Saturday 24 May 2014

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

25 killed in Iraq as Shiites throng Baghdad for rituals

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BAGHDAD (AFP) - Throngs of Shiite Muslims converged on a shrine in Baghdad on Saturday for an annual ritual under heavy security, but a string of attacks outside the capital killed 25 people.The bloodshed was the latest in a protracted surge in nationwide unrest that has fuelled fears Iraq is slipping back into the all-out communal conflict that plagued it in 2006 and 2007, leaving tens of thousands dead.Much of Baghdad was on lockdown Saturday for the climax of the rites to mark the death of a revered figure in Shiite Islam, with Baghdad's security forces looking to deter Sunni militant groups which often target Iraq's majority community.Several major roads were closed off and a wide variety of vehicles barred from the streets, as security forces also relied on aerial cover and sniffer dogs.Organisers say millions of pilgrims are expected to visit the shrine in the Kadhimiyah neighbourhood of north Baghdad between Saturday and Sunday, when the commemoration rituals are to climax.For days worshippers from across the country, have been walking to Kadhimiyah, site of a shrine dedicated to Imam Musa Kadhim, the seventh of 12 revered imams in Shiite Islam, who died in 799 AD.Sunni militants regard Shiites as apostates and, as in previous years, multiple attacks have targeted worshippers in the run-up to the annual commemoration.Three bombings in the capital, including two carried out by suicide attackers, on May 22 killed 21 people, while mortar fire on Friday struck a district adjacent to Kadhimiyah, killing three more.Outside of Baghdad on Saturday, a series of attacks killed 25 people, security and medical officials said.In the deadliest attack a car bomb exploded outside an alcohol shop in the northern city of Kirkuk, killing 10 people and wounding 33 others.In Kirkuk province three farmers kidnapped in the early hours of the morning were found beheaded.Another vehicle rigged with explosives, this time set off by a suicide attacker, targeted an army convoy in Diyala province escorting Iranian workers who had been installing a gas pipeline between Iran and Iraq.Five people were killed -- three Iranians and two soldiers -- and 13 people were wounded, including eight Iranians.Attacks also struck in the restive provinces of Nineveh and Salaheddin, officials said.Violence has surged in the past year to its highest level since 2008, while anti-government fighters also control an entire city a short drive from Baghdad and parts of another.The authorities have trumpeted security operations against militants, claiming to have killed around 90 on Saturday alone, and blame external factors such as the civil war in neighbouring Syria for the surge in violence.Analysts and diplomats, however, say the Shiite-led government must also do more to reach out to disgruntled minority Sunnis and undermine support for militancy.

Gunman shoots dead six in California 'mass murder'

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SANTA BARBARA (AFP) - A gunman in a black BMW opened fire in a bustling California seaside college town, killing six and injuring seven in what police suggested Saturday was a premeditated mass murder.The suspect also died during the drive-by shooting in Isla Vista, near the campus of the University of California Santa Barbara. But it was unclear whether the fatal shot was self-inflicted or delivered by police.Starting at about 9:30 p.m. Friday (0430 GMT Saturday), the gunman sprayed bullets on pedestrians at multiple locations in the small oceanfront town as students and others were out enjoying the start of the weekend. We have obtained and we are currently analyzing both written and videotaped evidence that suggests that this atrocity was a premeditated mass murder, Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown told reporters.We have identified nine separate crime scenes, he said, describing the situation as chaotic.Police have not named the suspect but ABC News identified him as Elliot Rodger, the son of Peter Rodger, an assistant director for one of the blockbuster Hunger Games movies.It quoted an attorney for Rodger as saying his 22-year-old son had been treated for mental health problems. TV footage showed ambulances and police cars swarming the streets. Andrew Jun, a third year economics and accounting student, told AFP the situation was pretty surreal.It's unbelievable that this kind of thing can happen, he said. Other witnesses said they initially mistook the gunshots for fireworks or firecrackers.Among them was Robert Johnson, who told a local NBC affiliate that he saw the BMW stop in front of a deli and heard somewhere between 12 to 20 shots (fired) into a group of people who were eating in front of the establishment.Sienna Schwartz, her voice breaking, recalled how she came face-to-face with the gunman.At first, she told CNN, she thought the little black pistol he had was an airsoft gun.I turned around, and I started walking the other way. He shot, and I felt like -- I just felt, like, the wind pass right by my face, she recalled as she choked back tears. Authorities, who believe the shooter acted alone but have not released details on a possible motive, also are investigating a video allegedly posted by the suspect on YouTube.The Santa Barbara Independent reported the video was posted the day before the rampage and that, in it, the shooter laments his 'life of loneliness, rejection and unfulfilled desires.'The publication claims he goes on to blame women for rejecting him and instead throwing themselves at obnoxious brutes.The university's Daily Nexus newspaper quoted the shooter as blogging that being lonely in a beautiful place like Santa Barbara is truly a horrible experience.As I've said many times, a beautiful environment can be the darkest hell if you have to experience it all alone, especially while having to watch other men walking around with their girlfriends. Police have not confirmed the authenticity of the video or the blog.The shooter twice exchanged gunfire with police from his car before crashing into a parked vehicle.When officers approached him, the suspect was dead of an apparent gunshot wound to the head, according to Brown.Police said they recovered a handgun from the suspect's car.The shooting hit as the academic year was winding down, with some students preparing for graduation ceremonies while others were about to take final exams.Located about 100 miles (160 kilometers) northwest of Los Angeles, the University of California Santa Barbara is home to over 20,000 undergraduate students, according to the institution's website. School shootings have become a tragic periodic occurrence in the United States in recent years, from the December 2012 massacre at Newtown, Connecticut, that left 20 small children dead to the Virginia Tech college shooting in April 2007 in which 33 people, including the lone gunman, lost their lives.

Ukraine prepares to vote in face of rebel threats

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KIEV (AFP) - Ukraine prepared Saturday for a presidential election seen as crucial to its very survival after months of turmoil that has driven the ex-Soviet country to the brink of civil war.Sunday's vote comes with tensions running high after a bloody upsurge in fighting in the east, where pro-Moscow separatists launched an insurgency against Kiev's rule seven weeks ago.Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk issued an appeal for people to turn out to defend Ukraine, which has been in deep crisis since street protests forced out the Kremlin-backed regime in February.This will be the expression of the will of Ukrainians from the west, east, north and south, he said.But the rebels warned they would prevent voting in their strongholds in the industrial heartland on the Russian border.If necessary we will revert to the use of force, said Denis Pushilin, a leader of the self-declared Donetsk People's Republic.State election officials also admitted that they will only be able to open two of the 12 commissions responsible for tabulating ballots in the neighbouring separatist province of Lugansk.However, in what could be a significant move in Ukraine's bitter confrontation with its former masters in Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday he would respect the outcome of the vote.On Saturday, he also said that claims he was seeking to rebuild the Soviet empire were absolutely untrue.Putin also held joint telephone talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande, with the three leaders expressing an interest in seeing that the presidential election in Ukraine was held in a peaceful and calm atmosphere, the Kremlin said.Suspicions about Putin's motives have soared since Moscow annexed the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea in March, inspiring Russian-speaking rebels to take up arms in the eastern rustbelt the following month.We will treat their choice with respect, Putin said Friday, while blaming the West for sending the former Soviet state into a full-scale civil war.We are today working with those people who control the government and after the election we will of course work with the newly elected authorities.He also dismissed suggestions that the worst standoff between Russia and the West since the collapse of the Soviet Union could be described as a new Cold War.The days before the election have been blighted by a resurgence in deadly fighting between the Ukraine military and rebels who have declared independence in Donetsk and Lugansk.Seven people were killed outside the town of Donetsk on Friday, a day after 19 soldiers died in the heaviest loss for the Ukrainian military since the conflict erupted.In all about 150 people have been killed in the east, according to an AFP tally based on UN and Ukrainian government figures.Sunday's vote is seen as the most important since independence in 1991, with Ukraine not only battling to stay united but also to stave off threatened bankruptcy and fears Russia could cut off vital gas supplies.Billionaire chocolate baron Petro Poroshenko is the favourite, enjoying a near 30-point lead over former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko.But opinion polls show that the vote is likely to go to a runoff on June 15, leaving the country in limbo for another three weeks.The authorities are mobilising more than 75,000 police and volunteers to try to ensure security, alongside around 1,200 international observers.I want to assure our fellow countrymen in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions who will be prevented from coming to their polling stations by the war unleashed against Ukraine that the bandits have little time left to terrorise your regions, said Yatsenyuk.Voting officials have reported numerous cases of intimidation and attacks by rebels in the east on the eve of polling. We haven't seen anyone, said a janitor at one Donetsk school that should have been used as a polling station. There are no voting lists, no papers, no ballot boxes, nothing.Washington and its European allies, which see Russia's hand directing the insurgency, have threatened more sanctions if Moscow disrupts the vote, adding to punitive measures they imposed over Crimea.Putin brushed off the threats, saying sanctions will boomerang on the West, and some European nations are wary of the impact further measures against Moscow could have on their own economies.However, in another move that could ease the standoff, Putin this week ordered the withdrawal of some 40,000 troops whose presence along Ukraine's border was causing jitters particularly among former Soviet satellites.The head of Russia's army said the pullback could take at least 20 days.The United States responded with caution to Putin's election comments, with White House spokesman Jay Carney saying: We would welcome an indication from Russia that they would accept the results of a free and fair and democratic election in Ukraine.Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Deshchytsya also said Putin's words needed to be followed by specific actions.

Putin says 'impossible' to isolate Russia, rejects 'new Cold War'

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SAINT PETERSBURG (AFP) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said Saturday that it was impossible to isolate Russia from the global economy despite pressure from the West over the crisis in Ukraine.He also rejected talk of a new Cold War between Moscow and the West and denied claims Russia was trying to revive the Soviet empire.Speaking to foreign news agency journalists in Saint Petersburg, Putin called sanctions against Russia counterproductive and insisted the country would not be excluded from the international economy.I think isolating such a country (as Russia)... is impossible, he said, adding that wide-ranging sanctions would be negative for everyone and would bring such turbulence to the European, Russian and global economies that it is clear that nobody is interested in this.Putin dismissed talk of a new Cold War after Russia's relations with the West plunged to new lows.I don't want to think that this is the start of a new Cold War, that is in no one's interests, and I don't think this will happen, Putin said.And he said claims Moscow was seeking to restore the Soviet Union were part of an information war against Russia.They are trying to hang this label on us -- that we intend to restore the empire, the Soviet Union, to bring everyone under our influence. This is absolutely untrue, Putin said.

Three dead in gunman attack on Brussels Jewish Museum

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BRUSSELS (AFP) - Three people were killed and one badly injured when a gunman attacked the Jewish Museum in the centre of Brussels on Saturday, authorities said, expressing shock at an apparent anti-Semitic act.Two women and one man are dead, a third person is in hospital, Interior Minister Joelle Milquet said at the scene. We don't yet know if they were tourists or staff, they haven't been identified.Asked whether she believed it was an anti-Semitic attack, she said it was too early to say with a police and judicial inquiry just underway, but that given the target there are strong grounds for presuming so.A Jewish community figure, Joel Rubinfeld, told AFP it clearly is a terrorist act after two men were seen driving up and double-parking outside the museum.The gunman opened fire, allegedly shooting indiscriminately before getting away.The area around the museum has been closed off and the security has been beefed up in places associated with the Jewish community in Belgium, Milquet said.Rubinfeld, who heads the country's anti-Semitic League, said the act was the result of a climate of hate.Authorities said a search was under way around Brussels to find the suspects. Media reports had said the driver was picked up within three hours of the shooting, which took place at around 4 pm (1400 GMT), but there was no confirmation from police.A bystander, Alain Sobotik, told AFP he saw the corpses of a young woman and a man just inside the doors of the museum.A picture shows them lying in pools of blood.Also at the scene shortly after the shooting was Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders who told reporters that the two other victims had been shot inside the museum.I hope we will identify those responsible very quickly, he said.Reynders said he had been nearby when he saw people fleeing and heard shots and rushed to help.When he saw bodies on the ground in pools of blood he called the 112 emergency number and rounded up eye-witnesses to assist the police.I am shocked by the murders committed at the Jewish museum, I am thinking of the victims I saw there and their families, Reynders said on Twitter.While stopping short of calling it an anti-Semitic act, Reynders said evidently one thinks of that.The Jewish Museum of Belgium, which was not answering calls, is located in the heart of the Sablon district which is home to the city's top antique dealers.It is a popular weekend haunt for shoppers and tourists, hosting the city's best chocolate shops and many cafes.Belgium Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo also expressed that he was very shocked by the attack.It comes on the eve of elections in Belgium for a new federal government as well as for its regional parliaments and the European Parliament.In 1982, a gunman opened fire at the entrance of the synagogue in Brussels, wounding four people, two with serious injuries.

Football: Bale, Ronaldo goals lead Real to 10th Champions League

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LISBON (AFP) - Real Madrid won the Champions League for the 10th time thanks to extra time goals from Gareth Bale, Marcelo and Cristiano Ronaldo as they came from behind in dramatic circumstances to beat Atletico Madrid 4-1 in Lisbon on Saturday.Atletico seemed set for their first ever European crown as they led deep into stoppage time thanks to Diego Godin's first-half header, but Sergio Ramos took the game into extra time with a towering header in the 93rd minute.And for the second time this season having already scored the winner to hand Real the Copa del Rey against Barcelona last month, Bale scored the crucial goal when he headed into an empty net after Thibaut Courtois had parried Angel di Maria's effort.With Atletico committed to finding an equaliser, Real were able to counter-attack at will and Marcelo killed the game off when his low shot had too much power for Courtois before Ronaldo sealed his return to Lisbon with a fourth from the penalty spot.It is the most important goal I have scored, said Ramos.It is an incredible feeling. We kept fighting until the end for the fans. It is not my goal, but one for all Madrid fans, my family and all those that have supported us until the end. We deserved it after so many years.Real coach Carlo Ancelotti, meanwhile, becomes the first man since Bob Paisley to win the competition three times.We have done it with a lot of suffering and difficulty, but in the end we have done it and we deserved it, said the Italian.I am very happy for this because we have won a trophy that for Real Madrid is very important. We have worked hard all year for this.Atletico captain Gabi admitted that his side had been well-beaten in extra time after suffering the body blow of Ramos' equaliser.They managed to equalise and that is football, he told Television Espanola.After the extra time they were deserving winners. We have competed for a year like animals and we have gone as far as we could.Atletico's top scorer Diego Costa had been surprisingly included in Diego Simeone's starting line-up despite suffering a hamstring injury just seven days ago as Atletico clinched the La Liga title against Barcelona.However, the Brazilian-born striker lasted just nine minutes as he hobbled off to be replaced by Adrian Lopez.Bale had the first clear chance of the match when the Welshman pounced on Tiago's errant pass in midfield and scampered forward into the area but side-footed wide on his favoured left foot.Three minutes later it was Atletico who took the lead as Juanfran headed a cleared corner back into the box and Godin took advantage of indecision by Iker Casillas to loop the ball over the Spanish captain and just over the line.Ronaldo had a couple of half-chances to level at the start of the second-half as Courtois awkwardly tipped another free-kick from distance over before the Portuguese captain headed just wide from a corner.As Real took more risks to find the equaliser, though, Atletico were also becoming more dangerous on the break and Adrian was unfortunate to see his goalbound effort deflected just wide by Sami Khedira.Bale wasted another good opening as he sprinted onto Ronaldo's pass, but chose the wrong option in trying to squeeze the ball home at the near post and dumped the ball into the side netting.Just when Atletico thought they had the trophy won, though, Real got their reward as Ramos rose to power Luka Modric's corner past the helpless Courtois.Atletico's tiredness then showed in the second period of extra time as Real had too much pace and power and finally went in front 10 minutes from the end when Di Maria burst into the area and despite his effort being saved by Courtois, Bale was on hand to head in at the back post.Courtois also got a hand to Marcelo's low drive eight minutes later, but the Belgian international couldn't keep it out.And Ronaldo got the goal he craved back in his homeland when he was clipped by Gabi moments later and got back up to slam the resulting penalty home.

Formula One: Nico Rosberg on pole for Monaco Grand Prix

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MONACO (AFP) - Nico Rosberg will start Sunday's Monaco Grand Prix from pole after a tense qualifying session on Saturday when he incensed his Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton and then survived an inquiry clearing him of any underhand tactics.On an afternoon of ferocious competition on the track and acrimonious commentary off it, the 28-year-old German ended up claiming his second successive pole in the Mediterranean principality and the sixth of his career, but only after considerable controversy.Rosberg triggered the stewards' probe when he went off the track after making a mistake at Mirabeau and taking the escape road, prompting waved yellow flags to slow following drivers.The incident, on his final flying lap, wrecked not only his hopes of improving on his earlier provisional pole lap, but also those of Hamilton who was on a fractionally faster lap at the time.Hamilton, who leads the drivers championship by three points after four straight wins in the opening five races, was bidding for his first Monaco pole and his fifth in succession this year.The 29-year-old Englishman, in a sulky and taciturn mood, hinted that he felt his team-mate may have deliberately careered off the track and, in post-session interviews, suggested he was prepared to copy his idol Ayrton Senna's sometimes aggressive driving to gain revenge.Both Mercedes team chiefs Toto Wolff and Niki Lauda said they did not believe that Rosberg had done anything wrong and stressed that Hamilton's behaviour was manageable.Rosberg said he was sorry for Hamilton's lost opportunity and agreed that it was not a good way for the session to end, but was adamant that he did nothing out of order.Hamilton, however, told the BBC when asked if he had to sit down and sort it out (with Rosberg): I don't know if Senna and Prost sat down and talked it out. I quite like the way Senna dealt with it, so I'm going to take a page out of his book.It was not clear what Hamilton was referring to, but Senna deliberately drove Prost off the circuit in an infamous incident at the 1990 Japanese Grand Prix when their relationship had deteriorated beyond repair.Saturday's controversial incident came eight years after seven-time champion German Michael Schumacher was stripped of pole position after race stewards decided that he had stopped deliberately after running wide at the Rascasse corner in his Ferrari.Schumacher retired, but came back to race again for Mercedes whose non-executive chairman Lauda dismissed all suspicions surrounding Rosberg's actions.Asked if he felt the incident appeared to be deliberate, Lauda said: No, not at all.If you look at it the way I look at it, he tried to go quicker, braked too late, the right front wheel locked, tried to go into the corner and not to crash he had to go left.So this is very simple to explain....These things can happen. They happen to a lot of other people but there's nothing wrong about it.He added that the two Mercedes drivers may need to talk things over after 48 hours during which tensions between them have mounted following a series of reports about their rivalry and differences.I think there might be some more discussions later today or tomorrow morning, I agree this thing is building up over there, but from my point of view here is nothing wrong on Nico's side.Lewis was now four or five times quicker than Nico and now Nico's quicker so what is wrong about that. Rosberg said he was 'surprised' that the stewards had launched an investigation. He said: They'll see in the data it is all very similar to the lap before and I just locked up the front tyre. The stewards supported Rosberg and after investigating said they found no evidence of any offence.Behind the Mercedes-filled front brow come the two Red Bulls of Daniel Ricciardo and Sebastian Vettel.

Golf: Bjorn opens five-shot lead at Wentworth

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WENTWORTH (AFP) - Thomas Bjorn scorched down the back nine to take a five-shot lead into the final round of the European PGA Championship on Saturday.The 43-year-old Dane fired a spectacular 67, including seven birdies in the final eight holes and coming home in an incredible 30, to show the rest of the field a clean pair of heels.I had a terrible start with some poor decisions but I settled myself down and knew I could play this back nine pretty well. I got the momentum and kept it going, he said.I'm in a strong position going into tomorrow but the job is not done yet. There is a lot of golf to play and I know there are top guys just behind me who can shoot very low as well. So I have to maintain my concentration and form to the end.Bjorn, who produced a storming course record 62 on Thursday, suffered a double bogey at the first and then another dropped shot soon after.But after falling back to seven under he turned in a stunning burst of birdies between 11 and 16 to set another record for consecutive birdies.He had a shortish putt on 17 for another but it just grazed the outside of the hole to leave the Dane a little frustrated.Yet he pulled himself together to finish in style with a seventh birdie on the back nine and complete another memorable day. Now, not many would bet against Bjorn picking up his 16th European Tour title.Ireland's Shane Lowry, who carded a disappointing 73, led at the start thanks to Bjorn's poor opening but he finished on eight under with England's Luke Donald, a two-time winner of this tournament, one stroke ahead of him.Donald fired a fine 68 to be 10 under and the nearest challenger, and join Bjorn in the final group on Sunday. He birdied the final two holes while Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy is a shot further back after a 69.Donald said: Thomas was on fire and it was hard staying close to him. I'm happy with a bogey free round but it will be very tough stopping him tomorrow if he continues in this vain. He's playing outstanding golf right now but it will be fun and exciting playing with him in the last pair.McIlroy insisted: I would have to shoot ridiculously low tomorrow to have any realistic chance but even then Thomas is so far ahead.Heavy rain had delayed the start of the third round with the pairs becoming three-balls in order to get the round completed.Italy's Franceso Molinari hit the lowest round of the day with a 65 but he's still nine shots adrift of the leader.

Badminton: China beat Japan to retain Uber Cup

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NEW DELHI (AFP) - Favourites China swamped Japan 3-1 on Saturday to maintain a stranglehold on the women's Uber Cup badminton team championships by winning their eighth final in the last nine editions.The Chinese, who boast of the world's top three singles players, showed off their prowess in front of a handful of spectators at the Siri Fort complex in New Delhi.World number one Li Xuerui gave the champions the lead with a 21-15, 21-5 win over the 12th-ranked Minatsu Mitani in a one-sided match that lasted just 36 minutes.Japan drew level through their doubles pair of Misaki Matsutomo and Ayaka Takahashi, who stunned Bao Yixin and Tang Jinhua 21-18, 21-9.It was the only point the Chinese dropped in the championships after cruising through unscathed in three preliminary league ties, the quarter-final and the semi-final.World number two Wang Shixian put China ahead once again by beating Sayaka Takahashi 21-16, 21-12, before Zhao Yunlei and Wang Xiaoli sealed the tie in the second doubles match.The Chinese duo beat Miyuki Maeda and Reika Kakiiwa 21-13, 21-6 amidst loud celebrations in the Chinese enclosure that included men's world champion Lin Dan.Wang Shixian said the shock defeat of the Chinese men's team by Japan in Friday's semi-final served as an extra motivation for her.Yes, I was more motivated because of that, Wang said, speaking through a translator. It happened to us in 2010 when we lost to South Korea in the Uber Cup final and gained revenge two years later.There is so much talk when we lose, but that is because we do not lose much.Li Xuerui said it had been important for her to win the first match because a good start helped the team.I was very focused on my game, she said. There were no special instructions from the coach.Li was delighted to be named the woman player of 2013 by the Badminton World Federation even though she had lost the world crown to Thai teenager Ratchanok Intanon.She said the secret of China's success was the confidence they took on court. That was evident when she fought back from 6-10 down in the first game against Mitani to reel off 12 points in a row.We believe in ourselves, she said. And the award was very important for me. It is a huge recognition for the way I have played in recent months despite losing the world title.China, who first won the Uber Cup title in 1984, has now won the championships 13 times, including eight in nine outings since 1998.

Cycling: Battaglin wins Giro 14th stage, Uran keeps lead

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OROPA (AFP) - Italy's Enrico Battaglin of the Bardiani team snatched victory in the 14th stage of the Giro d'Italia on Saturday, a 164km mountain run from Aglie to Oropa.Race leader Colombian Rigoberto Uran of Omega Pharma lost ground in the gruelling final 11.8km climb but managed to hold the pink jersey ahead of Australian Cadel Evans.It was the first stage in the mountains, ending in the Oropa sanctuary where the late Italian climber Marco Pantani, who died in 2004, produced a memorable performance after being held up with a chain problem on his way to victory in the 1998 edition.Battaglin, 24, led a long breakaway group to finish ahead of fellow Italian Dario Cataldo with Colombian Jarlison Pantano 0.07sec off the pace in third.I didn't believe it until the final kilometre. I had used up a lot of energy in the breakaway which started early, explained Battaglin, who also won a stage at Serra San Bruno in Calabria last year.But I saw that ahead the others were having problems so I gave it everything I had to come back. It's a great winBattaglin was among a group of 21 riders who had made an early break including BMC Racing's Manuel Quinziato building up a lead of 9min 15sec, before attacking the final climb with a four-minute advantage.Quinziato pushed the pace onto the final climb, but with less than 10km to go, the Italian suffered gear problems.Uran holds a 32sec lead in the overall standings on Evans, who sprinted ahead of his rival at the end of Saturday's mountain-top finish to take five seconds back. BMC rider Evans finished 21st on the stage that included four climbs, but it was the final 50 metres where he made the biggest move, reducing his deficit to Uran to 32 seconds with one week of the race to go. It might have been a few more seconds, but there was a bit of a wave (other riders) in front of me, Evans said.Someone set a really hard tempo at the start of the climb.That eliminated a lot of riders who might have ridden tempo - Samuel Sanchez or Steve Morabito - who could have been by my side later in the climb. So all the leaders were isolated quite early, added the Australian.Pre-race favourite Nairo Quintana of Colombia, who has been hit by a series of health problems in the past week, also clawed back 25 seconds on his compatriot to sit sixth.Canada's Ryder Hesjedal, the 2012 Giro winner, remains over six minutes behind Uran in 12th.The riders are set for back-to-back summit finishes with Sunday's 15th stage over 225km to the difficult Montecampione climb where Pantani duelled with Russian Pavel Tonkov on the final 19.4km summit finish in 1998.

Pakistan objects to Broad's jibe at Ajmal's action

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KARACHI (AFP) - Pakistan cricket authorities Saturday demanded the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) explain what disciplinary measures have been taken against Stuart Broad after he made a twitter jibe about the legitimacy of spinner Saeed Ajmal's action.Subhan Ahmed, chief operating officer of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), said a letter had been sent seeking information on the situation.Yes, we have written a letter to the ECB asking them what action they have taken against Broad for comments he has made against Ajmal, Ahmed told AFP.These comments are distressing for Ajmal who is upset and wants the ECB to take action, he added.Ajmal's agent Umran Khan said he has also taken up the matter, requesting clarification on the issue in a formal letter to the cricket authorities for England and Wales.As an England centrally contracted player Broad can be penalised by the ECB if he is found to have made derogatory comments about his fellow professionals.Pakistan spinner Ajmal also currently plays for English county Worcestershire. He took 13 wickets in the Midlands side's recent County Championship win over Essex, including a career-best seven for 19 in the second innings.This prompted former England captain Michael Vaughan to ignite the row by posting a still photograph of Ajmal bowling during the match on Twitter. He added the caption: You are allowed 15 degrees of flex in your delivery swing.... justsaying.Broad, currently out with a knee injury, replied by commenting: This has to be a fake photo?. He then commented: Bowlers can bowl very differently in a lab while being tested compared to needing wickets in the middle.Ajmal's action -- reported for being suspect in 2009 -- has undergone extensive testing and been passed by the International Cricket Council (ICC).Under the ICC rules bowlers are allowed to straighten their arm in delivery by up to 15 degrees. However, English cricket has long been suspicious of 'mystery' spin and innovations such as the 'doosra' (other one) whereby an off-spinner bowls a delivery that turns away, rather than towards, a right-handed batsman.Regarded as one of the best spinners of modern times, the 36-year-old Ajmal has so far played 33 Tests, 110 one-day internationals and 63 Twenty20 matches. He took 24 wickets in helping Pakistan rout then-world Test number one England 3-0 in their series in the United Arab Emirates in 2012.

England skipper Cook injury doubt to face Sri Lanka

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LONDON (AFP) - England captain Alastair Cook could be ruled out of Sundays second one-day international against Sri Lanka at Chester-le-Street with a groin injury.Twenty20 specialist Alex Hales has been called in as cover and will make his one-day international debut should Cook fail a fitness test.Alex Hales has been added to the England ODI squad for the second one-day international against Sri Lanka as cover for Alastair Cook, who has right groin tightness, said a statement released by the England and Wales Cricket Board.Eoin Morgan -- who led the Twenty20 side last week in place of the injured Stuart Broad -- could again step in as captain should Cook miss out.England lead the series 1-0, with four matches to play.

Govt works on 3-year budget strategy: minister

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ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) - Federal Finance Minister Ishaq Dar says the government is working on a three-year budget strategy and it has a clear roadmap to achieve desired targets.He said this while chairing final session of grand consultation on next budget with the business stakeholders in Islamabad on Saturday.He said that there were revolutionary ideas from the business community and the government will consider serious doable proposals in the next financial year. He said that transparency, good governance and zero tolerance for corruption are hallmarks of PML-N government.Representatives of traders associations appreciated the consultation process and observed that this is the first time in history of the country that such level of consultations was held in preparation of budget.There was a general consensus in the remarks of the trade associations that local manufacturers should be encouraged with the aim to increase value addition and export-led growth. The traders emphasized measures for documentation of economy. There was also an agreement among the traders that small and medium enterprises in the country should be encouraged.The finance minister said the government is making efforts to simplify the taxation system and incentivize tax payers as compared to tax evaders.

PPP, PTI, JUI, ANP, AML commend Nawaz Sharif's decision to visit India

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam (JUI), Awami National Party (ANP) and Awami Muslim League (ANP) welcomed on Saturday Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s decision to visit India to participate in Indian Prime Minister-elect Narendra Modi’s oath ceremony, Dunya News reported.PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari said, in a statement, that the decision was difficult but necessary. He said that political leadership should continue taking such decisions in national interest.Zardari said that Nawaz Sharif’s decision is politically correct and wise.Opposition leader Khursheed Shah said that accepting Narendra Modi’s invitation to visit India is a good step and will leave positive effect on region’s situation.Maulana Fazlur Rahman termed Prime Minister’s India visit ‘positive’.Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s Javed Hashmi said that Prime Minister’s India visit is in country’s best interest.ANP’s senator Shahi Syed said that it was a very good decision and that someone has to take the first step towards resolution of problems and improvement in relations.AML Chief Sheikh Rasheed said that meeting of both prime minister is positive for the region.

Hundreds wounded as 6.9 magnitude earthquake sparks panic in Turkey

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ISTANBUL (AFP) - More than 250 people were wounded on Saturday when a 6.9 magnitude undersea earthquake sparked panic in northwestern Turkey.Television footage showed hundreds of terrified residents fleeing buildings in several Turkish towns after the quake hit at 0925 GMT.Turkey's emergency services department said 266 people were wounded, most of them in the panic that followed the quake. A hospital was also damaged.The quake caused some damage to homes, but no serious destruction has been reported, said department official Murat Nurlu.The US Geological Survey said the quake's epicentre was under the Aegean Sea off the Greek island of Lemnos, and put its magnitude at 6.9.There were no reports of any major damage or casualties on the island, although local police said a British tourist was slightly injured when part of the ceiling at Lemnos airport collapsed.The tremor was felt in the Bulgarian capital Sofia and in Istanbul, a city of 15 million people.Istanbul is in the area of Turkey that sits on the active North Anatolian fault and was hit by two strong quakes in 1999 that killed around 200,000 people.Earthquakes occur frequently in Greece. In January, thousands of people were left homeless by a quake on the Ionian island of Cephalonia, in the west of the country.
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