Monday 14 July 2014

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Qatar to buy Patriot missiles in $11 bln arms deal: US

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - Qatar will buy US Patriot missiles for the first time in a major arms deal worth $11 billion, officials said Monday, as Washington awaits a decision by the Gulf state on a lucrative fighter jet contract.The sale will provide Qatar with roughly 10 batteries for Patriot systems designed to knock out incoming missiles, as well as 24 Apache helicopters and 500 Javelin anti-tank missiles, the US officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP.Qatar was investing in missile defense systems to counter what it sees as the threat from Iran across the Gulf, as Tehran has built up its missile arsenal, officials said. The weapons deal was the biggest for the United States in 2014 and came as Qatar weighs proposals in a fighter jet competition, with US aerospace firm Boeing vying against British BAE Systems and Dassault Aviation of France.It's a good sign, said a senior defense official, referring to the arms sale and the prospects for the fighter jet bidding. It's a pretty significant step.Qatar's minister of state for defense, Major General Hamad bin Ali al-Attiyah, committed to the sale in a signing ceremonyMonday in Washington after talks with his American counterpart, Chuck Hagel.Today's signing ceremony underscores the strong partnership between the United States and Qatar in the area of security and defense and will help improve our bilateral cooperation across a range of military operations, said Hagel's press secretary, Rear Admiral John Kirby.It was also the first time Qatar had acquired Patriot missiles, which other Gulf countries such as Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have purchased in the past.US officials and commanders have long urged their Gulf partners to set up a coordinated missile defense network to counter Iran, but cooperation has been slow in coming.The weapons would enhance America's security and diplomatic ties to Qatar, the US official said, despite disagreement over Syria and Qatar's assistance to some rebel groups deemed too radical by Washington.Gulf allies also have voiced concern over US diplomacy with Iran over its nuclear program, fearing the United States may shift away from its long-standing hostility to Tehran.Officials said the arms sale offered a way of forging closer ties to Qatar and to cultivate relationships with the country's military through training on US-made aircraft and weapons. This is an investment in the next generation (of military leaders)...It's an investment for the long-run, the senior official said.The sale follows a visit to Qatar last December by the US defense secretary, and talks in May between Hagel and Qatari and other Gulf defense chiefs. Qatar hosts a vital hub for the US military, the Combined Air Operations Center, where officers oversee combat aircraft in Afghanistan and track air traffic across the volatile Middle East.In his talks with the Qatari minister, Hagel expressed his appreciation for the support that Qatar provides US forces in the country, Kirby said.This is a critically important relationship in the region, said Kirby. And the secretary is pleased to be able to continue to make it stronger.

Kerry heads to Mideast in search of Gaza truce

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GAZA CITY (AFP) - Washington's top diplomat is to head to the Middle East on Tuesday to throw his weight behind diplomatic efforts to end a devastating week-long conflict between ally Israel and its Islamist foe Hamas.With Israel's punishing air campaign in its seventh day, the death toll in Gaza hit 177, prompting growing calls for a ceasefire which have so far showed little sign of progress. Ahead of an emergency meeting of Arab foreign ministers in Cairo, the Islamist Hamas movement shot down hopes of a deal to end the violence in and around its Gaza stronghold, saying no serious moves had been made. Talk of a ceasefire requires real and serious efforts, which we haven't seen so far, Hamas MP Mushir al-Masri told AFP in Gaza City.Any ceasefire must be based on the conditions we have outlined. Nothing less than that will be accepted, he said, in a show of defiance in the face of the deadly Israeli bombardment. Israel has said that it is not ready to countenance a ceasefire either, as it seeks to deal ever harsher blows to Hamas and stamp out its capacity to fire rockets deep into the Jewish state. In a bid to add Washington's weight to truce efforts, US Secretary of State John Kerry is to fly into Cairo on Tuesday, Egyptian state media reported.Kerry will visit Egypt tomorrow, Tuesday, to conduct talks with senior officials, the official MENA news agency reported, saying the US diplomat had spoken with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukri by phone about the raging conflict in Gaza.There was no immediate comment from the State Department, with Israeli press reports suggesting Kerry would also visit Jerusalem and the West Bank city of Ramallah, headquarters of Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas. Although Arab states have demanded an immediate halt to Israel's military campaign, with Jordan's King Abdullah II urging Israel to stop targeting civilians, Germany's top diplomat said Hamas should immediately halt its rocket fire. Firing rockets on Israel by Hamas should stop immediately, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said at a news conference in Amman, ahead of a visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories to add Berlin's voice to the truce efforts.In Gaza City's Tel al-Hawa neighbourhood, relatives of a retired economics professor in his 80s looked at the damage to his home, clearly bemused as to why it should have been targeted by an Israeli missile. This time, the family escaped unharmed, fleeing after an initial warning strike. But the missile itself failed to explode, drawing a crowd of curious onlookers as officials wondered how to remove it. Human rights groups say more than 75 percent of the dead have been non-combatants. The UN agency for Palestinian refugees says more than a quarter of them have been children. Although Israel has confirmed preparations for a possible ground attack, it appeared to be holding off with the security cabinet meeting reportedly deciding against putting boots on the ground -- for now. But the pace of the air strikes slowed noticeably on Monday.Seven people were killed, far fewer than the 56 killed on Saturday, the bloodiest day by far of a campaign which began before dawn on July 8 with the aim of halting militant rocket fire on southern Israel. So far, no Israelis have been killed. A handful have been seriously wounded.The rocket fire has since intensified, with Hamas militants launching more than 800 rockets at cities across Israel, including Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and the northern city of Hadera. A further 187 have been shot down. The military steps being taken by both sides in the last 24 hours were a function, among other things, of the developments in the dialogue, Alex Fishman wrote in the top-selling Yediot Aharonot newspaper, saying the state of negotiations should become clear in the next 24 hours. If no catastrophe takes place, that causes a particularly high number of fatalities on either side, the likelihood is that the fire will abate as early as this week.As the human scale of the tragedy grew, a senior military official said the army was using a pain map, hitting targets seen as most valuable to the Islamist movement. The question now was whether Hamas had taken enough of a blow to be flexible in negotiations, Fishman wrote. If the answer is negative, the ground operation will be the next step. So far, Hamas does not appear in any mood for concessions, with Masri saying its conditions would include a lifting of Israel's eight-year blockade on Gaza, the opening of its Rafah border crossing with Egypt, and the release of prisoners Israel rearrested after freeing them in exchange for kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in 2011.Speaking to AFP in Cairo, another Hamas official said a general framework had been presented, but the leadership wanted more than it got in a previous truce which ended the last major round of violence with Israel.We need to build on the 2012 truce and move forward, he said.Earlier, Hamas's armed wing said it had sent a number of UAVs (drones) deep inside the Zionist enemy entity with the army confirming one had been shot down with a Patriot missile off Israel's Mediterranean coast.

Toll in Israel strikes on Gaza hits 186, topping 2012

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GAZA CITY (AFP) - The death toll from Israel's seven-day air campaign against Gaza rose to 186 on Monday, exceeding that of the last conflict in the besieged Palestinian territory, in 2012.Five Palestinians were killed in two separate air strikes late Monday.Emergency services spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra said the strikes killed three people in Rafah in the south of Gaza, including a young child, and two people in Khan Yunis, also in the south.An hour or so later, another two were killed, including a 16-year-old, in another air strike in Khan Yunis.A UN official said that more than a quarter of those killed in Gaza since the violence began last week were children.Earlier, a strike in Gaza City killed a young man, and another Palestinian died of wounds sustained in an earlier raid.East of Khan Yunis, an Israeli missile struck a motorcycle, killing 17-year-old Ziyad al-Najjar, Qudra said.His death came shortly after another strike in the same area, which killed a 37-year-old. A 60-year-old man was killed in a raid on a house in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, and two other people died in separate strikes elsewhere in the coastal enclave, Qudra said.Earlier, a man and a woman wounded in air strikes on Sunday died of their injuries.In all, 16 people were killed on Monday, with the total number wounded in the conflict rising to 1,280. Monday's deaths hiked the toll above the 177 people killed in the last major round of violence between Israel and its foe Hamas in November 2012.The Gaza-based Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) said on Sunday that more than three-quarters of the dead were civilians.The bloodiest day so far was Saturday when 56 people were killed. No Israelis have been killed. Four have been seriously wounded since the start of the operation.Israel began Operation Protective Edge before dawn on Tuesday in an attempt to halt cross-border rocket fire by militant groups.Since then, more than 800 rockets have hit Israel, while some 187 others have been intercepted by its Iron Dome air defence system, the army said.Israel's Operation Pillar of Defence in 2012 was also an attempt to stamp out rocket fire from Gaza militants. It left 177 Palestinians and six Israelis dead.

US warns against Israeli ground invasion of Gaza

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States on Monday warned against any Israeli ground invasion of Gaza, saying it would put even more civilians at risk than are currently in the crossfire of attacks on Hamas.But the White House stopped short of criticizing Israel over the civilian toll so far in Gaza of the offensive, saying the government had a right and responsibility to defend their citizens against rocket attacks.Nobody wants to see a ground invasion because that would put more civilians at risk, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said during his daily press briefing.It was the first time that the White House has specifically warned in a public forum against a full Israeli invasion of Gaza, though other US officials, including Secretary of State John Kerry, have previously said Washington would not like to see such a step.The comments apparently reflect growing US concern over a possible escalation of the conflict, which Washington has offered to use its regional leverage to mediate.Earnest said that Washington remained concerned about civilian casualties and called on both sides to minimize them.But he declined to answer a question as to whether Israel, which has used the US-built Iron Dome system to shoot down Hamas rockets, was using appropriate force, given the rising casualty figures among civilians in the Gaza Strip.He put the onus on Palestinian radicals to take steps that would lead to an alleviation of the misery of civilians in Gaza.We need Hamas to stop launching rockets that are putting Israeli citizens in harms way, he said.At the same time, the United States is also very concerned about those Palestinian civilians who are in harms way.Thats why weve been urging Israeli political leaders and Palestinian leaders to do everything necessary to try to safeguard the safety and well-being of civilians on both sides of the border.

Britain's Hague steps down as foreign secretary

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LONDON (AFP) - Britains William Hague announced his surprise resignation as foreign secretary on Monday, in a deep shake-up of the Conservative-led government 10 months from a general election.Tonight I am standing down as Foreign Secretary after four years to serve as Leader of the House of Commons, Hague, a former leader of the Conservative Party wrote on Twitter, saying he would stand down as a member of parliament at the May 2015 election.The reshuffle, much wider than expected, ousted roughly a dozen from the cabinet and drew the battle-lines for the next years general election, purging the government of several veterans and reflecting a shift to the right in the Conservative Party.The move is expected to make way for younger politicians and more women, chosen to reflect the priorities of Prime Minister David Camerons re-election campaign as he responds to the ascent of the anti-EU UK Independence Party.Conservative veteran Kenneth Clarke, whose vocal support of Britains membership of the European Union had made him increasingly at odds with many in the party, announced his resignation as minister without portfolio.National broadcaster BBC reported that Hague could be replaced by current Defense Secretary Philip Hammond, who has said he would vote for Britain to leave the EU unless a better membership deal is agreed, in a referendum Cameron has promised for 2017 if he is re-elected.Energy and Climate Change Minister Gregory Barker, a modernising figure associated with Camerons promise to run the greenest government ever when he took office in 2010, also resigned in a reflection of a turn to the right.Barker will also stand down as an MP next year.Other Conservatives to have lost their cabinet jobs were universities minister David Willetts, international development minister Alan Duncan, minister for the Middle East Hugh Robertson, leader of the House of Commons George Young and Northern Ireland Minister Andrew Robathan, according to the prime ministers office.The shake-up was described as a bloodbath on the front page of Britains Daily Mirror, and as a cull of the men in suits by The Independent.Im really worried that this reshuffle will leave the PM short of middle-aged white men in Govt. Im selflessly ready Dave Conservative MP Alistair Burt wrote on Twitter.Cameron said he wanted to pay an enormous tribute to Hague, saying he would remain his de facto political deputy and play a key role in campaigning ahead of the election.Hagues position as leader of the House of Commons, which he will hold until the next election, is a ministerial post which involves organising the governments business in the lower house and working closely with the chief whip.A member of parliament for 26 years, Hagues four years as foreign secretary saw the Arab Spring, civil war in Syria, Russian incursions into Ukraine and Britain grow increasingly cool towards its membership of the European Union.

Football: Maradona says Messi didn't deserve Golden Ball

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BUENOS AIRES (AFP) - Argentine football legend Diego Maradona said compatriot Lionel Messi did not deserve to be named best player of the World Cup, arguing it should have gone to Colombia's James Rodriguez.I'd give Lio the sky, but when it's not deserved and it's just marketers who want to make him win something he didn't win, it's unfair, Maradona said Sunday after Argentina lost the World Cup final to Germany 1-0.Rodriguez was the best player of the World Cup, said Maradona on his TV program De Zurda, which is broadcast by Venezuelan network Telesur and retransmitted in several Latin American countries.The 23-year-old Rodriguez was the revelation of the World Cup and the top scorer with six goals.Messi dazzled in the group stage with four goals, but failed to score in his last four games, including the final.Maradona said Messi himself did not seem to feel he deserved the trophy.It looked like he didn't want to take it, he said.But Maradona praised Argentina and said the match could have gone either way.I'm sad about Mario Goetze's (game-winning) goal, he said. But we can't forget that we took this World Cup step by step. If we had scored (Gonzalo) Higuain's (disallowed) goal we would be partying. Germany were not dominant.Maradona, 53, was Messi's childhood idol and is his rival for the title of greatest-ever Argentine footballer.To many fans, the 27-year-old Barcelona striker still needs to add a World Cup win to his resume to match the greatness of Maradona, who led his team to the title in 1986.

Thousands welcome Argentina home after WCup final defeat

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BUENOS AIRES (AFP) - A crestfallen Lionel Messi kept a low profile as thousands welcomed the Argentina squad home Monday after a World Cup final defeat to Germany.Television networks carried live coverage of the Aerolineas Argentinas plane -- painted in the blue-and-white colors of the flag with the words Thank you Argentina -- as it touched down in Buenos Aires, where about 500 fans braved the cold to meet the flight from Rio de Janeiro.Thousands more fans lined the team's route from the airport, waving flags and swarming the convoy of three buses, which moved at a snail's pace through the crowds.Nationwide, the atmosphere was one of pride as much as disappointment after the team forced Germany into extra time in a hard-fought 1-0 match in Rio de Janeiro's Maracana Stadium.I just want to thank everyone for the welcome, Messi, who spent much of the day with a pained look on his face, told a reception with President Cristina Kirchner at the offices of the Argentine Football Association.I would have liked to have brought home the Cup and enjoyed it with you (the country). We gave everything we had but we just didn't manage it. Kirchner met the team with hugs and tried to get a smile out of them, teasing striker Gonzalo Higuain, forward Ezequiel Pocho Lavezzi and winger Angel Di Maria, among others.She drew laughs when she told Higuain he should go to the doctor for an MRI scan after German keeper Manuel Neuer crashed into him in the second half, an incident the referee controversially waved away.Kirchner tried hard to provoke a blush from Lavezzi and Di Maria, often described as the team's best-looking members.Pocho, come here, they say you're the sex symbol of the team, she told Lavezzi, trying to persuade him to say a few words.Di Maria, come here, the girls are asking for you.But the players were reluctant to take the microphone, and the smiles were fleeting.It's very nice when people recognize what you do. We would have loved to bring home the Cup but we weren't able to, said Lavezzi.As the curtain fell on two-time champion Argentina's campaign to win its first World Cup title since 1986, the bleaker side of national life returned to the foreground.The economy is in a slump and the government risks defaulting on its debt.The issues worrying Argentine society didn't disappear during the World Cup, they just had less relative importance, said sociologist Ricardo Rouvier. Now interest in the World Cup will wane a little each day. People will slowly get off the bandwagon.Signs that the party was over did not take long to appear.Immediately after Sunday's match, tens of thousands of revelers descended on Buenos Aires's iconic Obelisk monument, determined to celebrate despite the bittersweet end of the nation's World Cup campaign.But after several hours of partying, dozens of hardcore fans known as barras bravas clashed with police and went on a destructive looting binge.Police arrested around 120 people over the violence, which left 70 wounded, including 15 officers. One rioter in serious condition with a punctured lung, officials said.Violence also broke out in the cities of La Plata and Mar del Plata, the government said.On Monday afternoon, unrest erupted again in the area around the Obelisk after a planned appearance by the team was canceled and some of the thousands of people who had gathered started throwing bottles and stones.Still, overall, Argentines were proud of their team for making their first World Cup final since 1990.They gave everything for us and they deserve our support, said Matias Ruiz, 17, one of those who welcomed the squad at the airport.

From Brazil to Russia: A look at 2018 World Cup

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MOSCOW (AP) - Brazil just barely managed to get everything ready in time for the World Cup. Russia insists it won't have any such problems in 2018, although the country faces other issues ahead of football's next showcase tournament including the threat of racism and violence.Just like in Brazil, the sheer size of Russia is set to cause logistical challenges for organizers and fans alike for the 2018 World Cup, with thousands of kilometers (miles) separating some of the host cities. But the successful staging of February's Winter Olympics without any major organizational problems has raised Russians' confidence in producing a high-class tournament.After the games, Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko told parliament that Russia would avoid the Brazilian scenario of massive construction delays.Of the 12 stadiums in 11 host cities, two are complete but must be reconfigured to host football games. A third, the Spartak Stadium in Moscow, will open in September. The others, including Moscow's 81,000-capacity Luzhniki where the final will be played, are brand new projects where construction has either started or will begin this year.The Russian government insists it will complete the stadiums on time, although Mutko told local media in March that some aspects of the design process gave cause for disquiet as deadlines were missed.That is normal working concern, organizing committee head Alexei Sorokin told The Associated Press in a recent interview. That does not mean we are lying down calmly and waiting for things to happen. It suggests that we are ... attentive to it.Six stadiums still need to go through a design certification process before construction enters full swing.All of the projects are being developed pretty much at the same speed, with one or two exceptions, architect Peter Lavelle of the Populous firm, which designed the Kazan and Sochi stadiums and is working on the Saransk and Rostov-on-Don arenas, told The Associated Press.But as long as projects remain uncertified, delays are inevitable, warned construction analyst Vitalie Iambla of consultancy firm PMR.We will have also stadiums built . a few weeks or months before the first whistle of the tournament, he said, adding that rising building material costs and the ruble's decline against other currencies over the last year are likely to cause cost overruns.The government's model for the new stadiums is the Kazan Arena, which opened on time last year costing around $400 million and will be a World Cup stadium. The St. Petersburg stadium, however, is a sign of what can go wrong. The 69,000-capacity arena, which will host a 2018 semifinal, is scheduled to open in 2016, far beyond its one-time finishing date of December 2008. During that time, construction has been marred by delays while costs have soared to $1.1 billion, something Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has labeled disgraceful.But a bigger issue may be fan racism, after several incidents in Russian club football in recent years.Monkey chants aimed at Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure by CSKA Moscow fans during a Champions League game in November earned the Russian club the first of two UEFA racism sanctions last season, and highlighted Russian football's problems with discrimination and violence. Last season also saw a swastika flag waved at a Spartak Moscow game and a violent pitch invasion by Zenit St. Petersburg supporters in which an opposition player was punched in the head.Russian football is a making certain efforts towards combatting (racism), Sorokin said. This thing exists everywhere, we are no exception. So we are going to do what we can.Some Russian clubs' fans have shown they are on a different planet in terms of their mindset, said Piara Powar, head of anti-discrimination group FARE, which is monitoring Russia ahead of 2018. We have football fans going on the rampage, looking to attack visible ethnic minorities. So in that sense, I think that the whole shebang is there and it's getting worse.Last year, Russia passed its Fan Law, which introduces stadium bans for troublemakers at sports events. Powar said the law is very stringent but needs to be accompanied by education initiatives.The budget for the World Cup has been set at 660 billion rubles ($19.24 billion), but the question of total costs is thorny. The official figure covers the stadiums and some stadium-related infrastructure, but not other developments such as around $20 billion of rail upgrades linked to the World Cup preparations by the Transport Ministry.Another worry for Russia is the performance of its team, which was knocked out in the group stage in Brazil without winning a game. That poor performance has put coach Fabio Capello's job in question, while renewed focus is being given to developing young players for 2018 and even naturalizing foreign talent, a suggestion that in recent months has been mooted in government.However, one thing is on Russia's side. As host, it will not need to qualify.

Cycling: Nibali back in yellow after winning Tour 10th stage

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LA PLANCHE DES BELLES FILLES (AFP) - Vincenzo Nibali won Monday's Bastille Day 10th stage of the Tour de France to reclaim the leader's yellow jersey as two-time former winner Alberto Contador abandoned the race with a broken leg.Nibali overhauled lone escapee Joaquim Rodriguez in the final kilometre to win the stage by 15sec from Frenchman Thibaut Pinot, with Spaniard Alejandro Valverde third at 20sec.That put Nibali back into the race lead, having relinquished it for a single day to home favourite Tony Gallopin, who came home 4min 46sec down to drop to fifth overall at 3:12.Today I felt good, I had good legs, the team worked hard. I knew the last 3km were the toughest so that's where I accelerated, he said.I thought Purito (Rodriguez) would follow me but he gave up in final metres. I knew it would be a very tough day but I'm very happy.Australian Richie Porte is second overall at 2:23 after finishing seventh on the stage while Valverde is up to third at 2:47.I think I was the only one to respond to Nibali's attack at the end, Porte told ITV4. He has enough time already so you have to react, but I couldn't stay with him.Yet the biggest news of the day came halfway through the stage as the Tour lost its second star performer in under a week.Following the withdrawal of reigning champion Chris Froome last Wednesday after breaking his left wrist and right hand in a succession of crashes over two days, it was Contador's turn to fall badly.Contador headed straight to the medical bus when arrived at the finish line for an X-ray.Alberto has a broken tibia. It's not a bad fracture but he needs surgery, the Spaniard's Tinkoff-Saxo team boss Bjarne Riis told journalists.He's in a lot of pain and is getting stitches. Mentally he's destroyed, of course. He was in the shape of his life. This was his Tour. Nibali said he had been lucky to avoid the Spaniard when he fell.The Italian said for a few seconds he was scared that he would go down too.I was behind him but I avoided it, said NibaliIt was a descent, he had been behind me and I had left two or three metres space in front to be careful.He came past me and I would have followed him because there was a climb coming up but the moment he passed me, I don't know how, but he fell in front of me.It was incredible, he rolled around on the ground. We were going at 60kph.The 31-year-old Spaniard's knee was bleeding profusely and although he continued after receiving lengthy treatment from the race doctor, he lasted only another 15km before climbing off his bike and into a team car as the tears started to flow.Just before that he'd received a consoling hug from Australian Michael Rogers, his chief lieutenant.I sincerely say that it is a shame that Contador is out, added Porte. I hope Alberto is OK. It is going to change the dynamics of the race. It would have been a different finish if Tinkoff-Saxo were there.Once Nibali's Astana team took the race by the reins over the final two first category climbs of a punishing stage that included seven categorised ascents.By then a breakaway led by the indefatigable Tony Martin -- the winner of Sunday's ninth stage after an incredible 150km escape -- had been reduced from 13 to nine riders by the relentless pace set by the German.Martin spent around 120km in front of his young OPQS team leader Michal Kwiatkowski as the entire breakaway group sat behind, letting him do all the work.When he pulled off 20km from the end, Kwiatkowski broke out for home but Rodriguez proved stronger and left the young Pole in his wake.Yet, led by Nibali's faithful lieutenants Jakob Fuglsang and notably Michele Scarponi, who climbed off the tarmac after a crash to catch the peloton and still pace his Italian compatriot up the final climb, the peloton was closing in quickly.With 3km left Nibali launched his attack and no-one could respond.Porte led the chase but he paid for it in the finish as several other riders accelerated past him.

Athletics: Farah faces race to make Commonwealth Games

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LONDON (AFP) - Olympic champion Mo Farah admits he faces a race against time to be fit for this month's Commonwealth Games.Farah, who won gold in the 5,000m and 10,000m events at the London 2012 Olympics, pulled out of last weekend's Glasgow Grand Prix after suffering from abdominal pains.The 31-year-old will now make a decision on contesting the 5,000 metres and 10,000m at the Commonwealth Games back in Glasgow further down the line.It's a good question, I don't know, Farah told the BBC when asked whether he would be ready for Glasgow.Hopefully I should be good, but I kind of missed a bit of training, and obviously I pulled out of the weekend's Grand Prix.So I'm actually just going to get back into full training, and then we'll see.Farah, who won gold in the 5000m and 10,000m at the 2013 World Championships, said team doctors have given him the all-clear to return to training, but admitted he remains unable to confirm his participation at the Glasgow event, with track and field competition starting on July 27.I came back and had some tests done through British Athletics, which went well and now I've got the all-clear to get back into training, and I'll see what I can do, he said.I'm just saying where I am right now.My aim is to compete in both events, but at the same time I'm getting back into training, I'm having this bit of training, but you know, we'll make a decision further down the line.Farah is scheduled to race over two miles on the roads of central London at the Anniversary Games on Sunday, but that participation would now appear to be in doubt given his comments.

Oil prices tick higher

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NEW YORK (AFP) - Global oil prices rose Monday as turmoil in Libya clouded expectations of a return of the country's crude supplies to the market.US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for August finished the session at $100.91 a barrel, a slight gain of eight cents from Friday's close.Brent North Sea for delivery in August rose 32 cents to settle at $106.98 a barrel in London trade.Commerzbank analysts, in a research note, highlighted renewed protests in Libya and the closure of the oil terminal at Brega.According to the state-owned National Oil Corporation, there is a risk of oil production being shut down at an oilfield if the port blockade continues for any length of time, Commerzbank said.Libya suspended all flights to and from its third city Misrata Monday, a day after deadly clashes closed the country's main international airport in Tripoli and damaged several planes.Libya's interim Prime Minister Abdullah Al-Thani declared earlier this month that authorities had regained control of two export terminals -- Ras Lanuf and Al-Sidra -- blockaded by rebels demanding autonomy in the country's eastern region.Crude futures had fallen heavily last week, stoked by the prospect of a revival in Libyan supplies.Tim Evans of Citi Futures pointed Monday to price supports from renewed tensions in Ukraine, where the government says one of its military aircraft was likely shot down from Russia, and the ongoing lack of a political and military challenge to the Sunni insurgency in Iraq.Investors were also looking out for a slew of economic indicators due to be released this week, starting with inflation data from Europe and US retail sales on Tuesday.China, the world's second biggest economy and the largest consumer of energy, will release gross domestic product and industrial production figures on Wednesday.The focus may turn to demand side of things as we have important data coming up, especially from China where the second-quarter GDP estimate and the latest industrial production number could help provide some clues about consumption, said Forex.com analyst Fawad Razaqzada.All eyes will be on Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen as she testifies to Congress Tuesday and Wednesday on the US economy and monetary policy.Yellen's remarks and corporate earnings reports in the United States will be monitored for hints on the health of the world's biggest economy and top oil-consuming nation.

Dollar avoids big moves ahead of Yellen testimony

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NEW YORK (AFP) - The dollar Monday avoided large moves against other major currencies ahead of jam-packed Tuesday that includes testimony by the head of the US central bank and other closely-watched events.The dollar notched modest increases against the British pound and the yen, while retreating a bit against the euro.US Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen Tuesday kicks off two days of testimony before congressional committees that are expected to focus in part on the Feds time-frame for raising benchmark interest rates.The calendar also includes a Bank of Japan meeting, public testimony from the head of the Bank of England, a US retail sales report for June and earnings from some major US companies, including JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs.Given that calendar and the plethora of major event risk on the horizon, investors avoided big bets Monday before the newswires heat up, said John Kicklighter, chief currency strategist at DailyFX.Dollar watchers were particularly keen to hear from Yellen.Yellen could face questions from lawmakers on the challenges on the risks of keeping interest rates near zero for too long, said Nawaz Ali, an analyst at Western Union Business Solutions.Comments by Yellen about future rate rises which turn out to be either more hawkish or more dovish than what markets are expecting could have a big impact on currency markets, Ali said.Kathy Lien, analyst at BK Asset Management, said the effect of Yellens testimony on the dollar will turn on how she addresses improving economic data.Traders should look to buy dollars if Yellen acknowledges the recent improvements in the economy and says that rates could rise early next year, Lien said.However if she goes out of her way to distinguish the difference between the end of tapering and the beginning of tightening and refuses to specify when rates will rise, the dollar should decline.

Kerrigan vows to be better after Ashes hammering

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LONDON (AFP) - Simon Kerrigan has insisted England will have a better bowler on their hands than the one who suffered a nightmare debut against Australia last year should he be selected for Thursdays second Test with India at Lords.The Lancashire left-arm spinner was called into a 14-man England squad following the drawn first Test of a five-match series at Nottinghams Trent Bridge ground on Sunday.Kerrigan, 25, made his Test debut during the drawn final Test of Englands 3-0 home Ashes series win at The Oval last year.However, his eight wicketless overs in Australias first innings cost an expensive 53 runs and England captain Alastair Cook did not risk him in the second innings.Kerrigan has not played for England since but is confident he wont suffer similar stage fright if called upon to face India, whose batsmen are renowned for the generally expert way they play spin bowling.Over the winter I learned more about my action and about the mental side of the game, he told reporters after the first day of Lancashires County Championship clash with Nottinghamshire at Liverpool on Sunday.As a professional cricketer youre always learning. I learned from last years Test that the sun will come up the day after that and that its not the end of the world.What happened is in your thoughts a little bit, but I know my job is to bowl spin and I bowl it every day so its no different.I have to learn from every experience I get and keep progressing.I keep striving for perfection and keep working towards my goal, which is to get into the England side and to bowl well for England.Kerrigan, who worked under England coach Peter Moores when the latter was in charge of Lancashire, was bowling in the nets at Trent Bridge.The week with England has definitely helped, he said. I know a lot of the lads from previous trips and familiar faces help.Hopefully I get a chance to show off my skills, what I do in county cricket, on the big stage.Following the retirement of Graeme Swann, England have entrusted spin-bowling duties so far this home season against Sri Lanka and India to part-time off-break bowler Moeen Ali -- primarily a batsman.As well as being a specialist spinner, Kerrigan offers England another option in that as a left-arm finger-spinner his stock delivery turns away, rather than towards, a right-handed batsman.Theres not been a frontline spinner picked in the Tests so far, so youd be lying a little bit if you said you werent looking at that as a goal, said Kerrigan.If you do well against Indian batsmen you can do well against anyone, really.

National teams training camp to start from 18 July for Sri Lanka tour

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – Pakistan Cricket team training camp for Sri Lanka tour will start from July 18 at Gadafi Stadium Lahore.Some players have already started their training under the supervision of coach Waqar Younis.These players include Umar Akmal, Wahab Riaz, Ahmad Shahzad and Abdul Rehman.Kamran Akmal, Adnan Akmal, Muhammad Irfan and Taufeeq Umar are also training very hard although they failed to be the the part of team.Head coach Waqar Younis are playing his part to help players in the informal training camp while actual camp will start from 18th of july.Pakistan will play 2 Tests and 3 One Day Internationals against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka.

US anti-dumping duties on Chinese products wrong: WTO

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GENEVA (AFP) - Beijing won a key victory Monday in a trade dispute with Washington, as a WTO panel said the United States was wrong to slap punitive duties on a host of Chinese goods.The battle covered an array of products including paper, steel, tyres, magnets, chemicals, kitchen fittings, flooring and wind turbines.The United States had hit them with extra import duties because it argued that they were being dumped on its market to help Chinese companies grab business.China filed a complaint over the measures at the World Trade Organization in 2012.A World Trade Organization dispute settlement panel on Monday said that the US duties were inconsistent with global rules.They have nullified or impaired benefits accruing to China, said the panel, which is made up of independent trade and legal experts. We recommend that the United States bring its measures into conformity with its obligations, it added.In a statement issued by its diplomats at the WTO, Chinas ministry of commerce hailed the decision, noting that the annual export value of the affected products was around $7.2 billion.China urges the United States to respect the WTO rulings and correct its wrong doings of abusively using trade remedy measures, and to ensure an environment of fair competition for the Chinese enterprises, it said.The WTO polices global trade accords in an effort to provide its 160 member economies with a level playing field.Members have the right to impose extra duties when goods are being dumped on them or sold at below market prices to corner a share of business unfairly.But hand in hand with that right, they are obliged to prove that their domestic producers are suffering as a result of dumping, and that the duties are not simply being deployed to protect them against foreign competitors.Wrangling over dumping is common at the WTO, whose panels can authorise retaliatory trade measures against a guilty party that fails to fall into line.The WTO disputes settlement process can last for years, amid appeals, counter-appeals and compliance assessments.Washington has the right to appeal against the ruling, which was the first in the case.
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