Thursday 31 December 2015

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Tennis: Nadal confident of being 'very competitive' in 2016

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ABU DHABI (AFP) - Rafael Nadal is confident he will be very competitive in 2016 after a difficult 2015 during which the world number five struggled with his early form.The Spaniard made a strong push at the end of last season to finish inside the top-five but his results in 2015 were the worst he has recorded in more than a decade as he admitted he was struggling with confidence.But the 29-year-old revealed he had a strong off season where he practised hard in Mallorca and is ready to step on the court at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship exhibition event in Abu Dhabi on Friday before heading to Doha for his official season-opener.The off season has been great. In Mallorca we had unbelievable weather and we were able to practise as much as we wanted, he told reporters in the UAE capital on Thursday.I had the chance to enjoy it. Im happy for everything. I feel that I worked well enough, I finished the 2015 season with good feelings and I just keep practising with these positive feelings. Im excited to start another new season. I feel myself well and I hope to be ready for whats coming.I dont know if Ill start well from the beginning but I feel ready. Then the results you never know whats going on. But I feel that Im doing the right things, Im playing well and I hope to start with good feelings. Im going to be passionate. Im confident that Im going to be very competitive.Having already successfully launched numerous comebacks throughout a career that has been marred with injury, Nadal is not viewing his current situation in similar light. Not a big comeback, I am number five in the world actually, he said of what he expected of himself in 2016. It seems like Im number 50 or something like this. I didnt have the best season possible last year. But without having the best season possible, to be able to finish number five is actually not bad news. Im happy the way I finished the season. I dont expect an amazing comeback, I expect an improvement of my level of tennis and my level of competition and if I made that happen I hope to be competing for the good things.World number one Novak Djokovic will also commence his season in Doha next week and the Serb, whose tremendous 2015 saw him win three more Grand Slams and put together one of the most impressive 11 months of tennis in history, will be looking to pick up where he left off.Asked if he expects another dominant display from Djokovic, Nadal said: What Novak has been doing the last couple of years is just amazing and we have to congratulate him for that.If he is able to maintain that kind of level then only thing that you can say is applaud him. Thats it. The rest of the players, we work hard and I hope to be competitive enough to compete against everybody this year, including Novak, and well see if I can make that happen.

Tennis: Targeting third Grand Slam win off Wawrinka's radar

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ABU DHABI (AFP) - Stan Wawrinka has won more Grand Slams than Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal combined over the past two seasons but the Swiss world number four insists that adding to his Major tally is a goal that is too far away.Wawrinka, who handed Novak Djokovic his only Grand Slam defeat in 2015 by stunning the world number one in the French Open final, will kick off his season in Abu Dhabi at the six-player exhibition Mubadala World Tennis Championship on Friday, but said winning a third career Major was not on his list of goals for 2016.Its been only two years and a half, three years that Im back in the top 10, that Im in the top five. Yes I know I won two Grand Slams in two years but its still something incredible for me, something not normal, so its tough for me to put a goal to win a Grand Slam again, Wawrinka, 30, told reporters in Abu Dhabi on Thursday.I know how difficult it is, I know the challenge is big. Thats why its not my goal. Its too far away to put that as a goal. My goal is to give me the chance to be at my top in Grand Slams and then I know I can beat the top guys. But for that you need to do all the right things during the year.Wawrinka spent his off season training in Geneva, where he says he worked hard on his body and his tennis, and will officially inaugurate his ATP season in Chennai next week, where he targets a fourth title there.He remains Swiss number two, behind his third-ranked compatriot Federer, who at 34 is still in peak shape, having made two Grand Slam finals in 2015.Asked if he sees himself competing at the top level of the sport well into his 30s like Federer, Wawrinka said: Hopefully yes, hopefully I can play for many more years. But again, Im going to try to play as much as I can thats for sure. Where Ill be in a few years, which ranking, what level? I really dont know. I will always push myself to be at my top and well see where it will be.On whether hell be teaming up with Federer at the Rio 2016 Olympics in doubles - they won gold together in Beijing 2008 - Wawrinka added: We dont know yet. We havent decided. We have to talk about the beginning of the year and see what were going to do.

Tennis: Gael Monfils withdraws from Hopman Cup

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SYDNEY (AFP) - Frenchman Gael Monfils has pulled out of the Hopman Cup in Western Australia with a leg injury.Monfils, the World No.24, will be replaced by fellow Frenchman Kenny de Schepper in the tournament from January 3-9 ahead of the first Grand Slam of the year, the Australian Open in Melbourne.I was really looking forward to travelling to Perth for the first time and teaming up with Caroline Garcia, 29-year-old Monfils said in a statement about the mixed team tournament, according to the Australian Associated Press.World number one Serena Williams, the Australian Open defending champion, and world number two Andy Murray, the Open mens runner-up, start their 2016 seasons at the Hopman Cup.

Football: Van Gaal thanks Man Utd fans for support

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MANCHESTER (AFP) - Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal said on Thursday that the backing of the clubs supporters was a vital element in his attempts to improve his sides spiralling form.Van Gaal was thought to be close to losing his job in the run-up to Christmas as United were eliminated from the Champions League and slipped out of the Premier League top four.A poor performance in a 2-0 defeat at Stoke City on Boxing Day did little to help his cause, but his side played much better in a 0-0 draw at home to Chelsea on Monday.However, that result extended Uniteds run without victory to eight games in all competitions and they have now dropped to sixth place in the table, nine points behind leaders Arsenal.Van Gaal is aware that results have to improve along with performances, starting on Saturday, when his side are at home to Swansea City.I am doing my work, Van Gaal told his pre-match press conference at Uniteds Carrington training base. You have to do what you have to do.There are members of staff saying: Boss, can I help you more? I say: You help me by doing the things you have to as well as possible, and then I am satisfied. I also expect that from my players.This is not the first club, though it may be the last club, where I have had a bad period. I have had bad periods at all my clubs and I have to say the best fans are at Manchester United.In such a difficult period, they still applaud the performances of the players and that is fantastic.But still we need to win because at the end of the season, we want to be at the top of the league and not in the middle.We have to get points otherwise the gap will be too big and that is why we have to do what we have to do.Asked if he felt the pressure on him had been lifted by the performance against Chelsea, Van Gaal replied: I dont know because pressure can be what you experience by yourself, but also what the players feel.And the players are the most important factor because they have to perform on the pitch.But the way we played under that pressure against Chelsea, in the style we want to play -- yes, that was fantastic.Van Gaal has lost all three of his matches against Swansea since taking charge at Old Trafford in July 2014, including a 2-1 defeat at the Liberty Stadium in late August.He rejects the idea that the Swans are a bogey team, but has been working to find out what went wrong in the previous three meetings.You come up with a game plan to beat your opponent and then you have to convince your players, said the Dutchman. Then you have to train. Then you can be committed and try to perform it.I have lost three times against Swansea, and so you have to evaluate why you lost. It is always like that, then you continue with the same vicious circle of working.There is no magic. It is about looking at what has happened and what can improve, as a team but also as an individual player.

Boxing: Japan's Uchiyama fends off challenge to WBA title

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TOKYO (AFP) - Undefeated champion Takashi Uchiyama of Japan on Thursday successfully defended his World Boxing Association super featherweight title for the 11th time, beating Nicaraguan Oliver Flores with a technical knockout.Uchiyama (24-0-1, 20 knockouts) went into the New Years Eve bout clearly at ease against his challenger, 24.Victory for the veteran Japanese titleholder, 36, came quickly -- one minute and 47 seconds into the third round -- when a single left body blow put the Nicaraguan fighter flat on the canvas.It was a technical knockout as Flores (27-2-2, 17 knockouts) was declared no longer capable of continuing to fight before the end of the count. I am in very good condition, Uchiyama said after the bout. I tried to take it easy in the first few rounds.The headline bout was part of a WBA doubleheader at Ota Ward General Gymnasium in Tokyo.

Yachting: Australia's Balance wins overall Sydney-Hobart honours

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SYDNEY (AFP) - Australian 52-footer Balance was Thursday crowned the overall winner of the Sydney to Hobart race, after overcoming the roughest conditions in years which forced dozens of yachts to retire.Balance was awarded the Tattersalls Cup -- handicap honours for the vessel that performs best according to size -- after main rival and one of the smallest competing boats, local 33-footer Quikpoint Azzurro, missed a pre-dawn arrival deadline.American 100-footer supermaxi Comanche was first over the finish line -- completing the 628-nautical-mile course in two days, eight hours, 58 minutes and 30 seconds to be the first victorious US entry since 1998.Finishing second and third in the line honours was Ragamuffin 100 and another American entrant, Rambler.Quikpoint Azzurro finished up in third place overall with a time of four days, 18 hours, 37 minutes and 59 seconds, behind French 35-footer Courrier Leon, which reached Hobart after four days, five hours, 28 minutes and 53 seconds.Balance -- which won the race in 2008 under the name Quest -- had finished seventh in line honours with a time of three days, three hours, 50 minutes and 45 seconds.Owner-skipper Paul Clitheroe, 60, said it was an absolute honour to win the blue water classic with his 10-year-old yacht, which has now taken out handicap honours in two out of five Sydney to Hobart attempts.I thought the little boat had beaten us, until the Derwent River decided otherwise, the financial guru said.Some 108 yachts had left Sydney on Saturday, battling strong winds and punishing conditions as they headed towards Hobarts Constitution Dock on the island state of Tasmania, with more than 30 boats unable to complete the race.Owner-skipper of second-placed Courrier Leon, Gery Trentesaux, said he had bought a whole new sail wardrobe, including a heavy maxi spinnaker, as he knew the race conditions would be tough.We did this because I broke all the sails with the Beneteau 45 in the 2008 race, he said.I also told the builder we had to do this race.They asked what it would take to psych me up to race. I said, the Rolex Sydney Hobart, so here we are, with Michel Quintin, who used to own Lady Courrier.Quikpoint Azzurros owner Shane Kearns told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation the lack of wind in the pond-like Derwent River in the final stretch of the race was frustrating.We really wanted to come first. But there was just no wind, said Kearns, who had bought the boat on his credit card for Aus$23,000 (US$16,800).And then the cruellest cut of all at the end there, we lost second by a couple of minutes.So sailing can be a fun and cruel sport all in one go.The most prominent retirements were last years champion Wild Oats XI, an eight-time line honours winner, and supermaxi Perpetual Loyal.Comanche was also damaged during the race, hitting an unidentified submerged object which broke one of her twin rudders and a daggerboard.

German police warn NYE 'terror attack' planned in Munich

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BERLIN (AFP) - German police said Thursday that they had indications that a terror attack was being planned by Islamists for New Years Eve in the southern city of Munich.Current indications show that a terror attack is being planned in Munich. Please avoid gatherings of people and the Munich and Pasing train stations, police said in a tweet.Both stations have been evacuated, they said, and train services were no longer running at the two sites. The attackers have an Islamist background, police added.A police spokeswoman also told AFP that they had reliable information that the group was planning to act as festivities were well under way on New Years Eve.Although the train stations have been evacuated, the spokeswoman said it could not be ruled out that the attackers could seek another target.Police said on Facebook they were taking the threat very seriously and that a large deployment of officers were working to track down the suspects.European capitals are on high security alert, with Brussels and Paris both scrapping fireworks for New Years celebrations.Belgian police were also holding five people over an alleged New Year plot in Brussels.In Berlin, police presence has been stepped up at the Brandenburg Gate, where hundreds of thousands of people have gathered for festivities. All large bags and backpacks have been banned from the site of the huge street party.Days after the November 13 attacks in Paris claimed by the Islamic State group that left 130 dead, German police called off an international football match at the last minute due to a bomb threat.No explosives were subsequently found, and no arrests made after the Germany-Netherlands friendly in Hanover -- which was to be attended by Chancellor Angela Merkel -- was cancelled and thousands of fans evacuated.

More than 55,000 killed in Syria in 2015: monitor

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BEIRUT (AFP) - More than 55,000 people were killed in Syria in 2015, the countrys fifth year of war, including over 2,500 children, a monitor said Thursday.The total number of dead since the beginning of the conflict had reached more than 260,000, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, though the number of those killed in 2015 was lower than the 76,021 people who died in 2014.In 2015 alone, the monitor documented the deaths of 55,219 people, including 13,249 civilians. Among them were 2,574 children, it said.As in previous years the dead were mostly combatants, including 7,798 rebels and more than 16,000 jihadists from the Islamic State group, Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra Front and associated organisations.The group also documented the deaths of 17,686 regime forces, among them over 8,800 army troops, more than 7,000 Syrian pro-regime militiamen, and 378 members of Lebanons Hezbollah movement.A total of 1,214 foreign fighters from other countries, including Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan, died fighting for the regime, the Observatory said.The group said it had recorded the deaths of an additional 274 people whose identities could not be established.Since the war began in March 2011, the Observatory has documented the deaths of 260,758 people, including more than 76,000 civilians.Over 45,000 rebels and more than 95,000 regime forces have been killed.Another 40,121 jihadists have also been killed in fighting and air strikes including by a US-led coalition and Russian warplanes.Syrias conflict began with peaceful anti-government protests but descended into a brutal civil war after a regime crackdown on dissent.

Erdogan says Turkey killed 3,100 PKK rebels in 2015

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ISTANBUL (AFP) - Turkish security forces killed 3,100 Kurdish militants in 2015, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Thursday, vowing no let-up in a relentless offensive to oust rebels from towns and mountains in the southeast.His remarks, which were part of a televised New Years address, come as alarm grows over the humanitarian impact of curfews in the southeast to back up the latest military campaign against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) that began earlier this month. In 2015, 3,100 terrorists were neutralised in operations at home and abroad, he said referring to the military operations on PKK strongholds in southeastern Turkey and northern Iraq.Our security forces are flushing out the terrorists from every inch of the mountains and the towns and will continue to do so, he said.Our fight.. will continue until the very end, added Erdogan.It was not possible to independently verify the toll. Erdogan said another 200 members of the security forces had been killed, as well as an unspecified number of civilians.Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu also chaired a four-and-a-half hour meeting of top government and security figures that agreed to continue fighting the PKK in the most comprehensive and decisive fashion, a statement said.A new upsurge of violence between the security forces and Kurdish rebels erupted in July in the wake of attacks blamed on Islamic extremists, shattering a fragile two-and-a-half year truce.The authorities sent tanks into the southeast and also carried out bombing raids on PKK storage facilities and hideouts in southeast Turkey and northern Iraq.In the latest operations, curfews imposed on December 14 are still in place in the towns of Silopi and Cizre in Sirnak province which normally have populations of some 100,000. A partial curfew is also in force in the Sur district of the Diyarbakir region which was put in place on December 2.In a repeat of scenes that have become familiar over the last days, police in Diyabarkir used tear gas and water cannon to prevent protesters from marching on the Sur district.In sub-zero temperatures, protesters were easily repelled by the freezing water from the water cannon, an AFP correspondent said.Ankara says the extreme measures are needed to root out the PKK from urban areas where they had erected barricades and dug trenches. We all know very well that those trenches are not only aimed at making it difficult to enter that area but also preventing Turkey from reaching its goals, said Erdogan.But opponents say the use of force has been excessive, with civilians killed, residential areas flattened and cultural heritage destroyed.According to the opposition pro-Kurdish Peoples Democratic Party (HDP), 56 civilians have been killed during curfews this month alone.These curfews, whose aims are public order and security, have led to terrorising the public, the killing of civilians, the destruction of cultural heritage sites, and the ruining of the cities, said HDP MP Ayhan Bilgen. The PKK launched a formal insurgency against the Turkish state in 1984, initially fighting for Kurdish independence although it now presses more for greater autonomy and rights for the countrys largest ethnic minority. The conflict has left tens of thousands dead.

Iran-US tensions flare over sanctions threat, rocket claim

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TEHRAN (AFP) - Iran accused the United States of lying Thursday about alleged test-firing of rockets near an American warship and anger rose in Tehran at the spectre of new sanctions from Washington.Irans Revolutionary Guards denied that its naval forces had been involved in a December 26 incident in which the US said rockets came close to the USS Harry S Truman aircraft carrier in the strategic Strait of Hormuz.The naval unit is responsible for securing Iranian interests in the Strait, a vital waterway for a large proportion of the worlds oil, regularly patrolling the area and conducting exercises.The Guards naval force had no exercise in the past week when the Americans claim that a missile or rocket was fired in the Hormuz Strait area, spokesman General Ramezan Sharif said.The purported incident comes five months after Iran and world powers led by the US agreed a landmark deal -- yet to be finally implemented -- to limit the Islamic republics nuclear programme in exchange for lifting economic sanctions.A US military official said an Iranian vessel had test-fired several rockets near three Western warships including the aircraft carrier. A French frigate and the USS Bulkeley destroyer were also in the area.Though the rockets were not fired toward any warship, their proximity to them and several commercial ships -- reportedly around 1,500 yards (metres) -- was highly provocative, said the official, who was not authorised to be named.Sharif, quoted on the Guards website, accused the US of fabricating the incident -- which reportedly occurred after Iranian naval forces announced via radio that the test-firing was to begin.Publishing such lies in the current situation is more a psychological operation, Sharif said.The security and peace of the Gulf is of serious strategic importance to Iran. The Guards conduct exercises to increase our required preparedness at due times, based on our own schedule.The nuclear deal was heralded by moderates, such as Irans President Hassan Rouhani, who staked his reputation on the negotiations. But hardliners in Tehran as well as Republican lawmakers have denounced the agreement.Several Republicans running for the White House have pledged to rip up the deal if they are elected in November 2016.Since the accord was struck, Irans military has conducted missile tests that were condemned by the US. Iran also recently aired footage on state television of an underground missile base.On Wednesday, the Wall Street Journal reported that the US was preparing fresh sanctions against companies and individuals in Iran, Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates over alleged links to Tehrans ballistic missile programme.Such a step by the US Treasury Department would be the first American sanctions against Iran since the nuclear agreement and presents a potential barrier to its durability.Although Irans supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei explicitly endorsed the nuclear accord in October he warned that new sanctions, under any pretext, would constitute a violation.The deal as it stands is due to come into effect on Implementation Day, expected within weeks when UN monitors sign off that Iran has fulfilled its obligations and applied agreed curbs to its nuclear programme.Rouhani criticised Thursday the apparent US moves, saying Irans domestic defence had never been within the remit of the nuclear talks.If US continues its illegitimate interference w/ Irans right to defend itself a new program will be devised to enhance missile capabilities, the president wrote on Twitter.In a series of messages from his personal account he said in response to new US sanctions planned against Irans ballistic missile program he had ordered the Defense Minister to expedite the program.He did not detail what such a measure would involve but added: We have never negotiated regarding our defense capabilities including our missile program & will not accept any restrictions in this regard.

Hacker attack blacks out BBC website

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LONDON (AFP) - Hackers brought down the BBCs websites for several hours on Thursday in a large-scale hacking attack, the British public broadcaster reported.Sources within the BBC said the sites were offline thanks to what is known as a distributed denial of service (DDOS) attack, the BBC reported.Users trying to access BBC.com and related websites could only see an error message saying: The site could be temporarily unavailable or too busy.The BBC press office blamed the problem on a technical issue.Were aware of a technical issue affecting the BBC website and are working to fix this now, it said in a statement.Despite continued problems with access to the sites, it said in a later update: The BBC website is now back up and operating normally.The BBCs international website BBC.com and its news app reached a readership of more than 101 million unique browsers a month earlier this year.DDOS attacks are used to slow down or disable a network by flooding it with communication requests.

Oil ends 2015 battered by supply glut

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NEW YORK (AFP) - Oil prices pared losses Thursday but ended 2015 sharply lower as the black gold was battered by prolonged global oversupply and a slowdown in energy-hungry Chinas economy.North Sea Brent, the European benchmark for oil, dropped almost 35 percent over the year, while the US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) fell 30 percent. With Brent crude oil hovering near 11-year lows and WTI not faring all that much better, the markets are ending the year on a somber note, consistent with what we see as ongoing physical oversupply, said Tim Evans of Citi Futures.The key futures contracts finished Thursday with modest daily gains. WTI for delivery in February rose 44 cents to close at $37.04 on the New York Mercantile Exchange.In London, Brent for February delivery rose 82 cents to $37.28 a barrel.The modest rebound Thursday may stem from investors trying to minimize risks after betting on prices to fall ahead of the long New Years weekend, said Andy Lipow of Lipow Oil Associates. Markets are closed Friday.It could be simply end-of-year short-covering because the market has been so bearish, he said, and people squaring their positions.Crude futures have dived from more than $100 a barrel in mid-2014 as abundant supplies were exacerbated by strong output by OPEC and the United States.Prices have particularly slumped since December 4 when the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries decided against limiting production as members fight to keep market share.Also weighing on market sentiment was China as growth slowed in the economy of the worlds largest energy consumer. And OPEC member Iran was poised to boost crude exports after sanctions are lifted, part of its landmark nuclear agreement with major powers.We know the market is oversupplied and as we go into 2016 the market will await the return of Iranian oil, Lipow said.Potentially adding to the supply worries was action by the US Congress earlier this month to end the 40-year-old US ban on exports of crude oil producted in the country.NuStar Energy and ConocoPhillips announced Wednesday they were loading what they believe to be the nations first export cargo of US-produced light crude oil since the ban was lifted.

Euro, pound sag on final day of year

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NEW YORK (AFP) - The euro and pound sagged on the final day of the year Thursday ahead of a long holiday weekend and next weeks gush of US economic data.After holding steady against the greenback for more than a week, the euro lost 0.6 percent at $1.0855 around 2200 GMT, amid mounting analyst predictions that the US currency will strengthen further in early 2016.The euro also slipped 0.8 percent on the yen to 130.59 yen.The pound, which has steadily fallen since early November on rising doubts that the Bank of England will begin tightening monetary policy in the near future, lost another 0.5 percent at $1.4737. That nevertheless was still nearly two cents higher than the years low struck in April.Markets are looking ahead to 2016 when the Federal Reserve has penciled in a series of dollar-bolstering interest rate rises, said forex market analyst Joe Manimbo of Western Union Business Solutions.2016 looks bright for the buck but it will need the cooperation of a better economic backdrop at home and abroad for it to sustain its run.

Pakistan coach excited over Amir return

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KARACHI (AFP) - Pakistans head coach Waqar Younis expressed excitement Thursday over the imminent return of Mohammad Amir following a five-year ban for spot-fixing.Amir, 23, is favourite to get the selectors nod for a tour of New Zealand, where Pakistan will play three Twenty20s and three one-day internationals.The squad for the Twenty20s is likely to be announced on Friday.Waqar, himself a fast bowler, said Amir had plenty to offer.I am very excited over his comeback, Waqar told AFP. Amir is on the right path and has worked really hard in the fitness camp and I believe this kid has plenty to offer to Pakistan cricket, he added.Waqar said Amir needed support.It may take time for Amir to attain the same zip which he had in 2010, so we should not pressurise him and support him so that he can get back to his best.Amir, then Test captain Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif were charged with accepting money in exchange for arranging deliberate no-balls during a Test match at Lords in England in 2010.The three players and their agent Mazhar Majeed were jailed by a British court in 2011. Amir, Butt and Asif were also banned from cricket for five years.But in September this year the International Cricket Council lifted sanctions against the three players. Amirs ban was relaxed in January this year and he was allowed to play domestic matches.At the time of the ban, Amir was tipped as one of the most talented fast bowlers in the world.Since his return, he has taken 22 wickets in four non first-class games, while his tally of wickets in the qualifying rounds of the Quaid-e-Azam trophy stood at 34.

Huge fire erupts at Dubai hotel, near New Year celebrations

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DUBAI (AFP) - A huge fire ripped through a luxury Dubai hotel Thursday night, injuring 16 people, just a few hours before the emirate celebrated the new year with a spectacular fireworks display nearby.The Address Downtown hotel, which is a few blocks from the iconic Burj Khalifa, the worlds tallest tower, was engulfed in flames across several floors as sirens wailed and helicopters hovered overhead, witnesses said.Dubais police chief said all the residents of the five-star hotel had been evacuated from the scene of the blaze, the cause of which was unknown and which had still not been extinguished some four hours after it broke out.All the residents are out, General Khamis Matar al-Mzeima said.Until the fire is put out, we will not have information on what caused it, he added.At least 14 people have been slightly injured, along with one medium injury, and a heart attack case registered due to people pushing amid the smoke, the media office tweeted.Witness Raphael Slama told AFP the fire started at around 9:30 pm (1730 GMT) and rapidly spread upwards across dozens of floors.An AFP photographer at the scene said it began in the middle of the hotel, then went down like lightning before shooting up again.People in the vicinity began to run in panic to get away from the area, he added.Kumar, an Indian resident in Dubai who was near the hotel with his wife, told AFP: We saw fire coming out of the top storeys two hours before midnight and people began screaming and running away from the hotel.What was strange is that the fire was disappearing and then reappearing again, said Mohammed al-Majed, a Saudi tourist who was at the restaurant around a kilometre (mile) away. It was mainly concentrated in the middle of the building.We were worried about casualties and afraid the celebrations would be cancelled.A video circulating on social media showed anxious shoppers at the huge nearby Dubai Mall as they rushed to get out, with a woman shouting: Folks dont run... dont panic.Another witness who asked not to be named and was near the hotel area told AFP that New Years Eve event organisers and security personnel started panicking and were screaming and ushering people into the nearby Dubai Mall, one of the worlds largest shopping centres.Half an hour later, they told us to get out of the mall because they were closing it down, he said, adding that people began running out.There were a lot of screams... There were a lot of people who fainted and there were many ambulances as well as crowding and pushing.The government tweeted that the hotel fire erupted on the 20th floor and affected only the outer facade of the building.Four firefighting teams have been deployed to fight the blaze, it added.Authorities said earlier Thursday that they had deployed thousands of security personnel to ensure visitors and residents could enjoy the New Years festivities safely.History of skyscraper firesThe hotel is one of the tallest buildings in Dubai, with seven lounges and restaurants as well as a beauty spa, according to its website.A spectacular fireworks display kicked off as planned at midnight (2000 GMT), beginning at the 828 metre (2,700 foot) high Burj Khalifa before spreading across the skies of the cash-flush city above thousands of cheering spectators.Lasers flashed through the skies over the chic district surrounding the tower, even as smoke was still billowing from the blaze nearby.From @BurjKhalifa to the world: Happy New Year 2016, said the Dubai government media office on Twitter.Dubais futuristic cityscape is famous for its hugely varied skyscrapers.In November, a massive blaze engulfed three residential blocs in central Dubai and led to services on a metro line being suspended, although no one was hurt.In February, a huge fire gutted one of the emirates tallest buildings, destroying luxury flats in the Torch tower and triggering an evacuation of nearby blocs in the Dubai Marina neighbourhood -- a district popular among expatriates.And in 2012, a huge blaze gutted the 34-storey Tamweel Tower in the nearby Jumeirah Lake Towers district. It was later revealed to have been caused by a cigarette butt thrown into a bin.Watch Video:
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Wednesday 30 December 2015

Dunya TV

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Boxing: Pacquiao to fight Bradley in April - reports

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LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao will return to the ring on April 9 in Las Vegas to take on Timothy Bradley for a third time, promoter Bob Arum told US media on Wednesday.While Pacquiao has spoken this year of retiring after an April bout to pursue his political career, Arum told the Los Angeles Times and ESPN that he would not market the bout as Pacquiaos last.It may very well be his last fight, but I wont put myself in the position of selling it as his last fight and then he decides he wants to fight again and I look like a schmuck, Arum told ESPN.A congressman since 2010, Pacquiao announced in October that he would seek a seat in the Philippines senate in 2016.The 37-year-old, who owns a record of 57-6-2 with 38 knockouts, hasnt fought since a May 2 unanimous decision loss to unbeaten Floyd Mayweather in their long-awaited bout that shattered revenue records for the sport.Pacquiao aggravated a shoulder injury in the Mayweather bout and underwent surgery five days later.This week in a question and answer with fans on his Facebook page Pacquiao said his shoulder was 100 percent.Pacquiao and Bradley have met twice before, with the American taking a controversial split decision in a fight many thought Pacquiao had won in June of 2012.Pacquiao avenged the polarizing defeat and regained the World Boxing Organizatin welterweight world title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Bradley in April of 2014.Bradley, 33-1-1 with 13 knockouts, has since regained the WBO welterweight belt and will be coming off a ninth-round technical knockout of Brandon Rios on November 7.

Bilawal to visit Punjab early next year

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KARACHI (Dunya News) - Chairman of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will tour Punjab early next year after his party suffered a crushing defeat in local bodies elections in the province, Dunya News reported. The schedule of the chairman PPP’s visit to Punjab has been finalized. Bilawal Bhutto will reach Lahore on January 9 and would hold a consultative meeting with his party’s leadership.The next day, PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto is scheduled to attend a mass wedding ceremony. Bilawal Bhutto is schedule to address a meeting of the Lahore High Court Bar Association on January 11.

16 dead, 30 wounded in three blasts in northeast Syria: monitor

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QAMISHLI (AFP) - At least 16 people were killed and 30 wounded by explosions in three restaurants in the northeast of Syria on Wednesday, a monitoring group said, in attacks claimed by the Islamic State group.At least one of the blasts in the city of Qamishli was caused by a suicide bomber, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights told AFP.An AFP correspondent in the city said the suicide attack took place in a restaurant in a Christian neighbourhood.Three explosions, one by a suicide bomber inside a restaurant, hit... Qamishli city in Hasakeh province, the Observatorys director Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP.News agency Amaq, which supports Islamic State jihadists, said the group had claimed responsibility for the attacks on the city, which lies near the border with Turkey and close to Iraq.Dozens of dead and wounded in the bombings by the fighters of the Islamic State in different parts of Qamishli city, it said.Qamishli is under the shared control of the Syrian regime and Kurdish authorities, who have declared zones of autonomous administration across parts of north and northeast Syria.Syrian troops and seasoned Kurdish fighters have coordinated on security in Hasakeh province where IS jihadists have tried to advance.According to the Observatory, all three of the restaurant explosions happened in a zone controlled by regime forces.

Life sentences for British attack plot couple

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LONDON (AFP) - A husband and his former wife convicted of planning a major attack to mark the 10th anniversary of the London suicide bombings were both sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday.Mohammed Rehman, 25, who used the Twitter name Silent Bomber and asked users whether he should bomb a shopping centre or the London Underground train network, will serve a minimum of 27 years.Judge Jeremy Baker ruled that Sana Ahmed Khan, 24, who was Rehmans wife at the time of the crime but who revealed during the trial that the pair had divorced, must serve a minimum of 25 years after being found guilty on Tuesday.On sentencing, Baker said the intended act specifically included a suicide bombing; an act which envisaged martyrdom, a notion specifically resurrected by Islamic State in order to encourage this type of venture.Rehman was arrested in May after posting a tweet saying: Westfield shopping centre or London underground? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.The tweet linked to an Al-Qaeda statement about the July 2005 bombings in which four suicide bombers targeted Londons transport system, killing 52 people.The couple were accused of planning their attack for around May 28.Police seized more than 10 kilogrammes (22 pounds) of urea nitrate, which can be used to manufacture a large bomb, from Rehmans house.Rehman also filmed himself testing explosives in his back garden.Rehman was found guilty of creating the bomb, while his wife funded the project and bought the chemicals, the Crown Prosecution Service said.Their bomb would have caused multiple fatalities if it had been detonated on the London Underground, it said.The intention to carry out some form of terrorism attack was clear, Susan Hemming, head of the CPS counter terrorism division, said following the verdict.The pair had been very close to carrying out an attack. All they required was to purchase the chemicals to make a detonator.

Nine dead as Philippine troops clash with kidnappers

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MANILA (AFP) - Philippine security forces clashed with al-Qaeda-linked gunmen believed to be holding foreign hostages on Wednesday, leaving one soldier and eight of the gunmen dead, the military said.The clash occurred near Patikul town on the remote southern island of Jolo, where gunmen from the Islamic militant group Abu Sayyaf are believed to be holding two Canadian hostages along with a Norwegian and a Filipina.Regional mlitary spokesman Major Filemon Tan said that one soldier was killed and four wounded, but did not respond to queries about the status of the hostages thought to be held by the gunmen.Eight of the around 100 attackers were also killed, Tan told reporters, adding that the militants belonged to an Abu Sayyaf faction led by Hajan Sawadjaan. Abu Sayyaf last month released a video of two Canadian tourists, a Norwegian resort operator and a Filipina abducted in another area of the southern Philippines in September, and demanded one billion pesos ($21 million) in ransom.A Dutch bird watcher abducted in the southern Philippines in 2012 is also believed by the military to be held by the same group on Jolo. Founded in the early 1990s with seed money from late Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, Abu Sayyaf gained international notoriety for kidnapping dozens of foreign tourists for ransom in the early 2000s.The group has also been blamed for the countrys worst terrorist attacks, including the bombing of a ferry off Manila Bay in 2004 that killed more than 100 people.It is believed to have just a few hundred gunmen, but thrives in lawless sections of the southern Philippines where Muslim rebels have for decades fought for independence or autonomy.The militant group beheaded a Malaysian hostage last month, weeks after a 74-year-old South Korean kidnapped in January was found dead, apparently from illness, on Jolo.

Merkel, Hollande, Putin, Poroshenko renew support for ceasefire in Ukraine

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PARIS (AFP) - The leaders of Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine renewed their support for a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine on Wednesday following phone discussions, the French presidency said in a statement.Angela Merkel, Francois Hollande, Vladimir Putin and Petro Poroshenko reaffirmed their commitment to a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine, and the concerted withdrawal without delay of heavy weapons, the Elysee Palace said. The leaders spoke for two hours in their first discussions since meeting in Paris on October 2.Tensions have risen recently after a Ukrainian soldier and two civilians were killed in the pro-Russian separatist Donbass region. The four leaders emphasised the need to follow through on the Minsk II peace accords over the coming year, including preparations for local elections in Donbass at the start of 2017.Foreign ministers from the four countries are due to meet to discuss the peace process in greater detail by early February, the Elysee added. The Minsk accords finalised in early 2015 effectively brought hostilities to an end after more than 9,000 people were killed in the civil war that broke out the previous April.However, a ceasefire agreed in September remains fragile and had to be renewed yet again on Tuesday after the recent killings.

'Un-Islamic' vaping catches fire in Malaysia amid govt backlash

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KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) - At Malaysian e-cigarette outlet Vape Empire, customers kick back and puff out thick, aromatic clouds of vapour in funky flavours like Horny Mango and Creamy Suckerz Banana Anna.Vaping is soaring in popularity in Malaysia, the largest e-cigarette market in the Asia-Pacific region, but authorities are threatening to ban the habit for health reasons -- a move that has sparked anger from growing legions of aficionados.Backing a ban, Malaysian religious leaders this month declared a fatwa on the un-Islamic habit, but it remains to be seen whether the decree will dampen enthusiasm.The business is growing very fast because there are many people trying to convert from tobacco smoking to vaping, Vape Empires co-founder Muhammad Sharifuddin Esa said, adding that his business has expanded to 57 locations since it opened just two years ago.The pastime has proved a particular hit in the moderate, Muslim-majority nation, where other vices such as alcohol and drugs are especially frowned upon.Now several Malaysian states say they may impose a ban from January 1 and have threatened to stop issuing new merchants licences -- a potential blow to a sector worth an estimated 2.8 billion ringgit ($650 million) last year, according to reports.The industry, which is expected to grow by more than 13 percent year-on-year to 2025, is currently unregulated, and many say forbidding e-cigarettes -- already outlawed in Thailand and Singapore for health reasons -- is a big mistake.The government must regulate and not ban, because vaping is the future, Sharifuddin said. Research on health risks remains split and like Malaysia, few countries have introduced national legislation to regulate the sector. The devices function by heating flavoured nicotine liquid -- or e-juice -- into a vapour that is inhaled, much like traditional cigarettes but without the smoke.Some experts warn vaping can produce cancer-causing formaldehyde and one US study said vaping is up to 15 times more harmful than traditional tobacco smoking. The World Health Organization has called on governments to ban the sale of e-cigarettes to minors. But other research suggests vaping is safer than smoking cigarettes and manufacturers tout them as harmless aids to quit tobacco.Enthusiasts in Malaysia say banning the habit doesnt make economic sense. Vaping communities are fighting for their rights because the vape scene actually brings profits to the country, said Muhammad Imman, marketing manager of the colourfully named Fcuking Flava vape shop, one of thousands that have popped up across the country.Marketers cater to local tastes, selling e-juice flavoured with snake fruit, lychee and even durian, the notoriously pungent Southeast Asian fruit. The juices are marketed like single-malt whiskies or perfumes, as seen at a recent vaping convention in Kuala Lumpur, their creators extolling organic and other premium ingredients.Aficionados gather daily in Malaysias vape shops, sometimes for cloud chasing competitions to see who can produce the biggest vapour puffs and to show off vape prowess by blowing rings into the foggy air.Some agree there is a greater need for quality control to keep dodgy DIY e-juice from entering the market and to ensure e-cigarette devices arent used for smoking drugs like marijuana.A growing number of amateur merchants have emerged across the country, where about a million people smoke e-cigarettes, a five-fold surge since last year, according to the Malaysia E-Vaporizers and Tobacco Alternative Association (MEVTA) activist group. Making e-juice is a simple process that involves mixing readily available ingredients -- water, flavouring, nicotine and other easy-to-access chemical compounds.On a Kuala Lumpur street recently, a vendor set up a table arrayed with a range of flavours, from guava to lychee on sale for about 30 ringgit ($7). Mine are the best, he boasted to passing office workers.But some bottles looked old and reused, and he was tight-lipped on the e-juices origin.Other more mainstream Malaysian manufacturers have struck deals to distribute their goods elsewhere in Asia and as far afield as Europe, as Malaysian flavours become popular overseas.The habit doesnt appear to be losing steam at home, especially among former smokers. I actually have reduced the level of nicotine when I vape, said officer worker Nicolas Chan, speaking between puffs on his lunch break.I feel better and have more energy after quitting cigarettes and starting to vape.

President Mamnoon summons NA session on Jan 1

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - President Mamnoon Hussain has approved the Prime Ministers advice for summoning of the next session of National Assembly on Friday, (January 1, 2016) at 3:00 p.m. in the Parliament House.According to the sources, an ordinance regarding the privatization of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) will be presented by the government in the National Assembly for approval.On the other hand, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has submitted a resolution in the Senate for the cancellation of ordinance regarding the privatization of PIA. The resolution has been tabled by PPP parliamentary leader Saeed Ghani.

Oil tumbles 3% after unexpected US rise in stockpiles

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NEW YORK (AFP) - Oil prices sank Wednesday after an unexpected rise in US commercial crude stockpiles reinforced worries about the prolonged global oversupply.US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for February delivery tumbled $1.27, or 3.4 percent, to $36.60 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, erasing the prior days brief rebound.Brent North Sea crude for delivery in February, the international benchmark, fell $1.33 (3.5 percent) to $36.46 a barrel in London, not far from its 11 year low of $36.11 on December 22.The US Department of Energys weekly report showed Wednesday that the nations commercial crude stockpiles had resumed their upward trend following a one-week decline.Stockpiles rose by 2.6 million barrels to 487.4 million barrels in the week ending December 25, instead of the 2.5-million-barrel fall expected by analysts surveyed by Bloomberg News.Inventories remained near record levels and were up 26.5 percent from a year ago.Stockpiles of gasoline and distillates such as heating fuel and diesel rose more than expected. And a build of supplies at the Cushing, Oklahoma hub, the delivery point for Nymex WTI futures, also dented market sentiment.The data, combined with slightly rising US crude production, is yet another reminder that the supply glut could take a long time to clear which may mean even lower oil prices in the near term, said Fawad Razaqzada at Forex.com.Prices have fallen by almost 70 percent since 2014 amid the persistent global oversupply.Razaqzada forecast a rebound in the late 2016.The second half of the year could see WTI rise as some of the weaker oil producers in the US are forced out of the market amid the persistently weaker prices, he said.When and at what price level will oil bottom out is a million-dollar question, but for now at least theres still no end in sight for this protracted bear trend in crude.

Major currencies quiet ahead of New Year holiday

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NEW YORK (AFP) - Key currencies were little-changed Wednesday ahead of the long New Year weekend, with little economic news to provoke traders in a quiet market.There was no significant movement in the major currency pairings: at 2200 GMT the euro-dollar was at $1.0932 and the dollar-yen at 120.52 yen.The pound and Chinese yuan also steadied after losses against the dollar earlier this week.Movements among major currencies were at a minimum, a reflection of light holiday markets, said Joe Manimbo, senior market analyst at Western Union Business Solutions.Sterling steadied after slumping to new eight-month lows on Tuesday, he added.But he noted that underlying sentiment remained sterling-negative for the pound due to uncertainty over Britains tenure in the European Union and falling expectations that the Bank of England will follow the Federal Reserves cue with an interest rate hike in the coming months.

England have taken big strides - Cook

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DURBAN (AFP) - England captain Alastair Cook hailed the performance and potential of his team after they completed a crushing 241-run win over South Africa on the fifth day of the first Test at Kingsmead on Wednesday.It took England only 80 minutes to take South Africas remaining six wickets for the addition of 38 runs, with man-of-the-match Moeen Ali setting the tone by dismissing batting kingpin AB de Villiers with the third ball of the day. He followed up with two more wickets and had match figures of seven for 116.Cook said a key factor had been batting solidly in bowler-friendly overhead conditions on the first day after being sent in.It was an interesting toss, the overheads were suggesting you want to bowl first but the pitch was quite dry, said Cook.We would also have bowled first. It was a matter of getting through that first day. The way Nick (Compton) played really set up the first innings. From that moment on, the guys bowled particularly well to take 20 wickets and we scored enough runs in the second innings.Cook said a convincing win against a strong South Africa A team in the build-up to the Test had given the players a lot of confidence. It was particularly pleasing to back up our form under pressure in a Boxing Day Test match.With only a two-day turnaround before the second Test starts in Cape Town on Saturday, Cook said it was important to recover well and to avoid complacency. It can turn very quickly. They have world-class players so we cant get too carried away. But it would be nice to get our noses ahead again and to continue to put pressure on South Africa.Despite his fifth-ranked side defeating the current Test number ones, Cook said it was too early to predict a period of ascendancy for England. But he said: The guys have taken big strides forward as a team over the last eight months or so. Its a good side to captain, theres a good balance, the guys are happy and they seem really hungry.Potentially this team can do some really good things. Theres so much talent in this side. But it will take relentless hard work and good results over a long period of time.South African captain Hashim Amla, meanwhile, admitted that his teams batting had been most disappointing, especially following a poor performance on a similarly good batting pitch in the final Test in Delhi earlier this month during a losing series in India.Amla said his teams lack of batting form was a confidence thing and acknowledged that his own lack of runs was a concern.As captain you want to lead from the front not being in the runs is most disappointing from me. Its a developing team but certainly from my perspective getting runs on the board is most important.Amla admitted that regaining form and confidence could only come from scoring runs. If you get the runs you get the confidence. You can be doing everything well in the nets and working behind the scenes but its got to materialise with some sort of runs on the board, especially in the big games.Amla said he still enjoyed being captain but ducked questions about possible changes in the team. I try and leave those things to the selectors. I can only give my opinion.He hinted, however, that Quinton de Kock, who has been added to the squad, could come into the side for the second Test as a wicketkeeper-batsman, enabling AB de Villiers to play as a batsman only. ABs workload has been great than we expected, he said.South African coach Russell Domingo admitted: We didnt play half as well as we can.Domingo denied there was a lack of harmony in the camp. From what Im aware, its a happy camp. The players are not happy with their performances but they are all supporting the captain.Domingo acknowledged that there was bound to be criticism. Theres a lot that went wrong but we need to keep the team tight and keep the noise out.

South Africa add two to squad

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DURBAN (AFP) - The South African selectors on Wednesday added wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock and fast bowler Chris Morris to their squad for the second Test against England starting in Cape Town on Saturday.The additions were announced after South Africa suffered a 241-run defeat in the first Test at Kingsmead.Following our performance and injuries in the first Test, we have recognised the need to bolster the squad, said Linda Zondi, the convener of selectors.Apart from taking the gloves to reduce the workload of star batsman AB de Villiers, the left-handed De Kock could strengthen South Africas fragile batting. De Kock hit a century for the Titans franchise against the Cape Cobras in a first-class match at the weekend.Morris was picked as cover for Dale Steyn, who suffered a shoulder injury in Durban. Steyn remains in the squad but is unlikely to play. Kagiso Rabada is probably next in line if Steyn is ruled out.South African squad: Hashim Amla (captain), Dean Elgar, Stiaan van Zyl, AB de Villiers (wkt), Faf du Plessis, Temba Bavuma, JP Duminy, Kyle Abbott, Dale Steyn, Dane Piedt, Morne Morkel, Rilee Rossouw, Quinton de Kock (wkt), Kagiso Rabada, Chris Morris.

New Zealand to bat first against Sri Lanka

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NELSON (AFP) - New Zealand won the toss for the third one-day international against Sri Lanka and opted to bat first at Saxton Oval in Nelson on Thursday. Kane Williamson returns from injury to lead New Zealand as one of three changes in the line up. Regular skipper Brendon McCullum is being rested after hurting his back in a fielding mishap in the second match, Tim Southee comes in for Matt Henry and Adam Milne replaces Ish Sodhi.Sri Lanka have made one change with Nuwan Pradeep coming back into the side in place of Sachithra Senanayake.New Zealand have convincingly won the first two matches in Christchurch after losing the toss and batting second. A win in Nelson will give them an unbeatable lead in the five-match series to go with their 2-0 Test sweep earlier in the month. Teams: New Zealand: Martin Guptill, Tom Latham, Kane Williamson (captain), Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, Mitchell Santner, Luke Ronchi, Doug Bracewell, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Mitchell McClenaghan.Sri Lanka: Tillakaratne Dilshan, Lahiru Thirimanne, Danushka Gunathilaka , Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews (captain), Milinda Siriwardana, Chamara Kapugedera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Nuwan Pradeep, Dushmantha Chameera, Jeffrey Vandersay. Umpires: Billy Bowden (NZL), Michael Gough (ENG).TV umpire: Richard Illingworth (ENG).Match referee: Andy Pycroft (ZIM).

Bangladesh cricketer charged with assaulting child maid

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DHAKA (AFP) - Bangladesh police have charged national cricketer Shahadat Hossain with assaulting an 11-year-old girl he employed illegally as a maid.Police said Hossain, who has played 38 Tests for Bangladesh, and his wife Nritto Shahadat were formally charged on Tuesday with assault and torture.The allegations against Shahadat and his wife were proved in our primary investigations, police Inspector Shafiqur Rahman told AFP.The 29-year-old cricketer, who denies any wrongdoing, was suspended from all forms of the game on September 13 over the allegations. He and his wife went into hiding after police raided their house in September following a complaint from the young girl.Police said one of her hands had been burnt with a hot cooking paddle, while other injury marks were also found on her body. Television footage showed her looking frail and thin with swollen black eyes.Hossain, who has also played 51 one-day internationals for Bangladesh, handed himself in to police in October after his wife was arrested.On Wednesday he told AFP the allegations were false and had ruined his career.I am innocent. Everyone who knows me will testify to that, he said, in his first interview since his arrest in October.Hossain said the allegations were part of a conspiracy to destroy his career.A mans dignity relies on his professional career. It seems to me that mine is being ruined, he said.Hossain and his wife face up to 14 years in jail if they are convicted.

Brazil raises minimum wages in economic crisis

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RIO DE JANEIRO (AFP) - Brazils crisis-hit government said Wednesday it will raise the minimum wage by more than the rate of inflation in the new year, despite the delicate state of its public accounts.The office of leftist President Dilma Rousseff said in a statement the minimum wage would rise by 11.67 percent to 880 reais a month -- still equivalent to only about $227.That was higher than this years forecast inflation rate of 10.57 percent, which is aggravating hardship in the worlds seventh-biggest economy.The federal government is continuing its policy of valuing the minimum wage, which will have a direct impact on nearly 40 million workers and pensioners, the presidency said.The hike however puts further pressure on Brazils troubled public finances. The government has calculated it will weigh on the budget to the tune of about $743 million.Figures released on Tuesday showed the government accounts headed deeper into the red last month.The country posted a primary budget deficit of about $5 billion in November, up sharply from $3 billion in October, the central bank said.Brazil is struggling through a deep recession and a political crisis that has sparked impeachment proceedings against Rousseff.The government expects the economy to contract 3.1 percent this year and 1.9 percent next year.Congress authorized a budget deficit of up to two percent of GDP this year to try to kick-start the economy.But it has set a target of a 0.5-percent surplus for next year, after a political battle that led to the resignation of finance minister Joaquim Levy this month.
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Tuesday 29 December 2015

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Smoking bad for pets: study

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LONDON (AFP) - Smoking is bad for pets too, the University of Glasgow said Tuesday, citing an ongoing study into the effects of second-hand smoke on dogs and cats.Research under way at the Scottish institution has found that pets living in a smoky environment have a higher risk of health problems including some animal cancers, cell damage and weight gain.Pet owners often do not think about the impact that smoking could have on their pets, said Clare Knottenbelt, professor of small animal medicine and oncology.Our findings show that exposure to smoke in the home is having a direct impact on pets.It risks ongoing cell damage, increasing weight gain after castration and has previously been shown to increase the risk of certain cancers.While dogs can take in significant amounts of smoke, the university study shows cats are even more affected.This may be due to the extensive self-grooming that cats do, as this would increase the amount of smoke (chemicals) taken in to the body, said Knottenbelt.The research so far has found that while outdoor access made little difference for cats, smoking away from them did reduce the amount taken into the body.It has found that when smokers light up fewer than 10 times a day, nicotine levels dropped significantly, but were nonetheless noticeably higher than in cats from non-smoking homes.An examination of the testicles of castrated dogs found that a gene, which acts as a marker of cell damage, was higher in dogs living in smoking homes.Dogs living with a smoker also gained more weight after neutering.The finished research paper is expected to be published in 2016.

Athletics: Former Olympic long jump champion dies

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WARSAW (AFP) - Former Olympic long jump champion Elzbieta Krzesinska, winner of gold at the 1956 Melbourne Games, has died at the age of 81 years, the Polish Athletics Federation announced on Tuesday.Born in Warsaw, Krzesinska set a world record in Budapest in 1956 with a jump of 6.35m. She took the Olympic gold in Melbourne that year with the same mark.Four years later at the Rome Olympics she took silver behind Soviet athlete Vera Krepkina with a jump of 6.27 m.She also won two European Championships medals.A dentist by profession, Krzesinska lived in the United States for two decades before returning to her native Poland in 2001.

Twitter acts to curb 'abusive,' 'hateful' content

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - Twitter said Tuesday it was take new steps to stem abusive behavior and hateful conduct on the global messaging platform.The move comes with social networks under pressure from the US and other governments following attacks in Paris and California to do more to weed out those plotting violence.We believe that protection from abuse and harassment is a vital part of empowering people to freely express themselves on Twitter, said Twitters director for online trust and safety, Megan Cristina.Today, as part of our continued efforts to combat abuse, were updating the Twitter Rules to clarify what we consider to be abusive behavior and hateful conduct. The updated language emphasizes that Twitter will not tolerate behavior intended to harass, intimidate, or use fear to silence another users voice.The new rules say Twitter users may not make threats of violence or promote violence, including threatening or promoting terrorism and may not incite or engage in the targeted abuse or harassment of others.The update also states that users may not promote violence against or directly attack or threaten other people on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, religious affiliation, age, disability, or disease.Twitter said it would ban accounts whose primary purpose is inciting harm towards others on the basis of these categories and would also suspend multiple accounts created to evade temporary or permanent suspension.US and European officials have been pressing social media to do more following deadly attacks over the past few weeks in Paris and southern California which have been linked to supporters of the Islamic State organization.A White House statement earlier this month called for a dialogue with Silicon Valley and others on the subject, saying more should be done when the use of social medial crosses the line between communication and active terrorist plotting.The European Commission has also called for dialogue with the major social media networks. And France passed emergency measures that could shut down websites or social media accounts which encourage terrorist actions.Social media groups say they already do what they can to avoid being used to spread hate and violence, but warn that any legislation requiring them to filter or report improper activity could be counterproductive.

Tokyo stocks open higher on oil, Wall St gains

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TOKYO (AFP) - Tokyo stocks started the years final trading session on a positive note Wednesday, following a strong lead from Wall Street and after a rise in oil prices.The benchmark Nikkei 225 at the Tokyo Stock Exchange rose 0.47 percent, or 88.60 points, to 19,070.83 in opening deals, while the broader Topix index of all first-section shares climbed 0.45 percent, or 6.89 points, to 1,550.28. Japanese financial markets will be closed on Thursday for a public holiday.

Football: Kompany blow as Man City frustrated by Leicester

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LEICESTER (AFP) - Manchester City could be without captain Vincent Kompany for up to four weeks with the calf injury that kept him out of Tuesdays goalless draw at Leicester.Manager Manuel Pellegrini revealed that the Belgian centre-back faces another lengthy spell on the sidelines after limping off during the 4-1 Boxing Day win against Sunderland.Kompany had made his comeback as a substitute against the Black Cats after six weeks out with another calf injury and he watched the draw with the Foxes from the stands at the King Power Stadium.Vincent has an injury, a second degree of his calf, Pellegrini said.Its not the same injury, the same calf but in a different part. I am not a doctor but normally a muscle injury of less than three or four weeks is very difficult, especially in the calf.We hope that he can recover as soon as he can but its very important until we solve this to defend the way we did in this game.Pellegrinis side moved to within three points of leaders Arsenal with a point at Leicester while the home side went level on points with the Gunners at the seasons halfway point.But Manchester City are now without a win in six away games in the Premier League - a record that has prevented them building fully on their flying start to the season.They dominated long spells of the first half against Leicester but were unable to find a goal and found themselves forced back by the home side after the break.Pellegrini said: I dont divide games that we play into home and away.We have a season and its important to have the amount of points you need to win the title.We need to win but we are the best team at home.In the second half of the season we will keep improving and if you ask me if Im happy, I say yes because we are near the top of the table.We had more possession and attempts than Leicester and did more to win the game, but if you cant win its important not to lose.We were very solid and defended well against a difficult team.Im not happy but Im not disappointed either because we played well but didnt score.- Unbelievable -==================Leicester will end 2015 with a share of the Premier League lead after entering the year at the bottom of the table.They are just one point away from manager Claudio Ranieris initial target of 40 points with their supporters beginning to dream of a genuine title challenge.The Italian said: What we are doing is unbelievable. The first half of the season is magnificent and I dont have words to say how happy I am.The Premier League this season is strange.The bigger teams should be able to stay away from us but we are there and we would love to stay there.I know its not our position but we will fight for it.Were the basement and the other teams are a villa with a swimming pool. Its not easy for us but we want to fight with everybody.Its a miracle what were doing. Id love this to continue but its not easy. I can only say well done to our players and our fans are unbelievable, they support us and they push us.2015 was fantastic for Leicester and I hope 2016 can be better.

US general: More troops may be needed in Afghanistan

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - The top US and NATO military commander in Afghanistan may seek additional American troops to help local forces as they struggle to contain the Taliban insurgency, USA Today reported Tuesday.General John Campbells interview with the newspaper comes as the security situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated in the second half of 2015, with an increase in insurgent attacks and higher casualties among both Taliban and national forces.Already, President Barack Obama has backtracked on a pledge to pull out all but 1,000 troops, and in October he announced that 9,800 US forces would remain in Afghanistan until the end of 2016.Campbell told USA today he would ask the Obama administration to keep that higher number of troops in country as long as possible and suggested he might call for more US personnel.If I dont believe that we can accomplish the train, advise and assist and the (counter-terrorism) missions, then I owe it to the senior leadership to come back and say, Heres what I need. If thats more people, its more people, Campbell told the newspaper.The 9,800 US troops are scheduled to be drawn down to 5,500 by January 1, 2017.My intent would be to keep as much as I could, for as long as I could, Campbell said.This month marks a year since the US and NATO-led mission in Afghanistan transitioned into an Afghan operation, with allied nations assisting in training and equipping local forces to tackle Taliban and other groups.The Taliban have already dealt some stinging blows to Afghan forces, including a short-lived takeover of the northern city of Kunduz.

Hafizabad: Truck-van collision leaves two dead, three injured

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HAFIZABAD (Dunya News) – A collision between a passenger van and a truck in Hafizabad on early Wednesday morning killed at least two people while three others sustained injuries, Dunya News reported.According to details a speeding van collided with a truck near Vanke Tarrar village in the outskirts of Hafizabad, killing two people on the spot and injuring three others.Rescue teams reached the spot after the accident and shifted the dead and injured to Jalalpur Bhattian Hospital.

IS leader linked to Paris attacks 'mastermind' killed in Syria

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - An Islamic State leader with direct ties to the alleged mastermind of the Paris attacks was among 10 of the groups higher-ups killed in Syria and Iraq this month, the Pentagon said Tuesday.The US military says such strikes are helping to weaken the jihadist group, which captured large parts of Iraq and Syria last year but has recently seen significant setbacks including this weeks loss of Ramadi in Iraq.Baghdad-based US military spokesman Colonel Steve Warren told reporters that French national Charaffe el Mouadan was killed in a US-led coalition air strike on December 24. Mouadan had been plotting further attacks against the West, Warren said, without giving additional details.He was a Syrian-based ISIL member with a direct link to Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the Paris attacks cell leader, Warren said in a video call, using an alternative acronym for the IS group.Abaaoud was killed in a police raid in northern Paris five days after the November 13 attacks that left 130 people dead and hundreds more wounded in a series of coordinated suicide attacks and shootings across the French capital.A French law enforcement official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP there was no immediate evidence showing Mouadan was involved in the Paris attacks.But the official said Mouadan had been close to Samy Amimour, one of the suicide bombers who attacked the Bataclan music venue.Mouadan, 26, was the son of Morocco-born parents and the last of eight children. He grew up in the Paris suburbs, and was arrested in October 2012 while preparing to leave with Amimour and a third man, Samir Bouabout, for either Yemen or Afghanistan, a source close to the investigation told AFP.Though the men faced criminal charges, they were nonetheless set free, and within a year had found their way to Syria.The source said a witness at the Bataclan heard one of the attackers ask whether a fellow assailant was going to call a certain Souleymane. Souleymane was the name Mouadan used on Twitter and in Syria, but its a common name and French investigators arent sure whether the attacker was referring to Mouadan.The United States has since August 2014 led an international coalition attacking the IS group in Iraq and Syria. France started bombing Syria in the wake of the Paris attacks, but Warren would not say if France was involved in the strike against Mouadan.Among the other leaders killed this month was Abdel Kader Hakim, an external operations facilitator who was killed in Mosul, Iraq on December 26. Warren said Hakim was a veteran fighter and forgery specialist who had links to the Paris attack network, but he did not give additional details. His death removes an important facilitator with many connections in Europe, Warren said.And on December 10, Siful Haque Sujan, a Bangladeshi man who was educated in Britain and was allegedly an IS hacker, was killed near the IS stronghold of Raqa in Syria.After months of preparations, the Iraqi military declared the city of Ramadi liberated from the IS group on Monday after clinching a landmark victory against the jihadists.Warren said that part of the success in Ramadi and other areas was due to the killing of IS leaders.Were striking at the head of this snake, he said, while cautioning that its still got fangs.The Pentagon listed the other slain IS leaders as: -- Rawand Dilsher Taher, an external operations facilitator, who was killed near Raqa.-- Khalil Ahmad Ali al-Wais, the IS emir of Kirkuk province in Iraq. -- Abu Anas, a roadside bomb expert who was killed near Kirkuk. -- Yunis Khalash, ISs deputy financial emir in Mosul.-- Mithaq Najim, ISs deputy emir in Kirkuk Province.-- Akram Muhammad Saad Faris, an IS commander and executioner, in Tal Afar, Iraq.-- Tashin al-Hayali, an external operations facilitator, who was killed near Mosul in Iraq.

Iraq PM visits newly reconquered Ramadi

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RAMADI (AFP) - Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Tuesday visited Ramadi, a day after federal forces announced the liberation of the city from the Islamic State group, clinching a landmark victory.Abadi arrived by helicopter in the battle-scarred city, which lies around 100 kilometres (60 miles) west of Baghdad and is the capital of the province of Anbar, an AFP correspondent reported.The premier vowed Monday, after counter-terrorism forces raised the flag above the key government complex in Ramadi, to rid the whole country of IS by the end of 2016.It is customary for the premier to visit newly reconquered cities but he was likely to feel particularly vindicated by the victory in Ramadi, which government forces had lost in May.Abadi was criticised at home for not resorting to the powerful Tehran-backed Shiite militia groups that played a key role in retaking other cities such as Tikrit and Baiji and instead coordinating with the US-led coalition.

Iranian navy test fires rockets near US carrier

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - The Iranian navy test fired several rockets near three Western warships including the USS Harry S Truman aircraft carrier last week, a US military official said Tuesday.Though the rockets were not fired toward any ship, their proximity to the warships -- and several commercial vessels -- sparked concern.We look at this firing so close to the ships as highly provocative, said the military official, who was not immediately authorized to be named.The official confirmed details of an NBC News report that said one rocket came within about 1,500 yards (meters) of the USS Truman as it transited the Strait of Hormuz.A French frigate and the USS Bulkeley destroyer were also in the area.The incident took place on December 26, shortly after the Iranian navy had announced via radio it was about to conduct a live-fire exercise and warned ships to steer clear.The official said the unguided rockets were fired from an Iranian navy fast inshore attack craft that was in Omani waters. The Western vessels did not need to take evasive action, the official said.

US spying on Netanyahu communications: report

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States continues to spy on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus communications despite promising to curtail the hacking of its allies, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.Contacted by AFP, the White House did not deny the report, which cites several serving and former US officials, but stressed the importance of its ongoing close ties with Israel.The Israeli embassy refused to comment.Two years ago, after rogue intelligence contractor Edward Snowden revealed the vast extent of the National Security Agencys online surveillance, President Barack Obama promised to limit spying on US allies.Germanys Chancellor Angela Merkel had been embarrassed by the revelation that her cellphone had been monitored and other allies expressed private concerns about the breadth of NSA monitoring.But, according to Journal report, Obama decided there was a compelling national security purpose in continuing to monitor some leaders, including Netanyahu and Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.The US administration decided not to remove or disable the cyber-implants it had secreted on foreign communications systems, as they would be hard to replace.Instead, the report says, Obama ordered that some of the hacked systems used by close allies would not be routinely monitored by the NSA, while others would continue to be mined for intel.Going dark on Bibi? Of course we wouldnt do that, one senior US official told the Journal, speaking on condition of anonymity.In Netanyahus case, Washington was concerned that Israel was itself monitoring US negotiations with Iran and might try to derail the effort to reach a deal on Tehrans nuclear program.

Four-way phone talks on Ukraine crisis today: Kiev

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KIEV (AFP) - The leaders of Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France will hold a conference call Wednesday to assess implementation of a peace accord in pro-Russian eastern Ukraine, the government in Kiev said Tuesday.The phone call will bring together Ukrainian, Russian and French presidents Petro Poroshenko, Vladimir Putin and Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.Poroshenko conferred with Merkel on Tuesday to coordinate positions, his office said in a statement.The two also discussed the implementation status of the Minsk agreement, a peace deal brokered in the Belarussian capital by France and Germany with Ukraine and Russia, it said.Poroshenkos office also said pro-Russian rebels increasingly violate the truce and engage in provocations in an industrial region approximately the size of Wales that is home to about 3.5 million people and the centre of the splintered nations coal and steel wealth.The German chancellory did not confirm Tuesdays phone conversation between Kiev and Berlin, but Foreign Minister Walter Steinmeier urged the two fighting sides to respect the ceasefire in the conflict zones, in the interests of the people. His ministry said in a statement that many important questions remain unanswered, adding that in the coming year we will continue to support with all of our strength the implementation of the Minsk measures. Last week Ukraine and pro-Russian insurgents reached a New Year truce agreement in another effort to stop the violence in the war-scarred ex-Soviet state. A September 1 truce agreement significantly calmed deadly exchanges of artillery and missile fire along a 30-kilometre-wide (19-mile-wide) buffer zone separating rebel-run territory from the rest of Ukraine.But a new upsurge in violence that began two weeks ago threatened the September deal.The Minsk process will continue in 2016 and will hopefully be better than this year, Oleksandr Turchynov, the head of Ukraines Security and Defence Council, said Tuesday. The United Nations estimates that more than 9,000 people -- most of them civilians -- have died since the rebel revolt began in April 2014.

Karachi: Families protest as doctors' alleged negligence claims 2 lives

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – Families of patients severely protested against doctors in Karachi’s Civil hospital as alleged negligence by the medical experts claimed the lives of 2 patients.According to the details, 18 year old Danish and 50 year old Amina were brought to the emergency room of the hospital, where both patients expired during treatment.Families of the deceased protested that their loved ones lost their lives due to administration of a wrong injection and apparent negligence of the doctors.The families of the departed severely demonstrated against the doctors and administration of the hospital.Rangers arrived at the scene and arranged a discussion between the families and the administration. Relatives of the deceased patients stopped the demonstrations after assurance by the Rangers of looking into the matter.Administration of the hospital refuted the families’ claims and said that the patients were given immediate treatment and their deaths were not out of negligence.

Football: Leicester frustrate title rivals Man City

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LEICESTER (AFP) - Manchester City were frustrated again on the road as Leicester bounced back from defeat at Liverpool with a 0-0 draw that maintained their surprise Premier League title challenge.Leicester had to withstand a barrage of first-half pressure from their visitors but they held firm for the point that took them level with Arsenal at the top of the table.The Foxes grew in confidence after half-time and could have snatched another major scalp in their extraordinary season.Manchester City are without a win in six Premier League away games but boss Manuel Pellegrini will take heart from a dominant performance before half-time.Leicester abandoned their normal 4-4-2 system and started with Gokhan Inler as an extra midfielder alongside NGolo Kante and the returning Danny Drinkwater, who was back from a hamstring injury.Shinji Okazaki and Andy King were the men to make way while City brought back Sergio Aguero in place of Wilfried Bony.The visitors made all of the early running and exploited their hosts repeatedly down the flanks.Pellegrinis men wasted several decent crossing opportunities before Leicester almost struck a blow against the run of play.Inler was fouled 25 yards from goal and Christian Fuchs free-kick was headed over by Robert Huth.But Manchester City were the more likely scorers and the should have made the breakthrough when Raheem Sterling burst down the right and squared for Kevin De Bruyne.He hit a firm shot but it was pushed away solidly by Kasper Schmeichel in the home goal.Leicester had been pinned back in their own half with striker Jamie Vardy isolated for lengthy spells.But Riyad Mahrez, his goalscoring partner in crime, nearly made the most of a slip by Nicolas Otamendi and tried a curling shot from an angle that dipped just over.Manchester City came again, however, and Schmeichel came to the rescue once more when he pushed away a decent shot from Sterling.The pair were engaged in a personal battle and Schmeichel succeeded again on 32 minutes when he pushed a left-footed effort by Sterling over the bar.After withstanding waves of pressure, Leicester should twice have led in the 40th minute.First Fuchs cross from the left eluded Marc Albrighton at the far post by inches.Then Fernandinho gifted possession to Jamie Vardy, who exchanged passes with Drinkwater on the edge of the box before blasting over.Aguero should have given the visitors the lead a minute into the second half when he arrived at the near post to meet a De Bruyne cross.But Leicester, who had squandered possession cheaply, were reprieved when the Argentine sent a cheeky chip over the crossbar.Albrighton sent a shot into the side netting from a tough angle after a smart pass by Mahrez as Ranieris men grew in confidence.But they almost fell behind when Otamendi met a corner from De Bruyne with a firm header that forced Schmeichel into another good save.With momentum behind them, Leicester sent on Leonardo Ulloa for Inler as they went on the attack.It almost paid off instantly as Ulloas decoy run allowed Vardy to collect Drinkwaters pass, but he shot straight at Joe Hart in the Manchester City goal.Late on Hart had to make a good, flying save to keep out a thunderous shot from Fuchs following a short corner by the Foxes.

Football: FIFA ex-VP 'took $50,000 a month in bribes'

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MONTEVIDEO (AFP) - Fallen FIFA vice president Eugenio Figueredo received $50,000 a month in improper payments from sports marketing companies, authorities in his native Uruguay alleged Tuesday in an indictment.The 83-year-old ex-football boss, one of seven top FIFA officials arrested at a Zurich luxury hotel in May, received hefty sums each month to ensure two firms retained their exclusive rights to various South American tournaments, said the indictment published by a Uruguayan court.Figueredo, who was extradited from Switzerland to Uruguay last week, faces charges of fraud and money laundering, and is currently in jail pending trial.Detailing their case against him, prosecutors said records showed Figueredo received not only a monthly salary of $40,000 as president of South American football confederation CONMEBOL, but also $50,000 a month in bribes, which he invested in Uruguayan real estate.The indictment said the sources of the illicit cash included Argentine firms Full Play and Torneos y Competencias, both of which are in the cross-hairs of the US investigation that unleashed the corruption scandal roiling world football.Figueredo used ploys and deceit to the detriment of Uruguayan clubs and professional footballers, said the indictment.These ploys aimed to maintain the status quo that had reigned for years at CONMEBOL and which resulted in avoiding new offers and/or companies for the sale of television rights to the different tournaments.Figueredo faces two to 15 years in prison if convicted.The head of the Uruguayan Football Association from 1997 to 2006, Figueredo became CONMEBOL president in 2013.CONMEBOLs last three presidents have all been arrested in the scandal, plunging the South American confederation into crisis.In all, 25 current or former top football officials have been indicted in the US investigation, leaving FIFAs reputation in tatters.The world football governing body banned disgraced president Sepp Blatter last week for eight years over ethics violations.
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