Sunday 11 May 2014

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Three new MERS deaths in Saudi Arabia

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RIYADH (AFP) - Three more people have died from the MERS coronavirus in Saudi Arabia, the health ministry said Sunday, taking the number of fatalities from the disease in the kingdom to 142.The Middle East Respiratory System coronavirus has now infected 483 people in the Gulf nation since it first appeared in 2012, accounting for the vast majority of the 496 cases registered worldwide.In its daily bulletin, the ministry said a 45-year-old man had died from MERS in Jeddah on the west coast, and two women aged 60 and 62 died in the capital, Riyadh.The announcement came as the World Health Organisation prepared for an emergency meeting to discuss the disease on Tuesday.The UN health agency's emergency committee has already met four times to discuss the mysterious coronavirus.MERS is considered a deadlier but less-transmissible cousin of the SARS virus that broke out in Asia in 2003, infecting 8,273 people and killing nearly 800.Like SARS, it appears to cause a lung infection, with patients suffering coughing, breathing difficulties and a temperature, but MERS differs in that it also causes rapid kidney failure.Although most MERS infections have been in Saudi Arabia, cases have also been recorded in the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon and even the United States.Most cases outside Saudi Arabia involve people who had travelled to the kingdom or worked there, often as medical staff.

Final phase of India election as Modi fights for seat

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VARANASI (AFP) - Voters head to the polls Monday in the final phase of India's marathon election, with the hardliner Narendra Modi expected to lead his Hindu nationalists to victory after 10 years of Congress party rule.Modi, of the right-wing opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, will be vying to win his seat in the Hindu holy city of Varanasi five weeks after the start of the world's biggest election which has been marred by religious divisions and personal attacks. Modi urged voters to turn out in record numbers on Monday to throw the scandal-plagued Congress party, run by India's most famous political dynasty the Gandhis, from power after 10 years in charge.People are tired of false promises, corruption and the same old tape-recorded messages, Modi said in a blog after campaigning officially ended on Saturday night.They want a better tomorrow and NDA is the only alliance that can provide this change, Modi added, referring to a BJP-led National Democratic Alliance opposition coalition.More than 66 million voters are eligible to cast their ballots in three electorally critical states in the final phase of the election which began on April 7. Polls open at 7 am (0130 GMT).Counting takes place on Friday and results are expected on the same day.Opinion polls show voters have turned against Congress, which has dominated Indian politics since independence, over massive graft scandals, spiralling inflation and a sharp economic slowdown during its two terms in charge of a coalition government.The BJP is expected to win the most seats in the 543-member parliament, but it will likely fall short of an outright majority, meaning it will need to forge its own coalition with smaller and regional parties.India's opinion polls have proved wrong in the past and can be unreliable given the size and remoteness of sections of the country, which has 814 million eligible voters, the biggest electorate in history. Rahul Gandhi, who has headed a lacklustre Congress campaign, denied in comments published on Sunday that his party was staring at almost certain defeat.I am confident that the voters will give a mandate to an inclusive, fair and unifying (Congress) government, he said in an interview to the Hindi-language Hindustan newspaper.The Congress understands the needs of the people, particularly those who are poor and disadvantaged.Among the 41 seats up for grabs on Monday, the battle for Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh state will take centre stage, with Modi pitted against anti-corruption hero Arvind Kejriwal, the feisty leader of the upstart Aam Aadmi (Common Man) Party.Uttar Pradesh is India's most populous state and sends 80 lawmakers to parliament, making it key to the eventual outcome. Voting also takes place on Monday in the neighbouring state of Bihar and West Bengal.The voting will mark the end of an acrimonious election battle that has seen Modi launch personal attacks on Rahul Gandhi, his sister Priyanka and his mother Sonia who is president of Congress.Modi, 63, the son of a tea-stall owner who rose through the BJP ranks, has derided Rahul, 43, scion of the Gandhi dynasty which has produced three prime ministers, as a reluctant shehzada (prince).Beleaguered Gandhi and other Congress leaders have hit back, accusing the avowed Hindu nationalist Modi of being dangerously divisive and prejudiced against the country's 150-million strong Muslim minority.The BJP only wants to divide people, make people fight each other, Gandhi told a mass rally in Varanasi on Saturday.Modi, chief minister of prosperous Gujarat state, has campaigned on a pledge of development, investment and jobs to revive the flagging economy, largely steering clear of any Hindu nationalist agenda.But Modi remains a deeply polarising figure over allegations that he failed to swiftly curb deadly 2002 anti-Muslim riots. The riots that swept Gujarat during his early years as chief minister left at least 1,000 people, mainly Muslims, dead.The BJP leader was denied any wrongdoing.Security will be on high alert for Monday's vote following a series of deadly attacks, including one by Maoist rebels on Sunday in which seven police were killed in a landmine blast in the central state of Maharashtra.

Ukraine's Donetsk region votes 89% for independence: rebels

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DONETSK (AFP) - Rebels in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine claimed that 89 percent of voters had cast ballots in favour of independence in a disputed referendum on Sunday, with 10 percent against. These can be considered the final results, Roman Lyagin, the head of Donetsk's self-styled electoral commission, told reporters shortly after polling stations closed.He said that turnout was just under 75 percent.We are announcing the results immediately after we received them ourselves, the rebel said.It turned out to be extremely easy to count the votes as the number of people who voted against was extremely low and the number of spoiled ballots was low.Donetsk region was one of two regions holding referendums on independence on Ukraine that authorities in Kiev have slammed as a farce and the West fears will bring the ex-Soviet Republic closer to civil war.There was no immediate word on results from the other region, Lugansk, where polls closed slightly later.

Iran, UN atomic watchdog to meet today

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VIENNA (AFP) - The United Nations' atomic watchdog said Sunday it would hold talks with Iran to discuss its long-stalled probe into Tehran's alleged past efforts to develop nuclear weapons.IAEA and Iranian officials will meet on Monday in Vienna for further discussions within the Framework for Cooperation, International Atomic Energy Agency spokeswoman Gill Tudor said.The International Atomic Energy Agency has been seeking answers from Iran over what it calls overall, credible evidence that before 2003, and possibly since, Tehran has conducted research into making nuclear weapons.The Islamic republic has rejected such claims, saying they are based on faulty intelligence from the CIA and Israel's Mossad -- intelligence that it has not been allowed to see.Some progress was made last year when Iran promised to clarify its use of Exploding Bridge Wire (EBW) detonators, devices which could theoretically be used in an atomic bomb but which also have a range of other uses.The deadline to provide answers on this issue, and also to take six other steps to improve transparency, is on Thursday. The steps include granting the IAEA access to the Saghand uranium mine and providing more information on a new nuclear reactor under construction at Arak.Behrouz Kamalvandi, Iran's atomic agency spokesman, told the IRNA agency last week that most of the seven-step procedural agreement between Iran and the IAEA has been implemented. Experts say other, much trickier questions also remain to be resolved.Other claims outlined in a major November 2011 IAEA report include alleged explosives testing at the Parchin military base near Tehran that the watchdog says would be strong indicators of missile development.The meeting comes a day ahead of the next round of parallel but linked talks, also in Vienna, between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany.They aim to turn into a lasting accord a temporary deal from November under which Iran scaled back certain nuclear activities for six months in return for minor and reversible relief from painful UN and Western sanctions.As part of this sought-after comprehensive accord, as well as reducing in scope its nuclear activities, the six powers want Iran to answer all the IAEA's outstanding questions.

Sisi sees Egypt situation better 'in two years'

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CAIRO (AFP) - Presidential frontrunner Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said on Sunday Egypt's situation will improve in two years, adding that he would not hesitate to resign if there were mass protests against him.Sisi, lauded by millions of Egyptians for ousting Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in July last year, is expected to trounce his only rival, leftist leader Hamdeen Sabbahi, in the May 26-27 election.If things go according to the plan we have prepared, we will see an improvement in two years, the retired field marshal said in an interview with Sky News Arabia.Egypt's problems will be over in two years, he added.The country has been rocked by more than three years of political turmoil that toppled two presidents after massive street protests, a deadly crackdown on protesters that has killed more than 1,400 people, and a spate of militant attacks that has left the country deeply polarised and the economy in a shambles.The crackdown on backers of Morsi, Egypt's first freely elected president, saw more than 15,000 people jailed and hundreds sentenced to death in rulings that have triggered international outrage.When asked to comment on the court decisions Sisi said: I don't have the right to comment on judiciary rulings.Nobody should comment on judiciary rulings, he added.In April, a judge in the central city of Minya angered international rights groups after he sentenced to death nearly 700 alleged Morsi supporters after a speedy trial.In Sisi's second television interview since announcing his candidacy in March, he said there was no feud between him and Morsi's blacklisted Muslim Brotherhood, which is has been targeted in the authorities' crackdown.He said during Morsi's one year rule, the Brotherhood projected itself in a way that made Egyptians feel that they can't live with them (the Brotherhood) again.When asked in an earlier interview on Monday with two Egyptian channels whether the Brotherhood would cease to exist under his presidency, Sisi had answered Yes, rejecting any idea the movement might have a place in Egypt's political future.The Brotherhood was Egypt's best-organised political force for decades, even though it has been banned for most of its existence since it was founded in 1928. Sisi has faced Western calls to reach out to its supporters.On Sunday, Sisi said he would not hesitate to step down if there were mass protests against him, like those that toppled long-time strongman Hosni Mubarak in early 2011 and later against Morsi in 2013.If the people go out (on the streets), I will ask them 'What do you want? I am under your orders', he said when asked what he would do in the face of such popular uprisings.I won't wait for the army (to intervene)... the army acts according to the people's will. Sisi led the ouster of Morsi after millions of people staged demonstrations, accusing the Islamist of a power grab and ruining an already dilapidated economy.

Iran says it has copied US drone

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TEHRAN (AFP) - Iran said on Sunday it has succeeded in copying a US drone it captured in December 2011, with state television broadcasting images apparently showing the replicated aircraft.Tehran captured the US RQ-170 Sentinel in 2011 while it was in its airspace, apparently on a mission to spy on the country's nuclear sites, media in the United States reported.Our engineers succeeded in breaking the drone's secrets and copying them. It will soon take a test flight, an officer said in the footage.The broadcast showed supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's visit to an exhibition organised by the powerful Revolutionary Guards air wing about Iran's military advances, particularly regarding ballistic missiles and drones.Footage showed two nearly identical drones.This drone is very important for reconnaissance missions, Khamenei said, standing in front of the Iranian copy of the American unmanned aircraft.Iran said it had taken control of the ultra hi-tech drone and forced it down in the desert where it was recovered nearly intact.Washington said it had lost control of the aircraft.At the time, US military officials tried to play the incident down, saying Iran did not have the technology to decipher its secrets, and President Barack Obama asked the Islamic republic to return the Sentinel.Iran has been working to develop a significant drone programme of its own, and some of its unmanned aircraft have a range of hundreds of kilometres (miles) and are armed with missiles.The state broadcaster also showed images that the commentary said had been recorded by an Iranian drone above a US aircraft carrier in the Gulf.In the pictures, which were relatively clear, it was possible to see American personnel working on planes and helicopters aboard the vessel.

At least 15 dead at DR Congo football match: official

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KINSHASA (AFP) - Fifteen people were killed and 21 others injured after trouble broke out at a football match in the DR Congo capital Kinshasa on Sunday, during which police fired tear gas at fans, officials said.The death toll was announced by Kinshasa governor Andre Kimbuta, who rushed with the country's Interior Minister Richard Muyej to the hospital where many of the dead and injured were taken.The current toll... is 15 dead and 21 injured, he said.The match was an important play-off between popular teams ASV Club and Tout Puissant Mazembe.ASV Club supporters became agitated as their team were being beaten, UN-created Radio Okapi reported.They began hurling projectiles onto the pitch, forcing the referee to stop the match repeatedly, the radio report continued.The match ended in a hail of stones thrown from the stands where fighting broke out, the national television station said. Police fired tear gas cannisters into the crowd, there was a stampede in the stands and in this confusion a stadium wall collapsed, Radio Okapi reported.Tout Puissant Mazembe were a goal ahead when the trouble started.The precise cause of the deaths was not immediately clear. An enquiry was launched into the disaster to identify those responsible, said Kimbuta.Before the match dozens of police officers were deployed around the Tata Raphael stadium, following trouble at previous matches between the two sides.ASV Club is a very popular Kinshasa football club.Multiple champions TP Mazembe are based in Lubumbashi in the south-east and are linked to businessman Moise Katumbi, governor of the rich mining province of Katanga, of which Lubumbashi is the capital.

Nadal wins Madrid Open after Nishikori retires

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MADRID (AP) - Rafael Nadal won his fourth Madrid Open title on Sunday after Kei Nishikori was forced to withdraw with a back injury when trailing 2-6, 6-4, 3-0 in the final.Earlier, Maria Sharapova bounced back from a poor start to defeat Simona Halep 1-6, 6-2, 6-3 to win the women's title.Nadal became the first repeat winner in Madrid, and recovered from two recent quarterfinal losses on clay to win his second title on the surface and third overall this year.Nadal showed signs of improvement this week compared to his early exits in Monte Carlo and Barcelona, but still didn't look quite like the player who has won eight French Open titles.We don't deserve the victory, (Nishikori) deserves it, he played better than us the whole time, Nadal's uncle and coach Toni Nadal told Antenna 3 TV. We had a lot of luck today. We didn't really come back, he was hurt.After both players held serve to start, Nishikori jumped out to a 5-1 lead with powerful groundstrokes that overwhelmed Nadal, who couldn't find a way to counter his Japanese opponent.After the early breaks (Nadal) got tense and his opponent played at a great level, Toni Nadal said.After being broken in his first service game in the second set, Nadal slowly clawed back into the match at the Magic Box although Nishikori was already in some discomfort when Nadal broke back for 4-4.Nishikori needed a medical timeout to treat his sore lower back, and his energy looked sapped as he hit a shot long to concede the set.Nishikori visibly struggled in the third before eventually retiring.I'm very sorry for what happened today for everybody, said Nishikori, who will become the first Japanese player in the top-10 when the new rankings are released. Unfortunately I was hurting today and I was too hurt to fight.Nadal's victory guarantees he will stay No. 1 heading into Roland Garros.Sharapova, who lost to Serena Williams in last year's final, crumbled in the opening set when she held her serve just once.But Halep's serve dipped in the second set, and Sharapova started hitting pinpoint ground strokes that kept the fifth-ranked Romanian running. The ninth-ranked Russian converted both her break points in the set to even the match.Sharapova then pulled away in the deciding set with an early break to follow up her triumph in Stuttgart with a maiden title in Madrid.Since the 2011 French Open, Sharapova has a 47-3 record on clay with all three defeats coming to Williams. The top-ranked American was the two-time defending champion in Madrid but withdrew with a leg injury on Friday.I don't know how I pulled it off, Sharapova said after winning her 32nd career title. I came close last year, and I didn't have a great first set today, but I knew it wasn't over until the last point was played.Sharapova planned to continue her center court celebration on the plane ride to the Rome Masters.They better have some champagne for me, Sharapova said. I need a drink.

Football: Man City stroll to Premier League title

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LONDON (AFP) - Manchester City secured a second Premier League title in three seasons by comfortably defeating West Ham United 2-0 at a jubilant Etihad Stadium on Sunday.City effectively needed only a point to claim the championship ahead of Liverpool, but goals in each half from Samir Nasri and captain Vincent Kompany meant that they completed their mission with room to spare.The result took City's goals tally to 102 -- one short of Chelsea's Premier League record from 2009-10 -- and made Chilean Manuel Pellegrini the first non-European manager to win an English top-flight title.I think that I manage a great group of players, a great institution and great fans, said Pellegrini.I must be calm during the game to take decisions but when you achieve the title, I think the whole year shows a lot of work we did at difficult moments in the year and I think this is the best team in the league.Liverpool, who led the table with three games to play, finished two points below City in second place after coming from behind to win 2-1 at home to Newcastle United, who had Shola Ameobi and Paul Dummett sent off.David Silva, Sergio Aguero and Aleksandar Kolarov all threatened for City before Nasri put them ahead in the 39th minute, gathering a pass from Yaya Toure and arrowing a 22-yard drive into the bottom-left corner.West Ham striker Andy Carroll deflected a shot from Silva onto the post in first-half stoppage time, before Kompany doubled City's lead early in the second half by stabbing in from a corner.The home fans celebrated with their customary 'Poznan' dance -- bouncing up and down with their backs to the game -- and then flooded onto the pitch in delight at the final whistle.Forget about the money and everything, Kompany told Sky Sports after hoisting the trophy aloft beneath a flurry of blue and white tickertape.As a kid, you grow up and dream of lifting trophies. I feel like I am living that dream when I do this.Liverpool went into their game against Newcastle with a slim hope of winning a first league title since 1990, but they fell behind in the 20th minute when Martin Skrtel sliced Yoan Gouffran's cross into his own net.However, carbon-copy goals by Daniel Agger and Daniel Sturridge, both of whom volleyed in Steven Gerrard free-kicks, turned the game around in the space of two minutes in the second half.Agger's goal was Liverpool's 100th in the league and made this the first English top-flight season in which two teams have reached that milestone since 1960-61.It's been an incredible journey this year, so to finish with 12 wins out of 14 is an incredible achievement by the players, said Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers.We've made the supporters dream and that is our job to do that.Tottenham Hotspur secured the last available Europa League berth by crushing Aston Villa 3-0 through a Paulinho strike, a Nathan Baker own goal and an Emmanuel Adebayor penalty, all of which arrived before half-time.Spurs' victory means that Manchester United will not play in Europe next season for the first time since 1989-90.United drew 1-1 at Southampton in Ryan Giggs's final game as interim manager, which saw last season's champions finish 22 points below cross-town rivals City in seventh place after a miserable campaign.United captain Nemanja Vidic, playing his last game for the club, was left with a bloodied nose by Ricky Lambert as the Southampton striker put the hosts in front in the 28th minute.Juan Mata equalised for United with a sumptuous free-kick early in the second half.It's been an experience with ups and downs, said Giggs. I've enjoyed it and I didn't want the second half to end. The fans were great and the players were great and I loved it.Norwich City's relegation was confirmed after they lost 2-0 at home to Arsenal, although they were already practically assured of joining Fulham and Cardiff City in the Championship.Aaron Ramsey's sublime 53rd-minute volley put Arsenal ahead, with Carl Jenkinson adding a second goal shortly after.Arsenal's FA Cup final opponents Hull City finished the campaign by losing 2-0 at home to fifth-place Everton, who prevailed through goals from James McCarthy and Romelu Lukaku.Third-place Chelsea, meanwhile, came from behind to win 2-1 at relegated Cardiff, with Andre Schurrle and Fernando Torres securing victory after Craig Bellamy had put the Welsh club ahead.Ashley Cole, whose contract is due to expire, captained Chelsea on what may have been his last appearance.Elsewhere, Swansea City spoilt Sunderland's survival party with a 3-1 win at the Stadium of Light, while Stoke City won 2-1 at West Bromwich Albion and Fulham drew 2-2 at home to Crystal Palace.

Formula One: Hamilton wins Spanish Grand Prix

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BARCELONA (AFP) - Lewis Hamilton took over the leadership of the Formula One drivers championship on Sunday when he made it four wins in a row by grabbing a heart-stopping victory in the Spanish Grand Prix.He finished just 0.6 seconds ahead of his Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg to move on to 100 points for the season and into the lead of the title race ahead of Rosberg, on 97.Australian Daniel Ricciardo came home third for Red Bull ahead of his team-mate, defending four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel of Germany, who had started from 15th on the grid.The win was Hamilton's fourth this year, his first in Spain and the 26th of his career while Mercedes one-two stamped their complete supremacy on the constructors' championship which they now lead by more than 100 points.Finn Valtteri Bottas finished fifth for the resurgent Williams team, ahead of local hero and two-time champion Fernando Alonso and his Ferrari team-mate 2007 champion, Kimi Raikkonen of Finland.Frenchman Romain Grosjean was eighth for Lotus, signaling their return to some form after a dismal start to the year, ahead of Mexican Sergio Perez and his Force India team-mate German Nico Hulkenberg, who was 10th. The race began in balmy, but slightly more humid conditions after overnight rain. The track temperature was 37 degrees Celsius and the air 24 shortly before the lights went out.At the start, the two Mercedes made a clean joint departure while behind them Bottas moved forward to claim third ahead of Ricciardo on the run to the first corner, the longest start straight of the season.Hamilton opened up a 1.1sec lead on the first lap as the two Mercedes pulled clear of the field by around a second a lap. By the end of lap two, his lead over Rosberg was 1.9sec, a gap that he struggled to increase.Rosberg remained determinedly on Hamilton's tail through the early laps as Vettel, from 15th at the start, worked his way to 13th before making an early pit-stop on lap 13, emerging at the back of the field to start a renewed charge.As this unfolded, Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado added to the Lotus team's repair bill and frustrations by colliding with Swedish rookie Marcus Ericsson's Caterham. He damaged the car and collected a five-second penalty.Ricciardo, in the second Red Bull, pitted after 15 laps and had to wait until Bottas came in six laps later to take third place, by which time Hamilton, on lap 19, and most of the rest, had also been in.That gave Rosberg the lead from lap 19 to 22 when the original order was restored, but with the Briton, on the harder tyres offered by Pirelli, and the German continuing on the softer option.Rosberg's first pit stop, in 2.9sec, was a full second faster than Hamilton's, but once the chase resumed, he found it difficult to prevent the Englishman from opening up a lead that reached 4.5sec by lap 30.Hamilton had complained of over-steer. My rear end is everywhere, he radioed to the team on lap 29 - but it appeared to have little affect.By lap 32, when Rosberg produced a fastest lap to cut the gap to 4.1sec, the front pair were nearly 25sec clear of third-placed Ricciardo and Hamilton's lead seemed stabilised at more than four seconds.In the 'others' race for third place and beyond, Vettel reached the top ten by half-distance and maintained a consistent and aggressive pace as he worked his way into the top six.After their respective second stops after laps 43 and 45, in which Rosberg again 1.3sec in the pits, Hamilton emerged with a lead of 4.6sec. Rosberg cut into it rapidly and as the laps counted down, with just a handful to go, it was cut to less than two seconds.A dramatic conclusion was inevitable when, with six laps remaining, the gap was only 1.2sec and Vettel was closing, from fifth, on Bottas while Alonso was attacking Ferrari team-mate Raikkonen for sixth.Think about your overtaking strategy, his race engineer told Rosberg as Hamilton remained ahead by 1.2sec. Almost immediately, Alonso schemed a passage past Raikkonen in a thrilling multi-move overtake.As they began the final lap, Hamilton led by just four-tenths. Rosberg cut that to just four car lengtths and threatened a thrilling victory over the line, but the Briton hung on to triumph by just half a second.

Football: Ibrahimovic named France's player of the year

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PARIS (AFP) - Zlatan Ibrahimovic of Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain was named France's players' player of the year for the second season running on Sunday.With a game of the season still to go, Swedish striker Ibrahimovic is the French top flight's leading scorer with 25 goals and has netted 40 in all competitions, beating the all-time club record of 39, set by the Argentine Carlos Bianchi in 1978.His performances helped PSG retain the Ligue 1 title and he has now won nine national league titles in 13 years, encompassing spells with Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona and AC Milan as well as Paris.Another PSG player, Italian midfielder Marco Verratti, was named Ligue 1's young player of the year, while the coach of the year gong went to Rene Girard of Lille.

Rallying: Latvala dominates Ogier to win in Argentina

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CORDOBA (AFP) - Finland's Jari-Matti Latvala dominated world champion and Volkswagen Polo teammate Sebastien Ogier to win the Rally of Argentina on Sunday.The 29-year-old Finn claimed his second win of the season after also triumphing in Sweden by taking a 1min 27sec win over the French driver.Ogier was almost six minutes ahead of third-placed Scotsman Kris Meeke in a Citroen.Last year I finished on the podium but I couldn't dream to win here, it's something special, said Latvala. I crashed in Portugal and there was a risk my self-confidence was down. If Ogier won, there was a chance the championship could become boring, but now we keep it alive.Ogier, who won in Monte Carlo, Portugal and Mexico, still leads the championship by 24 points from Latvala.The sixth round of the series takes place in Sardinia between June 6-8.

PPP terms Imran Khan's rally 'failed show'

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) terms Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) Chief Imran Khan’s rally a failed show. Chief Minister Sindh Qaim Ali Shah said that people know the difference between the truth and falsehood, Dunya News reported.Earlier, Imran Khan said that a new Pakistan cannot come into existence through rigged elections. He asked whether people who come into power through fake mandate become pious later. He alleged that the formation of a new Pakistan was stopped through rigging in last year’s elections.Addressing a rally at D-Chowk to protest against alleged election rigging, he said that the purpose of today’s rally is accountability of rigging in previous elections, adding that rigging threatens democracy, and that free and fair elections strengthen democracy.Imran Khan also presented a ‘charter of demands’ comprising 9 points.

Will leave politics if Imran Khan proves allegations: Shahbaz Sharif

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif said on Sunday that he will leave politics if Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) Chief Imran Khan proves the allegations he leveled against him and Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) led government, Dunya News reported.He said that opposition parties are holding ‘lailiyan’ – a term rhyming to rallies in Urdu and literally means lambs – instead of rallies. He said these are the people who dream while sitting in air conditioned rooms and start protesting. He urged that ball should not be tempered before the next elections.Addressing federal union of journalists’ seminar in Lahore, he said the rallies are instead ‘lambs’.Criticizing Pakistan Awami Tehrik (PAT) Chief Tahir-ul-Qadri, he said that he gets visions while sitting in cold wind and then drags women, children and students on streets to protest.He said if Sheikhul Islam feels so much pain for the nation, he should leave Canada and come to Pakistan.Shahbaz Sharif said if Imran Khan can prove corruption in development projects, it will be brought to accountability.He said that beloved country is going through the toughest phase of history at present.Talking about Geo News scandal, he said that Geo News gave the opportunity of humiliation to the enemy by flashing name and portrait of Director General (DG) Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) for eight hours.

Govt can fall in 10 mins if Imran Khan announces: Sheikh Rasheed

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Awami Muslim League (AML) Chief Sheikh Rasheed said on Sunday that Islamabad’s D-Chowk has become Tehrir Square, adding that the government based on fake mandate will fall in 10 minutes if Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) Chief announces it, Dunya News reported.Addressing rally at D-Chowk against alleged rigging in last year’s elections, he said that government has no right to exist if fake ballots are proven even in one constituency.He said that most parties including Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam (JUI-F) also complained about election rigging.AML Chief said the vote recounting process can be started from NA-55, his own constituency, adding that four of their constituencies and four ours should be re-verified.He said that government would have no right to stay if false mandate is proven even in one constituency.Rasheed said that Imran Khan will announce the call to protest if rigging is proved even in one constituency.He alleged that corruption goes on in abundance in the country and that the country is ruled by a few families.He said that government’s engine is smoking, reiterating that its piston is out of order and that its plug has garbage in it.He said that Prime Minister has run off to Iran to avoid the pressure. He said the he will have a cup of tea or coffee with Nawaz Sharif would be a sign of doomsday.
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