Sunday 22 September 2013

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Merkel triumphs in German vote but allies crushed

Posted:

BERLIN (AP) - Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives triumphed in Germany's election Sunday and appeared likely to end up close to an absolute majority. While Merkel was headed for a third term, her center-right coalition partners faced ejection from parliament for the first time in post-World War II history.Depending on which parties end up in parliament, Merkel could find herself leading a grand coalition government with the left-leaning Social Democrats or less likely with the environmentalist Greens. Either way, several weeks of difficult negotiations are expected. Each combination might bring a slightly softer tone to Europe's debt crisis, but probably without any significant policy shifts.Merkel, Germany's chancellor since 2005 and the de facto leader of the response to Europe's debt crisis over the past three years, told supporters it was a super result. She wouldn't immediately speculate about the shape of the next government, but the 59-year-old made clear she plans to serve a full term.I see the next four years in front of me and I can promise that we will face many tasks, at home, in Europe and in the world, Merkel said during a television appearance with other party leaders.If her current coalition lacks a majority and the conservatives can't govern alone, the likeliest outcome is a Merkel-led alliance with the Social Democrats. The two are traditional rivals, but governed Germany together in Merkel's first term after an inconclusive 2005 election.The ball is in Merkel's court, her center-left challenger, Peer Steinbrueck, said. She has to get herself a majority.A grand coalition could result in a greater emphasis on bolstering economic growth over the austerity that Germany has insisted on in exchange for bailing out economically weak European countries such as Greece.Merkel's conservatives, the Social Democrats and Greens have largely similar positions on Europe, said Oscar Gabriel, a political science professor at Stuttgart University. He noted, however, that there are a few nuances, with the center-left parties more open to limited pooling of European countries' debt something the chancellor has refused to countenance.Merkel's conservative Union bloc won about 42 percent of the vote, an improvement of more than eight points over Germany's last election in 2009, according to ARD and ZDF television projections based on exit polls and partial counts. They showed the conservatives falling just short of an absolute majority which is possible because parties need 5 percent support to claim seats in the lower house. Many small parties miss that threshold, meaning their votes don't count in the division of seats.Her coalition partners of the past four years, the pro-business Free Democrats, were projected to win about 4.8 percent.Nevertheless, the Union's strong showing was a personal victory for Merkel, solidifying her position as Europe's strongest political leader.We will do everything together in the next four years to make them successful years for Germany, Merkel said. Merkel was interrupted by cheers and chants of Angie Angie Angie as she made a brief appearance at her party's headquarters.Steinbrueck's Social Democrats trailed well behind Merkel's party with up to 26.5 percent, projections showed. Their Green allies polled 8 percent, while the hard-line Left Party scored 8.5 percent. Even if they end up with a combined majority, there's virtually no chance of them governing together.The Left Party includes heirs of East Germany's former communist rulers, opposes German military deployments abroad and is the only party that voted against Merkel's policies of bailing out debt-troubled European countries in exchange for reforms. The two center-left parties on Sunday renewed promises not to form an alliance with the Left.We did not achieve the result we wanted, Steinbrueck told supporters. He said that he wouldn't engage in speculation about the next government.It wasn't clear whether a new party that calls for an orderly breakup of the eurozone, Alternative for Germany, would win seats in parliament's lower house. The exit polls showed them polling up to 4.9 percent just shy of enough for seats. Merkel and others have said they won't deal with the party.Merkel wouldn't comment on whether she would govern with a thin one-party majority. True to her methodical style, she said she would wait for the final result and then proceed step by step.However, Steinbrueck and the Greens' Juergen Trittin said they wouldn't advise their parties to join a coalition with Merkel if she didn't need them to govern. Whatever the outcome, Merkel will have to deal with her center-left rivals to get legislation through parliament's upper house, which represents Germany's 16 state governments and which her rivals control.The exit polls were greeted by shocked silence at the Free Democrats' election event. Four years ago, the party won nearly 15 percent of the vote, its best-ever result but the party has taken much of the blame for squabbling in Merkel's governing coalition since then.It's the bitterest, saddest hour of the Free Democratic Party, the party's leader, Vice Chancellor Philipp Roesler, said.Gabriel, the political scientist, said conservative voters who voted for the Free Democrats in 2009 returned in droves to Merkel. The smaller party isn't considered competent by the voters anymore, he said.Merkel's party ran a feel-good campaign that centered squarely on Merkel's personal popularity and, opponents complained, largely avoided controversial issues. Recent polls gave her popularity ratings of up to 70 percent, but the sky-high ratings didn't extend to her coalition.Merkel has called her second-term coalition the most successful government since reunification 23 years ago. She pointed to the robust economy and unemployment which, at 6.8 percent, is very low for Germany and far below that of many other European countries.

Death toll in Kenya mall siege rises to 68: Red Cross

Posted:

NAIROBI (AFP) - At least 68 people are now confirmed to have been killed in an ongoing Nairobi shopping mall siege, Kenya Red Cross said Sunday, after nine bodies were recovered.The bodies were taken out the mall shortly after Kenya troops launched an assault on cornered Somali militants, who are still holding hostages inside the sprawling building, updating an earlier toll of 59.The Kenyan military remained in a tense standoff with Islamic extremists Sunday, as the toll rose to 68 dead, including children, and 175 wounded in the attack at an upscale mall, a Kenyan minister said.Multiple barrages of gunfire erupted Sunday morning from inside the building where hostages are being held by militants. The radicals attacked the mall Saturday and remained inside throughout the night.Kenya s Red Cross said in a statement citing police that 49 people had been reported missing. Officials did not make an explicit link but that number could form the basis of the number of people held hostage.The priority is to save as many lives as possible, Joseph Lenku said, reassuring the families of the hostages in the upscale Westgate mall. Kenyan forces have already rescued about 1,000 people, he said.Ten to 15 attackers remain in the mall and Kenyan forces control the security cameras inside the shopping center, Lenku said. Combined military and police forces surrounded the mall in the Westlands neighborhood of Nairobi, which is frequented by foreigners and wealthy Kenyans.An Associated Press photographer saw Kenyan soldiers carry into the mall a rocket-propelled grenade, an extremely heavy weapon for an indoor hostage situation.Former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga told reporters at the mall that he has been told officials couldn t determine the exact number of hostages inside the mall.There are quite a number of people still being held hostage on the third floor and the basement area where the terrorists are still in charge, Odinga said.Somalia s al-Qaida-linked rebel group, al-Shabab, claimed responsibility for the attack in which they used grenades and assault rifles and specifically targeted non-Muslims. The rebels said the attack was retribution for Kenyan forces 2011 push into Somalia and threatened more attacks.Kenyans and foreigners were among those confirmed dead, including French, Canadians and Chinese.A 38-year-old Chinese woman was killed in the shopping mall terror attack, the Chinese Embassy in Kenya said in a statement Sunday.Her son was injured in the attack and in a stable condition in hospital, according to the statement posted on the embassy s website.Nineteen people, including at least four children, died after being admitted to Nairobi s MP Shah hospital, said Manoj Shah, the hospital s chairman. We have at least two critical patients currently, one with bullets lodged near the spine, he said.The hospital continued to receive patients Sunday, he said.Ghanain poet Kofi Awoonor died after being injured in the attack, Ghana s presidential office confirmed.Kenya s presidential office said that one of the attackers was arrested on Saturday and died after suffering from bullet wounds.Trucks brought in a fresh contingent of soldiers from the Kenya Defense Forces early Sunday.Violent extremists continue to occupy Westgate Mall. Security services are there in full force, said the United States embassy in an emergency text message issued Sunday morning.British Foreign Secretary William Hague said late Saturday that his government had sent a rapid deployment team to Kenya to help. Britons had undoubtedly been caught up in the callous and cowardly and brutal assault at the Westgate mall, said Hague.The United Nations Security Council condemned the attacks and expressed their solidarity with the people and Government of Kenya in a statement.There was some good news on Sunday, as Kenyan media reported that several people in hiding in the mall escaped to safety, suggesting that not everyone who is still inside is being held by al-Shabab.Cecile Ndwiga said she had been hiding under a car in the basement parking garage.I called my husband to ask the soldiers to come and rescue me. Because I couldn t just walk out anyhow. The shootout was all over here left, right just gun shots, she said.Nairobi resident Paolo Abenavoli said he is holed up in his apartment only 100 meters from the mall with a direct view of the entrance. He said he could see a dozen or more security forces inside a first floor restaurant.The battle is on now, Abenavoli told The Associated Press by telephone as the fresh gunfire broke out Sunday.Security forces had pushed curious crowds far back from the mall. Hundreds of residents gathered on a high ridge above the mall to watch for any activity.

Suicide bomber hits Iraq Sunni funeral, killing 16

Posted:

BAGHDAD (AP) - A suicide bomber detonated his explosive belt among Sunni mourners attending a funeral in Baghdad on Sunday, killing 16 people and wounding 35 others, officials said, in the latest episode of the country's near-daily violence.Police officials said the evening attack took place when a suicide bomber detonated his explosive belt inside a tent where the funeral was being held in Baghdad's southern neighborhood of Dora.Two other attacks in the country's north left two policemen dead and 37 others wounded, the officials added.Sunday's bloodshed came a day after a wave of attacks killed 104 people, most at a double suicide attack on a Shiite funeral in Baghdad.Violence has spiked in Iraq during the past few months. More than 4,000 people have been killed between April and August, a level of carnage not seen since the country was on the brink of civil war in 2006-08.Earlier on Sunday, a suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden car into a residential area in the city of Kirkuk, wounding 35 people, Kirkuk Police Brig. Gen. Anwar Mohammed Qadir said.The bomber targeted both a Kurdish educational office and an adjacent house for a Christian lawmaker, Qadir said. Seven members of the lawmaker's family were wounded in the attack.Kirkuk is home to an ethnic mix of Arabs, Kurds and Turkomen who all have competing claims to the oil-rich area.Hours after the Kirkuk bombing, police said a roadside bomb struck a security convoy near the northern city of Mosul, killing two soldiers and wounding two others.Acting U.N. envoy in Iraq Gyorgy Busztin condemned the bombings, urging the government to boost security measures and Iraqis to refrain from revenge attacks.Retaliation can only bring more violence and it is the responsibility of all leaders to take strong action not to let violence escalate further, a statement from Busztin said Sunday.Hospital officials confirmed the casualty figures for all attacks. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to media.

Israeli soldier killed in Palestinian West Bank

Posted:

JERUSALEM (AP) - Unknown gunmen shot and killed an Israeli soldier in the biblical city of Hebron in the West Bank on Sunday, and troops are searching for the shooter, the military said.It was the second soldier killed since the weekend when a Palestinian killed an Israeli soldier with the intention of trading the body for his brother who is jailed for shooting attacks.The killings further increase mistrust between Israel and the Palestinians at a time of U.S. mediated peace talks that restarted this summer.Sgt. Gabriel Koby, 20, was critically injured by direct fire while securing an area in the evening where over a thousand people were visiting for the Jewish holiday of Sukkoth, the military said. He was evacuated to hospital where he died of his wounds, it said.Tensions run high in Hebron where about 500 Israelis live amid 170,000 Palestinians. Much of the animosity is over a holy site, sacred to Jews as the Tomb of the Patriarchs and to Muslims as the Ibrahimi Mosque.The military said it had restricted movement on the area while searches are under way for the gunman. Israeli media reported that the soldier had been shot in the neck by a sniper from a distance but the military wouldn't go into detail.The latest deaths casts another shadow on U.S. mediated peace efforts as Israeli and Palestinian negotiators are holding rounds of talks gain after a hiatus of nearly five years. Talks collapsed in 2008, and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry spent months early this year persuading the sides to get talks back on track again. Israel has made its security concerns a top priority in talks.Meanwhile in the Gaza Strip, a Palestinian border official said earlier in the day that Israel is allowing construction materials into the Palestinian territory for the first time in six years, allowing them to be used by private builders.Israel barred the entry of construction materials into Gaza when Hamas overran the territory in 2007, fearing militants could use them to build weapons and fortifications. It has allowed them in for projects funded by international organizations like the United Nations since 2010.

50 hurt in Bangladesh as police, workers clash

Posted:

DHAKA (AP) - Police fired rubber bullets and tear gas Sunday to disperse thousands of garment workers who blocked streets outside Bangladesh's capital to demand that factory owners raise their minimum wage in a country that is hugely dependent on the textile industry.At least 50 people were injured in the clashes outside Dhaka, police said.The workers were demanding that their minimum monthly wage be increased to 8,114 takas ($100), up from the current 3,000 takas ($38), police official Abul Kalm Azad said. The workers attacked some factories and torched a van, he said.Factory owners are unwilling to increase the wage beyond 3,600 takas ($45), according to the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association.Bangladesh earns about $20 billion a year from exports of garment products.

Simon beats Tsonga in all-French Moselle final

Posted:

METZ (AP) - Second-seeded Gilles Simon beat two-time defending champion Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-4, 6-3 Sunday to win the Open de Moselle final for his first title of the year.Simon had not faced a single break point in the previous two matches but lost his serve once in the first set to Tsonga and saved four other break points in the match.I felt that I could take my chance and I'm very happy, Simon said. I saw that Jo wasn't able to serve at his best.Both players were bidding for the 11th title of their careers. Simon had lost his two previous finals and it was his first tournament win since his success on clay at Bucharest in April last year.He has now won as many career titles as fellow Frenchman Guy Forget, but still has some way to catch Yannick Noah's tally of 23 including the French Open in 1983.Noah's still very far ahead but it pleases me that I've caught up Guy, Simon said. But he won Masters tournaments and the Davis Cup so he's still ahead of me. I will try and win more (titles), bigger ones, but each tournament that you win gives you a special feeling and you have to make the most of it.It was Tsonga's first tournament since a knee injury forced him to drop out of his second-round match at Wimbledon and his first final since winning the Open 13 in Marseille in February.It's sad to lose but I did what I could. At the start of the week I would have signed up to still be here on Sunday, said Tsonga, who leads Simon 5-3 overall. I would have liked to have played better tennis but I wasn't able to. Gilles played much better than me. He's been in the top 15 for years, and obviously against a player like that the little imperfections in my game get exposed.Tsonga had the only two aces of the match but struggled more on his serve and was broken twice in each set as Simon reclaimed the title he won in 2010.I have no regrets, I'm in good shape and my knee is fine, Tsonga said. The problem today was that I didn't have that extra boost that makes the difference against a player like Gilles.

City beat United 4-1 in derby mauling

Posted:

MANCHESTER (AP) - Manchester City delivered a ruthless attacking display to humble Manchester United 4-1 in the Premier League on Sunday, reasserting the team's title credentials and landing a major psychological blow on its fiercest rival.Argentina striker Sergio Aguero led from the front for City in a one-sided derby, volleying home acrobatically in the 16th minute and adding his second amid a glut of three goals in a five-minute span either side of halftime.Yaya Toure and Samir Nasri were the other scorers in a signature victory that City really needed to kick-start the Manuel Pellegrini era. United, however, will be reeling after being embarrassed at times by its neighbor just when the team appeared to have clicked under new manager David Moyes.After winning, the most important thing was how we won, said Pellegrini, adding: No one believes that 4-1 is possible before the game.Wayne Rooney curled a free kick into the top corner in the 87th minute becoming the highest scorer in Manchester derbies with 11 goals but that will be little consolation to the England striker or United, which fell five points behind early pacesetters Arsenal and Tottenham after five matches. The visitors sorely missed Robin van Persie, who was sidelined with a groin strain, and have now made the worst start to a league season in nine years.I've made them aware of what I think, said Moyes, whose side claimed just one point from matches against Liverpool, Chelsea and City in a tough run of early-season fixtures.City climbed to third and has now scored seven goals in two matches, on the back of a 3-0 win over Viktoria Plzen in the Champions League on Tuesday. The influence of Pellegrini may finally be kicking in.It equaled City's biggest home win in the derby since a mauling by the same score line at the Etihad Stadium in 2004. And when the influential Nasri volleyed in the fourth goal after 50 minutes, memories came flooding back of the 6-1 beating City handed its neighbor at Old Trafford in 2011.While that was a freakish result City played against 10 men for almost the entire second half and scored three times in second-half stoppage time this was fully deserved and even more conclusive.The only consolation to the visitors was that they didn't concede any more.We found it difficult to contain them, Moyes said.The absence of Van Persie was a major setback for United, as the Dutchman had linked up smoothly with a revitalized Rooney so far this season.Rooney missed his strike partner and had a frustrating match, smashing a ball into the side of the prone Aguero after giving away an early free kick and then picking up a booking later in the first half for hacking at Vincent Kompany's legs. His late goal, great as it was, will largely be forgotten.That exasperation had built up because of City's sheer dominance all over the pitch, particularly in midfield where Toure, Fernandinho and Nasri had total control. Center forward Alvaro Negredo lived up to his nickname of The Beast, roughing up United's bedraggled backline and freeing space for Aguero to cause damage.It's really special to win because we sent a big statement to our rivals that Manchester City is going to be a force, Nasri said.The France playmaker set up the first goal with a deft flick into the path of Aleksandr Kolarov, who fired over a cross that Aguero hooked in spectacularly.It took sluggish United 42 minutes to have its first shot Antonio Valencia dragging wide and the visitors were further behind at the break when Negredo headed down Nasri's corner to the feet of Toure, who bundled the ball in from close range in injury time.It was the best City had played all season, outstripping its display in the opening-weekend 4-0 win over Newcastle simply because of the quality of opposition they were facing and reminiscent of the displays they produced most weeks in their title-winning 2011-12 campaign.And when Aguero volleyed in from inside the six-yard box after good work by Negredo, a repeat of the hiding City gave United two years ago looked on.That didn't prove to be the case but United's players couldn't get off the pitch quicker at full time.

Ronaldo leads Madrid win with Bale injured

Posted:

BARCELONA (AP) - Cristiano Ronaldo scored a double and set up another goal for Real Madrid in a 4-1 comeback win over Getafe on Sunday in the Spanish league, as new teammate Gareth Bale couldn't make his home debut after injuring his leg before the match.Bale was dropped from Madrid's starting lineup minutes before the match after the club's medical staff examined his left thigh during warm-ups at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. The club said it was for precaution and that he would undergo tests Monday.Things only got worse for Madrid's disappointed fans when Getafe forward Angel Lafita opened the scoring in the fifth minute.But Pepe scored from a rebound in the 19th before Ronaldo converted a penalty in the 33rd, set up Francisco Isco Alarcon in the 59th, and added another goal in injury time after Getafe had been reduced to 10 men.Overall we played a good game. We were unlucky to start a goal behind, but I think our reaction was good, said Madrid's first-year Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti. Sometimes we play too far back in defense, but 'piano piano' we are improving.Ronaldo's 207th and 208th career goals for Madrid in 205 games moved him ahead of Hugo Sanchez as the club's fifth all-time leading scorer. Raul Gonzalez holds the record with 323 goals.Ronaldo has scored seven goals in his last four games in all competitions for Madrid.Madrid remained undefeated through five rounds and is in third place in the standings, two points behind Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.Villarreal also stayed unbeaten in its return to Spain's top flight after drawing 0-0 at Celta Vigo.The same lack of finishing touch condemned Real Betis to a 0-0 finish against visiting Granada, leaving both teams with one win through five rounds.Valencia hosts Sevilla later.If losing Bale for what was supposed to be his highly-anticipated first game in front of Madrid's fans wasn't a big enough blow, Carlo Ancelotti's side soon fell behind to their modest crosstown rivals.After Ronaldo had squandered back-to-back scoring chances, the Portugal forward lost the ball and Getafe struck when Lafita's resulting shot took a deflection off Pepe before landing in the net.But Ronaldo helped Madrid level when he drew a save from goalkeeper Miguel Moya, with the rebound falling for Pepe to tap in.Ronaldo put Madrid in front by driving a low spot kick just inside the post after Getafe's Miguel Michel Marcos blocked his free kick with his arm inside the area.Ronaldo's quickly taken free kick left Isco alone in the area to curl in his fourth goal in the league play.It didn't matter that Bale wasn't there, Isco took his place, said Getafe coach Luis Garcia. All their players are good. With Madrid you can't talk about them missing players.Getafe played the final five minutes with 10 men after Michel was sent off with a direct red card for fouling Jese Rodriguez with only Moya to beat.Ronaldo, who had clipped the post in the 79th, got his well-earned brace when he used a brazen back-heeled shot with his right boot to redirect Sami Khedira's cross into the net.Madrid paid Tottenham a world-record 100 million euros ($132 million) for Bale at the close of the summer transfer market.Ancelotti said Bale's injury didn't appear to be serious.(Bale) wasn't comfortable or calm. I preferred to prevent any problems, said Ancelotti. He isn't happy because he was very excited to play in the Bernabeu.The next chance Madrid's fans will have to see Bale at home will be next Saturday against Atletico Madrid in the Spanish capital derby.

Vettel wins Singapore GP to extend F1 lead

Posted:

SINGAPORE (AP) - Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel recorded yet another start-to-finish win at the Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday to further extend his lead in the Formula One championship.The German was in a class of his own under the Marina Bay lights, winning by a massive 32.6 seconds over Fernando Alonso and boosting his championship lead on the Ferrari driver from 53 points to 60 with six races remaining.We are in a very good position. To be honest I am not looking at the championship too much, Vettel said. I am just enjoying it at the moment. Days like today and yesterday are what it is all about.Lotus' Kimi Raikkonen was third, ahead of the Mercedes pair Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton in fourth and fifth respectively.Starting in pole, Vettel lost the lead at the first corner to Rosberg but took it back as the Mercedes driver ran wide at turn two. Even a safety car period just before half distance, which eroded his 12-second lead, could not prevent another Vettel victory.The start was quite hairy, Nico had a good start, but fortunately he went a little too deep and I was able to get him back, Vettel said.With the safety car, it was difficult but we came back ... we had very, very good pace.Red Bull teammate Mark Webber had sharply different fortunes in the race. As the Australian was threatening Raikkonen in the closing stages, he experienced an engine failure that saw him pull off the track with his car in flames on the closing lap.Webber hitched a ride back to the pits on the sideboard of Alonso's Ferrari, and that was enough for both drivers to receive a reprimand from stewards as three cars had to take evasive action as the Ferrari stopped and the Red Bull man clambered on board.For Webber, the reprimand has serious consequences because it is his third of the season, meaning he will receive a 10-place penalty on the grid at the next race in South Korea.Alonso was in a generous mood after an impressive showing.The Spaniard got a superb start, going around the outside of several drivers to vault from seventh to third after two corners, and capitalized on the emergence of the safety car by pitting for his final stop, taking on a set of the harder tires which he drove for the last 36 of 61 laps.We knew we didn't have the pace today, we had to invent something, Alonso said. I had a good start and a different strategy ... it tastes like a victory to us.Raikkonen's participation in the race had been in doubt due to a back injury that affected him badly in Saturday's qualifying, but the Finn sliced his way through the field in the latter half of the race to move up from 10th to a podium finish.Luckily not too much (pain during the race) but now, afterwards, it's not 100 percent but I have time to rest and get it right, Raikkonen said. Third place we could not have expected any more today.Ferrari's Felipe Massa was sixth, ahead of the McLaren pair Jenson Button and Sergio Perez in seventh and eighth respectively, with Sauber's Nico Hulkenberg and Force India's Adrian Sutil completing the top ten.Vettel's victory was his third in a row in Singapore, his seventh of the season, and 33rd of his career, moving him out of a tie with Alonso and into outright fourth place on the all-time list behind Michael Schumacher, Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna.Vettel also won from pole in the previous F1 race in Italy and took the lead on the opening lap of the Belgian GP, meaning he has now led effectively from start to finish in three successive races.With such dominance over his dispirited rivals, only an extraordinary turnaround can prevent Vettel winning a fourth-straight championship, joining Schumacher and Juan Manuel Fangio as the only men to achieve that feat.Ferrari had said prior to the race that the result in Singapore would determine whether to continue development of the car or to turn all resources to the radically redesigned 2014 vehicle. Alonso's second placing will likely be enough to keep Ferrari's mind on this year, but the Spaniard was realistic about his fading title hopes.The gap is still increasing every weekend and now it's 60 points, Alonso said. We need to be honest with ourselves. We need a lot of luck every weekend if we are one second (per lap) off their pace.

Woods wins points award as player of the year

Posted:

ATLANTA (AP) - Tiger Woods wrapped up at least one award as player of the year.Woods has won the PGA of America's points-based award for player of the year on the strength of his five PGA Tour victories, the money title and the Vardon Trophy. Adam Scott would have had to win the Tour Championship and the Vardon Trophy for the race to end in a tie.Woods had 90 points 10 points for each of his five wins, 20 points each for the money title and Vardon Trophy for lowest adjusted scoring average.It was the 11th time that Woods won PGA player of the year, and ninth time he won the Vardon. He had not won either award since 2009, the year that ended with his personal life unraveling.Woods earlier this month wrapped up the Arnold Palmer Award on the PGA Tour for winning his 10th money title with just over $8.5 million. He also won the Byron Nelson Award for scoring average similar to the Vardon Trophy with less stringent requirements for the 10th time.Still to be determined are PGA Tour awards for player of the year and rookie of the year. Both are a vote of the players, and the electronic ballots were to be returned quickly for a Friday announcement.Woods would appear to be a heavy favorite to win the Jack Nicklaus Award as player of the year for the 11th time. While he did not win a major, his five wins were three more than anyone else on tour, and he won the money title. Woods has two World Golf Championships and The Players Championship among his five wins.Well, look at the fact that I had five wins this year, Woods said after closing with a 67 at East Lake. So I think that's a pretty good year.The challenge comes from British Open champion Phil Mickelson and Masters champion Adam Scott. Both won majors with historical significance. Mickelson's closing 66 at Muirfield is regarded as one of the best final rounds in a major, and it happened at the major not many thought he could ever win. Scott ended a half-century of Australian heartache at Augusta National as the first Aussie in a green jacket. Mickelson also won the Phoenix Open, while Scott won The Barclays against one of the toughest field in golf.Woods said he was very satisfied with his season, even though it was his fifth straight year without a major.I had a number of chances to win some tournaments, Woods said. I won five, which I think is a pretty good year. I've done that a few times over the course of my career. I wish I would have been a little more consistent in some of the events. But overall, at the end of the day, to add to the win total for the year, it's always a good thing.The PGA Tour rookie of the year should be an easy vote. On the ballot of 20-year-old Jordan Spieth, who started the year with no status on any tour. He not only won the John Deere Classic, he reached the Tour Championship and was selected for the Presidents Cup team.Russell Henley (Sony Open), Derek Ernst (Wells Fargo Championship) and Patrick Reed (Wyndham Championship) were the only other rookies to win this year. None made it to the Tour Championship.

Golf: Stenson wins FedEx Cup

Posted:

ATLANTA (AFP) - Swedens Henrik Stenson earned the biggest payday in golf by closing with a two-under 68 Sunday to claim two trophies in one day -- the Tour Championship and the FedEx Cup title.Stenson finished with a 13-under 267 overall score to beat Jordan Spieth by three strokes at the East Lake course, giving him the Tour Championship and its $1.4 million payout, along with the FedEx Cup title with its $10 million prize.Stenson became the first European to win both the FedEx Cup and The Tour Championship.Stenson birdied the 15th hole and cruised home with three consecutive pars for his fourth USPGA Tour title.He also won the FedEx Cup, vaulting past runner-up and two-time FedEx Cup winner Tiger Woods.Spieth shot a six-under 64 for the second-top score Sunday. That moved him into second place at minus-10 and he was joined there by Steve Stricker, who fired with a 65.Webb Simpson had the low round of the day, a seven-under 63, which helped him take fourth place at nine-under-par 271.Dustin Johnson birdied three of the last four holes. He managed a one-under 69 to end in fifth at minus-eight. Johnson would have claimed even more prize money had he not stumbled to a triple bogey at the 17th hole.Reigning US Open champ Justin Rose posted a three-under 67 to end in sixth at minus-seven. Zach Johnson and Billy Horschel both closed with 68s to share seventh at six-under 274.Woods carded a three-under 67 and shared 22nd at even-par 280.Defending Tour Champion and FedEx Cup winner Brandt Snedeker shot two-under 68 to tie Hunter Mahan for 20th at one-under 279.

Switzerland region slaps ban on full-faced veil

Posted:

GENEVA (AFP) - Voters in Switzerlands Italian-speaking region Sunday slapped a ban on wearing full-face veils, a move condemned by the countrys Muslim community and Amnesty International.Results from a referendum in the southern canton of Ticino showed that 65 percent of the electorate backed a proposal to forbid the covering of faces in public areas by any group.Echoing bans in France and Belgium, the measure does not single out Muslims directly.It states that no-one may mask or hide their face on the public highway, nor in places open to the public, except places of worship, nor those offering a public service.But in a clear nod to the Islamic tradition of veils for women, it adds that no-one may require another person to cover their face for reasons of gender.The measure was the brainchild of right-wing Ticino populist party Il Guastafeste -- whose kingpin Giorgio Ghiringhelli makes no secret of his criticism of Islam.This is an historic vote for Ticino, Ghiringhelli told Switzerlands Italian-language broadcaster RSI.And not just for Ticino, but also for Switzerland and abroad, where the Ticino example could spread.It is the first time that any of Switzerlands 26 cantons -- the equivalent of US states -- has imposed such a ban.It will be anchored in Ticinos constitution, making it tough to overturn, and local lawmakers will now have to craft legislation to implement it and impose penalties on those who fail to respect it.Reacting to Sundays results, Switzerlands Central Islamic Council slammed the vote as yet another loud expression of social Islamophobia.We in the Council see this as part of a string of attempts to make life increasingly difficult for Muslims in Switzerland and to ban symbols of Islam from the public arena, it said in a statement.It restricts the fundamental constitutional rights of Muslim women without any pressing need or national legal basis.Leading human rights group Amnesty International also condemned the vote.Fear, and the creation of a problem where there isnt one, have beaten reason and respect, to the detriment of the basic rights of the entire population, the head of Amnestys Swiss section, Manon Schick, said in a statement.She added that she hoped the Swiss parliament would speak out, given that the right to religious freedom is inscribed in the countrys constitution.Referenda are the bedrock of Switzerlands system of direct democracy, with citizen-campaigners able to force votes if they collect enough signatures from voters.With 350,000 people, Ticino is one of the smallest cantons in Switzerland, a nation of eight million.There are some 400,000 Muslims in Switzerland, mainly for North Africa and the Balkans.They represent five percent of the population of Switzerland -- but an even lower proportion of just two percent in Ticino, the Central Islamic Council said.This result underlines a certain degree of disquiet in the population, said Swiss President Ueli Maurer.He underlined that it came in the wake of a nationwide referendum in November 2009 which led to a ban on the construction of new mosque minarets beyond the four already built in the country.That referendum was pushed heavily by Maurers right-wing populist Swiss Peoples Party, known for its anti-immigration stance.Switzerland faced a barrage of international criticism following the 2009 vote.

Pope calls Pakistan church attack act of hate, war

Posted:

CAGLIARI (AP) - Pope Francis has led several thousand people in a special prayer for the victims of the church attack in Pakistan.Francis was wrapping up a daylong visit to Sardinia on Sunday when he took the microphone and told throngs of young people about the scale of the attack in Peshawar. He said those who carried out the attack took the wrong choice, one of hatred and war.He urged the young Sardinians present to instead work for peace, a message he has repeated in recent weeks amid escalating tensions in Syria.Sunday's suicide bombing outside the historic All Saints church killed dozens in the deadliest-ever attack on Pakistan's Christian minority, officials said.

Peshawar Church blast: Federal govt announces 3-day mourn

Posted:

PESHAWAR (Dunya News) - Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan expressed grief and sorrow over the incident and announced a 3-day nation-wide mourning.Talking to the media, after visiting Lady Reading Hospital, along with KPK Chief Minister Pervez Khatta, Nisar assured full support to the provincial government to complement efforts in connection with the medical treatment and other help to the victims.Strongly condemning Pakistan’s one of the deadliest attacks, the Interior Minister said: “No Pakistani has any words to condemn such an inhuman act”. He said only anti-Islam forces could execute such heinous acts of terrorism.On the other hand, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government also announced Rs 500, 000 each for families of those killed in church blasts and Rs 200, 000 for the injured people.A pair of suicide bombers detonated their explosives outside a historic church in northwestern Pakistan on Sunday, killing 78 people in the deadliest-ever attack on the country's Christian minority, officials said.

College student helps pay tuition by eating

Posted:

WISCONSIN (Web Desk) - A University of Wisconsin student with a nickname of Silo is eating his way through school — competitively.Computer engineering student Eric Dahl now ranks third in the world of competitive eating as determined by All Pro Eating rankings, though he once held the top spot. Dahl has earned more than $18,000 in prize money or merchandise to help pay for his education.Im eating for my education, he said. It helps me get through.Dahl was drawn to competitive eating in 2011, at the former Big Reds Steakhouse in Madison. Dahl didnt want to pay for his meal so he signed up for a challenge: eat a three-pound cheesesteak sandwich in less than 10 minutes and skip the bill. He finished in 5 minutes, 50 seconds. It just started rolling from there, he said.Dahls first paycheck came from Dickeys Barbecue Pit in suburban Minneapolis, where he earned $250 for inhaling nine pulled-pork sandwiches in six minutes. The former high school athlete found the competition and its over-the-top atmosphere reminiscent of professional wrestling.I really get pumped when the crowd starts cheering, he said. Im friends with other competitive eaters, but once Im on stage I dont have any friends.The 6-foot-3 Dahl said he walks a few miles a day, lifts weights twice a week and plays intramural soccer and hockey to maintain his 220-pound weight.
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)