Thursday 16 October 2014

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Tennis: Murray, Ferrer start Vienna campaigns with wins

Posted:

VIENNA (AFP) - Andy Murray and David Ferrer stayed in the race for the year-end ATP finals as both of the leading seeds won their opening matches at the Austrian Open on Thursday.Tournament number one Ferrer, who cannot increase his points unless he reaches the Sunday final at the Stadthalle, opened in the second round after a bye with a 7-5, 6-1 defeat of Tobias Kamke.Second seed Murray, a debutant in the Austrian capital, defeated Canadian Vasek Pospisil 6-4, 6-4.Ferrer stands provisional ninth in the points race to the World Tour Finals next month in London; Murray is trailing on tenth.With eighth-placed Canadian Milos Raonic losing his opening match in Moscow due to illness, the sprint to the finish over the season is only tightening for the three remaining spots in the eight-man field.Ferrer is not one to worry about that just now though - he faces a more immediate task when he plays a Friday quarter-final against Croatian serving machine Ivo Karlovic.Even if Milos lost, it doesnt help my chances, said the 32-year-old. Murray is behind me, but not by much. If I lose tomorrow, Im in exactly the same position as Milos.I now can only focus on my next match, a very difficult one.Ferrer is playing Vienna for the first time in a decade and earned his first victory form three matches here.Its been a long time, in 2003 here I lost the first of many matches against Roger Federer - and I still have not won one against him.Ferrer needed just under 90 minutes to see off the 93rd-ranked Kamke.The Spaniard fought through a first set lasting 54 minutes before breaking in the final game to earn the set with a backhand winner to the corner.Ferrer took a grip on the match in the second set, racing away to victory on his second match point.Murray struggled with his game in the opening set against Pospisil, who has not been past a second round since August.The second seed who took a wild card to Vienna, missed several chances in the opening set before finally earning a break for 5-4 and closing out the set a game later.I didnt start very well, he was serving well, said Murray. I had to work hard to get into the match.I need to improve in the next round, he said prior to facing German Jan-Lennard Struff, who beat Sergiy Stakhovsky 7-6 (8/6), 2-6, 7-6 (7/1) with 12 aces.Sometimes a player you dont know can go out on court with nothing to fear. They can play very aggressive.Murray went up a break early in the second after winning a tight first. He broke for 3-1 but lost it at 3-3 before finally closing it out wit a break in the penultimate game of the frustrated Canadians who has not been past a second round since August.Two other seeds exited as Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci staged a fightback to dismiss third seed Feliciano Lopez 7-6 (9/11), 6-1, 6-4.The Spaniard arrived in Europe from Shanghai, where he reached the semi-finals at the weekend, losing to eventual French finalist Gilles Simon.Serb Viktor Troicki continued to rebuild his ranking after serving a disciplinary ban which ended in July, reaching the quarter-finals with a defeat of Czech fifth seed Lukas Rosol 6-3, 6-2.Troicki will be playing his first quarter since May, 2013, in Dusseldorf.

Tennis: Top seeds Raonic and Cibulkova fall in Moscow

Posted:

MOSCOW (AFP) - Top seeds Milos Raonic and Dominika Cibulkova both crashed out of the Kremlin Cup ATP and WTA tournament following second-round defeats in Moscow on Thursday.Canadas Raonic and Slovak Cibulkova both went down in three sets to qualifiers Ricardas Berankis and Vitalia Diatchenko respectively.Lithuanian Berankis, 24, ousted world number nine Raonic 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 in one hour 52 minutes to level his record with the Canadian big server at 1-1.Raonic, who enjoyed an opening-round bye, looked slightly rusty from the outset, while Berankis, 116th in the world, broke twice for a one-set lead after 34 minutes.In the second set, Raonic picked up steam also breaking his rivals serve twice to level at one set all after one hour 16 minutes on court.But in the deciding set Raonic lost his nerve again allowing Berankis to produce the decisive break to advance into the final eight.For me the most difficult thing was coming here not in the shape I wanted to be, Raonic said. I was sick for 10 days...and was only able to prepare in the last couple of days. Theres not really that much of a heartbreak, Raonic, who still has a chance to make it into the season-ending ATP World Tour Finals in London, added about his early exit in Moscow.In the womens event, 2011 champion Cibulkova joined the exodus of seeds falling to Moscow resident Diatchenko, who advanced into the last eight with a 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 victory in their first ever meeting.The opponents traded breaks throughout the opening set but this years Australian Open runner-up Cibulkova proved more accurate, earning a 1-0 advantage.In the second set, Cibulkova, ranked 14th, suddenly produced a catalogue of unforced errors allowing unheralded Diatchenko to break three times to level at one set all.Diatchenko, who is 140th in the world, broke twice early in the third set for a commanding 4-0 lead and kept it through to face her sixth seeded compatriot Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who beat American Alison Riske 6-2, 6-2.She played aggressively, Cibulkova said after the match. I held it in the first set and in the second I had my chances but she risked some balls and things started to turn on her side. I made a few mistakes and she stayed aggressive throughout the match and just put me under pressure.

Tennis: Russian veteran Davydenko retires

Posted:

MOSCOW (AFP) - Former world number three Nikolay Davydenko of Russia on Thursday announced his decision to retire.Speaking at a press conference during the Kremlin Cup, a joint ATP and WTA event, in Moscow, Davudenko said: Im 33 years old. Unfortunately, for some years now, I have been struggling with injuries. Its hard for me to talk about it. I have been thinking when to announce it.The time has come. I have my whole life to live and I officially announce my retirement from professional tennis.Ukraine-born Davydenko had won only six ATP Tour-level matches this season.But he had enjoyed better days during a successful career in which he won 21 ATP tournaments, including three Masters Series events. He was a member of Russias Davis Cup-winning squad in 2006 and triumphed at the ATP World Tour Finals in 2009.He also played at three Olympic Games: in 2004, 2008 and 2012.

Football: Messi hails '10 incredible years' at Barca

Posted:

BARCELONA (AFP) - Argentine superstar Lionel Messi on Thursday hailed an incredible decade with Barcelona as he celebrated the 10th anniversary of his competitive debut for the Catalan giants.I want to say thanks to all my family, friends, teammates and FC Barcelona staff for their support in these 10 incredible years, Messi wrote on his Facebook account.Ive always enjoyed being on the pitch, wearing these colours, living amazing moments and Im constantly trying to improve and win more titles with my team. A hug for everyoneMessi made his debut aged 17 years on October 16, 2004 during a Catalan Liga derby against city rivals Espanyol, which Barcelona won 1-0.Since then he has gone on to win four Ballons dOr titles in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012, three Champions League titles in 2006, 2009 and 2011 and been involved in six Spanish title wins.In addition, he has become the top all-time scorer in the clubs history.On Saturday, when Barcelona host promoted Eibar, the Argentine could also equal or overtake the all-time record of striker Telmo Zarra, the top scorer in La Liga with 251 goals.Messi, 27, has 249 goals in the Spanish league.If he fails this weekend he has another golden opportunity the following weekend in the Clasico against eternal rivals Real Madrid.

Formula One: Alonso leaving Ferrari, says outgoing president

Posted:

MILAN (AFP) - Spaniard Fernando Alonso is leaving Ferrari because he cant wait much longer if he wants to win another world title, outgoing Ferarri chief Luca de Montezemolo confirmed on Thursday.Former two-time world champion Alonso was widely rumoured to be leaving the Italian giants at the end of the current season, two years before his contract ends.De Montezemolo, who recently quit his post as president of the company, confirmed to Italian television Rai that the Spaniard was leaving for two reasons.Hes leaving for two reasons. One is he want to test himself in another environment, and two because hes at an age where he cant wait much longer if he wants to triumph again.Alonso was said to have lost faith in Ferraris inability to produce a winning car. With three races of the championship remaining, he sits third in the drivers championship standings.It hurt him that he didnt win this year and he needs fresh motivation, added De Montezelomo.Alonsos contract with Ferrari was set to expire at the end of 2016, meaning he would leave two years short of its expiry.While speculation over the Spaniards future destination continues, four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull is rumoured to be heading to Ferrari.Vettel announced last week he was quitting Red Bull.

PTI all set to show muscle in Sargodha today

Posted:

SARGODHA (Online) - Taking the bull by the horns in its defector’s bastion, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is all geared up to amp up the political heat through a massive showing in Sargodha today (Friday).The PTI will hold a mass political rally at a stadium in Sargodha even after tragedy of stampede occurred in Multan Stadium.However, the administration is more careful for Friday show after Multan tragedy which left seven people dead and 40 others injured.Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf on Thursday demolished the wall and ticket collection booth of Sargodha stadium for holding its public rally.The reason for bringing down the wall and ticket collection booth of the stadium was said to be the small size of the gate through which the container for building the stage could not be brought inside the venue.The above action caused a severe damage to 32 sq ft area of Sargodha stadium.Sargodha Administration explained that the local leadership of PTI has assured to rebuild the demolished ticket collection booth and wall of the stadium after its rally.It is not out of place to note that seven people had been killed and dozens others injured in PTI’s previous public rally in Multan following a stampede.The PTI’s stage in Sargodha will be almost 40 feet high. The PTI activists are exerting their maximum to fill the stadium beyond its capacity. Imran Khan and other leaders would address to the gathering.

US oil ends higher after falling below $80

Posted:

NEW YORK (AFP) - Oil prices in New York rebounded Thursday after briefly slipping below $80 a barrel, as a mixed US crude inventory report spurred a rally.US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) oil for November delivery advanced 92 cents to $82.70 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.WTI had slipped to $79.78 a barrel during the session, in the first drop below $80 since June 2012.European benchmark Brent oil for November delivery gained 69 cents to $84.47, bouncing back from $82.60 earlier in the session, the lowest level since November 2010.Thursdays gains snapped a three-day slide for the US contract that had been driven by swelling oil production, worries over weak demand and signals from Saudi Arabia and other OPEC members that they do not plan to cut output in response to lower oil prices.Some traders bought crude after concluding the market was oversold, said Bob Yawger, director of the futures division at Mizuho Securities. Yawger said the catalyst was a US Department of Energy inventory report that showed a 4.0 million barrel drop in gasoline inventories, much more than the 1.4 million barrel decline projected by analysts, according to a Dow Jones Newswires survey.The report also showed a build of 8.9 million barrels in crude stocks, more than the 2.2 million projected. Gasoline demand was up too, and that means... that people are confident enough in the economy, Yawger said. The price of WTI rose as high as $84.83 before retreating. The overall price swing throughout the day was more than $5 -- a much bigger range than normal and a reflection of greater market volatility.

Dollar gains on better US economic data

Posted:

NEW YORK (AFP) - The dollar rallied against the euro and the yen Thursday, after newly-released data suggested the US economy remains comparatively strong.The Department of Labor reported that initial US jobless claims for the week ending October 11 fell to 264,000, the lowest level since 2000.Then the Federal Reserve said US industrial production rose a robust 1.0 percent in September, recovering from an unexpected drop in August.The two reports helped counteract disappointing data earlier in the week, including a poor September retail sales report that pushed the dollar lower Wednesday. The move Wednesday came as traders perceived a higher chance the Federal Reserve would wait longer before raising benchmark interest rates.Any delay in expected monetary normalization by the Fed will indeed hurt the dollar, said Omer Esiner, chief market analyst at Commonwealth Foreign Exchange.However, the dollar is likely to remain underpinned by the view that Americas economy remains the cleanest shirt in the hamper.

Doolan hits hundred as Clarke fails in warm-up

Posted:

SHARJAH (AFP) - One-drop batsman Alex Doolan hit a fighting hundred, but skipper Michael Clarke failed in Australias four-day warm-up game against Pakistan A in Sharjah on Thursday.Doolans 104 anchored Australias 273-8 at close on the second day at Sharjah stadium but the top-order, including Clarke, did not get their much-needed practice.Pakistan A had declared their first innings at the overnight score of 305-8 with skipper Asad Shafiq remaining not out on 108.Clarke, who is recovering from a hamstring injury sustained on the tour of Zimbabwe in August, looked well set during his 31-ball stay of 10 runs before being caught at point off paceman Ehsan Adil.Openers Chris Rogers (nought) and Phil Hughes (14) also didnt last long enough for Australias liking ahead of the first of two Tests starting in Dubai from October 22.But Doolan, in the company of Steven Smith (58), man-of-the-series in Australias 3-0 rout of Pakistan in the preceding one-day series, added 106 for the fourth wicket before both retired to give other batsmen some practice.Doolans 194-ball innings had 12 boundaries and three sixes as he looked set to keep the Test place he won earlier this year on the South Africa tour.Smith hit nine boundaries during his 123-ball stay.All-rounder Mitchell Marsh, back after last months hamstring injury, failed with a three-ball duck.At close, Brad Haddin (38) and Steve OKeefe (four) were the unbeaten batsmen, with Australia still trailing by 32 runs.Doolan defended Clarkes innings.I just think its a game of cricket and sometimes you get out early. I am sure Michael would have liked to have batted a bit longer but its the way it goes sometimes, said Doolan of his skipper.My goal going in was to spend a bit of time out in the middle, take the score out of the equation and just bat. I was really pleased to spend a long period of time out in the sun and getting used to the conditions.The second Test starts in Abu Dhabi from October 30.Brief scores:Pakistan A 305-8 dec (Asad Shafiq 108 not out; S. OKeefe 3-76).Australia 273-8 (A. Doolan 104, S. Smith 58).

Iran opposes extending troubled nuclear talks

Posted:

VIENNA (AFP) - Iran said Thursday it is against extending a November 24 deadline for troubled nuclear talks, even though major stumbling blocks remain in the way of a deal.We only have 40 days left to the deadline and... none of the negotiators find (an) extension of talks appropriate, Mohammad Javad Zarif said in Vienna, a day after six hours of intense talks with US Secretary of State John Kerry.We share this view... and we think there is no need to even think about it, Zarif said in the Austrian capital, quoted by the state televisions website.The comments echoed a senior US State Department official late Wednesday after the talks between Kerry, Zarif and EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton in a Vienna hotel room.Deadlines help people to make hard decisions, and there are hard decisions to be made here. And we must, the official said on condition of anonymity.Kerry left Vienna on Thursday morning -- after problems with his aircraft -- but Zarif remained for talks with political directors from the US, Russia, Britain, China, France and Germany chaired by Ashton.The deal being sought, after more than a decade of rising tensions, is meant to ease concerns that Iran might be able to develop nuclear weapons under the guise of its civilian programme.To do this, the P51 powers want Iran to scale down dramatically the scope of its atomic activities, offering in return relief from painful sanctions, but Iran is resisting this.Iran denies seeking to build the atomic bomb and says it wants to expand its nuclear programme in order to generate electricity and treat cancer patients.Diplomatic efforts to find a resolution to the Iranian nuclear issue are now in a critical phase, Ashtons spokesman Michael Mann said late on Thursday.We are trying hard to make progress and remain fully engaged to achieve a comprehensive solution by the November 24 deadline.In months of discussions since an interim agreement struck last November took effect in January, some progress has been made.This includes possible changes in the design of an unfinished reactor at Arak so that it produces less weapons-grade plutonium, enhanced UN inspections, and alterations to the fortified Fordo facility.The main bone of contention remains Irans enrichment capacity, a process rendering uranium suitable for power generation but also, at high purities, for a nuclear weapon.Other thorny areas include the pace of sanctions relief, the timeframe that an accord would cover, and a stymied UN probe into past suspect military dimensions of Irans activities.Everyone has been working incredibly hard.... These are incredibly complex negotiations, the detail is extraordinary, the senior US official said.Until everything is agreed, nothing is agreed, and you can get 98 percent of the way, and the last two percent may kill the entire deal.Zarif told online news site al-Monitor that the gaps were narrowing, but we still have a long way to go.It is reconcilable, provided everyone makes the tough decisions, he said.Many analysts have begun to believe that the November deadline might be extended, as happened with an earlier target date of July 20, maybe locking in measures related to Arak and Fordo.Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday that the November deadline was not sacred, in the strongest suggestion yet from one of the P51 powers.Zarif himself said Wednesday more time might be needed and President Hassan Rouhani said Monday that if the parties are not able to solve all the problems, the two camps will find a solution.Echoing Lavrov, Russias lead negotiator Sergei Ryabkov, who held Thursday bilateral talks with the Iranians, said that the result is more important than the date.But quoted by RIA Novosti, he added that with a further extension, the risk of total failure also increases.Zarif and the Iranian delegation left Vienna on Thursday afternoon although the six powers remained for talks among themselves.Zarif said he would see Kerry again in three or four weeks -- leaving very little time until November 24 -- following expert-level negotiations next week.

Two bombs wound 11 in Egypt

Posted:

CAIRO (AFP) - Two bombs exploded near a mosque Thursday in Egypts Nile delta city of Tanta, wounding at least 11 people, the health ministry said, cited by the official MENA news agency.Initial reports said eight people had been wounded by the bombs, which were placed at the rear end of the mosque at a time when residents in the area were taking part in a ceremony.A third bomb was found and defused by police in the vicinity of the mosque in Tanta, located about 100 kilometres (60 miles) north of Cairo, the reports said.The target was unclear, but militants have killed scores of policemen in similar bombings and shootings since the military overthrew Islamist president Mohamed Morsi last year.The bombings came two days after a similar blast in central Cairo wounded 12 people.

Bilawal visits Bagh-e-Jinnah, reviews arrangements

Posted:

KARACHI (Dunya News) - Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto visited Bagh-e-Jinnah and reviewed the arrangements for October 18 public rally.Bilawal, accompanied by party leaders, inspected the venue and was briefed on security arrangements.Strict security arrangements have been put in the place for the rally with a state of the art control room stationed at the venue. The control room will be used to track all the cameras placed at the rally. The use of drone cameras has also been prohibited during the rally.Preparations for PPP rally scheduled for October 18 in Bagh-e-Jinnah near the mausoleum of Quaid-e-Azam have begun. More than three thousand members of PPP will perform duties to ensure security during the rally.

No power can stop from making 'new Pakistan': Imran Khan

Posted:

ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan on Thursday said that even Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) Karachi rally will witness “go Nawaz go”. He said no one can defeat him until he doesn’t accept the defeat, Dunya News reported.Imran Khan alleged that the politics for Zardari means making money but for PTI it means serving people.Addressing the ‘Azadi March’ participants, Khan said while telling youngsters the secret of his success that they should never accept defeat.He said nothing is impossible and that the internal fear has to be curbed before one can achieve big things.Criticizing former president Asif Ali Zardari, Khan said that politics means money for Zardari whereas it is ‘serving people’ for PTI.PTI chief said that he had decided prior to the ‘Azadi March’ that he will not leave without Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s resignation.He said God has given the people a ‘golden opportunity’ to change the fate, adding that no power can stop them from creating ‘new Pakistan’.Khan admitted that politics is difficult than building a hospital because of the ‘gigantic political crocodiles’.

Unofficial result: Aamir Dogar beats Javed Hashmi in NA 149 by-poll

Posted:

MULTAN (Dunya News) – The independent candidate from Multan constituency NA 149 Aamir Dogar with backing of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Thursday defeated former PTI president Javed Hashmi in a supposedly decisive and historic power battle, Dunya News reported.As per the unofficial and inconclusive results, Dogar locked in his win by over 11,000 vote difference.As per the unofficial and inconclusive results, Aamir Dogar led the race with 52,321 votes while Javed Hashmi was in the second place with 38,393 votes.Aamir Dogar’s workers jointly with PTI workers celebrated the victory by dancing, aerial firing, lighting fireworks and distributing sweets.The polling began at 8am Thursday and continued until 5pm without any breaks. There were 286 polling stations established in the constituency. 90 of those were designated as sensitive and 16 as extremely sensitive.It merits mentioning here that PTI’s Javed Hashmi had secured this seat in 2013’s general elections. However, after stepping down from his seat along with other PTI members, differences occurred between PTI and Javed Hashmi.

Support for NATO membership grows in Ukraine: poll

Posted:

KIEV (AFP) - The number of Ukrainians in favour of joining the NATO alliance has risen sharply during Kievs drawn-out conflict with pro-Russian rebels in the east of the country, a poll showed Thursday.Becoming a NATO member would be the best way for Ukraine to ensure security, said 44 percent of respondents to the poll by the Foundation for Democratic Initiatives and Kievs International Sociology Institute.The figure showed a rise from 34 percent in a similar poll in May this year and 13 percent in another poll in 2012 by the same two institutions.The rise began this year. Its the reaction of Ukrainians to Russias military aggression, said sociologist Maria Zolkina from the foundation.Twenty two percent of those questioned wanted to keep an independent status while 15 percent wanted closer ties with Russia and the former Soviet states.The poll was carried out in mid-September on 2,035 people from across Ukraine apart from Crimea and the eastern Lugansk region, due to intense fighting.The pollsters approximated the results for Lugansk by increasing the quota for eastern Donetsk.The east of Ukraine is Russian speaking and generally more pro-Russia.Kiev blames Moscow for stirring a bloody pro-Russian insurgency in the Lugansk and Donetsk regions, where 3,600 have people died since April, according to the United Nations.In 2010, former president Viktor Yanukovych opted for a non-aligned policy.The new pro-Western leadership has vowed to put the country back on track to join the alliance - a sore point with Moscow which accuses Washington of meddling in its sphere of influence.
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)