Sunday 6 October 2013

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Dunya TV

US moves closer to possibility of default

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WASHINGTON (AP) - The United States moved closer to the possibility of the first-ever default on the governments debt Sunday as Speaker John Boehner adamantly ruled out a House vote on a straightforward bill to boost the borrowing authority without concessions from President Barack Obama.With no resolution in sight, Treasury Secretary Jack Lew warned that Congress is playing with fire as he called on lawmakers to quickly pass legislation re-opening the government and a measure increasing the nations $16.7 trillion debt limit.The government shutdown precipitated by the budget brinkmanship entered its sixth day with hundreds of thousands of federal employees furloughed, national parks closed and an array of government services on hold.Lew said Obama has not changed his opposition to coupling a bill to re-open the government and raise the borrowing authority with Republican demands for changes in the 3-year-old health care law and spending cuts.Boehner insisted that Obama must negotiate if the president wants to end the shutdown and avert a default that could trigger a financial crisis and recession that would echo the events of 2008 or worse. The 2008 financial crisis pushed the country into the worst recession since the Great Depression of the 1930s.Were not going to pass a clean debt limit increase, Boehner, the top House Republican, said in a television interview. I told the president, theres no way were going to pass one. The votes are not in the House to pass a clean debt limit, and the president is risking default by not having a conversation with us.Boehner also said he lacks the votes to pass a clean CR, or continuing resolution, a reference to the temporary spending bill without conditions that would keep the government operating. Democrats argue that their 200 members in the House of Representatives plus close to two dozen pragmaticRepublicans would back a so-called clean bill if Boehner just allowed a vote, but say he remains hamstrung by the hardcore conservative tea party caucus.Let me issue him a friendly challenge. Put it on the floor Monday or Tuesday. I would bet there are the votes to pass it, said Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer.In a series of Sunday television appearances, Lew warned that on Oct. 17, when he exhausts the bookkeeping maneuvers he has been using to keep borrowing, the threat of default would be imminent.Im telling you that on the 17th, we run out of the ability to borrow, and Congress is playing with fire, Lew said.Lew said that while Treasury expects to have $30 billion of cash on hand on Oct. 17, that money will be quickly exhausted in paying incoming bills given that the governments payments can run up to $60 billion on a single day.Treasury issued a report on Thursday detailing in stark terms what could happen if the government actually defaulted on its obligations to service the national debt.A default would be unprecedented and has the potential to be catastrophic, the Treasury report said. Credit markets could freeze, the value of the dollar could plummet, U.S. interest rates could skyrocket, the negative spillovers could reverberate around the world.Private economists generally agree that a default on the U.S. debt would be extremely harmful, especially if the impasse was not resolved quickly.If they dont pay on the debt, that would cost us for generations to come, said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moodys Analytics. He said a debt default would be a cataclysmic event that would roil financial markets in the United States and around the world.Zandi said that holders of U.S. Treasury bonds would demand higher interest rates which would cost the country hundreds of billions of dollars in higher interest payments in coming years on the national debt.Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, a tea party favorite who has been a force in pushing congressional Republicans to link changes to the health care law in exchange for keeping the government running, spelled out his conditions for raising the borrowing authority.We should look for three things. No. 1, we should look for some significant structural plan to reduce government spending. No. 2, we should avoid new taxes. And No. 3, we should look for ways to mitigate the harms from Obamacare, Cruz said, describing the debt ceiling issue as one of the best leverage the Congress has to rein in the executive.Some Republicans, such as Rep. Steve King of Iowa, dismiss the warnings about a government default as an exaggeration, suggesting U.S. credit wont collapse and calling the talk a lot of false demagoguery.Asked how the standoff might end, Boehner said Sunday on ABC that he was uncertain: If I knew, Id tell you. He added that Obama can call him any time to start negotiations to end the shutdown. He knows what my phone number is.Privately, administration officials say they dont think Boehner and Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell want a default as they realize it will be far worse than a shutdown, but the two dont know how to avoid it or when to try.In one promising development, several hundred thousand furloughed federal employees are headed back to work starting Monday, and those who remain at home or are working without paychecks are a step closer to getting back pay once the partial government shutdown ends.Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel ordered nearly all of the 350,000 furloughed Pentagon civilian employees back on the job. Hagel said he based his decision on a Pentagon interpretation of a law called the Pay Our Military Act that was approved by Congress just before the start of the partial government shutdown.The Senate will try to vote this week on a bill that passed the House unanimously on Saturday to pay federal workers for days missed due to the shutdown.Boehner and Schumer were interviewed on ABCs This Week, and Lew and Cruz on CNNs State of the Union. Lew also appeared on CBS Face the Nation, Fox News Sunday and NBCs Meet the Press.

Egypt: 51 killed in new bout of street violence

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CAIRO (AP) - Security forces and Islamist protesters clashed around the country Sunday, leaving 51 killed, as a national holiday celebrating the military turned to mayhem. Crowds from Egypts two rival camps supporters of the ousted Islamist president, Mohammed Morsi, and backers of the military that deposed him poured into the streets and turned on each other.Several neighborhoods of the capital, Cairo, resembled combat zones after street battles that raged for hours. Morsi supporters fired birdshot and threw firebombs at police who responded with gunshots and tear gas. Streets were left strewn with debris, and the air was thick with tear gas and smoke from burning fires, as the crack of gunfire rang out.An Associated Press photographer saw nine bodies lying on the floor of a clinic in the Cairo district of Dokki, scene of some of the heaviest clashes.Most of the bodies had gunshot wounds to the head or chest.Sundays death toll of 51 was the highest on a single day since Aug. 14 when security forces raided two sit-in protest camps by Morsi supporters, killing hundreds.Even as fighting continued in the streets, the military went ahead with lavish celebrations for the holiday marking the 40th anniversary of the start of the 1973 Mideast war with Israel.In the evening, a concert was aired live on state TV from a military-run Cairo stadium where pop stars from Egypt, Lebanon and the Gulf sang anthems to the army and dancers twirled on stage before a cheering crowd. Military chief Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, other top brass and interim President Adly Mansour attended the show.There are those who think the military can be broken, el-Sissi said in an address at the concert. You see the Pyramids? The military is like the pyramids, because the Egyptian people are on its side.The clashes were the latest chapter in the turmoil roiling the country since the ouster in February 2011 of autocrat Hosni Mubarak. The new violence is certain to set back efforts by the interim, military-backed government to revive the economy, especially the vital tourism sector, and bring order to the streets of Cairo, where crime and lawlessness have been rife.Morsi was Egypts first civilian and first freely elected president, succeeding four since the early 1950s who hailed from a military background. But after a year in office, Morsi was faced by massive protests demanding his ouster, accusing his Muslim Brotherhood of taking over power and on July 3, el-Sissi removed him.The military is now back as the real source of power in Egypt, and state and independent media have been depicting it as the countrys savior with growing calls for el-Sissi to run in the presidential election due early next year.Sundays holiday was an opportunity for Egypts leaders to further fan the pro-military fervor sweeping the country since the coup. But the holiday was also a chance for Morsis Muslim Brotherhood and its Islamist allies to show that they are surviving a fierce crackdown that has jailed more than 2,000 from their ranks since the coup.Thousands of their backers held marches in various parts of Cairo, while at the same time crowds in support of the military took to the streets. In some cases, the two sides set upon each other, pelting each other with rocks and firebombs.The Health Ministry reported 51 people killed nationwide, with at least 40 of them in Cairo, and more than 240 injured. The Interior Ministry, which is in charge of the police, said 423 Morsi supporters were detained across the nation.It is now crystal clear that the coup is a nightmare for Egypt and its people and is trying so hard to tear the fabric of this nation, a coalition grouping the Brotherhood and its allies said in a statement.At the time when festivities are arranged for one section of the population, they call on Egyptians to dance on the dead bodies of their compatriots who oppose the coup, it said, calling for a rally in Tahrir Square on Friday.The scene of Sundays fighting in Cairo contrasted sharply with a carnival-like mood in the citys central Tahrir Square, where thousands of supporters of the military waved Egyptian flags, blew whistles and touted posters of el-Sissi. Adding to the festivities, a military band in green jackets and off-white pants played, and men spun in whirling dervish-style dances.Demonstrators distributed petitions demanding that el-Sissi run for president.We cannot find a man who can run the country at this stage except for him (el-Sissi), said aspiring actress Wafaa el-Sharqawi, who was distributing the el-Sissi petition in Tahrir. Can we possibly have a civilian president who is weaker than his defense minister?Soldiers barricaded entrances to central Tahrir Square with barbed wire and armored personnel vehicles to guard it against possible attempts by Morsi supporters to enter the plaza, Egypts most prominent political stage since it was the epicenter of the anti-Mubarak uprising nearly three years ago.Metal detectors were installed at the entrances and demonstrators pouring into the square were searched by troops. Army helicopters flew low over the square, with Egypts red, white and black flag trailing. Some two dozen F-16 jet-fighters staged a celebratory flight over Cairo in late morning, ushering in the commemoration of the 1973 war.At 2 p.m. the time the war began in 1973 church bells tolled and chants of Allahu akbar, or God is greatest, blared from mosques in parts of Cairo.Still, not all in the square were enthused about the military.Moamen Mahmoud, a 23-year-old student, was in Tahrir on Sunday and mused about the ironies of the shifting sands of Egypts politics in the past 2 ½ years. He said he took part in the 2011 uprising and in subsequent protests against the militarys direct rule of the country for some 17 months after Mubaraks fall.I came here today because I cannot miss an occasion like this, but sadly the revolutionaries are no here. I was here once chanting against military rule and now look at this. We forgot the principles of the revolution, he said.Those who criticized the Brotherhood supporters for hoisting Morsi posters are now doing the same with el-Sissis posters, said Mahmoud Badawi, a 27-year-old university graduate who is opposed to the July 3 coup. Throughout history, military rule is corrupt.The climax of the days festivities was the extravaganza at the military-owned stadium in the eastern part of Cairo, attended by el-Sissi and kicked off with a dazzling display of fireworks.El-Sissis predecessor, Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, was among those attending the ceremony, making his first public appearance since Morsi removed him and his chief of staff, Sami Anan, in August last year. Tantawi served Hosni Mubarak as defense minister for 20 years and took over the reins of the country when his mentor was ousted in a 2011 uprising.

Warheads destroyed as Syria disarmament launched: UN

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UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - Experts destroyed missile warheads, aerial bombs and chemical mixing equipment Sunday on the first day of a campaign to eliminate Syrias chemical weapons, the UN said.The experts supervised Syrian personnel who used cutting torches and angle grinders to make sure the weaponry could not be used, said a statement released by the United Nations and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.The OPCW and UN experts arrived in Damascus to start checking President Bashar al-Assads banned chemical weapons and destroy them in line with a UN Security Council resolution.The process of destroying Syrias chemical weapons program began today, said the statement, confirming comments by a UN official in Damascus.The Syrian workers were destroying or disabling a range of items, including missile warheads, aerial bombs and mixing and filling equipment, the statement added.The process will continue in the coming days.The international team is also monitoring, verifying and reporting whether Assads government provided accurate information on its chemical stockpiles.The Security Council passed a resolution on September 27 backing a US-Russia plan submitted to the OPCW to disarm Syrias chemical weapons after a sarin gas attack in August killed hundreds.Under the plan, Syrias chemical weapons mixing and production facilities must be destroyed by November 1.UN leader Ban Ki-moon is expected to send a report to the Security Council on Monday setting out in more detail the logistics of what is considered one of the biggest and most dangerous disarmament operations ever staged because the Syria war is still raging.

Raids suggest future shape of counterterror bids

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WASHINGTON (AP) - The U.S. commando raids in Libya and Somalia suggest the future shape of U.S. counterterrorism efforts brief, targeted raids against highly sought extremist figures and highlight the rise of Africa as a terrorist haven.The strikes also raise questions about where to interrogate and try captured terrorist suspects such as Abu Anas al-Libi, accused by the U.S. of involvement in the 1998 bombings of two American embassies in Africa.Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Sunday that al-Libi was in U.S. custody; officials would not say where.The chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Rep. Howard Buck McKeon, said al-Libi has vast intelligence value.McKeon said President Barack Obama should fully exploit this potential before moving on to his prosecution. The White House seemed to agree, saying Saturdays raid in Tripoli was specifically designed to apprehend, not kill, the suspect.The president has made clear our preference for capturing terrorist targets when possible, and thats exactly what weve done in order to elicit as much valuable intelligence as we can and bring a dangerous terrorist to justice, said the White House National Security Councils spokeswoman, Caitlin Hayden.The outcome of a second U.S. commando raid Saturday in Somalia, targeting a leader of the al-Qaida affiliated terrorist group, al-Shabab, was less clear.A Navy SEAL team swam ashore in Somalia early in the morning and engaged in a fierce firefight. A U.S. official said afterward the Americans disengaged after inflicting some al-Shabab casualties, but it was unclear who was hit. The official was granted anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly.The raid in Somalia reflected the importance the Obama administration attaches to combating al-Shabab, whose leaders are believed to be collaborating more with other al-Qaida affiliated Islamic insurgent groups across Africa.In a speech in May outlining his strategy for the use of drones, Obama counted Somalia as among the places where the U.S. and its allies face lethal yet less capable al-Qaida affiliates.The commando assaults unfolded against the backdrop of political paralysis in Washington, where the Congress and the White House are locked in battle over budgets but have agreed to keep the military operating and paid on time.Libya said Sunday it has asked the United States for clarifications regarding the capture of al-Libi by U.S. Army Delta Force commandos.The Tripoli government said that al-Libi, as a Libyan national, should be tried in his own country. He is on the FBIs most-wanted list of terrorists with a $5 million bounty on his head. He was indicted by the U.S. in November 1998.In a statement, Libya also said it hoped the incident would not affect its strategic relationship with the U.S., which is evolving in the aftermath of the 2011 ouster of longtime ruler Moammar Gadhafi. Ties were complicated by the Sept. 11, 2012, attack on U.S. diplomatic facilities in Benghazi, in eastern Libya, that killed the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans.Republican Sen. Kelly Ayotte, a vocal advocate of placing captured high-value terrorist suspects in the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, said Sunday that al-Libi should be treated as an enemy combatant, detained in military custody and interrogated to gather information that will prevent future attacks and help locate other al-Qaida terrorists.Al-Libi was indicted by a federal court in New York for his alleged role in the bombings of the U.S. Embassies in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and Nairobi, Kenya, on Aug. 7, 1998, that killed more than 220 people.U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, in Indonesia for an economic summit, said the U.S. hopes the raids make clear that America will never stop in the effort to hold those accountable who conduct acts of terror. He added: Members of al-Qaida and other terrorist organizations literally can run but they cant hide.It was not immediately clear whether al-Libi had been involved with al-Qaida since or had been connected to militant activities in Libya, where al-Qaida has a growing presence since Gadhafi was ousted.Al-Libis family denied he was ever a member of al-Qaida and said he was not involved in militant activity since his return.In a 157-page indictment filed in the Southern District of New York in November 1998, the U.S. government accused al-Libi and others of conspiring to kill American civilians and military members at the embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.Specifically, prosecutors said al-Libi helped bin Laden and al-Qaida plan the attacks on the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi by scouting and photographing the site in 1993. The indictment also alleges al-Libi discussed other attacks on the U.S. Agency for International Development as well as British, French and Israeli targets in Kenya.The court filing does not charge al-Libi in the bombing and deaths of those at the embassies, but rather says he conspired to achieve that result.

Iraq suicide blasts kill 33, many of them children

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BAGHDAD (AP) - Deadly attacks in Iraq killed at least 33 people on Sunday, including a dozen children slain when a suicide bomber detonated the explosives-laden car he was driving near their elementary school in the north of the country, officials said.The attacks are the latest in a relentless wave of killing that has made for Iraqs deadliest outburst of violence since 2008. The mounting death tolls are raising fears that the country is falling back into the spiral of violence that brought it to the edge of civil war in the years after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.Sundays blasts began around 9:30 a.m. in the Shiite Turkomen village of Qabak, just outside the town of Tal Afar. The area around the stricken village has long been a hotbed for hard-to-rout Sunni insurgents and a corridor for extremist fighters arriving from nearby Syria.One car bomb in the tiny village targeted an elementary school while children ages 6 to 12 were in class as another struck a nearby police station, Tal Afar mayor Abdul Aal al-Obeidi said.The dead included 12 children, the school principal and two policemen. Another 90 people were wounded, he said.The village is home to only about 200 residents, and part of the single-story school collapsed as a result of the blast, he said. Tal Afar is 420 kilometers (260 miles) northwest of Baghdad.We and Iraq are plagued by al-Qaida, al-Obeidi said. Its a tragedy. These innocent children were here to study. What sins did these children commit?Another suicide bomber, this time on foot, blew himself up hours later as Shiite pilgrims walked through the largely Sunni neighborhood of Waziriyah in the north of the Iraqi capital.At least 12 people were killed and 23 wounded in that attack, according to police and hospital officials.It was the second time in less than 24 hours that a suicide bomber managed to thwart security checkpoints and target Shiite pilgrims making their way to a golden-domed shrine in northern Baghdad where two revered Shiite saints are buried.A suicide bombing in the largely Sunni neighborhood of Azamiyah, not far from the site of Sundays attack, late Saturday killed 51, authorities said as they revised the death toll upward. That and other attacks Saturday left a total of 75 dead, including two television journalists shot on the job.Later Sunday, a bomb hidden in a parking lot exploded in Baghdad al-Jadidah, a district in the east of the Iraqi capital that has both Sunni and Shiite areas. That blast killed six and wounded 12, according to police and hospital officials.There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the latest attacks, but suicide bombers and car bombs are frequently used by al-Qaidas Iraq branch. It often targets Shiite civilians in an effort to undermine the Shiite-led government. Its extremist ideology considers Shiites heretics.The police and hospital officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they werent authorized to brief reporters.The United Nations envoy to Iraq urged political, religious and civic leaders to work together to stop the killing.It is their responsibility to ensure that pilgrims can practice their religious duties, that school children can attend their classes, that journalists can exercise their professional duties and that ordinary citizens can live a normal life in an environment free of fear and violence, envoy Nickolay Mladenov said.United Nations figures released last week showed that at least 979 people, most of them civilians, were killed last month alone. At least 135 have died violently since the start of October, according to an Associated Press count.

Golf: Tiger leads US to Presidents Cup win

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COLUMBUS (AFP) - Tiger Woods clinched the Presidents Cup for the United States for the third time in a row on Sunday, giving the Americans an insurmountable 18-14 lead over the Internationals at rain-soaked Muirfield Village.World number one Woods edged 41st-ranked Richard Sterne of South Africa 1 up to secure the trophy, thwarting an Internationals fightback and boosting the Americans to 8-1-1 in the overall rivalry with their fifth win in a row.Battling nagging back spasms over the final five holes, Woods won the par-3 16th with a par, chipped from the rough to inches from the hole at 17 and halved 18 for the victory.It feels good, Woods said. It was a tough day, tough conditions, rain, wind all around.(My back) acted up from 14 on in. It keep getting worse, a little tight, but I think we can find something for it.His victory put the hosts up by four with only two matches on a course that saw heavy rain for the fourth day in a row, forcing lift, clean and place rules to be used.Weve all slogged it out and did our best, said 2013 Masters champion Adam Scott of Australia.It was the third triumph for Fred Couples as the US captain, all having ended Woods taking the winning point.Three in a row and Tiger has the winning point all three times -- thats pretty good, Couples said.Internationals captain Nick Price was proud of the rally, winning four matches in a row with the US on the brink of clinching to create some drama until Woods came through.Against the might of America, that was a tall order for us, Price said. The all played incredibly well. They tried their hardest and Im proud to be their captain.Aussie Jason Day won the first singles point 6 and 4 over Brandt Snedeker. The Muirfield Village member won four of the first six holes and led all the way.I just wanted to finish off with a bang, Day said.Hunter Mahan answered for the hosts, beating Japans Hideki Matsuyama 3 and 2. Mahan birdied six and seven to take the lead for good and prevent an Internationals run.It is critical. You cant give them momentum, Mahan said. I got off to a good start and felt like I was in control from there.Jason Dufner, who won the PGA Championship two months ago, edged the US closer by beating Zimbabwes Brendon de Jonge 4 and 3.Dufner led from start to finish and won after de Jonge hit his tee shot way left into trees at the par-5 15th.Canadas Graham DeLaet chipped in from a bunker at the 18th hole to beat Jordan Spieth 1-up.Zach Johnson beat South African Branden Grace 4 and 2 to put the US on the brink of victory.But Scott edged Bill Haas 2 and 1 and South African four-time major winner Ernie Els outlasted Steve Stricker 1-up to keep Internationals hopes alive for a draw.Aussie Marc Leishman made a 10-foot par putt at 18 to edge Matt Kuchar 1-up and South African Charl Schwartzel beat Keegan Bradley 2 and 1 before Woods ended the drama.The US team won 2 1/2 key points in foursomes matches that ended Sunday morning.A foursomes key was when Snedeker and Simpson, 3-down after 12 at nightfall, won four of the last six holes to beat Schwartzel and Oosthuizen 1-up.I cant believe we did it but Im happy to get the win, said Simpson.Els and De Jonge won 1-up over Woods and Kuchar, delivering the US duos first defeat when Els made a five-foot par putt at 18.Stricker and Haas beat Scott and Matsuyama 4 and 3 while DeLaet and Day halved with Mickelson and Bradley.

Juventus recovers to beat AC Milan 3-2 in Serie A

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ROME (AP) - Juventus conceded a goal after just 19 seconds then recovered to beat AC Milan 3-2 Sunday and remind the rest of Serie A that it intends to win a third straight Italian league title.Juve had come away with draws from its three biggest matches thus far this season, against Inter Milan in the league and vs. FC Copenhagen and Galatasaray in the Champions League, but the Bianconeri were in far better form this time save for the first and last minutes.We did well to bounce back and we played a good match against a solid Milan, Juve manager Antonio Conte said. The result was good but we still need to improve our performance. Weve been allowing a bit too much for a while now.Napoli also stayed within striking distance of Serie A leader Roma with a comfortable 4-0 win over promoted Livorno.Juventus and Napoli are both two points behind Roma, which faces Napoli after the break for national team fixtures.Milan is 13 points behind in a tie for 12th with promoted Livorno.Napoli also entered the weekend with questions over its form following a 2-0 midweek defeat to Arsenal in the Champions League.We knew this was a difficult match after the loss to Arsenal, Napoli manager Rafa Benitez said. We showed the character that I was talking about during the week.On Saturday, Francesco Totti scored twice as Roma won 3-0 at Inter Milan to extend its winning start to seven matches. The Giallorossi have scored 20 goals and conceded just one.In Sundays other matches, it was: Bologna 1, Hellas Verona 4; Catania 1, Genoa 1; Lazio 0, Fiorentina 0; Parma 3, Sassuolo 1; Sampdoria 2, Torino 2; and Udinese 2, Cagliari 0.In Turin, Milan midfielder Sulley Muntari took advantage of an errant shot from Antonio Nocerino to deflect the ball in with one touch in the matchs first chance.Andrea Pirlo equalized in the 15th with a curling free kick that appeared to surprise Milan goalkeeper Christian Abbiati. Out of respect for his former club, Pirlo did not celebrate.Milan defender Philippe Mexes punched Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini in the 50th as the players jockeyed for position inside the area. The referee did not see what happened but TV replays will likely be used to hand Mexes a lengthy ban.Sebastian Giovinco gave Juve the lead in the 69th, dribbling past two defenders before beating Abbiati with a precise shot two minutes after he came on for Fabio Quagliarella.As luck would have it, Mexes was sent off for his second yellow card in the 74th and Chiellini scored in the 75th with a rebound of another free kick from Pirlo that bounced off the crossbar.Muntari pulled one back for Milan in the 90th with a long shot that was deflected by Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci, leaving goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon fuming.Milan, which was without the suspended Mario Balotelli, nearly equalized in added time but Cristian Zapatas header from a corner sailed high.In Naples, Goran Pandev put the hosts ahead three minutes in, Gokhan Inler doubled the lead in the 26th, Jose Callejon added another in the 54th and Marek Hamsik scored his fifth of the season in the 83rd.Pandev finished off a counterattack after getting set up by Belgium midfielder Dries Mertens and Inler found the target with a long and powerful shot that Livorno goalkeeper Francesco Bardi should have stopped.Callejon scored from within the area after getting set up by Pandev and Hamsik finished off another swift counterattack that followed a Livorno corner by knocking in a rebound.Hellas Verona, back in the top division for the first time in 11 years, moved into fifth place, eight points behind Roma, after getting goals from Fabrizio Cacciatore, Juan Manuel Iturbe, former Italy forward Luca Toni and Jorginho.The start of the match was delayed for 20 minutes because Veronas bus was held up by fan clashes outside the stadium.Antonio Cassano, another former Italy forward, scored one goal and set up two others as 10-man Parma won a regional derby.A minute of silence was observed before each match to mourn the 100-plus African migrants killed in a shipwreck off the Italian island of Lampedusa on Thursday.

Ten-man PSG beat Marseille 2-1 in French league

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PARIS (AP) - Ten-man Paris Saint-Germain rallied past Marseille 2-1 on Sunday in a match featuring two controversial penalties to go level on points with leader Monaco in the French league.PSG midfielder Thiago Motta was sent off in the 30th minute for kicking Mathieu Valbuena while attempting to clear the ball, and Marseille winger Andre Ayew converted the subsequent penalty.But Maxwell beat Marseille goalkeeper Steve Mandanda to the ball on the stroke of halftime to head in a cross from Gregory Van der Wiel for the equalizer. Zlatan Ibrahimovic then scored the winner from the penalty spot by sending Mandanda the wrong way in the 65th after Andre Ayew had tripped PSG defender Marquinhos.Mental toughness made the difference tonight, PSG midfielder Blaise Matuidi said. Theres quality in our team, but theres a soul, too.Meanwhile, Lyons poor start to the season continued with a 5-1 loss at Montpellier and Bordeaux moved three points clear of the relegation zone by thrashing Sochaux 4-1.Marseille was the most threatening side in the first half as PSG struggled to create chances.Salvatore Sirigu tipped a low free kick from Valbuena around the post in the 12th. The PSG goalkeeper then saved a volley from Jordan Ayew in the 21st and denied Valbuenas effort from the rebound.Thiago Motta then put his team in trouble while chesting a cross. The ball got away from him, Valbuena intercepted it and got kicked in the foot by the PSG midfielder.Andre Ayew fired the ball into the roof of the net for the opener in the 34th.That goal seemed to wake up the PSG players, and Mandanda was forced to punch away a volley from Ibrahimovic in the 41st.The Marseille goalkeeper came off his line late and could not prevent Maxwell from leveling the match just before the break.At halftime, we were happy to have equalized but we also thought that we could win this match, PSG coach Laurent Blanc said.The hosts failed to capitalize on their numerical superiority in the second half despite a swerving shot from Marseille winger Dimitri Payet that was parried by Sirigu in the 63rd.Two minutes later, Mandanda palmed away a header from PSG defender Alex and Andre Ayews poor judgment gave PSG an opportunity to take the lead.Its always the same story, Valbuena said. Theres not much missing but in the end we lose. It simply means were not a big team.Marseille slipped to fourth place, level on points with Lille.In Montpellier, Victor Hugo Montano opened the scoring for the hosts in the 17th and Anthony Mounier doubled the lead by heading home a corner from Remy Cabella on the stroke of halftime.Alexandre Lacazette pulled one back for Lyon with a long-range strike in the 48th minute, but Remy Cabella converted a penalty in the 60th to make it 3-1 after Lyon goalkeeper Anthony Lopes had brought Montano down.Cabella slipped the ball past Lopes in the 66th and Montano headed in Cabellas cross in the 68th to round off the scoring.Lyon midfielder Maxime Gonalons was sent off in the 82nd after picking up a second yellow card.Montpellier snapped a five-game winless streak to climb to eighth place.Lyon has been a contender for a Champions League spot in recent seasons, but its poor start this year leaves the side 10 points behind league leader Monaco after nine games.The second half was a string of unbelievable and unforgivable mistakes, Lyon coach Remi Garde said. Some players tonight did not have the level required to play in the league.Lyon has won only one of its last 11 matches in all competitions.Roy Contout put Sochaux ahead by slamming the ball under the bar in the 17th. But Bordeaux forward Henri Saivet equalized from the penalty spot in the 21st after Sochaux goalkeeper Simon Pouplin had fouled Cheick Diabate.Jussie headed in a cross from Mariano to give Bordeaux a 2-1 lead. Diabate sealed the win with a low strike in the 70th and a chip in the 89th.The result leaves Sochaux in 19th place.Monaco beat Saint-Etienne 2-1 on Saturday to keep the lead.Also Saturday, it was: Lille 3, Ajaccio 0; Toulouse 1, Nice 0; Nantes 3, Evian 0; Guingamp 2, Rennes 0; and Valenciennes 1, Reims 1.On Friday, Bastia routed Lorient 4-1.

Arsenal top despite winning run ending with draw

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LONDON (AP) - After 10 consecutive wins in all competitions, Arsenal finally came unstuck at West Bromwich Albion on Sunday but ended the weekend still top of the Premier League.Two days after being admonished by Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger for his apparent smoking, Jack Wilshere found his spark in the second half to recover a 1-1 draw.Arsenal heads into the two-week international break level on points with Liverpool but topping the table on goals scored.Chelsea is two points behind after late goals from substitutes Eden Hazard and Willian clinched a 3-1 win at Norwich.The goal of the day perhaps of the season came at Tottenham where Ravel Morrison completed a 3-0 victory for West Ham after running half the length of the pitch with the ball before scoring.

Putin lights Olympic flame for Sochi on Red Square

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MOSCOW (AP) - Russian President Vladimir Putin ceremoniously lit the Olympic flame on Red Square on Sunday, but the four-month relay to Sochi for the Winter Games got off to a rocky start when one of the torches went out.The Olympic flame, which was lit a week ago in Greece and flown to Moscow earlier Sunday, kept burning in a cauldron on Red Square.The glitch occurred when a torch bearer ran through a long passageway leading into the Kremlin, which apparently created a wind tunnel, extinguishing the flame. A man standing along the route, most likely part of the presidential security service, pulled out a lighter and the flame leaped back to life.Dmitry Chernyshenko, president of the Sochi organizing committee, said on Twitter that the problem was that the valve on the torch had not been opened fully.The torch bearer, Shavarsh Karapetyan, 60, was a champion swimmer for the Soviet Union who once saved 20 passengers from a trolleybus that had fallen into a reservoir. He used his legs to break the back window of the trolleybus as it lay in 10 meters (30 feet) of water, and pulled out 20 of the 92 passengers.The torch relay will stay in Moscow for the next three days, with hundreds of athletes, cultural figures and others, including Prince Albert II of Monaco, taking part.The flame will then begin its journey across Russia, traveling from the western exclave of Kaliningrad to the easternmost point just across the Bering Strait from Alaska, before swinging back through the vast country to Sochi in time for the opening ceremony on Feb. 7.For most of the 65,000- kilometer (39,000-mile) trip, the flame will travel by plane, train, car and even reindeer sleigh, safely encased inside a lantern.But 14,000 torch bearers also will take place in the relay at the more than 130 stops along the way.One of the silver and red torches, unlit, will be carried into space in November for a brief visit to the International Space Station, and this same torch will be used to light the Olympic flame in Sochi.Putin, for whom the Olympic Games are a source of personal pride, said the relay will show the world Russia as she is and as we love her.The torch relay will pass through many cities that showcase the historical, cultural and ethnic richness of Russia, while other cities on the route are more closely associated with the evils of Stalinism, the harsh treatment of dissent under Putin or the Islamic insurgency simmering in the Caucasus Mountains not far from Sochis ski slopes.As the relay crosses the expanses of Siberia, it will put the spotlight on Russias immense wealth of natural resources and the rusting of its industrial towns.

Mumbai Indians win CLT20 2013

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NEW DELHI (Web Desk) Rajasthan Royals were bowled out for 169 runs while chasing the mammoth total of 202 runs against Mumbai Indians. Rohit Sharma's men are the deserving champions. Sachin Tendulkar has been lifted by his mates.The owner, Nita Ambani comes across and hands him a Mumbai flag. Spare a thought for Rajasthan though, they played a superb brand of cricket, were unbeateable at home but eventually they could not match the ultra riches that Mumbai had.Ajinkya Rahane and Sanju Samson, two of the most talented Indian youngsters showed superb spirit and looked good to pose a threat to the chase of 202. Samson played an absolute blinder, but his dismissal and then followed by Watson was the death blow for Dravid's boys.Rajasthan still looked good to pull off the blinder as they reached 155/3 at the end of 16 overs. They needed one big over, unfortunately Harbhajan had different ideas as he conceded just 4 runs and grabbed 3 crucial wickets. It was the end for Rajasthan as they failed to recover from the blow and eventually succumbed to a defeat.

Karachi: PIA plane makes emergency landing after catching fire

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KARACHI: (Dunya News) - A dubai-bound passenger plane of PIA caught fire after takeoff but later made an emergency landing at Quaid-e-Azam International Airport.According to sources of Civil Aviation Authority, emergency had been declared at the airport and the plane landed safely while all the passengers were reportedly unhurt.Panic spread among the residents of different areas when they heard a loud noise as the plane was in flight overhead.

Pakistan win World Team Snooker Championship

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CARLOW (Web Desk) - Pakistan clinch the title of the IBSF 6-red world team snooker championship in Carlow Ireland.Pakistani snooker team outclassed Iran by 5-3 in the best of nine frames final.Iran was leading by 3-nil after the three framed but Pakistans Muhammad Asif and Muhammad Sajjad came back quickly and clinch next five frames.The Pakistani duo of Muhammad Asif and Muhammad Sajjad outplayed Irans Sohail Wahidi and Amir Sarkosh with the score of 33-70‚ 18-68‚ 9-74‚ 88-20‚ 67-11‚ 87-15‚ 75-43 and 58-35.Pakistani team remained unbeaten in the championship. Pakistan outplayed Poland‚ Ireland and India in the knock out stages.

15 killed as Morsi supporters clash with forces

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CAIRO (AFP) - At least 15 people were killed Sunday in clashes in Egypt between security forces and supporters of ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, a health ministry official said.Khaled al-Khatib said 83 people had also been injured across the country.Supporters of Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood had marched in several cities to denounce the militarys July 3 overthrow of the Islamist leader, as thousands feted the army on the anniversary of the 1973 Arab-Israeli war.In central Cairo, policemen fired shots and tear gas to disperse stone-throwing protesters. AFP correspondents saw them arrest and beat several suspected demonstrators.Clashes broke out in several neighbourhoods of the capital, as well as the Mediterranean city of Alexandria, the canal city of Suez and in the central town of Delga.

Sebastien Ogier wins Rally of France

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STRASBOURG (AFP) - Newly-crowned world champion Sebastien Ogier won the Rally of France on Sunday as nine-time series winner Sebastien Loeb crashed out on his career finale.Loeb, who had already announced earlier in the season that this would be his last world rally campaign, failed to finish after going off the road on Sunday morning.Volkswagen driver Ogier, who claimed the title on Friday, finished ahead of Spaniard Dani Sordo in a Citroen and Finlands Jari-Matti Latvala in the second factory Volkswagen.Ogier said that the attention given to his duel with fellow Frenchman Loeb was unfair on the other drivers.This weekend, there was a lack of respect for the other drivers, said Ogier.I said before the start that Dani Sordo, Jari-Matti Latvala and Thierry Neuville would be capable of battling.And last night there was just five seconds covering the top four.Ogier finished 12.2sec ahead of Sordo and almost 20sec in front of Latvala.He then praised the world rally legacy of Loeb who leaves the sport with nine titles under his belt.Sebastien Loeb will remain a great champion even if he made a mistake today. The conditions were such that it was easy to make an error.Loebs Citroen ended upside down by the side of the track after rolling into a rain-soaked ditch.I started flat out because it was a close situation. We were fourth, fighting for the victory, but it didnt go as I planned, he said.I lost the rear in a fast right corner, and then we had a spin and I finished in the ditch. And that was the race over. For sure I would have preferred to have finished my last rally here, but it didnt go according to the plan.Loeb will now switch to the World Touring Car championship next season, also behind the wheel of a Citroen.Im not happy about the situation but I was not driving for the championship so I dont need the points. I do feel sorry for the spectators and for the team though, he added.For me its okay, I have some new plans for the future. I would have preferred to finish on the podium here on my last rally, but thats life.
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