Wednesday 22 October 2014

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Suspect arrested after climbing White House fence

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - A suspect who climbed over the White House fence Wednesday was nabbed by Secret Service agents and dogs, a spokesman for the elite agency said.At approximately 7:16 pm (1116 GMT), an individual climbed the north fence line of the White House, the spokesman said. The individual was immediately taken into custody on the north lawn of the White House by Secret Service Uniformed Division K-9 teams and Uniformed Division Officers.Video on local media appeared to show a man being intercepted by officers before he had a chance to reach the White House.The subject is being transported to a local hospital for evaluation, the Secret Service spokesman added.On September 19, another man, Omar Gonzalez, jumped the White House fence and allegedly sprinted across the lawn and entered the building with a knife in his pocket.Gonzalez has been indicted on two counts of assaulting, resisting, or impeding US Secret Service agents.In jail since his arrest, Gonzalez is an Iraq veteran reportedly suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. He is accused of entering the main door of the White House after sprinting across the presidential mansions lawn. The president and his family had left the White House only a short time before. This and other security lapses sparked withering criticism of the Secret Service and led to the resignation of the head of the elite presidential protection agency.

Peugeot: sales edge ahead in long haul out of crisis

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Paris (AFP) - Peugeot Citroen said Wednesday strong quarterly sales in China and by its car-parts subsidiary has kept its drive away from crisis on track, despite an overall lacklustre performance.Europes second-largest carmaker is pinning much of its recovery strategy on a tie-up agreed this year with Chinese group Dongfeng and on another Chinese venture.Peugeots third-quarter sales in China, the biggest auto market in the world, leapt by 44.4 percent. Its market share widened by 0.7 percentage points to 4.4 percent.The biggest underlying factor behind the groups global revenue was growth in its auto-parts subsidiary Faurecia.Total group sales in terms of vehicle volume rose by 5.4 percent, but sales in some markets plunged.Group turnover edged up just 1.6 percent to 12.29 billion euros ($15.6 billion), but that still beat the consensus of 12.05 billion according to Societe Generale analysts.Shares in the PSA Peugeot Citroen group ended the day with a gain of 1.09 percent to 9.47 euros after a rollercoaster day that saw them initially rise 2.5 percent and then slip into loss twice.Chief executive Carlos Tavares said the recovery plan was beginning to produce results but that the road back to a full recovery is still long.The group held to its main targets under his turnaround plan called Back in the Race, designed to revive its fortunes after two years of severe financial difficulties.Sales by Peugeot Citroen in the European market, slowly recovering after five years of downturn, rose 7.0 percent.According to data by the European Automobile Manufacturers Association released last week, however, Peugeot Citroen is trailing the overall 6.1 percent gain in nine-month European sales with an increase of 4.8 percent.PSA, ranking second in Europe after the giant German VW group, is trying to accelerate expansion into emerging markets in a bid to diversify beyond the bleak European car market.PSA said that it expected the European market to grow this year by 4.0-5.0 percent, and the Chinese market by about 10.0 percent.But in the region which PSA group describes as Eurasia, sales plunged by 62.4 percent against the backdrop of the crisis in Ukraine and sanctions against Russia.Sales in South America fell by 38.2 percent owing to difficult economic conditions in Argentina and Brazil, while in the Middle East and Africa, they fell by 11.3 percent.The group said that on these markets it would it was working to rationalise its fixed costs and to adjust the range of vehicles on offer with the aim of breaking even in financial terms in 2017.The figures from Faurecia showed the importance of this parts division. Its sales grew by 6.5 percent to 4.36 billion euros.France is home to two major car-part makers in global terms. The other big French auto parts maker Valeo reported a 10.0-percent jump in quarterly sales and its shares rose 1.09 percent to 85.97 euros.Meanwhile sales by the PSA auto-making division fell by 0.8 percent to 7.97 billion euros, although this was better than the consensus forecast of 7.85 billion.In Latin America, it expected the market to shrink by about 10.0 percent and in Russia by about 15.0 percent.

'We don't want revenge', says Steenkamp's mother

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London (AFP) - The mother of Oscar Pistoriuss girlfriend said Wednesday she did not want revenge, a day after the disgraced South African athlete began serving a five-year jail term for shooting her daughter dead.June Steenkamp told British broadcaster ITV that she was settled with Pistoriuss sentence for killing Reeva Steenkamp, even though it could mean he is out of prison and under house arrest after 10 months.Looking pale and holding her husband Barrys hand, she added: We dont want revenge, we want a fair punishment under the circumstances on his disabilities.We wouldnt have wanted him to go to jail and be abused and I feel that he will realise that he cant go around doing that, he cant kill someone like that.Pistorius, the first double amputee Paralympian to compete against able-bodied athletes at the 2012 London Olympics, was ordered Tuesday to serve a maximum five years in prison for culpable homicide, or manslaughter after a seven-month trial.Pistorius, 27, had testified that he shot the 29-year-old model four times through a locked bathroom door at his Pretoria home after he mistakenly believed she was an intruder.Prosecutors had argued that he murdered her in a fit of rage after an argument in the early hours of Valentines Day last year.June Steenkamp reacted angrily in September when he was acquitted of the murder charge.We were shocked. Shocked. Disappointed, she told ITV News then. You know your heart drops because you just want the truth, she said.There is still something missing, her husband, Barry Steenkamp, said at the time. I think there was more to the whole story, you know, coming up to the actual shooting, the killing.- Great empty space -But in the interview aired on Wednesday, June Steenkamp said the family had accepted the judges decision, despite indicating that some members were not entirely happy.Were very settled with the sentence, she added.He has go to pay for what he has done and it is not that we want vengeance or anything, or for him to suffer with his disabilities.We may not feel that justice has been done, but we have just got to accept what the judge decided.If there is an appeal, well, there is an appeal. There is nothing we can change about that but it will be difficult to go on even further, again.Steenkamp said: We will see her again one day when we are in the same place but still there is a great, great empty space for us and it is very hard.Barry Steenkamp also said the family had to go along with what Judge Thokozile Masipa had decided.Only Oscar knows whether that sentence is acceptable to him, he said.Ive got my feelings to the whole thing. But we do accept what the judge handed down.If there is more to this whole unfortunate saga, it is only Oscar Pistorius that knows and he is the one that will have to live with it for the rest of his life, he said.Oscar has lost everything. We have lost our daughter.

Two Baghdad car bombs kill 28

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BAGHDAD (AFP) - Car bombs near a maternity hospital and a service station in Baghdad killed at least 28 people Wednesday, the latest in a spate of blasts to hit the city, police and medics said.One blast struck across the street from the hospital in the frequently targeted Shiite neighbourhood of Sadr City, killing at least 10, a police colonel said. Another 29 were wounded.Residents said a man parked an explosives-laden car in front of a pharmacy. After going inside, he came out saying he had not found what he needed and was going to walk up the street to another pharmacy.The second explosion occurred near a petrol station in Karrada, a central district of Baghdad that has also been repeatedly targeted.The explosion ripped through a busy street only a few blocks away from the national theatre, killing at least 18 people and wounding 37, the police source said.An interior ministry official and a hospital source confirmed the casualty figures.Bomb attacks, including suicide car bombs, have intensified in Baghdad in recent days.The Islamic State group, which controls parts of the country, has claimed responsibility for some of them, raising fears of a bloodbath during the upcoming Ashura religious Shiite ritual.

Violence kills at least 11 in Libya's Benghazi

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BENGHAZI (AFP) - Violence, including a suicide attack at a security checkpoint, killed at least 11 people Wednesday in the flashpoint Libyan city of Benghazi, officials said.The latest bloodshed brings to 110 the death toll in Benghazi since former general Khalifa Haftar launched on an assault last week supported by the army against Islamist fighters who seized the eastern city in July.The Benghazi Medical Centre said it received seven bodies Wednesday, while a hospital source said four more were transported to other hospitals in the region.In the morning, a suicide attacker set off his bomb-laden car at a checkpoint manned by pro-government forces in the Dariana region, about 40 kilometres (25 miles) east of Benghazi, killing one person and wounding four.Meanwhile, witnesses said a column of tanks and armoured vehicles from army units based in Al-Baida, 200 kilometres east of Benghazi, had entered the city Wednesday night.And air forces loyal to Haftar carried out attacks on militias, including a roadblock at the western entrance to the city set up by Islamist group Ansar Al-Sharia and a weapons depot.

Ebola death toll edging to 4,900 mark: WHO

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GENEVA (AFP) - The death toll in the worlds worst-ever Ebola outbreak has edged closer to 4,900, while almost 10,000 people have now been infected, new figures from the World Health Organization showed Wednesday.In its latest update, the UN health agency said as of October 19, 4,877 people had died of Ebola out of a total of 9,936 cases registered in seven countries.The previous WHO toll, running to October 14, had shown 4,555 deaths out of 9,216 registered cases.The WHO has repeatedly underlined that substantial increases in the number of registered deaths and cases do not mean that they have surged over the period in question.Instead, they reflect delayed counting, given the extremely difficult conditions in the hard-hit west African nations.Following are the latest WHO figures in the affected countries.The WHO splits the seven affected countries into two groups, with the first comprised of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone -- by far the worst hit nations.Liberia is the worst of all, with 4,665 cases of Ebola and 2,705 deaths.Sierra Leones tally is 3,706 cases, of which 1,259 have been fatal.Guinea, where the epidemic began in December, has seen 1,540 cases and 904 deaths.The second group counts countries with far fewer cases, including Senegal and Nigeria, which were declared Ebola-free by the WHO on Friday and Monday, respectively.That declaration could be made because the benchmark of 42 days -- two 21-day periods of virus incubation -- had passed without any new cases.Both Senegal and Nigeria have been praised by the WHO for their rapid fightback against Ebola.Senegals single, non-fatal Ebola case was in August.Nigeria saw 20 cases, including eight deaths.The second group now also includes Spain, where a nurse was confirmed to have caught the disease from a patient she cared for, a missionary who died from Ebola after returning from Liberia.After receiving treatment, the nurse has twice tested negative for Ebola, with the most recent result on Tuesday, the WHO noted.Spain will therefore be declared Ebola-free if there are no new cases over the next 42 days, it added.The second group also counts the United States, where two nurses have fallen ill after caring for a Liberian man, Thomas Eric Duncan, who died on October 8 after becoming the first Ebola case diagnosed in the US.Health workers paid a heavy price for their efforts to fight the epidemic, with 244 deaths out of 443 cases across the countries. Liberia: 222 infected, 103 deadSierra Leone: 129 infected, 95 deadGuinea: 78 infected, 41 deadNigeria: 11 infected, five deadUnited States: two infectedSpain: one infectedIn the Democratic Republic of Congo, hit by a separate strain of Ebola from the one raging in west Africa, the WHO said there have been 66 cases and 49 deaths up to October 20.Eight healthcare workers were infected and died in that outbreak.It was long thought the west African outbreak was killing about one in two people infected, but the WHO says the fatality rate is actually around 70 percent based on the highest quality data and tracking patients throughout the course of the disease. There are five known distinct species of Ebola and the outbreak raging in west Africa stems from the Zaire species -- the deadliest of the lot.That species caused the worlds first known Ebola outbreak in 1976 in Zaire, now known as the Democratic Republic of Congo, which until now was the deadliest on record, with 280 deaths.The disease takes its name from the River Ebola in DR Congo.

Dollar advances as US inflation creeps up

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NEW YORK (AFP) - The dollar gained against other major currencies Wednesday after a slight but unexpected rise in US inflation, while the market continued to speculate about eurozone monetary policy.US consumer prices rose slightly in September, with the consumer price index (CPI) up 0.1 percent, the Labor Department said.Analysts had expected prices to remain unchanged from August, when they fell 0.2 percent for the first time in a year and a half.Excluding food and energy, prices still rose 0.1 percent in September.The rise in US consumer prices is probably what drew the most attention in the market today, supporting a little the dollar against the euro and the yen, said Vassili Serebriakov of BNP Paribas in New York.Year-over-year, the CPI remained steady at 1.7 percent in September, well below the Federal Reserves 2.0 percent inflation goal for price stability.The headline surprisingly rose, and some of the components edged higher but overall, inflation remains in control and the core measure remains below the Feds two percent watch, said Jennifer Lee, senior economist at BMO Economics.Rumors that the European Central Bank could step up its monetary stimulus, including by buying corporate bonds, continued to percolate. A member of the ECBs decision-making governing council, Belgium National Bank chief Luc Coene, said on Wednesday that several of his colleagues had mentioned the idea of buying corporate bonds but that it had yet to be seriously discussed.Investors remain hooked on declarations or rumors swirling around the central banks, noted Franklin Pichard, director of Barclays Bourse in Paris.Possible action of the ECB would have what it takes to restore a semblance of optimism in an uncertain world, he added.

Football: Podolski the hero as late goals rescue Arsenal

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BRUSSELS (AFP) - Late goals by Kieran Gibbs and Lukas Podolski handed Arsenal a dramatic 2-1 win away to Anderlecht in their Champions League clash in Brussels on Wednesday evening.An Andy Najar header in the 71st minute looked set to give the Belgian champions a rare European victory at the Constant Vanden Stock Stadium until Gibbs volleyed in a Calum Chambers cross with a minute left.Substitute Podolski then struck a minute into injury time to seal all three points, to the great relief of Gunners manager Arsene Wenger on his 65th birthday.After a run of just two wins in nine games in all competitions, it looked set to be another evening to forget for Wenger, but the Frenchman can breathe a sigh of relief thanks to a result that leaves the Premier League club in a strong position in Group D.The turning point was not to concede a second goal, admitted Wenger, whose side were almost caught out as they went in search of the equaliser in the dying stages.They had big chances that they didnt take, and our experience made the difference. Unexpectedly, but as long as we didnt concede the second goal we had a chance at least to take a pont.Maybe we didnt deserve to win it because of the quality of match Anderlecht played tonight.Arsenal sit three points behind leaders Borussia Dortmund, who were convincing 4-0 winners away to Galatasaray in the nights other game, but are five clear of the sides below them and well on course for a place in the last 16 with the reverse fixture with Anderlecht to come next.Besnik Hasis side, in contrast, were left deflated after suffering a sixth consecutive home defeat in the group stage, falling moments short of a first victory over English opposition since beating Manchester United 2-1 at the same venue almost exactly 14 years ago.The visitors had been forced to hand a Champions League debut to 22-year-old Argentinian goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez with regular custodian Wojciech Szczesny suspended following his sending-off in the win against Galatasaray three weeks ago and would-be replacement David Ospina out injured.However, Martinez had nothing to do in the first half, as Anderlechts limitations were exposed -- they defended doggedly and competed well, but failed to produce a single shot on target.Nevertheless, Arsenal were similarly lacking in inspiration, despite the lively running of Danny Welbeck and a few crafty Jack Wilshere passes.Things improved for Wengers men within five minutes of the restart though as Santi Cazorlas free-kick found Alexis Sanchez unmarked in the area. However, with his back to goal, the Chileans header was blocked by goalkeeper Silvio Proto.Cazorla was then denied by Proto after cutting into the box from the left with 63 minutes played, and that was to prove a costly miss by the Spaniard as Najar put the hosts ahead eight minutes later.The Honduran winger exchanged passes with Dennis Praet before continuing his run into the box and heading the right-wing cross that followed low into the right-hand corner of Martinezs net.It could have got embarrassing after that for Arsenal, with Anthony Vanden Borre hitting the bar and Matias Suarez being denied by his compatriot Martinez moments after coming off the bench.Martinez also proved his worth with a stop to deny Steven Defour before, from nowhere, Arsenal levelled in the 89th minute.A Chambers cross from wide on the right travelled all the way to the back post, where left-back Gibbs connected first-time on the volley to leave Anderlecht keeper Silvio Proto helpless.The momentum had now swung their way, and Arsenal silenced the home support when Sanchezs low ball into the danger area was turned home by Podolski, much to the relief of the visiting fans.

Football: Olympiakos stun Juventus in Champions League

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PIRAEUS (AFP) - Swiss midfielder Pajtim Kasami scored in the first half to lead Olympiakos to a 1-0 Group A Champions League victory over Juventus on Wednesday.Olympiakos held off fierce pressure by Juventus in the second half to clinch their fifth straight Champions League home win.Victory sees them joint top of Group A along with last seasons finalists Atletico Madrid -- whom Olympiakos beat in the opening game -- on six points.Juventus are three points adrift level on points with Malmo. It was a fantastic night and I thank the players for their excellent performance. We are truly a team and we are close to celebrating our qualification, Olympiakos Spanish coach Michel said.Kasamis goal came in the 36th minute after constant pressure from the home team which saw them deservedly record their second victory in the group.I feel great for the win and we worked hard for the three points. This gives us confidence for the remaining matches in the group, Kasami said.Argentine midfielder Alejandro Dominguez set up the goal for a charging Kasami whose left-footed shot beat Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon.Dominguez sparked Olympiakos in the first half with his speed and accurate passes and nearly scored in the seventh minute with a free kick that was tipped away at the last moment by Buffon and 20 minutes later with a shot that just missed the target.Juventus had the best opportunity to score in the first half at the 12th minute when after a corner by Andrea Pirlo, striker Carlos Tevez tapped the ball towards the Olympiakos goalkeepr from up close only for defender Omar Elabdellaoui clear the ball from the goal line.Seven minutes later Tevez headed the ball into the Olympiakos net after a corner by Pirlo and confusion from the home teams defence, but the Argentine player was ruled offside.In the second half Juventus applied more pressure and had three golden opportunities to score in the 65th, 75th and 80th minutes but Olympiakos goalkeeper Roberto kept them out.The Spanish goalie stopped one-on-one attempts first by countryman Alvaro Morata and then by Tevez.Then in the 80th minute a shot by Morata was again saved by Roberto with the ball smacking the right post and going out of play.Kasimi had an opportunity to add to his first half tally when in the 60th minute his left footed shot from up close just missed the right post after another fantastic pass from Dominguez.

Tennis: Federer, Nadal race through in Basel

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BASEL (AFP) - Top seeds Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal raced through their Swiss Indoors assignments on Wednesday, spending under an hour each on court and dropping just five games between them.Federer, chasing a sixth title on his home court, defeated Luxembourgs Gilles Muller 6-2, 6-1 in the first round, pounding down a ninth ace for three match points and converting on the first to wrap up a flawless performance in 46 minutes.The Swiss now stands 52-9 at the stadium where he got his start in the game as a ballboy two decades ago. He has played the last eight Basel finals and appeared in the title match on 10 of 15 occasions.Second seed Nadal shrugged off his impending date with appendix surgery by routing outclassed Pierre-Hugues Herbert of France 6-1, 6-1 to reach the quarter-finals.Federer was glad to have saved his energy as he heads into what could be a blockbuster end of season comprising next weeks Paris Masters, the World Tour Finals, a Davis Cup final against France and a shot at taking back the number one ranking from Novak Djokovic.I didnt feel like it would go fast, I thought it would be tough, said Federer of his lightning victory. I didnt have an early read on his serve, had a few tough service games, and put myself under some pressure.But I took my opportunity at 3-2. Once I was in the lead I got a sense of how to serve and how aggressive I needed to play.I took control from the baseline. Once I got the break in the second set, I knew it would be hard for him. It was a great first round for me.It was great not to have wasted any energy. I have a lot of tennis to play in the next few weeks. I felt the first match (in his title victory at Shanghai) for several days in my body.Now I can relax and and attack again tomorrow (against Uzbek Denis Istomin).Second seed Nadal, who last played the Basel event in 2004 and returned with a 0-2 record to the St Jakobshalle, needed just 56 minutes to beat French qualifier Herbert.The Spaniard, who has ended a course of antibiotics for his appendix problem, took full advantage of 11 double-faults off the Frenchmans serve in what was a frustrating afternoon for the 120th-ranked challenger.I feel better, but a little bit tired, Nadal said. Ive had a few (summer) months without playing much tennis (wrist injury). And taking the antibiotics makes the body go down.But Im happy to be in the tournament and happy to be in the quarter-finals.I never would have thought to win so quickly and get this far. Its fantastic to do this well on my most difficult surface, without a lot of practise and with all the pressure that came in the first round.The world number three called his win a positive result for me.Its important for me to do well here.Nadal next plays either 17-year-old Croatian Borna Coric or Andrey Golubev of Kazakhstan.Coric, tipped for a bright future, upset Latvian sixth seed Ernests Gulbis 7-6 (7/2), 6-3 while Golubev advanced over Russian Teimuraz Gabashvili 6-3, 6-3.Nadals victory was straightforward as he totally dominated Herbert, breaking the Frenchman five times and saving the only break points he faced in the final game of the win.The nine-time French Open champion looked healthy and fit despite taking antibiotics for two weeks.The 28-year-old will need to have surgery, with doctors unsure of how many more weeks he can go on avoiding the operation.Belgian seventh seed David Goffin joined Nadal in the last eight as he beat Croatian Ivan Dodig 7-6 (7/0), 6-4.

Football: Ronaldo leads masterclass as Real rout Liverpool

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LIVERPOOL (AFP) - Cristiano Ronaldo inspired a Real Madrid masterclass and closed in on the Champions League goalscoring record as the holders thrashed Liverpool 3-0 at Anfield on Wednesday.Ronaldo maintained his majestic start to the season with a dazzling display capped by the predatory opening goal that took him to within one of Champions League record goalscorer Rauls total of 71.The Portugal forward has now scored 20 times in all competitions this season and, with Liverpool reeling from his brilliant blast, France striker Karim Benzema then struck twice to kill off the Group B clash before half-time.Reals victory leaves the 10-time European champions top of Group B with maximum points from their three fixtures, while Liverpool head to the Bernabeu for the rematch on November 4 knowing their hopes of progressing to the last 16 are hanging by a slender thread after successive defeats.It was special, my first goal at Anfield and I am very happy, said Ronaldo.We knew that Anfield is a difficult place but we were fantastic in the first 45 minutes and we deserved to win.He added: Im not worried about the Champions League goalscoring record. I know I will beat it. Me and Lionel Messi are very close. The best thing is that the team has nine points.Carlo Ancelottis Real had won their last seven matches in all competitions, scoring 32 goals in the process, while Liverpool have spluttered for much of the season as they adapt to life without Luis Suarez.Yet initially it seemed Rodgers side might be capable of putting Real on the back foot as the hosts made a turbo-charged start.Raheem Sterlings pace troubled Real early on and Steven Gerrard forced Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas into a fine save with a powerful low drive from 30 yards.Liverpool were trying to knock their star-studded opponents out of their smooth-passing rhythm with a robust, high-tempo game-plan and Real midfielder James Rodriguez needed treatment after being cut above his eye -- yet that would prove the only damage inflicted on the Spaniards.Ronaldo had never scored at Anfield in his five appearances for Manchester United, but he needed only 23 minutes to break that barren run.Seizing possession in a central area 25 yards from goal, Ronaldo moved the ball onto Rodriguez before sprinting into the penalty area to meet the Colombians chipped pass, which dropped perfectly over three Liverpool defenders, with a sublime finish as he held off Martin Skrtel to flick his shot past Simon Mignolet.All the life seemed to drain out of Liverpool once Ronaldos strike nestled in the far corner and, fatally hamstrung by a nervous and error-prone defence, the Reds were exposed again in the 30th minute when a half-cleared corner landed at Ronaldos feet.He immediately fed Toni Kroos and the Germany midfielders lofted cross to the far post was met by the unmarked Benzema, who skillfully guided a looping header over Mignolet into the net.Shell-shocked Liverpool crumbled again in even more feeble fashion four minutes before half-time when a corner bypassed Mignolet and a host of defenders, allowing Pepe to stab the ball towards Benzema, who gleefully tapped into the empty net from close-range.It was all too easy for Real and they briefly took their foot off the gas before the break when Philippe Coutinho hit a post with a fierce long-range effort.Liverpool had conceded three goals in the first half of a Champions League game for the first time since the 2005 final against Ancelottis AC Milan.But there would be no repeat of that epic comeback in Istanbul.To make matters worse, another ineffectual performance from Mario Balotelli came to a suitably shambolic end when he was hauled off at half-time after swapping shirts with Pepe in the tunnel in a move that will hardly quell the feeling the Liverpool striker is developing into a major flop.With the match effectively over and Real content to go through the motions in the second half, the only remaining intrigue focused on Ronaldos chase to equal Rauls record.He will have to wait for that landmark after seeing a close-range effort well saved by Mignolet, but the damage had already been done long before he departed with 15 minutes left.

Olympics: Kosovo move step closer to Olympic dream

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LAUSANNE (AFP) - Kosovo took a significant step towards being able to compete in an Olympic Games when the Executive Board (EB) of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Wednesday granted provisional recognition to its Olympic Committee.They also proposed the NOC be granted full recognition at the next IOC Session to be held in December in Monaco which if passed would allow them to try and qualify for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.The decision was taken by the Executive Board in the interests of the athletes in Kosovo and to remove any uncertainty they may have, read the IOC statement.It will allow them to take part in qualifications for the Olympic Games in Rio 2016 and in future editions of the Games.The NOC of Kosovo was established in 1992 and has more than 30 affiliated National Federations (NFs), 13 of which are Olympic sports federations.The EB noted that the NOC of Kosovo has met the requirements for recognition as outlined in the Olympic Charter, read the statement.These include the sport and technical requirements as well as the definition of country as defined in Rule 30.1 - an independent State recognised by the international community. Kosovo is recognised as a country by 108 of the 193 UN Member States.Kosovo -- which has a population of 1.74 million and is predominantly ethnic Albanian -- is a former Serbian province which unilaterally proclaimed independence in 2008.Serbia has never recognised their independence.The Serbs and ethnic Albanian guerillas engaged in a war from 1998-99, but a NATO bombing campaign forced Serbian troops to leave Kosovo and lose control over the territory.

Mounting US supplies sink oil prices

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NEW YORK (AFP) - World oil prices sank further on Wednesday as US stockpiles surged again, with the New York price falling nearly $2 a barrel to its lowest level in 16 months.In London trade Brent North Sea crude for December delivery lost $1.51 to $84.71 per barrel.US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for December delivery sank $1.97 to $80.52 a barrel, the lowest level since June 2012.Oil prices rolled over again thanks to a stronger dollar and oil inventories much higher than expected, said analyst Jasper Lawler.WTI... could now be headed back down to $80.The US Department of Energy (DoE) reported Wednesday that American oil inventories surged by 7.1 million barrels in the week to October 17, more than double market expectations. Although this was somewhat smaller than the previous weeks 8.9 million-barrel build, it was still much larger than... expected, said Forex.com analyst Fawad Razaqzada.US stocks of distillates, including heating fuel, rose by one million barrels, confounding forecasts for a drop of 1.5 million barrels.Reserves of gasoline meanwhile dipped 1.3 million barrels, broadly in line with expectations.Crude futures had risen in earlier deals on Wednesday as traders eyed recent upbeat Chinese data on industrial production. However, oversupply and lingering concerns about demand in key markets are keeping prices close to recent lows.

Total names new bosses as Russia probes CEO plane crash

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PARIS (AFP) - French oil giant Total on Wednesday named new bosses to lead one of the worlds biggest energy companies after its chief executive was killed in Moscow when his private jet hit a snowplough as it was taking off.The boardroom shakeup came as the snowplough driver said he had lost his bearings and strayed on to the runway, and reports emerged that a novice air traffic controller was in charge of directing the doomed plane.In Paris, Total executives decided at an emergency meeting to bring back Thierry Desmarest -- who was both chairman and chief executive at Total from 1995 to 2007 -- as chairman of the group after Christophe de Margeries death in Monday nights accident.Desmarest, who had once prepared De Margerie for the top job, now appears to have been asked to do the same for newly named chief executive Philippe Pouyanne, who currently heads the refining and chemicals division.He will stay on until the end of 2015 when Pouyanne is expected to be ready to assume the chairmans job as well, ensuring a smooth transition after the death of 63-year-old De Margerie, known by the affectionate nickname Big Moustache.Total shares gained 0.37 percent to close at 44.59 euros, recovering from a low point hit before the new appointments were made.In Moscow, French investigators joined a local team to probe the accident, which Russian experts said was caused by criminal negligence on the part of senior airport officials.Three crew members were killed along with De Margerie.Investigators began analysing the jets black boxes, which record the flight history and conversations in the cockpit.Questions rose over the safety of the Vnukovo airport used often by VIPs, as airport sources said a novice was in charge of directing the plane at the time of the crash.It is a young woman who was hired in August, one source told AFP on condition of anonymity, confirming several Russian media reports. RIA Novosti state news agency quoted an air traffic controller however as saying that such newcomers would always be supervised by a more experienced colleague.Snowplough driver Vladimir Martynenko, accused by investigators of having been drunk on the job, told investigators in footage aired on Russian television he had got lost.When I lost my bearings, I myself didnt notice when I drove onto the runway, the 60-year-old said.The plane was running up to takeoff and I practically couldnt see it because my equipment was on. There werent even any lights, nothing.Investigators had said the driver was drunk, but Martynenko spoke clearly and looked calm in the footage, apparently shot on a cellphone.His lawyer told state television that Martynenko does not drink because of a heart condition but could have consumed a remedy that contained a few drops of alcohol.The driver has been detained for 48 hours.Members of De Margeries bereaved family are heading to Moscow to bring home his body to be buried in Normandy in northern France.However there were no details about when his body would be repatriated.De Margerie had been chief executive of Total since 2007 and spent his entire 40-year career at the group which employs 100,000 people and posted revenues of 189.5 billion euros ($240 billion) in 2013.A descendant of a family of diplomats and business leaders, De Margerie was the grandson of Pierre Taittinger, founder of the eponymous champagne and the luxury goods dynasty.Married with three children and highly regarded within the oil industry, he was known for his jolly nature.Not one to shy from controversy, De Margerie was an outspoken critic of Western sanctions against Russia over the Ukraine crisis.Even as relations between the West and Russia deteriorated to the worst since the Cold War, the French oil boss had criticised the sanctions, calling them a dead-end and urging constructive dialogue instead.Russian President Vladimir Putin described De Margerie as a true friend of our country, whom we will remember with the greatest warmth.De Margeries commitment to business with Russia was highlighted by local media.Now Moscow has lost an important informal channel of communications with the political and business elite of Europe, business daily Vedomosti said.Kommersant quoted a source close to Total saying: In recent times, Christophe de Margerie was practically the only one left in Total who called for developing business in Russia.

Pakistan extends work on Ajmal's action

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KARACHI (AFP) - Pakistan cricket authorities said Wednesday that banned spinner Saeed Ajmal would receive a further two weeks of work on his illegal bowling action before being sent to England for assessment. Ajmal, 37, was suspended in September and has been receiving the help of former Pakistan spinner Saqlain Mushtaq to correct his action.The Pakistan Cricket Board said he has shown significant improvement.The PCB has decided to extend Saeed Ajmals remedial work under Saqlain by another 15 days, the PCB said. After further remedial work in the next fortnight, Ajmal shall be sent over to an high-quality lab in England for testing to ascertain the exact degree of improvement in the ace off-spinners action, the body added. PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan earlier this month told AFP Ajmals elbow flex has now been reduced to 20 degrees after it was measured at 43 in a Brisbane lab in August.Under International Cricket Council (ICC) rules bowlers are permitted to straighten their bowling arm up to 15 degrees, which has been established as the point at which any straightening will become visible to the naked eye.Ajmal will only be allowed to return to action after an assessment finds the action within the allowed limits.Saqlain earlier this month said he wanted Ajmal to return before next years World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.The ICC has been cracking down on bowlers with suspect actions, suspending five since July.New Zealands Kane Williamson, Sri Lankas Sachitra Senanayake, Zimbabwes Propser Utseya and Bangladeshs Sohag Gazi have been punished.Bangladeshs paceman Al-Amin Hossain was reported last month and is in danger of also being suspended.
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