Monday 26 January 2015

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Tennis: Dark horse Makarova races into Open semis

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MELBOURNE (AFP) - Australian Open dark horse Ekaterina Makarova of Russia raced into the semi-finals on Tuesday with an upset straight sets thrashing of third seed Simona Halep.Makarova, seeded 10, easily overcame the Romanian 6-4, 6-0 to set up a final four showdown with either fellow Russian Maria Sharapova, seeded second, or Canadian seventh seed Eugenie Bouchard.The 26-year-old has made the quarter-finals at Melbourne Park twice previously but never before advanced to the semis in seven attempts.I love it, its a great feeling that I came through, she said.Shes a tough opponent. I lost to her two years ago (in New Haven). Im used to being in the quarters, so now I have to get used to being in the semis.Halep made a nightmare start, trailing 3-0 on the back of two early breaks, thanks to two double faults and a rash of unforced errors.She broke back in the fourth game and had her chances in the eighth but struggled as the taller Makarova went for tight angles, forcing Halep wide of the baseline.The nuggety Romanian survived one set point with an ace at 5-3 and another with a blistering forehand return as Makarova served in the next game, but the Russian took it on the third attempt after 39 minutes.Makarova, her right thigh heavily strapped, showed no sign of impaired movement, pouncing on a weak Halep return to pressure her opponent in the opening game of the second set.Halep double faulted again, going on to lose her third service game of the match.She again had chances with four break points in the next game but Makarova held on and proceeded to score another break of her own as Haleps returns failed to find their mark.By this stage Haleps trademark fighting qualities had deserted her and the world number three meekly handed Makarova another break to concede the match with a second set 6-0 bagel.

Dense fog blankets parts of Punjab

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LAHORE (Dunya News) - Dense fog covered Parts of Punjab, including Lahore and Sheikhupura on night between Monday and Tuesday and caused problem in the flow of traffic on Motorway from Lahore to Sheikhupura as visibility was down to 20 metres.The Motorway police have appealed the drivers to use fog lights and drive at very slow speed. They have also requested people to stay home and avoid unnecessary travelling.

Football: Aussies face UAE for Asian Cup final spot

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NEWCASTLE (AFP): Australia carry the hopes of an expectant nation on their shoulders when they take on the United Arab Emirates in their Asian Cup semi-final on Tuesday.The hosts have been the tournaments most explosive side but still have hurdles to jump to win their first title, with South Korea awaiting in Saturdays final.The Socceroos scored eight goals in their first two games before being beaten 1-0 by the Koreans to finish runners-up in their group.But Japans shock quarter-final defeat by UAE leaves Australia hot favourites to reach their second final in a row after losing to the Blue Samurai in Doha four years ago.Coach Ange Postecoglou will expect his inspirational skipper Mile Jedinak and the prolific Tim Cahill to carry his side past the tournaments surprise package in Newcastle.The Socceroos have already fired a shot across the bows of the Gulf side, with defender Trent Sainsbury warning star playmaker Omar Abdulrahman to expect a rough ride.I dont think the UAE has got the legs to go with us for 90 minutes, he said. As soon as we lose the ball, well choke them until theyre blue.(Abdulrahman) is very tidy on the ball but if we can get in his face hopefully we can stop him. he added.If Australia can disrupt the almost telepathic understanding between the shaggy-haired Abdulrahman and striker Ali Mabkhout, they should have too much firepower for a UAE side which went to penalties against Japan.A rematch with South Korea on Saturday in Sydney would be a dream final for Asian Cup organisers.People are extremely excited about the team, said Postecoglou. Thats part of the responsibility we carry in this tournament.

Tunisia, Congo through to quarters at African Cup

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BATA (AP) - Tunisia and Congo drew 1-1 and qualified for the quarterfinals at the African Cup of Nations on Monday as Cape Verde became the first team to be eliminated by the tournaments tiebreaker rules.Tunisia led Congo at a near-empty Bata Stadium after Ahmed Akaichis first-half header. Congo equalized in the second half through substitute Loteteka Bokila, a goal that proved crucial for the Congolese as they finished on the same points and same goal difference as Cape Verde. Congo advanced because of more goals scored.Cape Verde drew 0-0 with Zambia on a rain-soaked field in Ebebiyin in the other Group B game Monday and despite going unbeaten through the group stage, Cape Verde ultimately paid the price for scoring just once. Zambia, the 2012 champion, finished last in the group.In Bata, both the Tunisian and Congolese players raised their arms in celebration at the final whistle, with the draw ultimately enough for both of them.The most important thing is ... they qualified, we qualified, Tunisia coach Georges Leekens said. We are both happy. Both coaches happy. Life can be good. Enjoy it.Congo will face Republic of Congo in Bata, while Tunisia is set to play host Equatorial Guinea on Saturday in the remote northeastern city of Ebebiyin. However, there is speculation that game could be moved as the 5,000-seat stadium may be too small given it will likely attract thousands of home fans. The Ebebiyin stadium had never hosted top-level soccer before this tournament.After his teams draw with Congo, Tunisia coach Leekens was asked if he knew where his team would be playing the quarterfinal.Thats a good question. I will ask them where were going to play, Leekens said, turning to a Confederation of African Football official sitting next him at the post-match news conference.Where are we going to play, then? Leekens asked.The official said CAF would make an announcement on the quarterfinal venues on Tuesday.

Football: Stoke avoid joining FA Cup casualty list

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ROCHDALE (AFP) - Stoke easily avoided joining the growing list of famous FA Cup casualties as fine goals from Bojan Krkic and Victor Moses inspired a 4-1 win at Rochdale in the fourth round on Monday.Mark Hughes side travelled to Spotland hoping to ensure there was no repeat of the stunning scenes that saw third tier Bradford win at Premier League leaders Chelsea and Championship team Middlesbrough shock reigning English champions Manchester City on Saturday.With Manchester United held by Cambridge and Liverpool unable to beat Bolton, this years fourth round had already thrown up a series of remarkable results, but Stoke, now the fifth highest-ranked team left in the Cup, subdued their League One opponents to set up a fifth round tie at second tier Blackburn.Former Barcelona forward Bojan put Stoke ahead with an superb swerving volley in the fourth minute and even though he was forced off with an injury soon after, there was never any sign of City losing their grip on the match.Bojans replacement Stephen Ireland doubled Stokes lead in the 52nd minute when he was left unmarked to steer in a cross from Moses.Just nine minutes later, Nigerian winger Moses effectively ended the tie as he tricked his way past Rochdales Joe Rafferty before curling a brilliant finish into the far corner.Rhys Bennett got one back for Rochdale, sweeping home from inside the penalty area after Stoke failed twice to clear their lines in the 78th minute.But Jon Walters tapped in from close-range in stoppage-time to seal Stokes progress to the last 16.

Swimming: S. Korea Olympic star Park fails drug test

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SEOUL (AFP) - South Koreas four-time Olympic swimming medallist Park Tae-hwan has failed a dope test, local media reported on Monday.But his management were quick to blame an injection given to the national pin-up by a local doctor.Park, one of South Koreas most decorated athletes, received chiropractic treatment at a local hospital prior to last years Asian Games, when he was given an injection that contained a banned substance, news agency Yonhap reported his management agency as saying.At the time, the hospital offered to give Park an injection and he repeatedly asked if it contained any illegal substances, the management statement said. The doctor said there would be no problem. And yet it turned out the injection contained a banned substance.He hasnt even taken cold medicine so that he wouldnt fail doping tests. Park is more shocked by this result than anyone else.The agency said they were planning to take legal action against the hospital.Cornel Marculescu, executive director of world swimming body FINA, declined to comment to AFP, saying only that FINAs anti-doping commission would meet in late February.Park won 400m freestyle gold and 200m freestyle silver at the Beijing 2008 Olympics, becoming South Koreas first Olympic swimming medallist.He also won silver in both events at the 2012 London Olympics, along with 400m gold in the world championships in 2007 and 2011.The 25-year-old swimmer had a disappointing time in the pool in front of an expectant home crowd at the 2014 Asian Games, managing only a silver and five bronzes.

Cycling: Armstrong says he'd cheat again

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LONDON (AFP) - Cycling outcast Lance Armstrong has said he would take banned substances again if faced with the same circumstances that saw him dope in 1995.In an interview with the BBC on Monday, the American said it was not possible to win cleanly when he was dominating the Tour de France with a record seven wins from 1999 to 2005 but that the race could now be won by a clean rider.Asked, if he would cheat again, Armstrong said: If I was racing in 2015, no, I wouldnt do it again because I dont think you have to.If you take me back to 1995, when doping was completely pervasive, I would probably do it again.Armstrong, who insisted he was clean when he came out of retirement in 2009 and 2010 -- contrary to USADAs report -- added: When I made the decision, when my team made that decision, when the whole peloton made that decision, it was a bad decision and an imperfect time.But it happened. And I know what happened because of that. I know what happened to the sport, I saw its growth.Armstrong, 43, was stripped of his Tour titles and given a life-ban from cycling by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) in 2012, having denied for years he was a drugs cheat.The cancer-survivor eventually made a public confession in a television interview with US chat show host Oprah Winfrey in 2013.On Monday, he also said he deserved a reduction in his ban after twice speaking to the Cycling Independent Reform Commission (CIRC, a campaign group looking to clean up the sport.He was also keen his Tour titles be restored, with Armstrong saying the absence of a winner was equivalent to the years when the race wasnt run because of the First and Second World Wars. He added that good had come from his participation in the sport, saying Trek Bicycles, his supplier, had increase sales from $100 million (66.5 million pounds) to $1 billion as the story of how he overcame cancer to again become a champion racer brought new fans into cycling, while his charity foundation, Livestrong, was able to raise $500 million.Do we want to take it away? he said. I dont think anybody says yes.As for the Tour de France titles now erased from the record books, Armstrong said: I think there has to be a winner, Im just saying that as a fan. Theres a huge block in World War One with no winners, and theres another block in World War Two, and then it seems like theres another world war.I dont think history is stupid, history rectifies a lot of things. If you ask me what happens in 50 years, I dont think it sits empty... I feel like I won those Tours, Armstrong added.

Pakistan hope to lurch from disaster to triumph

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KARACHI (AFP) - If there is one team among the top eight at the World Cup which could either crash out embarrassingly in the first round or romp to the title, its Pakistan.The talented yet unpredictable side are haunted by injuries to their fast bowlers, the suspension of match-winning spinner Saeed Ajmal and a tussle for the captaincy between Misbah-ul Haq and Shahid Afridi.All seems to have settled down as Misbahs men embark on a mission to match Imran Khans World Cup triumph -- Pakistans only win -- in Australia some 23 years ago.This team has the spirit of cornered tigers, said chief selector and former captain Moin Khan, a key member of 1992 winning team. If they play to their potential this team can surprise the world.Captain Misbah, who has recovered from a hamstring injury, is also confident of the best results.The format of this World Cup is such that teams have a lot of opportunities, said Misbah, who will retire from one-day cricket after the World Cup. It would be the icing on the cake if I end my one-day career with the trophy.But Misbah knows his bowling will miss Ajmal, who has single-handedly won matches for Pakistan before being suspended for an illegal bowling action last September.Spinning all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez -- suspended in November last year also over an illegal bowling action -- needs to clear a reassessment test to allow the right combination to Misbah.It will be important that Hafeez clears the test because he is two-in-one and his bowling gives us the right combination, said the captain.Lanky paceman Mohammad Irfan -- the tallest man to ever play international cricket at 7 feet, one inch -- is expected to be the X-factor in an otherwise inexperienced pace attack which will miss Umar Gul, not fit enough for the event after knee and ankle problems.To me the X-factor in our team is Irfan. With his height I think he can be dangerous, said coach Waqar Younis, who missed Pakistans World Cup win in 1992 with a back problem.In Ajmals absence, leg-spinner Yasir Shah, along with all-rounder Afridi, will handle the spin department.Afridi, who will also quit one-day cricket after the World Cup, will be important too as a batsman in the slog overs as will be Umar Akmal, Misbah and Sohaib Maqsood.Pakistans top-order problem persists and will continue to haunt them as Hafeez opening the innings with Ahmed Shehzad doesnt always guarantee a trouble-free start.They will hope experienced the Younis Khan and Misbah provide stability to the batting, for which the main problem lies in playing too many dot balls.Pakistan has the worst run-rate among the top ten teams in playing dot balls from over 11 to 40.Pakistan must win one of their first two matches -- against arch-rivals India and the West Indies -- in order to have easier passage into the last eight. If not, their qualification will rely on their last group B match against a dangerous Ireland team, the same opponents who ousted them in the first round of the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean.

Sri Lanka bank on Sanga-Mahela hit show

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NEW DELHI (AFP) - Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene will join hands for the last time in their brilliant careers to plot Sri Lankas World Cup campaign, hoping to make amends for two successive heartbreaks.The missing link in the enduring partnership between the two 37-year-olds that started at the turn of the century is the absence of a World Cup triumph despite coming so near.Jayawardene was captain when Sri Lanka reached the final of the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean, only to see Australia cruise to a 53-run win in near-darkness in Barbados.Four years later in India, Sangakkara was at the helm in the title clash when Mahendra Singh Dhonis home team inflicted a six-wicket defeat despite a magnificent 103 off 88 balls by Jayawardene.The two veterans, who go into the World Cup as the leading run-getters in one-day cricket among those still playing, took the setbacks in their stride and looked positively ahead at the future.We may not have won those two tournaments, but reaching two successive finals showed we played consistently well, said Jayawardene. Hopefully we can cross the line this time.Jayawardene will hang his boots after the World Cup, having already retired from Test and Twenty20 cricket last year to concentrate on his fifth appearance in the showpiece event.Sangakkara will also bid farewell to limited-overs cricket after the World Cup, but remains undecided about prolonging his Test career after enjoying a tremendous run with the bat in recent months.The World Cup gives both a last chance to bow out in a blaze of glory and the signs are already encouraging that this could be Sri Lankas year in Australia and New Zealand.In Sangakkara and Jayawardenes final T20 appearance last April, Sri Lanka won the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh to end a drought of major titles since they took the World Cup in 1996.Angelo Mathews men won more one-dayers (20 out of 32) than any other team in 2014, including the Asia Cup title that also featured defending World Cup champions India and Pakistan.Sri Lankans dominate the run-getters list for the year gone by with left-handed Sangakkara leading the pack with 1,256 runs, followed by Mathews in second place with 1,244 and opener Tillakaratne Dilshan in fourth with 990.Unorthodox spinner Ajantha Mendis topped the bowling charts with 38 wickets, but still failed to make the World Cup squad as the selectors went with left-armer Rangana Herath and off-spinner Sachithra Senanayake instead.Sri Lanka will sweat over the fitness of pace spearhead Lasith Malinga, who was picked for the World Cup in a gamble by the selectors despite being sidelined following an ankle surgery in September.The devastating sling-armer, 31, who is the only bowler in history to claim three hat-tricks in one-day internationals, is expected to be fit by the tournament opener against New Zealand on February 14, but is not guaranteed a place in the side yet.

'Constructive spirit' at Libya peace talks: UN

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GENEVA (AFP) - A new round of peace talks between Libyas warring factions kicked off in Geneva Monday with all parties showing a constructive spirit, the United Nations said.I am confident that Libyans participating and those who hopefully will join the talks have a very clear determination to reach an agreement, to pacify the country and to overcome the crisis, said Bernadino Leon, the UN envoy for Libya and mediator in the talks.There is a very constructive spirit. There are very good ideas on the table, he said in a statement after Mondays talks, adding everything is positive.During a first round of UN-mediated discussions in the Swiss city earlier this month, the warring factions from the strife-torn country agreed on a roadmap to form a unity government. Leon warned ahead of the first round of talks that they were a last-ditch effort to prevent all-out chaos, and that the country was rapidly becoming a hotbed of Islamist insurgents.He said Monday that he was satisfied with the progress so far.Its an excellent atmosphere. What is important is to build trust, he said, adding: All these steps we are taking are sound steps.The north African nation has been wracked by conflict since the overthrow of dictator Moamar Kadhafi in a 2011 uprising, with rival governments and powerful militias battling for control of key cities and the countrys oil riches.The second round of talks, which will continue on Tuesday, counted participants from a range of groups and representatives of civil society.But the Islamist-backed Fajr Libya (Libya Dawn) militia alliance, which took over Tripoli last summer, was not officially taking part.However, it did declare a ceasefire with Libyas army following the January 15 agreement, and some of the groups high-level officials from cities beyond the capital, including Misrata, were in Geneva for the negotiations.Ahead of the talks, the UNs Libya mission UNSMIL appealed to all sides to approach these talks... in a spirit of openness and reconciliation that is guided by the higher national interest of the Libyan people. In addition to the main political track resuming Monday, the UN said another meeting would be taking place in Geneva on Wednesday bringing together municipal and local council representatives from cities and towns across Libya to discuss confidence building measures and ways to implement them.UNSMIL said it also planned to convene a number of other meetings later. These will include representatives from Libyan political parties, social and tribal forces, as well as the armed groups, it said in a statement.The internationally-recognised government and elected parliament decamped last summer to the countrys far east after Fajr Libya seized Tripoli and set up its own administration.The first round of talks appear to have done little to calm the situation on the ground.Libyan Deputy Foreign Minister Hassan al-Saghir was kidnapped Sunday by gunmen posing as security forces in the eastern city of Al-Baida, where the recognised government is based.He was released Monday and was in good condition, a ministry official said, without providing further details.

Obama wraps up India visit with town hall meeting

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NEW DELHI (AFP) - US President Barack Obama will host a town hall-style meeting in India on Tuesday, seeking to stress the shared values of the worlds largest democracies as he wraps up a visit aimed at reinvigorating their sometimes tense ties.The speech to around 1,500 young Indians comes at the end of an unprecedented second visit to India by a serving US president, underscoring Obamas determination to reinvent a relationship marred by a bitter diplomatic row in late 2013.Although the trip has been light on substantive policy announcements, Obama and new Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a breakthrough on a nuclear deal that had stalled under Indias previous government and have been at pains to demonstrate their personal rapport. Obama, who hosted Modi in Washington in September, has said the stars are aligned to realise a vision he outlined for the two countries to become global partners when he last visited in 2010.Both sides want a counter-balance to China, with Modi seen as taking a more assertive line on Indias powerful neighbour than the previous government.People have long looked at this relationship and seen the fundamentals in place for a really, really close partnership, and yet its been a challenge in translating that into outcomes, said Obamas advisor Ben Rhodes ahead of Tuesdays event at a New Delhi auditorium.I think the president will want to speak to how do we tap into the energy and the support in both countries for the relationship and turn that into positive progress on the issues that matter in peoples lives.Modi has promised to revive Indias flagging economy to improve the fortunes of its 1.2 billion people, many of whom still live in dire poverty.On Monday he vowed to banish the countrys reputation as a tough place to do business, promising a competitive tax regime and an end to excessive red tape in a pitch to US executives delivered alongside Obama.Under the previous left-leaning Congress government, investors frequently complained about a hostile business climate in India, frustrated by bureaucracy and corruption.Earlier Monday, Obama became the first US president to attend Indias Republic Day parade, drawing cheers from spectators who turned out in large numbers despite rain and heavy security.The invitation to the annual celebration is one of the biggest honours the country can bestow on a foreign leader and underscores the importance that Modi places on US ties.The Indian premier extended a personal invitation to Obama, a measure of the turnaround in relations after a tense row involving the arrest and strip-search of an Indian diplomat in New York in late 2013.Modi has gone out of his way to welcome Obama, breaking with protocol to greet him on the tarmac and inviting him to co-host a radio phone-in that will be broadcast on Tuesday evening.The atmosphere of bonhomie between the two leaders is all the more remarkable given that Modi was persona non grata in Washington only a year ago.His election in May 2014 was a potential headache for the US, which had blacklisted the Hindu nationalist for more than a decade after deadly communal riots in Gujarat when he was state chief minister.He was only brought in from the cold last February when the US ambassador travelled to Gujarat once it appeared Modi was likely to end the centre-left Congress partys 10-year rule.Rhodes also said the US president would use Tuesdays speech to stress the importance of diversity as a democratic value in the majority-Hindu nation.Indias Muslim minority lags behind the rest of the population in economic status and there have been several major incidences of communal violence in recent years.The US president had been scheduled to visit the Taj Mahal with First Lady Michelle Obama on Tuesday, but his trip has been cut short to allow him to travel on to Saudi Arabia and pay his respects to new King Salman.

Americans still confusing Sikhs for Muslims: study

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - More than a decade after 9/11, Americans who come across a turban-wearing Sikh are still prone to mistaking him for a Muslim, according to a study released Monday.Sixty percent of Americans who participated in the study by the non-profit National Sikh Campaign admitted to knowing nothing about the Sikhs who live, study and work in their midst.When shown a photo of a smiling older Sikh male in a red turban, 28 percent of respondents thought he was Middle Eastern and 20 percent believed he was Muslim.Thirty-five percent thought he might be from India, or of Indian descent. Only 11 percent correctly identified him as Sikh.Shown a fashionable young woman with knee-length hair -- the Sikh faith discourages hair-cutting for either sex -- 20 percent described her as Middle Eastern. No one thought she was Sikh.We have been very much part of the American fabric, and yet we are not well known, and often misunderstood, said Rajwant Singh, co-founder and senior adviser of the National Sikh Campaign.Frankly speaking, we are just tired of being the target and we want to be understood.The first Sikhs emigrated to the United States from what was then British-ruled India a century ago.Today, the Sikh American community numbers between 200,000 and 500,000. Estimates vary because the US Census Bureau collects no data on religious affiliation.But in the wake of the September 11 attacks in 2001, Sikhs have found themselves targeted -- with sometimes bloody results -- by Americans who presume anyone in a turban must be a Muslim.I feel there is still a lot of ignorance, said Arizona businessman Rana Singh Sodhi, who lost two brothers in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks in New York and Washington.One of the brothers, Arizona gas station owner Balbir Singh Sodhi, was slain four days after 9/11 by a white American who reportedly bragged that he wanted to go out and shoot some towelheads to avenge the attacks.The gunman, Frank Silva Roque, got a death sentence for his actions that was later reduced to life imprisonment.A second brother, Sukhpal Sodhi, died in 2012 after he was hit, apparently by a stray bullet from a gang fight, in his San Francisco taxi cab.In August 2012, a white supremacist and US army veteran fatally shot six people and wounded four others at a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin before taking his own life.It was the worst attack on a place of worship in the United States since the 1963 bombing of an African American church in Birmingham, Alabama that left four dead and 22 injured.Jaswant Singh Sachdev, a prominent member of the Sikh community in Arizona, said he remembered a time when Sikhs were viewed as nobility in American society.The mood changed, he said, during the 1979-81 Iranian hostage crisis when supreme leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini was cast as a villain in US media.Sikhs wear their turbans in a peaked style; Iranian clergy wrap theirs in a flat, circular fashion, but many Americans failed to notice a difference.When they see it, even the children, it is always the turban that causes suspicion and fear in those who see it for the first time, he said.The National Sikh Campaign commissioned its study, based on interviews with more than 1,100 Americans, as a starting point to raise public awareness of the Sikh community at the national and local levels.One encouraging finding: Americans aged 16 through 34, including Millennials, are more inclined than other subgroups to hold positive feelings about Sikhs.What tragic is that we hold incredibly progressive values, said Gurwin Singh Ahuja, also a co-founder of the National Sikh Campaign, whose report appears online at sikhcampaign.org.Sikhs believe that men and women are equal and that all faiths have the right to practice (their faith), he said.We have to do a better job of communicating those things.

Euro recovers slightly after Greek polls; ruble sinks

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NEW YORK (AFP) - The euro pulled higher against the dollar in late trade Monday after hitting a 12-year low of $1.1101 in the wake of the leftist Syriza partys victory in Greek elections.The choice of Syriza leader Alexis Tsipras as prime minister raised the prospect of tough talks with Greeces creditors over easing rescue terms, if not more debt restructuring, and likely more turbulence in the markets.Investors can expect Greek-led market volatility for at least six months until a Syriza-led government is better understood, said Tom Elliott, a strategist at investment advisor deVere Group.The euro will weaken -- perhaps to parity with the dollar -- over the next six months as investors seek safe havens, he added.In late trade the euro pulled back to $1.1234, and to 133.12 yen. The greenback was also higher against the yen at 118.49.Meanwhile the ruble sank after a deadly rocket attack on Mariupol, Ukraine, by pro-Russian rebels raised the prospect of more Western sanctions on Moscow and Standard & Poors cut Russias debt rating to junk level.The dollar bought 67.18 rubles in late trade, compared with 64.13 late Friday.

Kurds defeat Islamic State jihadists in Syria's Kobane

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BEIRUT (AFP) - Kurdish militia drove the Islamic State group from the Syrian town of Kobane and raised their flags on Monday, dealing the jihadists an important blow after months of heavy fighting.Across the border in Iraq, meanwhile, a top army officer announced troops had liberated Diyala province from IS jihadists.In Syria, the Kurdish advance in Kobane, on the frontier with Turkey, marked the culmination of a battle lasting more than four months in which nearly 1,800 people were killed.The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG) had expelled all Islamic State fighters from Kobane and have full control of the town. The Kurds are pursuing some jihadists on the eastern outskirts of Kobane, but there is no more fighting inside now, said the Observatorys Rami Abdel Rahman.Kurdish forces were carrying out mopping-up operations against remaining IS forces in the Maqtala district, on the towns eastern outskirts.YPG spokesman Polat Jan also announced the news on Twitter, writing: Congratulations to humanity, Kurdistan, and the people of Kobane on the liberation of Kobane.Mustafa Ebdi, an activist from the town, said the fighting has stopped.YPG forces were advancing carefully in Maqtala because of the threat of mines and car bombs, he added.The United States, which has led a coalition bombing IS forces in Syria and Iraq, was cautious, declining to confirm an end to the battle.Im not prepared to say the battle is won. The battle continues, but friendly forces have the momentum, Pentagon spokesman Colonel Steve Warren told reporters in Washington.State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said we are pushing them back but that Kobane remains contested.The Kurdish advance came after the Pentagon said the international coalition had carried out 17 air strikes against jihadist positions in Kobane within 24 hours.The targets included tactical units and fighting positions as well as an IS vehicle and staging areas.The loss of Kobane, also known as Ain al-Arab, would be an important defeat for IS.The group has lost 1,196 fighters since it began its advance on the town on September 16, said the British-based Observatory.At one point, the jihadist group had looked poised to overrun Kobane.IS wielded sophisticated weapons captured from military bases in Syria and Iraq and committed hundreds of fighters to the battle.But Kurdish forces gradually pushed back the jihadists with the help of the US-led air raids and a group of fighters from Iraqs Kurdish peshmerga forces.Analysts say the loss of Kobane is both a symbolic and strategic blow for IS, which set its sights on the small town in a bid to cement its control over a long stretch of the Syrian-Turkish border.Since the group emerged in its current form in 2013, it has captured large swathes of territory in both Syria and Iraq.It has declared an Islamic caliphate in territory under its control, and gained a reputation for brutality, including executions and torture.But its apparent failure in Kobane could put the brakes on its plans for expansion in Syria.Despite all that manpower, all that sophisticated weaponry, IS couldnt get the city, so its a big blow for their plans and its a great achievement for the Kurds, said analyst Mutlu Civiroglu.Kobane sets an example on the ground, showing that when you have skilled fighters on the ground with the support of air strikes, this danger, these forces, can be stopped and eliminated.Civilians were largely spared in the fighting because they evacuated en masse, mostly across the border into Turkey, in the early stages of the battle.Over the border in Iraq, the army announced another defeat for IS, with the recapture of Diyala province.We announce the liberation of Diyala from the (IS) organisation, Staff Lieutenant General Abdulamir al-Zaidi said.Iraqi forces are in complete control of all the cities and districts and subdistricts of Diyala province.The general said there would still be clashes however against IS in the rural Hamreen mountains, which stretch across multiple provinces, including Diyala.Among international forces training the Iraqi military, Canadian special forces have twice exchanged gunfire with IS fighters since the first confirmed ground battle in Iraq between Western troops and the jihadists earlier this month, a senior officer in Ottawa said.Two similar events have occurred over the last week and, in both cases, Canadian special operations forces, again acting in self-defence, effectively returned fire, neutralising the threat, said Captain Paul Forget.No Canadians were injured.

Afridi set for English T20 stint

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LONDON (AFP) - Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi is to play for Northamptonshire in the first six rounds of English crickets 2015 T20 Blast competition, the Midlands county announced Monday.One of the most spectacular hitters of a cricket ball the game has know, the 34-year-old Afridi -- nicknamed Boom Boom for his dynamism with the bat -- holds the record for the most sixes in one-day internationals with 342 to his credit. Renowned for his rapid run-scoring, Afridi - also an effective leg-spinner -- has a strike-rate of 116.29 from 389 ODIs and 145.29 from 77 T20 games for Pakistan.He doesnt need a big introduction. He is one of the top one-day cricketers of the last decade, Northamptonshire coach David Ripley told BBC Radio Northampton.I think we were in the right place at the right time to get a bit of dialogue going, the former Northamptonshire wicketkeeper added.Its a very exciting signing. Its for the start of the competition so hopefully we can come out of the blocks quickly.We might not be able to finance another player further down the line, but we havent given up hope on that.Afridi, who has also played county cricket for Leicestershire, Derbyshire, Kent and Hampshire, has said he will retire from ODI cricket following this years World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, which starts next month.Northamptonshire, who won English county crickets T20 title in 2013, hope to have Afridi available in time for their opening match of this seasons competition, away to Durham on May 15.
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