such conditions, to give a trump card to those who are calling for foreign military intervention is foolish nonsense, Putin said. It defies all logic.The United States said Friday that the attack in a rebel-held suburb of Damascus, the Syrian capital, killed 1,429 people, including more than 400 children.The Russian leader said he was convinced the suspected chemical attack was a provocation aimed at drawing the U.S. military into Syria's civil war, implying he believed the attack was carried out by the Syrian rebels.If the Americans have evidence proving the involvement of President Bashar Assad's regime, they should present it to the United Nations inspectors and the U.N. Security Council, he said. If there is evidence it should be presented, Putin said. If it is not presented, that means it does not exist.Putin's foreign policy adviser complained Friday that Russia had not seen the U.S. intelligence that Washington insists proves the Syrian government was responsible for the attack.On Saturday, the U.S. ambassador to Russia, Michael McFaul, met with Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov to provide information backing up the U.S. position, the Foreign Ministry said.Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his deputies have stated repeatedly that Russia opposes any use of force against Syria without U.N. Security Council approval, while also making clear that Russia would vote against such a resolution.Ryabkov used tougher language on Saturday, warning the U.S. that launching strikes without a Security Council resolution would be an act of aggression, a flagrant violation of international law.If Washington goes ahead with the strikes, however, Moscow has appeared to rule out Russian military action. We're not intending to go to war with anyone, Lavrov said early this week.A longtime ally of Assad, Russia is a major supplier of weapons to Syria and maintains a naval base in the Syrian port of Tartus.In addressing Obama, Putin said he was speaking to him not as the U.S. president but as a holder of the Nobel Peace Prize.We have to remember what has happened in the last decades, how many times the United States has been the initiator of armed conflict in different regions of the world, Putin told Russian journalists, including from state television, covering his visit to Vladivostok in the Far East. Did this resolve even one problem?He urged Obama to reflect on the results of the U.S. military intervention in Afghanistan and Iraq before taking a decision to carry out air strikes that will bring casualties, including among the civilian population.Putin said he hoped to talk to Obama in person when leaders of the Group of 20 meet next week in St. Petersburg. Obama had planned to hold a separate summit with Putin in Moscow ahead of the G-20 meeting, but he canceled three weeks ago. The White House said Russia's decision to grant asylum to National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden was the last straw, but that a lack of progress on other issues, including on the Syrian civil war, played into the decision.No one-on-one meetings between Putin and Obama are planned during G-20, but both sides have said it is likely that the two leaders will have an opportunity to talk.

Nadal rolls on at US Open, tops Dodig in 3rd round

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NEW YORK (AP) - Rafael Nadal crushed another opponent at the U.S. Open, beating Ivan Dodig 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 in the third round Saturday.The second-seeded Spaniard has lost just 21 games through three matches. He has faced only five break points, saving each one of them.The 38th-ranked Dodig beat Nadal at the hard-court tournament in Montreal two years ago. But Nadal is looking like the king of hard courts these days, with an 18-match winning streak on the surface.He closed out the victory with a service winner to win the last game at love.In another match of the day, 13th-seeded John Isner lost to 22nd-seeded Philipp Kohlschreiber in the U.S. Open's third round for the second consecutive year.Kohlschreiber's 6-4, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (5) victory Saturday over the highest-ranked American means the host country has only one man left: 109th-ranked Tim Smyczek, whose third-round match is Sunday.After beating France's Gael Monfils in the second round, Isner said he was disappointed that fans were cheering so vociferously for Monfils. On Saturday, there were chants of U-S-A U-S-A in the second set, and Here we go, John Here we go in the fourth set but Isner failed once again to figure out Kohlschreiber at Flushing Meadows.

Azarenka wins in 3 sets in US Open 3rd round

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NEW YORK (AP) - Victoria Azarenka needed to win the second set twice. She had plenty left to pull away for a three-set victory at the U.S. Open.The second-seeded Azarenka took 2 hours, 40 minutes to close out Alize Cornet 6-7 (2), 6-3, 6-2 in the third round Saturday.Serving on game point at 5-3 in the second, Azarenka pumped her fist and started walking off the court after the 26th-seeded Cornet hit a backhand into the net. The chair umpire had to get her attention to inform her that the line judge had called Azarenka's previous shot out replays showed it landed inside the baseline. The umpire overruled the call, but they still had to replay the point.Are you freaking kidding me? Azarenka howled to the chair ump. What the hell are you doing?After the match, she put it this way: That was the most ridiculous thing there is.On her second try at set point, Azarenka hit a forehand wide to send the game to deuce. But she won the next two points to clinch the set, after all.Then she dominated the third to advance to face 13th-seeded Ana Ivanovic, who rallied to beat young American Christina McHale in three sets.The dynamic of the match was a little bit weird for me, Azarenka said. I felt like I didn't take my opportunities in the first set, which was kind of a waste and it gave her a lot of confidence, and she really came up with the great shots when she needed with the big serves. I'd actually never seen her serve like that before, so that's definitely a big improvement from her side.Even with McHale's tough loss, it's still been a promising tournament for the generation of U.S. women who must succeed the Williams sisters.Serena Williams gets a much-anticipated rematch with 20-year-old Sloane Stephens on Sunday. They're joined in the round of 16 by a less expected American, wild-card Alison Riske.Maybe's Riske's run isn't that much of a surprise considering her recent surge. The 23-year-old Pittsburgh native came into the summer having never accomplished any of these feats: winning a match in a Grand Slam tournament, at a WTA Tour event on hard courts, or against a top-10 foe.She's now achieved all that, her latest breakthrough victory a rout of 2011 Wimbledon champ Petra Kvitova. Riske won 6-3, 6-0, taking the last eight games against the seventh-seeded Czech, who was in bed with a fever the day before.I've got a new confidence in myself, the 81st-ranked Riske said through tears in an on-court interview. I believe that I belong here.McHale was one game away from matching Riske in upsetting a former major champion to reach her first Grand Slam fourth round. The 21-year-old had a chance to serve out the match at 5-4 in the second set, but Ivanovic broke back.The 2008 French Open champ then saved two break points at 5-5, and she broke McHale's serve in the next game to clinch the second set.Ivanovic broke McHale again in the final game of the third set for a 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 victory in 2 hours, 26 minutes.McHale has been ranked as high as 24th, but she'd slipped to No. 114 after a bout with mononucleosis.After some of the losses I've had this year, even though today it hurts to lose this type of close match, I feel much better about my game, she said.Riske was 0-5 at major tournaments before Wimbledon this year but is 5-1 since. She just broke into the top 100 in late July; now Riske will likely earn a top-60 ranking.It's really tough out here, she said. Every week isn't like this.She has always thrived on grass, making the third round at Wimbledon this year. Now she's starting to figure out the hard courts. She next faces an unseeded opponent, Daniela Hantuchova.Kvitova said she tried to end points quickly, knowing she couldn't hold up through long rallies. But Riske stayed calm and played good defense, taking advantage of Kvitova's seven double-faults and 27 unforced errors.She moved quite well, Kvitova said. She pushed me to the back. That was tough for me.It's another frustrating finish at Flushing Meadows, the only major tournament at which Kvitova hasn't made the semifinals. Two years ago, she became the first reigning Wimbledon women's champion to lose her first U.S. Open match in the same season.My body wouldn't let me fight, Kvitova said.Riske was all set to play for Vanderbilt in 2009 when a family friend who owns a chemical company offered to sponsor her. So she turned pro.A year ago at this time, she was questioning the wisdom of that decision. Then she rejoined coach Yves Boulais.Once I got back with him, things kind of unfolded themselves, Riske said. I felt really comfortable. I knew that with the tennis I was playing that things were going to start coming together. I just didn't know when.Saturday's session opened with two minor upsets: Simona Halep, seeded 21st, crushed No. 14 Maria Kirilenko 6-1, 6-0, and Flavia Pennetta beat 27th-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova 7-5, 6-1. The two face each other in the fourth round.The 21-year-old Halep extended a sizzling summer with her first trip to a Grand Slam fourth round. She's coming off a title at New Haven.On the men's side, fourth-seeded David Ferrer needed nearly three hours to down 172nd-ranked qualifier Mikhail Kukushkin 6-4, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4. No. 10-seeded Milos Raonic beat 23rd-seeded Feliciano Lopez 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.Janko Tipsarevic, seeded 18th, also needed four sets to knock off 20-year-old American Jack Sock 3-6, 7-6 (1), 6-1, 6-2.

Manchester City beat Hull 2-0 in Premier League

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MANCHESTER (AP) - Manchester City avoided another slip-up against a Premier League newcomer by beating Hull 2-0 on Saturday, a week after losing at Cardiff.City's second-half goals came from substitute Alvaro Negredo, who headed in Pablo Zabaleta's cross, and Yaya Toure's curled free kick. City, hoping to repeat its 2012 title triumph, has six points from a possible nine.Hull has lost twice and won once in its three matches since gaining promotion to the topflight, but looked resilient at the Etihad Stadium.City's defense had a more solid look about it, with Matija Nastasic fit again to play alongside Joleon Lescott.But City started slowly and Hull frustrated the hosts with strong defending and by chasing everything. City fans made their irritation known.City goalkeeper Joe Hart, under scrutiny for making several mistakes this season, seemed uncertain as Hull made an early move into the box, but Pablo Zabaleta cleared the danger.Hull should have claimed the lead in the seventh minute when Danny Graham's ball took a fortunate ricochet off Nastasic and sent Sone Aluko clear. But Aluko squandered a glorious opportunity as he scuffed a low shot wide after reaching the edge of the area unchallenged.It sparked a lively passage of play, including a Hull goal that was ruled offside. Hull goalkeeper Allan McGregor also made a number of fine saves.City manager Manuel Pellegrini substituted Edin Dzeko for new signing Negredo at the start of the second half. Negredo's first contribution was to head wide from Silva's cross three minutes after coming on.It was a while before the next chance materialized as Hull continued to battle and City struggled to piece together meaningful attacks.City finally produced some quality to break the deadlock with a good attack down the right flank in the 64th minute.Zabaleta got behind the defense and whipped an inviting cross for Negredo, who moved into space and leapt high to plant a firm header past McGregor.And the victory was secured in the 90th minute when substitute Samir Nasri was fouled on the edge of the box, and Toure stepped up to take the free kick, which landed in the net.

Marquez claims pole for British MotoGP race

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SILVERSTONE (AP) - MotoGP world championship leader Marc Marquez will start the British Grand Prix from pole position on Sunday after setting a new lap record at the Silverstone circuit.Marquez, in his maiden MotoGP season, completed a lap in qualifying on Saturday in 2 minutes, 0.691 seconds after a fierce tussle with defending champion Jorge Lorenzo.The Yamaha rider was the first to break Casey Stoner's lap record in the final qualifying session before Marquez went quicker.Marquez again lowered the best time and will start his bid for a fifth MotoGP race win in succession from the front on Sunday. He will be joined on the front row by Lorenzo and Cal Crutchlow.

Konig wins 8th stage of Vuelta, Roche takes lead

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ESTEPONA (AP) - Czech rider Leopold Konig used a final uphill surge to win the eighth stage of the Spanish Vuelta on Saturday, while Nicolas Roche took over the leader's red jersey.Konig passed Igor Anton before holding off Daniel Moreno's sprint to claim the 167-kilometer (104-mile) ride from Jerez de la Frontera ending with a category-one summit finish at Alto de Penas Blancas.Konig finished with a time of 4 hours, 9 minutes, 46 seconds. Moreno was 1 second behind, and Roche crossed 5 seconds back.Konig's strong day moved him up to fifth in the overall standings, 29 seconds off Roche's leading pace.The first part was steep and the final part more steady. I knew that if I survived the first part I could attack in the second, Konig said. We are going for the overall classification and to get in the top 10, but also to pick up some stages. So it was a great day for us.The 25-year-old Konig, who rides for NetApp-Endura, also won a stage of the Tour of California earlier this month.The ride that took the peloton along the southern coast and then up a steep mountain with spectacular views of the sea below shook up the top part of the overall standings after two days of tranquility.Roche, the Irish SaxoBank-Tinkoff cyclist, opened up a 17-second lead over Moreno and American veteran Christopher Horner. Former leader Vincenzo Nibali ended up 18 seconds behind.Former Vuelta winner Alejandro Valverde was 31 seconds behind in seventh place, while fellow Spanish favorite Joaquim Rodriguez was 1:03 back in 10th.Roche, who won the second stage last Sunday, said he was surprised that he had taken the lead from Nibali.The other day when I attacked and got the win I missed getting the red jersey, Roche said. I thought that if Nibali focused on other riders I could pick up a few seconds here and there and that's what happened today.Every year I come to the Vuelta with the dream of wearing the red jersey one day. It's incredible.Garmin Sharp rider Daniel Martin abandoned the race before the day's start after falling on Friday.Sunday's ride is a 163-kilometer (104-mile) mountainous stage from Antequera to Valdepenas de Jaen.The three-week grand tour finishes in Madrid on Sept. 15.

US woman, pet kangaroo find new home at zoo

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WYNNEWOOD (AP) - An Oklahoma woman and her pet kangaroo have found a new home after battling a city council over her right to keep the animal.Two years after fighting a city council in northeastern Oklahoma over her right to keep a therapy kangaroo, Christie Carr found a home for her red kangaroo at an exotic animal park. And Carr has found some relief from her depression.On a recent weekday morning at The Garold Wayne Interactive Zoological Park, Irwin, fresh from playing in the dirt, sat on a cushy chair in a wooden pen next to Carr. He later fussed with Larsen, a baby Siberian tiger, in the staff house.The new home, Carr said, is good for both Irwin and herself. He's able to interact with other people and some animals, and her emotional life is enriched by being around all the animals.Just me and him together, it's almost like he was feeding off my depression, said Carr, who lives in the zoo's staff house. He likes people, he likes to be around people and here, there is something always going on.Irwin, however, can't play with the park's other kangaroo, Pluto, who lives near a pond. Carr and zoo founder Joe Schreibvogel are scared Irwin could lose his balance and fall into the water, so they are hoping to build a new kangaroo enclosure in the future. Irvin has been nursed back to health after he was partially paralyzed from running into a fence a few years ago.Carr and 3-year-old Irwin arrived at the zoo after spats with officials in Broken Arrow. Carr's therapist had certified Irwin as a therapy pet under the Americans with Disabilities Act. But city officials initially feared Irwin could pose a threat to the public's safety.Native to Australia, healthy male great red kangaroos can grow up to 7 feet (2.1 meters) tall, weigh more than 200 pounds (90 kilograms) and bound 25 feet (7.5 meters) in a single leap. But veterinarians said Irwin would probably not grow larger than 50 pounds (22.5 kilograms) because of his injury and because he has been neutered. Irwin has gained about 20 pounds (nine kilograms) during the past two years and is now able to hop better.The city council eventually voted to create an exotic animal ordinance exemption that allowed Carr to keep Irwin within city limits under certain conditions. The permit required exotic animal owners to, among other things, have a $50,000 liability insurance policy for any injuries inflicted by the animal, certification that the animal has adequate housing and meet all federal and state guidelines for licensing. An anonymous donor paid for Carr's insurance policy.But growing frustration with city officials caused Carr to move herself and Irwin first to Claremore, then to her parents' home in McAlester and, in March, to the zoo.We called her up and offered her a place to stay and Irwin a zoo to hang out with a bunch of other animals, and they've been here ever since, said Schreibvogel, who founded the zoo, which is named after his brother who died in a car accident in 1997.The park has close to 800 animals the majority came from sanctuaries and other zoos and 18 workers. It's a place, Schreibvogel said, where animals and humans come for a second chance.Most of the volunteers here are ex-druggies, ex-alcoholics, on prison's door step, he said. Why do people turn to drugs and alcohol? Usually because they don't fit in somewhere. Well, here these animals don't judge you.Schreibvogel, who looks a bit out of place in the Oklahoma countryside with his bleach-blonde hair, earrings and eyebrow ring and arm full of tattoos, is trying to become a country singer. Known as Joe Exotic, he recently released three songs with music videos and has a reality TV show pilot filming soon, which will feature Irwin and other animals at the park.

England level Twenty20 series against Australia

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CHESTER-LE-STREET (AP) - England leveled the Twenty20 series against Australia with a 27-run win in their second and final game on Saturday.Alex Hales hit 94 runs from 61 balls but missed the chance to become the first England batsman to score an international Twenty20 century.Hales, who combined in a 111-run partnership with Michael Lumb (43), was denied his moment of glory when he holed out in the deep in the penultimate over from James Faulkner.It was, however, still a match-defining performance as England, which lost the toss, reached 195-5.Jade Dernbach then took three for 23 as Australia fell short, despite 53 from David Warner.After losing the toss the guys adapted to the conditions really well, England captain Stuart Broad told British broadcaster Sky Sports. To get 60 off the first six without losing a wicket was fantastic ... and it was great to keep wickets in hand.England reached 195 for the third successive completed match but the hosts bowlers knew they still faced a task after Australias 248 for six in Southampton on Thursday earned them a 39-run win.Aaron Finchs world-record 156 was the backbone of that total but he managed just five for Australia on Saturday before miscuing Broad to mid-wicket.A direct hit from Englands Eoin Morgan then caught Shane Watson short before Warner attempted to belt Australia out of early trouble.The left-hander hit straight sixes in consecutive overs from Steven Finn, Dernbach and Danny Briggs and put on a quickfire 67 with Shaun Marsh.Marsh swept Joe Root for six, but just as Australia nudged closer to Englands scoring rate he was bowled trying to repeat the dose.Warner brought up his 10th Twenty20 half-century from 38 balls, pushing Root for a single.When Warner was caught by Hales in the deep, Australia required 12 an over to win.The task swamped Australias remaining batsmen despite late hitting from Glenn Maxwell and Nathan Coulter-Nile.The man of the match, though, was Hales after England was put in to bat.Hales got off the mark with back-to-back fours before lofting Faulkner for a straight six as 61 was taken from the powerplay without loss.Australia turned to the slow bowling of Fawad Ahmed in the eighth over and while that eased the rate only slightly, Hales milked the leg-spinner for a couple of runs to bring up his sixth Twenty20 half-century from 34 balls.Soon Ahmed, who after fleeing Pakistan three years ago was only granted his Australian citizenship in June, was celebrating claiming his first international wicket.After Lumb top-edged a sweep high into the air, which wicketkeeper Matt Wade held on to, Ahmed celebrated with a kiss to the heavens.England kept operating at around 10 an over though as Maxwells second over went for 18, and Luke Wright followed a six with a pair of fours.Wright contributed 30 from 17 balls before Johnson athletically caught him above his head at mid-off as the stage looked set for Hales to bring up three figures.But Hales picked out Warner on the long off rope to leave him shy of a century.Im disappointed not to get there having got to 94, Hales said. It was a fantastic team effort and set the tone early with the bat on what was a fantastic wicket.Lumby helped me out; he was brilliant at the start. We formed a good partnership.

Obama seeking lawmakers' approval for Syria strike

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WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama says he has decided that the United States should take military action against Syria in response to a deadly chemical weapons attack.But he says he will seek congressional authorization for the use of force.He says congressional leadership plans to hold a debate and a vote as soon as Congress comes back in September.Obama says he has the authority to act on his own, but believes it is important for the country to have a debate.Military action would be in response to a chemical weapons attack the U.S. says Syrian President Bashar Assad's government carried out against civilians. The U.S. says more than 1,400 Syrians were killed in that attack last week.

POL prices increase by up to Rs4.64 per litre

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News): The Ministry of Petroleum has approved the summary of increase in prices of petroleum products while OGRA has issued notification in this regard which takes effect from September 1.According to OGRA notification the price of petrol has been increased by Rs 4.64 per litre to reach Rs 109.14 per litre.The new price of high speed diesel has jumped to Rs 112.20 per litre with an increase of Rs 2.50 per litre, while Rs 4.70 per liter increase has been made in kerosene oil and now it will bec available at Rs 105.58 per litre.

Misbah leads Pakistan to 108-run ODI win against Zimbabwe

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HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) - Captain Misbah-ul-Haq led from the front with a half century and two brilliant run outs as Pakistan defeated Zimbabwe by 108 runs in the final one-day international to clinch the series 2-1.Misbah made a resolute 67 off 85 balls which lifted Pakistan to 260-6 and then ignited the Zimbabwe collapse by running out Taylor (26) and Sean Williams (2) before Pakistan spinners eventually dismissed the home team for 152 runs in 40 overs. Malcolm Waller fought a lone battle with 48 off 71 balls before he was the last man to be dismissed.Spinners Saeed Ajmal (2-15), Abdul Rehman (2-23) and Mohammad Hafeez (2-40) all were among wickets.Zimbabwe shocked Pakistan with a seven-wicket win in the first match before Pakistan leveled the series with a convincing 90-run win.
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Friday, 30 August 2013

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Obama weighs 'limited and narrow' Syria action

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WASHINGTON (AP) - Edging toward a retaliatory strike, President Barack Obama said Friday he is weighing limited and narrow action against Syria as the administration bluntly accused Bashar Assad's government of launching a chemical weapons attack that killed at least 1,429 people far more than previous estimates including more than 400 children.No boots on the ground, Obama said, seeking to reassure a public weary after a decade of war in Iraq and Afghanistan.With France as his only major public ally, Obama told reporters he has a strong preference for multilateral action. He added, frankly part of the challenge we end up with here is a lot of people think something should be done but nobody wants to do it.Halfway around the world, U.S. warships were in place in the Mediterranean Sea armed with cruise missiles, long a first-line weapon of choice for presidents because they can find a target hundreds of miles distant without need of air cover or troops on the ground.In what appeared increasingly like the pre-attack end game, U.N. personnel carried out a fourth and final day of inspection as they sought to determine precisely what happened in the attack last week. The international contingent arranged to depart Syria on Saturday and head to laboratories in Europe with the samples they have collected.Video said to be taken at the scene shows victims writhing in pain, twitching and exhibiting other symptoms associated with exposure to nerve agents. The videos distributed by activists to support their claims of a chemical attack were consistent with AP reporting of shelling in the suburbs of Damascus at the time, though it was not known if the victims had died from a poisonous gas attack.Residents of Damascus stocked up on food and other necessities in anticipation of strikes, although no signs of panic or shortages were evident.One man, 42-year-old Talal Dowayih, said: I am not afraid from the Western threats to Syria; they created the chemical issue as a pretext for intervention, and they are trying to hit Syria for the sake of Israel.Obama met with his national security aides at the White House and then with diplomats from Baltic countries, saying he has not yet made a final decision on a response to an attack that the Assad government lays at the feet of the rebel forces.But the administration did nothing to discourage the predictions that he would act and soon. It was an impression heightened both by strongly worded remarks by Secretary of State John Kerry and the release of an unclassified intelligence assessment that cited high confidence that the Syrian government carried out the attack.In addition to the dead, the assessment reported that about 3,600 patients displaying symptoms consistent with nerve agent exposure were seen at Damascus-area hospitals after the attack. To that, Kerry added that a senior regime official who knew about the attack confirmed that chemical weapons were used by the regime, reviewed the impact and actually was afraid they would be discovered. He added for emphasis: We know this.The assessment did not explain its unexpectedly large casualty count, far in excess of an estimate from Doctors without Borders. Not surprisingly given the nature of the disclosure it also did not say expressly how the United States knew what one Syrian official had allegedly said to another.Mindful of public opinion, Kerry urged Americans to read the four-page assessment for themselves. He referred to Iraq when Bush administration assurances that weapons of mass destruction were present proved false, and a U.S. invasion led to a long, deadly war. Kerry said this time it will be different.We will not repeat that moment, he said, and a few hours later, Obama echoed him.Despite difficulty in rounding up foreign allies, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, travelling in the Philippines, said, Our approach is to continue to find an international coalition that will act together. So far, only France has announced it will support military action.The day's events produced sharply differing responses from members of Congress and that was just the Republicans.Sens. John McCain of Arizona and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said Obama needed to go further than he seems planning. The goal of military action should be to shift the balance of power on the battlefield against Assad and his forces, they said in a statement.But a spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner, Brendan Buck, said if the president believes in a military response to Syria, it is his responsibility to explain to Congress and the American people the objectives, strategy, and legal basis for any potential action.The looming confrontation is the latest outgrowth of a civil war in which Assad has tenaciously and brutally clung to power. An estimated 100,000 civilians have been killed in more than two years, many of them from attacks by the Syrian government on its own citizens.Obama has long been wary of U.S. military involvement in the struggle, as he has been with turbulent events elsewhere during the so-called Arab Spring. In this case, reluctance stems in part from recognition that while Assad has ties to Iran and the terrorist group Hezbollah, the rebels seeking to topple him have connections with Al Qaeda terrorist groups.Still, Obama declared more than a year ago that the use of chemical weapons would amount to a red line that Assad should not cross. And Obama approved the shipment of small weapons and ammunition to the Syrian rebels after an earlier reported chemical weapons attack, although there is little sign that the equipment has arrived.With memories of the long Iraq war still fresh, the political cross-currents have been intense both domestically and overseas.Dozens of lawmakers, most of them Republican, have signed a letter saying Obama should not take military action without congressional approval, and top leaders of both political parties are urging the president to consult more closely with Congress before giving an order to launch hostilities.Despite the urgings, there has been little or no discussion about calling Congress back into session to debate the issue. Lawmakers have been on a summer break for nearly a month, and are not due to return to the Capitol until Sept. 9.Obama's efforts to put together an international coalition to support military action have been more down than up.French President Francois Hollande has endorsed punitive strikes, and told the newspaper Le Monde that the chemical massacre of Damascus cannot and must not remain unpunished.But British Prime Minister David Cameron's attempt to win a vote of approval in Parliament for military action ended in ignominious defeat on Thursday. American attempts to secure backing at the United Nations have been blocked by Russia, long an ally of Syria.U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged a delay in any military action until the inspectors can present their findings to U.N. member states and the Security Council.

Iraq violence kills 14 as Al Qaeda claims attacks

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BAGHDAD (AP) - The Iraqi branch of Al Qaeda claimed responsibility Friday for a lethal wave of coordinated bombings in the Baghdad area earlier this week, as new attacks killed another 14 in the latest outbreak of violence to hit the country.Friday's deadliest attack struck after nightfall in a Kurdish neighborhood in the ethnically mixed town of Tuz Khormato. Insurgents there set off a non-lethal stun bomb apparently designed to attract a crowd before detonating a real bomb that killed 12 and wounded 10, said the town's police chief, Col. Hussein Ali Rasheed.Tuz Khormato, a frequent flashpoint for violence, sits in a band of territory contested by Arabs, Kurds and Turkomen about 200 kilometers (130 miles) north of Baghdad.Iraq is facing its deadliest wave of violence since 2008. The spike in bloodshed is raising worries the country is heading back toward the brink of civil war fueled by the country's sectarian and ethnic divisions.Hours earlier, the Al Qaeda affiliate in Iraq, known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, posted a message on a militant website taking responsibility for the deadly attacks that rocked the Baghdad area on Wednesday. Coordinated car bombings and other violence that day that killed at least 82 people, mostly in Shiite areas of the capital.The group claimed the attacks were a response to the Aug. 19 execution of 17 Sunni prisoners, all but one of them convicted on terrorism-related charges. It said tight security measures imposed by Iraqi forces failed to stop the attacks, and the group vowed to carry out more attacks against government targets.We will avenge the blood of our brothers, the group said.The authenticity of the statement could not be independently confirmed. It was posted on a website commonly used by jihadists and its style was consistent with earlier Al Qaeda statements.The bombings were the latest in a wave of bloodshed that has swept Iraq since April, killing more than 4,000 people and worsening already strained ties between Iraq's Sunni minority and the Shiite-led government. More than 570 people have been killed so far in August.Al Qaeda is hoping to tap into the anger of more moderate Sunnis, who began holding rallies in December against the government over what they feel is their second-class treatment. Among their biggest grievances are the application of tough anti-terrorism measures they feel unfairly target their sect, and the treatment of Sunni detainees in Iraqi prisons.Iraq has executed 67 people so far this year, mainly for terrorism-related charges. It put more people to death last year than any country except for China and Iran, according to Amnesty International. Human rights groups have raised questions about whether defendants receive a fair trial.Also Friday, police said gunman on a speeding motorbike opened fire on Sunni worshippers as they were heading to a mosque to perform Friday prayer in the Sunni neighborhood of Adel in western Baghdad, killing two worshippers and wounding two others.Attacks on Sunni mosques have been on the rise in recent months, raising fears that Shiite armed groups are starting to carry out retaliatory strikes. Most of the violence in recent years has been the work of Sunni extremists such as Al Qaeda.Police also reported five more people killed and eight wounded in attacks in Baghdad the previous night. That brought the number of people killed in Iraq just on Thursday to 29.Medics in a nearby hospital confirmed the casualty figures for all attacks. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.

NATO chief: No plans for alliance action in Syria

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COPENHAGEN (AP) - NATO's chief said for the first time Friday that the alliance has no plans for military action in Syria because of the alleged use of chemical weapons against its civilians.Asked about the alleged deadly attack in a suburb of Damascus on Aug. 21, NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen pointed the finger at Syrian forces. It demands cynicism beyond what is reasonable to believe that the opposition is behind a chemical attack in an area it already largely controls, he said.On Wednesday, Fogh Rasmussen said, Any use of such weapons is unacceptable and cannot go unanswered. Those responsible must be held accountable.But on Friday he told reporters in Denmark that NATO has no plans to intervene in Syria, which would require the approval of all 28 of its members.Supporters of a proposed no-fly zone in Syria have pointed to the one that was established by NATO over Libya in 2011. It overwhelmed Moammar Gadhafi's air defenses and attacked tanks and military vehicles that threatened civilians.NATO's top decision-making body, the North Atlantic Council, struggled for days to reach an agreement on using its military command and control capability to coordinate the operation in Libya, and the governments of the United States, Britain, France, Italy and Turkey helped coordinate that breakthrough.But no such cooperation is emerging regarding Syria's civil war.Backing the Obama administration, French President François Hollande offered strong support on Friday for international military action against the Syrian government over evidence of chemical munitions' use in the Syrian civil war. But on Thursday the British Parliament rejected Prime Minister David Cameron's call for intervention.

Suspected US drone kills Yemen Al Qaeda top figure

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SANAA (AP) - Yemeni security and military officials say a suspected U.S. drone strike has killed three alleged Al Qaeda militants, including a provincial leader of the group.Officials say Qaid el-Zahab was killed along with two other suspected militants in a car in the mountainous region of el-Manaseh in the central province Bayda on Friday. They spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to speak to media.El-Zahab is believed to be the head of Al Qaeda in Bayda. Parts of Bayda's capital were briefly overrun by Al Qaeda militants in early 2012, when the group took advantage of a security vacuum amid political turmoil.The United States has dramatically increased its drone strikes in Yemen the past year, through it rarely confirms individual strikes.

UN investigators visit Syrian military hospital

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UNITED NATIONS (AP) - U.N. experts have visited a government military hospital in Damascus in response to the Syrian government's allegations of a chemical weapons attack against soldiers.U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky said the inspectors interviewed patients Friday to assess the merits of Syria's allegations and determine whether to launch an investigation.Syrian officials say soldiers were hospitalized after chemical weapons attacks on Aug. 22, 24 and 25 in Damascus suburbs.Any U.N. investigation into Syria's claim is unlikely to happen soon. The inspectors are set to leave Syria on Saturday after completing an investigation into an alleged Aug. 21 chemical weapons attack near Damascus.The Obama administration says 1,429 people died in that attack and accuses Syrian government forces of carrying it out.Syria's government denies it was behind the attack.

Djokovic overcomes slow start to win at US Open

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NEW YORK (AP) - Novak Djokovic faced two set points early in his second-round match at the U.S. Open.He saved them, won the set, then needed less than an hour to close out a victory. The 2011 champion beat 87th-ranked Benjamin Becker of Germany 7-6 (2), 6-2, 6-2 on Friday.Becker had a chance to serve for the first set at 5-4. But he wasted the first with a forehand into the net and the second when a backhand sailed wide.Becker is a quality opponent and he should have won the first set, Djokovic said in an on-court interview. I was fortunate enough to come back and win the first set, and after that, I was much more comfortable on the court.The wind was swirling at Arthur Ashe Stadium, as it often does during the day to players' frustration.You need to have this adjustment, footwork, steps, in order to get on the ball, Djokovic said. I didn't have that in the first set. I was still trying to find my way from baseline, and the other side he was serving well. I had my chances though first set earlier to break, but didn't capitalize.After I played a good tiebreak, everything kind of settled. I started to serve better, started to step into the court, which is important. I need to start the way I started in the first match, but my game is getting there. I feel that it was a big test for me today.

Li Na avenges loss to Robson in US Open 3rd round

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NEW YORK (AP) - Li Na looked like a Grand Slam champion, while Laura Robson looked like a promising teenager.The fifth-seeded Li avenged her third-round upset loss to the young Brit at last year's U.S. Open, winning in straight sets Friday at the same stage at Flushing Meadows.Li, the 2011 French Open champ, rallied from down a break in the second set for a 6-2, 7-5 victory.Li was nervous after she noticed that her draw was a repeat from last year. A pep talk from coach Carlos Rodriguez eased her anxiety.After the talk I was feeling much, much better, she said. Because before I never try to share the feeling with the team.Agnieszka Radwanska needed nearly two hours to slip past No. 32-seeded Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-4, 7-6 (1). The third-seeded Pole faced 10 break points, but Pavlyuchenkova was able to convert only two, while Radwanska was 3 for 5.A year ago, Robson's upset of Li was the biggest victory of her breakthrough run. Meanwhile, it was the third straight frustrating U.S. Open loss for the Chinese star.Robson was ranked 89th coming into last year's tournament. She had never advanced past the second round at a Grand Slam event or defeated a top-10 opponent.That all changed when she upset major champions Kim Clijsters and Li back-to-back to make the fourth round. Now 19, Robson was seeded 30th at Flushing Meadows and coming off a fourth-round run at Wimbledon.Li had 34 unforced errors in their match a year ago, and she lamented then that the free points lifted the teen's confidence. This time, Robson never had much of an opening.She served very well today and I thought she was returning really deep, Robson said. You know, there wasn't a lot I could do in some points.Li surprised herself with 11 aces Friday including one on a second serve on match point and won all nine points when she went to the net. She's back in the fourth round at the U.S. Open for the first time since 2009.Her run over, Robson now must face an unfortunate reality for many teenagers: getting her wisdom teeth out.All the other girls in the locker room are telling me their horror stories: 'Oh, yeah, I pulled my gauze out and it was just blood,' Robson said. So that's not too nice.Serena Williams will be back on court later Friday a day after playing singles and doubles, facing Yaroslava Shvedova in the nightcap at Arthur Ashe Stadium.Former champs Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray also have matches, while two other U.S. Open winners, Juan Martin del Potro and Lleyton Hewitt, play each other.

Bayern beat Chelsea to win UEFA Super Cup

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PRAGUE (AP) - Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer saved a penalty by substitute Romelu Lukaku to give Champions League winner Bayern Munich a 5-4 victory over Chelsea in a shootout Friday to claim the UEFA Super Cup, after the game finished 2-2 following extra time.Ten-man Chelsea looked on the verge of victory after Eden Hazard made it 2-1 in extra time but substitute Javi Martinez equalized with the last kick of the game to force the shootout.All nine players converted their penalties before Lukaku stepped up, and Neuer dove to his left to keep the shot out.Fernando Torres gave Europa League winner Chelsea an early lead with a fierce volley, before Franck Ribery equalized two minutes into the second half.Bayern won its first Super Cup in the club's fourth attempt, earning a first trophy with the team for new coach Pep Guardiola.

Unheralded Bond takes 1-shot lead at Wales Open

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NEWPORT (AP) - Unheralded Welshman Liam Bond is making the most of a late call-up to his national event, shooting a 3-under 68 Friday to take a one-shot lead after the second round of the Wales Open.Bond, who is ranked No. 1,528, was only invited to play in the tournament on Wednesday after receiving a call from the European Tour during a round with his 7-year-old daughter on a local course.After opening with a first-round 69, he made five birdies on Friday to move to 5-under 137 at Celtic Manor, the 2010 Ryder Cup host.My daughter and I were rooting for balls on my home golf course just up the road from Celtic Manor when the Tour phoned me saying do you fancy playing in the Wales Open, Bond said. I told (them) I would snap their hand off to play here, and the good thing is Celtic Manor's only 10 minutes from my house. ... So it won't be long before I'm home and putting the slippers on and enjoying a nice cup of tea.First-round leader Espen Kofstad of Norway only managed a 74 to sit tied with Tjaart van der Walt of South Africa (71), one shot back.Five players, including American Peter Uihlein (70) and Ireland's Paul McGinley (69), were another shot back in a tie for fourth.McGinley, the European Ryder Cup captain, is looking to capture a first victory in nearly eight years.I played well today and found the wind a real challenge but then I enjoyed that, McGinley said. Also I played well here last year but then I learned so much from watching the Ryder Cup players when we were here in 2010.Defending champion Thongchai Jaidee kept alive his hopes of making the Presidents Cup team despite shooting a 74, which was enough to make the cut at 3 over.The Thai golfer needs to play all four rounds to give himself a chance of breaking back into the top 10 on the International Team's Presidents Cup standings. He is currently 12th on the list.The Presidents Cup starts Oct. 3 in Dublin, Ohio.A back injury forced Scotland's Stephen Gallacher out of the event after just three holes of his second round, less than a week after losing out in a playoff in the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles.Gallacher had injured his back washing the family car prior to the start of the Gleneagles event.Shortly after he pullled out, Gallacher learned that his uncle Bernard Gallacher, the former Ryder Cup captain, was hospitalized in serious condition.I understand that he is critical but stable, Stephen Gallacher said in a statement. My family is in disarray at the moment and it is obviously a worrying situation. We are all anxious.

Stybar wins 7th Vuelta stage, Nibali protects lead

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MAIRENA DEL ALIJARAFE (AP) - Czech rider Zdenek Stybar won the seventh stage of the Spanish Vuelta on Friday, and Vincenzo Nibali of Italy maintained his overall lead.Stybar broke away with Philippe Gilbert in the final kilometers of the 206-kilometer (128-mile) stage from Almendralejo to Mairena del Alijarafe and edged the world road race champion at the finish line.The 27-year-old Stybar won the Eneco Tour this month. His stage win comes one day after Omega Pharma-Quickstep teammate Tony Martin saw his long solo escape come up just short in the final stretch.It's a really beautiful day for me and my team after yesterday when Tony was fighting so hard. It was a perfect scenario, Stybar said. It felt really good. The first stages were really hard for me, but today the win gives me a lot of confidence.You don't beat a world champion every day.Stybar finished with a time of 4 hours, 51 minutes, 27 seconds.The flat stage didn't cause any changes at the top of the general classification.Nibali, the Giro d'Italia champion, kept his 3-second lead over American rider Christopher Horner.The day ended poorly for the Garmin Sharp team when the peloton passed through Seville, with Tyler Farrar stopping because of a flat tire before Daniel Martin was slowed by a fall.Some cyclists complained that the final stretch was unsafe because the narrow streets brought the spectators too close to the riders.The end of the stage was shameful. An urban route where we have the public touching us with their hands? It's an issue of survival, Joaquim Rodriguez said. We already talked about it in the peloton. This is worth stopping for.Fellow Spaniard Alejandro Valverde agreed.Too dangerous? I think so, he said. I have spoken with several riders and they all complained. There must have been another alternative that was less dangerous. The final sprint always has its risks, but today was too much.After two transition stages, the Vuelta returns to the mountains on Saturday with a 167-kilometer (104-mile) ride starting in Jerez de la Frontera and ending in a climb to the category one summit finish at Alto de Penas Blancas.The three-week race ends in Madrid on Sept. 15.

Oil drops below $108 as US weighs Syria options

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NEW YORK (AP) - The price of oil fell below $108 a barrel Friday as an imminent U.S. attack on Syria appeared less likely.President Barack Obama says he hasn't made a final decision about a military strike against Syria. But he is considering a limited and narrow action in response to a chemical weapons attack that he says Syria's government carried out last week.British lawmakers on Thursday voted against going along with Prime Minister David Cameron's plan to intervene in Syria.U.S. benchmark oil for October delivery fell $1.15, or 1.1 percent, to $107.65 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange Friday.Brent crude, the benchmark for international crudes, was down 95 cents to $114.10 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange in London.The U.S. is looking increasingly isolated as far as potential attack on Syria, is concerned, said Jim Ritterbusch, president of Ritterbusch & Associates, an independent energy consulting firm.Still, the surge in prices that pushed oil to a two-year high Wednesday is starting to affect pump prices in the U.S.Oil has fallen back 4 percent since climbing as high as $112.24 during trading on Wednesday, when an attack on Syria seemed imminent.But the surge in prices isn't necessarily over Ritterbusch said.It's premature to say that we've seen the highs, he said.Syria is not a major oil producer but a widening conflict there could affect major producers in the region or disrupt supply routes.The rise in prices may have as much to do with sagging output from Libya as the threat of a strike against Syria, said analyst Olivier Jakob of Petromatrix in Switzerland.Earlier this week, Libya's deputy oil minister, Omar el-Shakmak, said the country was currently exporting between 300,000 and 320,000 barrels a day, a fifth of the 1.6 million barrels it regularly exported before the 2011 war that overthrew dictator Moammar Gadhafi.The export drop was due to protests by security guards protecting Libya's oil industry and infrastructure shutdowns.Jakob said Libya's supply disruption was a very significant event.

Suspect survives 200-foot fall down garbage chute

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SYRACUSE (AP) - A bank robbery suspect trying to elude police searching for him in an apartment building jumped into a garbage chute and survived a 200-foot (61-meter) fall into trash in the basement, police said Friday.Robin Gutheridge, 26, plunged from the 21st floor of the Clinton Plaza Apartments, a few blocks from the Chase Bank Branch he had robbed earlier, according to Sgt. Tom Connellan.He was conscious and told police he had climbed into the garbage chute to avoid being captured. Police estimate he fell about 210 feet (64 meters) before landing on garbage in a compactor at the bottom.He was able to slow himself down by holding the sides of chute, and the garbage may have cushioned the fall, but he did get severe injuries, Connellan said.Firefighters moved the compactor and removed Gutheridge from the chute, police said.Gutheridge was in critical condition Friday at Upstate University Hospital, where he was in the intensive care unit with fractures and internal injuries, Connellan said.Police said Gutheridge fled on foot with an undisclosed amount of cash after robbing the bank. After detectives learned he was seen entering a nearby apartment building, they began searching the building. Thats when a maintenance worker told them he could hear someone calling for help from a garbage chute in the basement.

Australia gears up for day-night test cricket

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MELBOURNE (AP) - Cricket Australia will trial day-night first-class matches this summer with plans to play a test in Australia under lights by 2015-16.CA said in a statement Friday that the ninth round of its Sheffield Shield competition will all be day-night matches and played with pink balls. The matches are expected to be played in early March.There is a lot of work to be done and nothing is guaranteed, but this summer's trials are our first serious effort to make day-night test cricket a reality, CA chief executive James Sutherland said.If the trials are successful this year, Cricket Australia would aim to schedule more day-night first-class matches in the 2014-15 season to further trial playing conditions and equipment.Sutherland said talks are under way with New Zealand, which plans an Australia tour in late 2015, about a night test.The International Cricket Council last year decided to allow test-playing nations to play day and night tests if there was mutual agreement on the hours of play and type and color of the ball.This month, Sri Lankan officials rejected a proposal from Pakistan to play a first-ever day-night test match during a series to be played later this year. Sri Lanka Cricket said its executive committee turned down the proposal because the national team had not practiced under lights with a pink ball to be used in the match.We acknowledge that one of the critical aspects is how the ball wears, behaves and is seen over the course of an innings, Sutherland said in Friday's statement. There are also some concerns about dew on the ground at night. There may need to be some flexibility and compromise to get to the outcome.In encouraging teams to trial test cricket as day-night matches, the ICC has said it will take a positive and flexible view of any proposed amendments to playing conditions that will allow such trials to proceed.International cricket has been played under lights in the limited-overs format since the 1970s, using a white ball in matches typically limited to 100 overs. Teams wear colored uniforms in limited-overs cricket to off-set the color of the ball. Teams wear white or cream uniforms in test cricket and use a red ball. The pink ball is seen as a compromise so that test players can still wear the white uniforms but still be able to see a lighter colored ball at night.Other issues under investigation involve the use of the pink ball. In one-day international matches, teams use two white balls per 50-over innings to maintain quality and balance. In test cricket matches, which last up to five days, the red leather balls are only replaced after 80 overs unless they're badly damaged.

Zimbabwe calls off Sri Lanka series

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COLOMBO (Reuters) - Sri Lanka's scheduled tour of Zimbabwe has been thrown in doubt after the African nation sought to postpone the series starting in October without giving any specific details, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) said on Friday.We received an e-mail from the Zimbabwe Cricket Union (ZCU) seeking a postponement of the tour and the reason given was 'due to unavoidable circumstances', SLC secretary Nishantha Ranatunga told reporters.No further reasons were given by the Zimbabwe Cricket Union and we are awaiting further clarification on this matter.Unconfirmed reports stated that the ZCU, which hosted India in July and are currently playing Pakistan at home, do not have the budget to host a third country in the space of four months.Sri Lanka were due to tour Zimbabwe from Oct. 6-Nov. 4 to play two tests, three one-day internationals and two Twenty20 matches.

UN has nothing to add on Syria intel: Kerry

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WASHINGTON (AP) - Secretary of State John Kerry says the United Nations cannot tell the world anything about a chemical weapons attack in Syria that the U.S. doesn't already know and hasn't already made public.He says President Barack Obama will ensure the U.S. makes decisions on its own timeline, based on its own values and interests.Kerry says UN investigators probing last week's chemical weapons attack are limited by a mandate to determine if an attack took place. He says they won't say who is responsible.Obama has been seeking international support for a potential military strike against the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad.But the UN Security Council has not backed a strike.Kerry says the UN cannot galvanize the world to act the way it should.
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