Sunday 25 May 2014

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Modi to be sworn in as India's new PM

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NEW DELHI (AFP) - Hindu nationalist Narendra Modi will be sworn in as India's new prime minister on Monday in a ceremony to be attended by arch rival Pakistan's premier for the first time in the two nations' history.The 63-year-old hardliner won a landslide election victory, handing him a powerful mandate to revive India's stagnant economy and implement more assertive foreign policy after 10 years of left-leaning Congress party rule.Modi, leader of the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party, invited Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif to Monday's ceremony in a first bold step aimed at mending strained ties between the nuclear-armed neighbours.Sharif, who has hailed Modi's impressive victory, accepted the invite which was extended to all heads of government from the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) which includes Pakistan.Great having leaders from SAARC nations & Mauritius join us during the ceremony. Their presence will make the occasion more memorable, Modi said in a tweet on Sunday.Modi, the son of a tea-stall owner, secured the biggest majority in 30 years at the election, trouncing the scandal-plagued Congress on a promise of reviving manufacturing and investment to create millions of jobs.His pledge to overhaul the flagging economy won over voters, along with his rags-to-riches story and reputation as a clean and efficient chief minister of prosperous western Gujarat state.Critics claimed Modi would favour the Hindu majority at the expense of the country's 150 million Muslims and other religious minorities, but the warnings failed to dent his rise.Many Muslims remain deeply suspicious of Modi, who is tainted by communal riots in Gujarat in 2002 that killed more than 1,000 people, mostly Muslims. Modi has denied he failed to stop the bloodshed and a court investigation found he had no case to answer.Ordinary Indians and business leaders have sky-high expectations of what Modi will deliver in a chaotic and still poor country that is home to a sixth of humanity. With the economy growing at under five percent, analysts warn bold reforms are needed.In a rare sign of emotion last week, Modi choked back tears as he promised to try to live up to the expectations of all Indians including our weakest and poorest during a speech in parliament. Modi and his yet-to-be-announced cabinet will be sworn in at the Rashtrapati Bhavan or president's mansion in New Delhi amid tight security in a ceremony starting at 6pm (1230 GMT) with 3,000 guests.Along with Sharif, other national leaders attending include Afghanistan's outgoing President Hamid Karzai, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse and Nepal Prime Minister Sushil Koirala.Modi will hold bilateral talks with Sharif on Tuesday with hopes the two can thaw ties and even take steps towards improving trade.India and Pakistan have fought three wars since independence in 1947 and bilateral ties broke down after the 2008 attacks by Pakistani gunmen on Mumbai in which 166 people were killed.Relations warmed slightly toward the end of the term of outgoing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh but still remain frosty, with mutual distrust and regular skirmishes along their disputed Kashmir border.Sharif has cited his working relationship with Atal Bihari Vajpayee, India's last BJP prime minister, as a reason for optimism, according to diplomatic sources. In 1999, during Sharif's second term in power, Vajpayee rode a bus to the Pakistani city of Lahore to sign a peace accord and raise hopes of normalised ties. But three months later, the neighbours embarked on the Kargil conflict in Kashmir that almost became a full-fledged war.

Obama calls Karzai, to make troop decision 'in coming days'

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ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (AFP) - US President Barack Obama called Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Sunday and will make a decision about American troops in the country post-2014 in the coming days, a senior administration official said.Following a surprise visit during which the two leaders did not meet despite an offer from the US president, Obama told his counterpart over the phone aboard Air Force One that he would be in touch before he publicly announces or articulates his troop decision, the official said.That decision is expected to take place in the coming days, the official added.Earlier, on a four-hour visit to Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, Obama renewed his commitment to a limited presence in Afghanistan for US and NATO troops after the withdrawal of combat forces at the end of the year.Karzai has refused to sign a bilateral security agreement (BSA) mandating the mission, but US officials believe the two candidates in a June runoff election to become the next president will do so.US officials said Obama offered to see the Afghan leader at the sprawling Bagram base, but Karzai declined.But on his flight out, Obama called Karzai and they spoke for 15-20 minutes, the senior administration official said.Obama said that he wants to conclude the BSA with Karzais successor. And he agreed to stay in touch with Karzai as the US makes determinations about its post-2014 troop presence, the official said.

Chocolate king claims victory in Ukraine presidential vote

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KIEV (AFP) - Chocolate baron Petro Poroshenko claimed a resounding victory on Sunday in Ukraine's presidential election and immediately vowed to end a bloody pro-Russian uprising that thwarted voting across swathes of the separatist east.The pro-Western self-made billionaire won close to 56 percent of a vote held while the ex-Soviet country is threatened by disintegration and financial collapse. My first decisive step will be aimed at ending the war, ending chaos, and bringing peace to a united and free Ukraine, the 48-year-old said at a press conference in Kiev.I am certain that our decisive actions will bring fairly quick results, he said in reference to an outcome that analysts said hands him a strong mandate to deal directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin.Despite his commanding lead, the armed rebellion meant voting was largely blocked in two eastern regions that make up 15 percent of the national electorate -- raising concerns about the legitimacy of his mandate across the entire country.Official confirmation of the results should avoid the need for a June 15 runoff that would have extended political uncertainty at the most painful moment in Ukraine's 23-year post-Soviet history.The exit polls put the political veteran more than 30 points ahead of nearest rival Yulia Tymoshenko, the former prime minister who spearheaded the 2004 pro-democracy Orange Revolution but then became embroiled in corruption scandals that saw her put behind bars by the old pro-Russian regime.US President Barack Obama praised Ukrainians for showing courage by voting in the face of the threat posed by militants who have seized about a dozen cities and towns in a seven-week rebellion.Despite provocations and violence, millions of Ukrainians went to the polls throughout the country, and even in parts of eastern Ukraine, where Russian-backed separatist groups sought to disenfranchise entire regions, some courageous Ukrainians still were able to cast their ballots, the White House quoted Obama as saying.Putin issued no immediate comment and instead spent Sunday evening in Belarus watching his country compete in the final of the ice hockey world championship.He had rejected the authority of Kiev's Western-backed interim leaders and had only promised to respect the outcome of Sunday's vote.Poroshenko vowed to pay his first trip to the east where insurgents have proclaimed their own independent republics in a rebellion that has already cost scores of lives.Ukrainians voted en masse in the capital Kiev and the west but were kept from doing so by armed militants who blocked polling stations across most of the east.We consider Poroshenko -- if he is elected -- to not be legitimate, said former pro-Russian presidential candidate Oleh Tsarov.We consider that the winner of the election is president of west Ukraine -- he is a half president.Poroshenko said Ukraine had a long list of problems to discuss with Russia through negotiations that should also involve the EU and Washington.The ex-Soviet nation on the EU's eastern frontier is fighting for its very survival after Putin responded to the popular overthrow of a Kremlin-backed leader by seizing Crimea and threatening to invade the rest of Ukraine to protect the country's ethnic Russian community.As well as trying to reunite the country, the new leader will have to set into motion overdue economic restructuring measures that world lenders are demanding in return for $27 billion (20 billion euros) in aid to stave off bankruptcy.But UniCredit's chief economist Erik Nielsen said the election gave Ukraine only a glimmer of hope at avoiding a still deeper crisis.The insurgency in the Russian-speaking east -- home to seven million of Ukraine's 46 million people and most of its heavy industry -- has unleashed the worst chill in East-West relations since the Cold War.Turnout was strong in Ukrainian speaking areas but was down to a trickle in eastern cities such as Donetsk where masked gunmen in green fatigues patrolled the streets.But voters also dealt a stinging rebuke to Ukraine's ultranationalist forces who had been blamed for most of the violence against ethnic Russians in the east.Exit polls showed both Pravy Sektor (Right Sector) paramilitary group leader Dmytro Yarosh -- branded a fascist by Moscow -- and nationalist Svoboda (Freedom) party leader Oleh Tyahnykob drawing less than two percent of the vote.The ballot was called after Kremlin-allied president Viktor Yanukovych -- his corruption-stained regime long a source of discontent -- was ousted in February in the bloody climax of months of protests sparked by his rejection of a historic EU pact.Putin, threatened with further US and EU sanctions, appeared to make a major concession Friday by saying he was ready to work with the new Kiev team.We understand that the people of Ukraine want their country to emerge from this crisis. We will treat their choice with respect.Russia also said it had started withdrawing from Ukraine's border around 40,000 soldiers whose presence had raised deep Western suspicions and prompted NATO to send additional fighters to former Soviet satellite nations such as Poland and the Baltic states.However on polling day the Kremlin infuriated Kiev when it dispatched Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev to Crimea for a surprise visit.On the ground, one person was reported killed near a polling station in the east but no major fighting was reported.Violence had flared Saturday in the flashpoint of Slavyansk, a rebel stronghold where an Italian photographer and his Russian translator were killed after being caught in a gun battle.

Political earthquake in France as far right triumphs in EU vote

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PARIS (AFP) - France was reeling from a political earthquake Monday after the far-right National Front (FN) topped the polls in European elections by winning the backing of just over one in four voters.With 80 percent of ballots counted following Sunday's vote, the Interior Ministry announced that the anti-immigration, anti-EU party led by Marine Le Pen had secured 26 percent of the vote, guaranteeing them around a third of France's 74 seats in the European Parliament.Riding twin waves of Euroscepticism fuelled by a belief that Brussels is responsible for the country's current economic woes and furious disillusionment with its political establishment, the FN beat the centre-right Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) into second place (20.6 percent).President Francois Hollande's Socialist Party was left languishing in third with a humiliating tally of just 13.8 percent.Prime Minister Manuel Valls said the stinging reverse demonstrated the need to accelerate political and economic reforms while Hollande summoned his ministers for crisis talks on the setback first thing on Monday morning.Lessons have to be learned, a Hollande aide acknowledged. We have to find a way of convincing the French people that we can change Europe without leaving Europe.The result is the highest score ever obtained in a nationwide election by the National Front (FN) and follows breakthrough gains made by the once pariah party in municipal elections earlier in the year.As FN leaders celebrated their triumph by demanding the dissolution of the National Assembly, senior Socialist minister Segolene Royal acknowledged that the far right's success represented a shock on a global scale.Marine Le Pen, 45, has been credited with significantly broadening the appeal of a party founded by her father Jean-Marie Le Pen and long tainted by association with his multiple convictions for inciting racism and denying the holocaust.She said voters had demonstrated their desire to reclaim the reins of their own destiny.Our people demand only one type of politics - a politics of the French, for the French and with the French, she said.They have said they no longer want to be ruled from outside, to have to submit to laws they did not vote for or to obey (EU) commissioners who are not subject to the legitimacy of universal suffrage.The FN's score is significantly better than the support of just under 18 percent that Marine Le Pen secured in the first round of the 2012 presidential election and suggests she has a real chance of progressing to the final two-candidate run-off when France next votes for its head of state, in 2017.Political analysts continue to consider the prospect of an FN president as extremely unlikely but many see French politics being transformed into a three-party system in which Le Pen's party could wield considerable influence.The far right party's resurgence over the last few years has been attributed to the appeal of its core messages on immigration and Europe at a time of record high unemployment and falling living standards for many working and middle class voters.But the FN has also benefited hugely with widespread disillusionment with the mainstream parties.Both the UMP, whose former leader Nicolas Sarkozy ran France from 2007-12, and the Socialists have been beset by a series of scandals over alleged corruption or cronyism, as well as being seen by many as having failed to address France's problems.Manuel Valls, who was promoted to prime minister after the Socialists were routed at the municipal elections, said Sunday's vote was a sign the government needed to accelerate the pace of reforms aimed at creating a more business-friendly climate in France, trimming the size of the state and getting the economy going again.What we are going through is serious, very serious for France and for Europe, Valls said. This vote, it is my belief, is nothing more than a new alarm, a shock, an earthquake aimed at every politician in the country and they have to react to it, Valls said.We have to go faster in reforming France because there is not one minute to lose.

UN chief calls for Lebanon unity over president

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UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Sunday called on Lebanon's political rivals to end the country's presidential stalemate.A spokesman for Ban said the UN chief regrets that the Lebanese Parliament was unable to elect a new president within the timeframe set by the constitution.Ban urged Lebanon's leaders to engage intensively to ensure the election of a new president without delay.Lebanon has been plunged into a leadership vacuum after President Michel Sleiman's mandate ended on Sunday with rival political blocs still divided over a new leader.Over the past two months Lebanon's parliament convened five times to try to elect a successor to Sleiman but failed each time due to a lack of quorum.Lebanon's political paralysis is mainly due to a deep rift between two rival camps over the conflict in Syria, the powerful neighbor that dominated Beirut for 30 years until 2005.Ban's spokesman said the UN leader urged Lebanese leaders to ensure the continued effective functioning of the institutions of the state, to guarantee that the government is able to address the challenges facing the country and to meet Lebanon's international obligations.The United Nations remains committed to continued partnership with the government of Lebanon as it works towards achieving these goals, the spokesman added.

Tennis: Federer cruises as Serena, Venus eye Paris showdown

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PARIS (AFP) - Roger Federer racked up a record-equalling 59th career win at the French Open on Sunday while Serena and Venus Williams edged closer to a third-round sister showdown.Federer kicked off his 16th consecutive Roland Garros with a 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 win over Slovakia's Lukas Lacko, his first victory since becoming a father of twins for the second time.The 32-year-old Swiss, who won his only Paris title in 2009, was watched by wife Mirka and older twins Myla and Charlene but not three-week old Lenny and Leo.Sunday's triumph was also his 59th at Roland Garros, tying eight-time champion Rafael Nadal as the tournament's all-time win specialist.Federer was never troubled by Lacko, the world number 88 who has not won a claycourt match for three years.He hit 40 winners and goes on to face Diego Schwartzman of Argentina for a place in the last 32.I'm happy I got off to a good start, said the 17-time major winner. There's always that little feeling that if you don't feel well, if the opponent plays great, whatever happens so you could lose early. So I was happy seeing early signs out of the match that I was actually playing well and I was going to get my chances.Women's top seed Serena Williams, who won the 2013 title to add to her 2002 maiden triumph in the French capital, started her 13th Roland Garros with a 6-2, 6-1 win over French wildcard Alize Lim.Three days after the close friends were snapping 'selfies' of themselves at the players' party at the Eiffel Tower, Williams fired 37 winners past Lim, the world 138, although a sloppy final game left her relying on a fifth match point to seal victory.The win extended Williams' record in opening rounds of the majors to 54-1 -- her only blip being a first-round exit to Virginie Razzano in Paris three years ago.We train in the same facilities. We just kind of all get along. We go to dinner every now and then. So it's interesting. It's fun, said the American.Williams will face Spain's Garbine Muguruza for a place in the third round where she could then play big sister Venus.Venus, the 29th seed and 2002 runner-up, began her campaign with a 6-4, 6-1 win against Swiss 17-year-old Belinda Bencic who was two and a half years from being born when the American made her professional debut back in 1994.It was Williams' second win over world number 81 Bencic, the 2013 junior champion, having defeated the teenager in Luxembourg in 2012.I think she has a great attitude, and it will take her a long way. Just doing everything better, serving, returning, just more experience helps a lot, said 33-year-old Venus, who is playing in her 17th French Open.Venus next faces Anna Schmiedlova of Slovakia.It was a good day for other veterans on the tour.Russian 15th seed Mikhail Youzhny, 31, battled back to see off Spain's Pablo Carreno Busta, 3-6, 1-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-0.Czech 35-year-old Radek Stepanek beat Facundo Arguello of Argentina 6-7 (8/10), 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 and Finland's Jarkko Nieminen, 32, also needed five sets to see off Michal Przysiezny of Poland, 6-7 (7/9), 6-4, 6-7 (3/7), 6-3, 6-4.Czech sixth seed Tomas Berdych eased past Canada's Peter Polansky 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 on the back of 50 winners and 15 aces and next meets Kazakhstan's Aleksandr Nedovyesov.Canadian eighth seed Milos Raonic unleashed 27 aces in his 6-3, 7-6 (7/1), 6-3 win over teenage Australian wildcard Nick Kyrgios.French 13th seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, a semi-finalist in 2013, beat compatriot Edouard Roger-Vasselin, 7-6 (7/4), 7-5, 6-2.Italy's Francesca Schiavone, the 2010 champion and 2011 runner-up, crashed out with the 33-year-old slumping to a 6-3, 6-3 defeat to Croatia's Ajla Tomljanovic.Only one seeded player lost on Sunday with Romania's Monica Niculescu accounting for Estonia's 25th seed Kaia Kanepi 5-7, 6-3, 6-1.Polish women's third seed Agnieszka Radwanska carved out a 6-3, 6-0 win over China's Zhang Shuai, the world number 34, in the day's opening match on Court Philippe Chatrier.

McIlroy wins the European PGA Championship

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WENTWORTH (AFP) - Rory McIlroy admitted he had mixed emotions after completing a roller-coaster week by coming from seven shots back to win the European PGA Championship at Wentworth on Sunday.The Northern Irishman -- who announced his split from tennis star Caroline Wozniacki on the eve of the tournament -- fired a sparkling six-under-par 66, for an aggregate of 274, 14 under par, to win by a shot from Ireland's Shane Lowry.Denmark's Thomas Bjorn surrendered a five-shot lead by the time he had got to the seventh tee after a disastrous seven on the sixth but still had a faint chance of victory after birdies at the 16th and 17th.Bjorn, aiming for his 16th European Tour win, finished with a 75 and had to settle for a share of third place with England's Luke Donald with both finishing on 276, 12-under.McIlroy said: It been a weird week. When I got inside the ropes it was a little bit of release - it gives you four or five hours of serenity.I can't explain it -- it has been a week of very mixed emotions but I am sitting here looking at this trophy thinking 'how the hell did it happen?'McIlroy got his round going with an eagle three at the fourth but was knocked back by bogeys at the sixth and ninth before streaking home in 32.He chipped in at the 10th for a two to go to 10-under and took the lead with a birdie at the 12th before successive birdie fours at the par-5 17th and 18th holes. On the 18th he hit his second into a greenside bunker but chipped out to five feet and punched the air when he holed the putt.The 25-year-old has rarely performed well at Wentworth, having a previous best finish of fifth in 2009 and two missed cuts in the last two years.He added: I came in here knowing I was playing well. I have come here the last couple of years and I have been struggling with my game but I was excited to come here again because I knew my game was in good shape.I was looking forward to this week and it does my confidence the world of good being able to get the job done under pressure.McIlroy's comeback from seven shots off the pace equals the record for this event after Simon Khan did a similar rescue job in 2010.It is also the first time Mcilroy has won a European Tour event actually held in Europe.Third-placed Donald paid tribute to his Ryder Cup team-mate and believes McIlroy's decision to make a clean and public break with Wozniacki may have helped him this week.Donald said: We all know what he has been going through and sometimes making those tough decisions can take a weight off your mind. He can engulf himself in the golf and he obviously played very well.He is at a place where he can't even make the cut usually but he goes on to win it - that's the beauty of the game.Henrik Stenson boosted his chances of becoming world number one later in the day when he eagled the par-5 17th and finished on 280, eight-under-par, and in a tie for seventh.The Swede had to wait until current number one Adam Scott had finished playing in the Colonial Invitational in Texas to see if he could overtake the Australian and Tiger Woods to claim the top spot.Scotland's Stephen Gallacher surged up the board to finish in a tie for fifth alongside England's Simon Dyson, whilst Germany's Marcel Siem had a 68 to finish in a share of seventh with Stenson, South Africa's Thomas Aiken, Spaniard Pablo Larrazabal and Francesco Molinari from Italy.

Badminton: Japan oust Malaysia to win maiden Thomas Cup

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NEW DELHI (AFP) - Japan clinched their first ever Thomas Cup badminton title with a thrilling 3-2 win over Malaysia in the final of the men's premier team championships in New Delhi on Sunday.World number 25 Takuma Ueda overcame a spirited resistance from the 66th-ranked Daren Liew before taking the fifth and decisive match 21-12, 18-21, 21-17 at the Siri Fort complex in the Indian capital.The Japanese, whose best performance in 12 previous Cup appearances had been a semi-final berth in 2012, ensured the sensational 3-0 rout of five-time defending champions China on Friday did not go to waste.A visibly relieved Ueda said it was a special feeling to be part of his country's maiden Cup win.There was pressure on me because it was a key match and there was strong Malaysian support in the crowd, the Japanese man of the moment said.I did give away the advantage in the second game, but I was not really worried because I knew I would win if I did not make too many mistakes.This is a real special feeling now.Japan's Korean coach Park Joo-Bong, a former world and Olympic doubles champion, hoped the victory would increase badminton's popularity among the Japanese.Its a very small sport in Japan, but this is a big achievement, he said. Badminton will get noticed when we win more such major events.We now have a good group of players who can do well in future. In this final, our players were able to handle pressure better than the Malaysians and that is a very good sign.World number one Lee Chong Wei, who had hoped to bring the Thomas Cup back to Malaysia after 22 years, took the defeat in his stride.It is of course disappointing not to win the title after coming so close, he said. But making the final itself was a bonus because our target before the tournament started was the semis.I had prepared well for the final because Japan were going to be very confident after beating China in the semi-final. Lee gave Malaysia a winning start with a 21-12, 21-16 win over the fourth-ranked Kenichi Tago in the opening singles.But Kenichi Hayakawa and Hiroyuki Endo drew level for Japan, fighting back after losing the first game to beat Tan Boon Heong and Hoon Thien How 12-21, 21-17, 21-19 in an hour and 16 minutes.Kento Momota, the hero of Japan's win against China when he beat world number six Du Pengyu in the third match, once again put his side in front with an impressive win over Chong Wei Feng.Momota, the 20-year-old world number 14, demolished the Malaysian number two Chong 21-15, 21-17 in just 38 minutes.Malaysia's doubles pair of Goh Shem and Tan Wee Kiong brought their team back into contention by beating Keigo Sonoda and Takeshi Kamura 19-21, 21-17, 21-12 to make it 2-2.Malaysia, who won the last of their five Thomas Cup titles in 1992, had also lost in the final in 1994, 1998 and 2002.

Cycling: Aru wins 15th stage, Uran still in pink

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MONTECAMPIONE (AFP) - Young Italian climber Fabio Aru came home alone to claim the Giro d'Italia's 15th stage on Sunday, as Colombian Rigoberto Uran retained the overall leader's pink jersey.At the 1665-metre finish at Montecampione, Aru crossed the line with a 21sec gap back to Colombian Fabio Duarte.The 23-year-old Aru was celebrating his first career success.It's a dream come true. But that doesn't change anything. I'm thinking about keeping my feet on the ground, I still have everything to prove, said Aru.Third place went to Colombian Nairo Quintana, who made up 20sec on compatriot Uran in the standings to lie fifth, 2min40 off the pacesetter.Uran took fifth in this 225km ride from Oropa to the summit where late Italian climbing specialist Marco Pantani had famously duelled with Russian Pavel Tonkov on his way to victory in 1998.I'm satisfied, said Uran whose closest pursuer in the standings, Cadel Evans, lost time to sit 1min 03sec adrift.The OmegaPharma-QuickStep rider added: Everything went well today. It was a very long day but the team once again showed its solidity.As for Aru, he showed how strong he was last year. He's a strong climber and he has a bright future ahead of him. He deserved the win today, he is a good rider.I tried to follow him but I preferred to ride at my own pace until the finish, explained Uran, who warned of a renewed challenge from Quintana. Quintana also did well. I lost some seconds to him but it's not an issue. On a stage like todays you can't let that distract you.I don't think Quintana was saving himself but next week he will certainly be stronger, said Uran.His chief rival Evans, who lost 31sec to the Colombian, conceded his previous exertions had caught up with him on Sunday but remained hopeful of success. It's not too bad. I wasn't able to follow at the end, I think I've paid the price for my earlier efforts but things are going well. There are still some big stages left, said the Australian.A 12-man breakaway which at one point had pulled around eight minutes clear of the pack saw its cushion reduced to two minutes at the foot of the final climb.Colombian Julian Arredondo joined and then moved clear of this group, only to be caught by Ireland's Philip Deignan 9km out.Eventual fourth Pierre Rolland turned up the volume with 5km to go, with Uran then covering Aru's stage-winning attack. Aru's reward for his fine day's efforts was to move up to fourth in the standings ahead of the last rest day as the Giro enters its final week.The Giro resumes on Tuesday with a 139km stage from Ponte di Legno to Val Martello, which features three mountain climbs.

Ice Hockey: Putin watches as Russia win fifth world title

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MINSK (AFP) - Russia's ice hockey team avenged their defeat at the Sochi Olympics as watched by President Vladimir Putin they overpowered Finland 5-2 to take gold at the world championships in Minsk on Sunday.As Western-friendly chocolate baron Petro Poroshenko claimed victory in Sunday's presidential elections in Ukraine, Putin was focusing on an ice hockey game in which Russia claimed a fifth world title.The head of state wanted to personally support the Russian team playing in the final of the world hockey championships, Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian news agency ITAR-TASS.It was the first meeting between the two teams in a world championship final, but Russia suffered a major upset at their home Olympics three months ago when they lost to the Finns in the quarter-finals.Russia's sports minister Vitaly Mutko hailed the victory as a spectacular finish to our most successful winter season.It's very nice that our hockey players, who seriously upset our sports lovers at the Sochi Games, managed to finish this season with such a great win, said Mutko.We owed our fans this win after a poor performance in Sochi, said left wing Danis Zaripov. The gold medal is what we came here for, no other result would do.We acted as a single unit throughout the tournament and it a victory for everyone.Zaripov collected a goal and two assists, while Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Sergei Bobrovski produced 24 saves.Russia came into the final without their manager Oleg Znarok, who has been handed a one-match ban for making a throat-slashing gesture toward Swedish assistant coach Rikard Gronborg following their verbal altercation at the end of the Saturday's semi-final.But Russia opened the score halfway into the first period through winger Sergei Shirokov, who beat Finland 'keeper Pekka Rinne with a wrist shot on powerplay.Finland levelled through IFK Helsinki forward Iiro Pakarinen, who sent the puck in between Bobrovski's pads with just three seconds remaining before the first intermission.Olli Palola lifted Finland 2-1 up 6:51 into the second period when Zaripov was in the sin bin but Washington Capitals sharpshooter Alexander Ovechkin levelled again just 43sec later.Pittsburgh Penguins center Yevgeni Malkin put Russia into a 3-2 lead with 4:24 remaining in the second period when Russia were on two-man powerplay.Zaripov and Viktor Tikhonov added one apiece in the third period both on powerplay to secure Russia's win and make up for the team's flop at their home Sochi Games.Finland coach Erkka Westerlunf lamented: We had chances to win today but it's impossible to win the championship when you're sitting in the penalty box.We were penalised too often tonight and paid the price for lack of dicipline.Earlier on Sunday last year's champions Sweden beat the Czech Republic 3-0 to take the bronze medal.The Swedes opened the score after 4:28 through winger Joakim Lindstrom, who sent the puck in from behind the goal line with a help of a ricochet.Another left winger Simon Hjalmarsson added another with 4:16 remaining before the first intermission to give Sweden a comfortable 2-0 advantage.In the second period the Czechs had five powerplay opportunities but failed to find the net as New York Islanders goalie Anders Nilsson was in complete command of his net.Calgary Flames center Mikael Backlund rounded off the scoring 8:22 into the third when he netted Sweden's third goal with a wrist shot from the left face-off circle to secure his team's well-deserved win.Czech star Jaromir Jagr announced he was calling time on his international career after the game.The 42-year-old New Jersey Devils right wing said he would not play next season, even though the worlds will take place at home in Prague and Ostrava.That was my last game for the Czech Republic, Jagr said after the defeat, which left the former six-time world champions empty-handed for the second straight worlds.I'll be back to play in the NHL next year, but I won't play for my country again.

Sri Lanka defeat sorry England by 157 runs

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CHESTER-LE-STREET (AFP) - Sri Lanka came up with the perfect response to their defeat in the first one-day international against England as they swept aside Alastair Cooks team in the second meeting at the Riverside on Sunday.The England captain was injured and could only watch in dismay from the dressing room as optimism generated by their impressive win at The Oval disintegrated in a 157-run defeat.There was talk of an exciting new era for English cricket after the 81-run win three days earlier, but this was a sobering reminder of recent setbacks as they were destroyed by the Sri Lankans.The match was effectively settled inside the first seven overs of the England reply to Sri Lankas 256-8, a total that owed much to the concentration of Tillakaratne Dilshan in the early stages.With conditions improving, it was a total that should have been well within Englands reach, but they simply could not cope with the opening spells of Nuwan Kulasekara and Lasith Malinga.Michael Carberry, recalled because of injury to Cook was the first to go, caught behind by Kumar Sangakkara off the bowling of Kulasekara.The same pair accounted for the other opening batsman, Ian Bell with the total on 26 and Joe Root swiftly followed, bowled by Malinga before scoring.When Gary Ballance was lbw to Kulasekara, the Sri Lankan had taken three wickets for one run in 11 deliveries and England were reduced to 29-4.There was no way back for a team led by Eoin Morgan, although the stand-in skipper and Ravi Bopara finally gave the innings some stability, facing 24 balls without scoring at one stage.It meant they had added only 17 runs when Bopara was the next to depart, bowled by Sachithra Senanayake.And the procession continued when Jos Buttler lobbed up the first delivery from Angelo Mathews and Senanayake took an acrobatic catch.It was the worst shot of an innings with several candidates for that title, reducing England to 55-6 and leaving the new batsman, Chris Jordan, with enough time to show whether he can build an innings as well as score rapid runs.The answer soon came when he was lbw to Senanayake after scoring just one run in three deliveries. Jordans appeal against the decision simply reflected the desperation of the England players.Morgan remained an obstinate barrier to Sri Lanka and was the main reason they passed their lowest-ever ODI total - 86 against Australia in 2001 - before he was caught on the boundary for 40.England failed to reach three figures and their total of 99 was their fifth lowest in ODI cricket.Earlier, Dilshan was the key figure in the Sri Lankan innings when they were put in to bat after losing the toss.Dilshan was involved in an intriguing battle with James Anderson at at the start of the day as the cloud cover helped the England seam bowler.Dilshan emerged on top and survived for more than 37 overs to finish with 88 runs before becoming the only victim for Chris Jordan.Harry Gurney claimed three wickets towards the end of the innings, but Anderson was the pick of the England bowlers and finished with 2-38, including his 250th wicket in ODI cricket.Ashan Priyanjan added an important 43 runs for the tourists, who set a target of 257 that was never within reach for England because of their feeble batting and the devastating opening burst from Sri Lankas pacemen.

Obama promises Afghan troop decision soon

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BAGRAM AIR BASE (AFP) - US President Barack Obama promised a decision on post-2014 US troop numbers fairly shortly, after he flew into the country on a surprise night time visit Sunday.Obama is deliberating on the size of the force that will be left behind after the longest US war to continue to train Afghan forces, who will shoulder the burden of confronting the Taliban and preventing an Al-Qaeda resurgence.Obama told the top US General in Afghanistan Joseph Dunford and the US ambassador to Kabul James Cunningham that he was facing tough decisions on the US posture after the end of the year when all combat troops pull out.He promised an announcement fairly shortly.US officials said as Obama flew into Afghanistan aboard Air Force One that they believed that both candidates in Afghanistan's run-off election, Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah, would sign a bilateral security agreement that would allow US troops to stay.But Washington has also warned that without the agreement -- which Afghan President Hamid Karzai has refused to sign -- it may be forced to go to a zero option of no troops.Obama also said that the recent first round of the Afghan election had been a success, and praised the work of building up Afghan forces.I will be honest with you, it has gone better than I might have expected a year ago.President Barack Obama swooped out of the night sky into Afghanistan Sunday on a surprise visit, to honour the sacrifices of the soldiers of America's longest war, seven months before he ends the combat mission for good.Obama, who normally brings cities to a standstill when he moves around, slipped out of the White House and boarded a darkened Air Force One after night fell on Saturday and flew unannounced across the globe, before making a high-speed landing at Bagram Air Base outside Kabul on his fourth visit to Afghanistan as president and his first since 2012.His trip was purely devoted to spending time with troops as the United States honours its war dead on Memorial Day on Monday.But it also came with Obama under intense political pressure at home amid allegations that possible misconduct and poor administration in the Veterans Affairs department had left retired warriors waiting months for treatment. Some are said to have died as a result.The president had no plans to meet outgoing Afghan President Hamid Karzai, with whom he has a tense relationship, nor Abdullah Abdullah or Ashraf Ghani, the two candidates in Afghanistan's run-off election to find his successor in June.We didn't want to get in the middle of election season, Ben Rhodes, a deputy US national security advisor, told reporters travelling with Obama.No announcements were expected on the size of a possible post-war NATO training and stabilisation force for Afghanistan but Rhodes said Obama was keen to hear from his top commander on the ground, General Joseph Dunford, head of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and the US ambassador to Kabul James Cunningham.It is important for him to come before he articulates a decision, said Rhodes.Obama will also tour an operations centre and visit a hospital at Bagram before making a speech to US troops and civilians.He brought along a treat from home for US soldiers -- country music star Brad Paisley traveled aboard Air Force One and will whip up the crowd before the president speaks.- Uncertain future -US plans to retain a small garrison in Afghanistan after 51,000 international combat troops withdraw at the end of 2014 are in limbo over Karzai's refusal to sign a bilateral security agreement governing their mission.After months of delays and diversions, Karzai said that it should be up to Afghanistan's next president to sign the pact, as he will have to live with its implications.The standoff deeply frustrated Washington, which has warned that it has no choice but to prepare a full withdrawal -- the so-called zero option -- as a contingency, even though it remains open to the idea of a residual force.US officials also note however that both Ghani and Abdullah have indicated a willingness to sign the agreement, which defines the training and anti-terror mission of a residual US force and provides legal protections for American troops.Afghanistan faces an uncertain future after NATO forces leave, amid an upsurge of violence and suicide bombings masterminded by the Taliban, 13 years after Washington launched its war on the Islamic movement for harbouring Al-Qaeda as it planned the September 11 attacks in 2001.An International Crisis Group analysis earlier this month warned that the overall trend is one of escalating violence and insurgent attacks.The president promised to invigorate the war effort in Afghanistan when he ran for president in 2008.He surged thousands of troops into the war on a mission to disrupt, defeat and dismantle Al-Qaeda.His administration argues that the terror group has been decimated in Afghanistan and in Pakistan border regions but earlier US hopes of rebuilding Afghanistan's society and economy fell short.Obama has also sometimes appeared something of a reluctant warrior in Afghanistan. Former defense secretary Robert Gates wrote in his memoir Duty that the president had soured on his troop surge strategy launched in 2009 by early 2011 and lost confidence in his troop commanders and Karzai.But Obama said in January that he continued to have faith in his Afghan strategy, and has unwavering confidence in the young men and women he had sent to war.The White House took elaborate security precautions to stop word of Obama's trip from leaking out. The president ditched his normal motorcade and reporters travelling on his plane were forbidden to tell editors and family members where they headed and had phones and computer equipment sequestered by the Secret Service before they boarded the plane.

There is nothing for public welfare in demands of Imran: Rana Sanaullah

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FAISALABAD (Dunya News) - Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah has said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) does not have any public agenda.Addressing a press conference ahead of PTI rally in Faisalabad on Sunday, Rana Sanaullah said that Imran Khan spent millions of rupees for Faisalabad rally that was in no way public service.He said that foolproof security arrangements were made at Dhobi Ghat for the rally of PTI.The provincial minister said that the PTI was bringing participants from other cities to show gathering.Rana Sanullah said citizens of Faisalabad would see that there was nothing for public welfare in the demands of PTI chief Imran Khan.He said the people of Faisalabad have rejected the Tsunami of PTI.Rana Sanaullah said the people of Faisalabad have rejected the Tsunami of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.He said Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has assured to invest two billion rupees for establishing a textile park and launching a two hundred and seventy megawatt power project in Faisalabad.The minister said the project will also provide jobs to the youth of the area.Rana Sanaullah said that the PML-N government was working day and night to end energy crisis.

India always hatched conspiracies against Pakistan: Hafiz Saeed

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KARACHI (Dunya News) - Jamat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed has said that India never spared a chance to hatch conspiracies against Pakistan, Dunya News reported.Addressing Takbeer Convention at Mazar-e-Quaid on Sunday, Saeed asked Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif should explain how he would respond to Kashmiris after meeting Narendra Modi.He said there should be no confusion that Narendra Modi was trained by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).He said Nawaz Sharif made decision of his visit to India in haste.The JuD chief said defeated America wants to take revenge from Pakistan by using other countries.He said India always hatched conspiracies to destabilize our country but nuclear test in Balochistan on 28 May 1998 made Pakistan’s defence invincible.Hafiz Saeed urged PM Nawaz Sharif to remind India of Liaquat-Nehru Pact regarding protection of minorities.Earlier, he said that Pakistan’s atomic program is guarantee to peace, adding that no one should look at Pakistan with bad intentions.Talking to media after reviewing Takbir Convention arrangements, he said that everyone has to come on same page for country’s defence.

Real issue is corruption; illegitimate rulers cannot give anything: Imran Khan

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FAISALABAD (Dunya News) – Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chief Imran Khan said on Sunday that no power in the world can stop workers from creating a new Pakistan, Dunya News reported.He said that people rejected Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN)’s circus and participated in PTI’s rally.Addressing rally at Dhobi Ghat ground of Faisalabad, he said that PMLN has no idea of PTI’s passion. He said that PMLN thinks that everyone can be bought off but they don’t realize that passion cannot be bought.He said that youngsters are with him even though his party never tried to buy them off through laptop schemes or youth festivals.He said that his party will bring system of justice in the country. He reiterated that the system of disbelief can work but a system with injustice cannot.PTI Chief said that load shedding continues even though Nawaz Sharif paid the energy debts and increased power tariff.He said that he had challenged the government that if they hand over electricity production and distribution to PTI’s government, they will bring down electricity prices and stop electricity theft. He said that Nawaz Sharif did not accept his challenge.He said that change cannot come until transparent elections take place.Khan said that those who came to power through illegitimate means cannot give anything to the nation. He said that the government broke all records of debts by putting on fifty billion dollar debt in one year.He said if voter identification is verified in four constituencies, things will become clear. He reiterated that the real challenge for Pakistanis is corruption.He said that he will show how to collect tax by bringing big guns into the tax net. He said that money collected from people will be spent on people.
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