Wednesday 11 February 2015

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Badin: 39 rare deer disappeared from Benazir Park

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BADIN (Dunya News) – According to details, at least 39 rare deer disappeared from Benazir Park. The park was built during Pakistan People’s Party tenure with a cost of Rs 40 million.The sources informed that eight more deer were found dead in the bathrooms of the park. At least 14 rare birds are also missing from the park. Asources said that the missing deer have been presented to some politicians as gifts.

Obama asks fresh war powers, says IS group 'going to lose'

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WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama urged Congress on Wednesday to authorize military action against the Islamic State militants who are cutting a swath across the Middle East, vowing their forces are going to lose. Yet he ruled out large-scale U.S. ground combat operations reminiscent of Iraq and Afghanistan.Im convinced that the United States should not get dragged back into another prolonged ground war, the president said at the White House as he set Congress on a path to its first war-powers vote in 13 years.Despite his words of reassurance, initial reaction in Congress amounted to bipartisan skepticism, with much of the dissatisfaction centered on his attempt to find a political middle ground with respect to ground forces.Republicans expressed unhappiness that he had chosen to exclude any long-term commitment of ground forces, while some Democrats voiced dismay that he had opened the door to deployment at all.Sen. John McCain, a leading Republican, also said Obama had ruled out air support for U.S.-trained rebels battling Syrian President Bashar Assad, adding, Thats immoral.Under Obamas proposal, the use of military force against Islamic State fighters would be authorized for three years, unbounded by national borders. The fight could be extended to any closely related successor entity to the Islamic State organization that has overrun parts of Iraq and Syria, imposed a stern form of Sharia law and killed several hostages it has taken, Americans among them.Make no mistake. This is a difficult mission, Obama said in seeking action against a group that he said threatens Americas own security. He said it will take time to dislodge the terrorists, especially from urban areas. But our coalition is on the offensive. ISIL is on the defensive, and ISIL is going to lose.The 2002 congressional authorization that preceded the American-led invasion of Iraq would be repealed under the White House proposal, a step some Republicans were unhappy to see. But a separate authorization that was approved by Congress after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks would remain in force, to the consternation of some Democrats.At the heart of the debate, the struggle to define any role for American ground forces is likely to determine the outcome of the administrations request for legislation. White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the proposal was intentionally ambiguous on that point to give the president flexibility, although the approach also was an attempt to bridge a deep divide in Congress.While asking lawmakers to bar long-term, large-scale ground combat operations like those in Afghanistan and Iraq, Obama said he wants the flexibility for ground combat operations in other more limited circumstances. Those include rescue missions, intelligence collection and the use of special operations forces in possible military action against Islamic State leaders.While he proposed legislation to terminate in three years, Obama said, It is not a timetable. It is not announcing that the mission is completed at any given period. What it is saying is that Congress should revisit the issue at the beginning of the next presidents term.Whatever the outcome, Obamas request puts Congress on the path toward a vote that could reverberate unpredictably for years.A post-Sept. 11 request from then-President George W. Bush for authorization to use military force against Iraq was intensely controversial, and it played a role in Obamas successful campaign for the White House in 2008.In a letter to lawmakers accompanying the three-page draft legislation, Obama referred to four American hostages who have died in Islamic State custody at least three of them beheaded. He said the militant group, if left unchecked, will pose a threat beyond the Middle East, including to the United States homeland.Among the four hostages was Kayla Mueller, a 26-year-old humanitarian worker whose death under unknown circumstances was confirmed Tuesday.

300 feared drowned in new Mediterranean boat tragedy

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ROME (AFP) - More than 300 migrants are feared drowned after their overcrowded dinghies sank in the Mediterranean, triggering calls for the world to act after the latest boat disaster in a perilous crossing from Africa to Europe.The victims were mainly from sub-Saharan Africa who had left the coast of conflict-wracked Libya at the weekend in four small inflatable boats, the UN refugee agency said.This is a tragedy on an enormous scale and a stark reminder that more lives could be lost if those seeking safety are left at the mercy of the sea, UNHCR Europe director Vincent Cochetel said in a statement.Details of the apparent mass drownings emerged after nine migrants -- in a group of more than 200 packed into two dinghies -- were rescued by the coastguard and taken to the Italian island of Lampedusa.Nine were saved after four days at sea. The other 203 were swallowed by the waves, UNHCRs Italy spokeswoman Carlotta Sami said.A total of 29 Africans believed to have sailed in another one of the dinghies perished from exposure after being picked up by the Italian coastguard on Monday.The UN refugee agency on Wednesday said reports from survivors in Lampedusa now suggest some 300 people are confirmed missing, while a fourth boat is unaccounted for.The International Organization for Migration said it feared the latest death toll could eclipse the shocking single accident tally from October 2013, when 366 migrants drowned off Lampedusa in a similar attempt to reach Europe.IOM said the migrants had travelled to Libya from Senegal, Ivory Coast, Gambia, Guinea, Niger, Mali and Mauritania, and that three children travelling on their own were among the survivors.Whats happening now is worse than a tragedy -- its a crime, IOM chief William Lacy Swing said in a statement. The world must act.Last year, more than 3,200 people died while attempting to reach Italy by boat from North Africa.IOM warned 2015 could be even deadlier, pointing out that the latest suspected drownings come on top of 115 deaths reported in the Mediterranean since the beginning of the year, more than four times the number during the same period last year.Survivors who spoke with the organisations staff in Lampedusa on Wednesday described how ruthless smugglers had forced them to board inflatable rafts and set out in raging seas.They forced us to climb aboard the ship with guns and sticks, robbing us of all our belongings, one survivor was quoted as saying by IOM.The 29 who died of exposure on Monday were picked up from a small boat that was hopelessly ill-equipped to cope with waves up to eight metres (25-feet) high, gale-force winds and torrential rain.Doctors involved in the rescue operation believe some of them would have survived if they had been rescued by a large military vessel rather than the small patrol boats that were sent to their aid.The latest deaths have highlighted the limited means and scope of Triton, an EU-run mission which took over in November from the Italian navys Mare Nostrum search and rescue operation.Italy decided to scale back the mission after its EU partners refused to share running costs of around nine million euros ($10 million) a month. Triton, which comes under the authority of the EU borders agency Frontex, has a monthly budget of 2.9 million euros ($3.3 million) and its patrols are generally restricted to the territorial waters of EU member states.If we are to talk seriously about improving the situation then we also need to talk about financing it adequately, European Commission spokeswoman Natasha Bertaud said.Amnesty International slammed EU countries Wednesday for burying their heads in the sand while hundreds keep dying at sea.But Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi called for a halt to the derby between Triton and Mare Nostrum. Europe has to realise that as well as Ukraine and Greece, there is also Libya which has been out of control for years.If we want to stop the Mediterranean turning into a cemetery the priority has to be to resolve the situation in Libya.More than 170,000 people arrived in Italy in 2014 after being picked up by the navy, coastguard or merchant ships.Most of them left from Libya, where port controls have all but disappeared with the countrys descent into violent chaos since the 2011 ouster of former dictator Moamer Kadhafi.

Costa skipper gets 16 years for cruise ship disaster

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GROSSETO (AFP) - An Italian court on Wednesday sentenced Costa Concordia captain Francesco Schettino to 16 years and one month in prison for causing the 2012 cruise ship disaster which claimed 32 lives.Schettino, 54, was sentenced at the end of a 19-month trial, three years after the giant liner struck rocks off the Tuscan island of Giglio.The conviction of the man dubbed Captain Coward by the media and an idiot by prosecutors, is subject to appeal and Schettino will remain free for the time being after the three judges in the case rejected a request for him to be sent to jail immediately on the grounds that he could could skip the country.The disgraced skipper, who had earlier tearfully appealed to the court for mercy, was convicted of manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning his ship with passengers and crew still on board.On top of the prison term, he was banned from public office from life and from working as a ship captain for five years.His sentence was significantly lower than the maximum of 26 years and three months which prosecutors had called for. Despite that, the prosecutors declared themselves completely satisfied with the verdict.The judges completely accepted all the charges we made against the accused, they said in a statement.Schettino lawyer Domenico Pepe confirmed his client would appeal. The fact that the judges almost halved the sentence sought by the prosecution has restored a bit of honour to him, Pepe said outside court.Schettino was accused during the trial of recklessly steering the giant cruise ship onto the rocks with more than 4,000 people on board, negligently delaying an order to abandon ship and then leaving the ship himself in a cowardly and unprofessional manner.In his defence, Schettino had argued that his crew was to blame for the collision, that the delayed evacuation might have saved lives and insisted he fell off the tilting boat rather than fleeing in fear.Schettino had also claimed he was being made the sole scapegoat for the disaster and had been the victim of a media witch-hunt.I have spent the last three years in a media meat grinder, he said.It is difficult to call what I have been living through a life.All the responsibility has been loaded on to me with no respect for the truth or for the memory of the victims.Breaking down in loud sobs, Schettino concluded by declaring basta (enough) before slumping back down into his seat.Schettinos lawyers had sought throughout the trial to demonstrate that he could not be only person responsible for the deaths that occurred given the multiple contributory factors.They argued that a poorly-trained crew was responsible for setting the ship on its fatal course and that the practice of passing close to shorelines to entertain passengers was effectively company policy.Charts on board were not accurate and, crucially, the Indonesian helmsman, Jacob Rusli Bin, was unable to understand an order from Schettino to change course just before the collision, the defence contended.They also argued, unsuccessfully, that it was not the collision, but rather the chaos that ensued due to the ship losing power that was the direct cause of the deaths and that their client could not be held responsible for this mechanical failure.Costa Crociere, the company that owned the ship, sidestepped potential criminal charges in 2013 by agreeing to pay a one million euro ($1.10 million) fine.Survivors of the disaster who had rejected Costas initial compensation offer and had become civil parties in the Schettino case were awarded damages of 30,000 euros ($34,000 each). Among those who will receive the payout is Domnica Cemortan, the blonde Moldovan dancer who Schettino was entertaining over dinner just before the ship hit the rocks.Five Costa employees including the helmsman and crisis coordinator were sentenced to up to two years and 10 months each in plea bargains concluded early in the investigation.

6.7 magnitude quake strikes Chile-Argentina border: USGS

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SANTIAGO (AFP) - A 6.7 magnitude earthquake struck a region along the border of Chile and Argentina on Wednesday, the US Geological Survey said.The USGS initially reported the quake, which hit at 1857 GMT, as having a magnitude of 6.9 but later revised the reading.In its later report, it put the quakes location at 93 kilometers (58 miles) west of El Aguilar, Argentina, near the border with Chile.Its depth was given as 190 kilometers (118 miles), after an initial report that it occurred a depth of nearly 269 kilometers.

Four dead in Florida plane crash: report

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MIAMI (AFP) - At least four people were killed Wednesday in Florida when their small plane careered out of control and smashed into trees, before bursting into flames, local media said.The Beechcraft 1900 aircraft was reportedly headed to the Turks and Caicos Islands in the Atlantic when it came down not far from Miami Executive Airport in Kendall after engine failure, said airport spokesman Greg Chin.The passengers were not able to survive this, The Miami Herald quoted him as saying.There were no fatalities on the ground because the plane crashed in a sparsely populated area, knocking out utility poles, leaving homes in the area without power.Television footage showed the charred wreckage covered in foam by fire crews that raced to the scene of the mangled plane.

MQM decides in principle to re-join Sindh government

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KARACHI (Dunya News) - Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) on Wednesday decided in principle to re-join Sindh government, Dunya News reported.This decision was taken after a meeting between delegation of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) comprising Chief Minister Sindh, Syed Qaim Ali Shah and Muttahida Qaumi Movement leaders Baber Ghauri, Khalid Maqbool, Raof Siddiqui and Naved Jamil at the Governor’s House on Wednesday night.MQM chief Altaf Hussain while talking to the delegations of both parties from London on telephone said that the people of Sindh were pitted against each other in the past. He said that it the right time to foster harmony and reconciliation in the province.Talking to media after the meeting, Rehman Malik said that it was also decided in the meeting that both parties will jointly contest upcoming Senat Election. He further said that out of 11 seats of Senate from Sindh, PPP will contest election on seven seats while the MQM will contest on remaining four seats.

Tennis: Murray cruises, Wawrinka struggles into second round

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ROTTERDAM (AFP) - Andy Murray rebounded nicely from his Australian Open disappointment as the Scot defeated Nicolas Mahut 6-3, 6-2 on Wednesday to reach the second round of the ATP Rotterdam World Tennis event.The world number four who lost the Grand Slam title bid 10 days ago to Novak Djokovic, hammered the 109th-ranked Mahut to hand the Frenchman a 30th career defeat by a top 10 player.While the Scot eased through in 93 minutes, fourth seed Stan Wawrinka had to overcome a second-set blip in which which his game went completely off the boil before finally recovering to defeat Dutchman Jesse Huta Galung 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.Even then Wawrinka needed six match points to seal victory over a player ranked a lowly 248th in the world in just over an hour-and-a-half.Its never easy to start, but getting through is the most important, said Wawrinka.Match conditions are always different than practise.But Ive been training well and Im pleased to have won.Wawrinka, ranked ninth in the world, will next play Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, who beat Uzbek Denis Istomin 7-6 (7/5), 6-4.Wawrinka won the first set in 34 minutes but struggled in the second set as he seemed to lose concentration.But in the third set, the 2014 Australian Open winner went up a break for 3-1 and slowly regained command.Murray, the 2009 champion at the Ahoy Stadium, was never in trouble against Mahut, whose sole victory over the Scotsman was a shock first round win on grass at Queens club in 2012.It was a high-quality match, said the winner.In the second set he had a lot of chances.We played some long games with some very good points, it was a real contrast in styles, as he likes to come to the net whenever possible.It was a good match, a very high standard. The scoreline does not reflect how tough it was.Murray moved into a second-round match with Canadian Vasek Pospisil.Murray made the break in the first set to lead 4-2 as 33-year-old Mahut lunged and missed a volley.Murray then ran out the set in 33 minutes, blasting down an ace on his first set point.The second set was one-way traffic for Murray, who broke the Frenchman three times to go 5-0 up.But Mahut suddenly caught fire, forcing Murray to save two break points before the Scots fourth double-fault handed the Frenchman a first game.Mahut pulled another game back to make it 2-5 before Murray ended the comeback moments later with an easy volley.The last game of the evening saw Gilles Muller beat fifth seed and 2013 semi-finalist Grigor Dimitrov 6-2, 7-6 (10/8) with each man firing 11 aces.Muller, who beat John Isner at the Australian Open before losing in the fourth round to Djokovic, eased to victory against the talented but inconsistent Bulgarian in 85 minutes.In other first-round results, Sergiy Stakhovsky beat Austrian Dominic Thiem 6-1, 6-3 while Italian Andreas Seppi, conqueror of Roger Federer in Melbourne, came from behind to beat Hollands Robin Haase 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-3.

Football: Barcelona ease towards Copa del Rey final

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MADRID (AFP) - Barcelona took a huge step towards their fifth Copa del Rey final in seven years with a 3-1 win over Villarreal in the first leg of their semi-final on Wednesday.Lionel Messi opened the scoring from Luis Suarezs cutback four minutes before the break, but Villarreal levelled shortly after half-time when Marc-Andre Ter Stegen failed to keep out Manu Trigueross drive.However, Barca were back in front within a minute through Andres Iniesta and Gerard Piques header 26 minutes from time made it 3-1.The Catalans could have had an even healthier advantage to take into the second leg on March 4, but Neymar had his penalty saved by Sergio Asenjo.Barca were camped in the Villarreal half for the first 45 minutes, but it took them some time to carve out chances against the massed ranks of the visitors defence.Messi fired just over from Iniestas neat lay-off on the half-hour mark before Villarreal suffered an injury blow when captain Bruno was carried off to be replaced by Trigueros.All of Villarreals good work was undone four minutes before half-time when Mateo Musacchio slipped to allow Suarez to rob possession and he squared for Messi to slot home his 11th goal in his last nine games.The roles were reversed a minute later as this time Messi freed Suarez inside the box, but the Uruguayan drove his low shot beyond the far post.For all their dominance, Barca nearly went in at the break level as Villarreals only threatening counter-attack of the half ended with Ter Stegen making a fine save to turn Luciano Viettos shot behind.However, the young German goalkeeper was very much at fault when Villarreal did equalise just three minutes after half-time when he failed to keep out Trigueross thunderbolt from outside the area.The visitors were only on level terms for a minute as Suarez again created the danger when he claimed to have been fouled inside the area by Mario Gaspar and Iniesta swept the loose ball into the far corner.Another defensive error allowed Barca to extend their lead when Musacchio and Asenjo were caught flat-footed by Messis corner and Pique headed home unmarked at the far post.Musacchio was also at fault seven minutes later when he handled as Messi tried to wriggle free inside the area.The Argentinian had missed from the spot in the previous round against Atletico Madrid and handed the responsiblity to Neymar, but he too failed from 12 yards as Asenjo made a comfortable save low to his right.Suarez nearly rounded off the evening with a stunning effort from just inside the Villarreal half, but the ball floated just wide with Asenjo beaten.

Football: Show-stopper Willian preserves Chelsea's lead

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LONDON (AFP) - Brazilian midfielder Willian scored an 89th-minute winner as Chelsea edged Everton 1-0 on Wednesday to preserve their seven-point lead over Manchester City at the top of the Premier League.With City 4-1 up at Stoke City, the defending champions looked poised to trim Chelseas lead to five points, only for Willian to break Evertons resistance with a crisp low strike at Stamford Bridge.Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho handed a full debut to January signing Juan Cuadrado, but in the ongoing absence of suspended top scorer Diego Costa, his side struggled to break down Roberto Martinezs Everton.The home side dominated the game, with Willian and Cuadrado shooting off-target in the first half and fit-again Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard thwarting Eden Hazard, Nemanja Matic and Willian in the second.Evertons best two chances fell to former Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku, but he was denied on both occasions by Petr Cech.Preferred to Thibaut Courtois, the Czech shot-stopper jutted out a foot to thwart his former team-mate in the first half and then produced a stunning point-blank save to deny the Belgian in the 68th minute.Chelsea thought they had broken the deadlock in the latter stages when a shot from Matic flicked off Branislav Ivanovic and went in, but it was ruled out for offside.Mourinhos men continued to press, however, and after Evertons Gareth Barry had been shown a second yellow card following a heated melee, Willian snatched the winner.Howard left his line to punch clear a high cross, but could only send the ball to Willian, who drilled a controlled shot through a crowd of players and into the bottom-right corner.Citys victory at the Britannia Stadium, constructed around a brace by Sergio Aguero, ended a run of four games without a win as they returned to winning ways following a disappointing 1-1 home draw with Hull City.City were looking to record a first win at Stoke in the league in seven attempts and they took a 33rd-minute lead when Aguero ran onto a punt from James Milner and fired into the bottom-left corner.Peter Crouch equalised five minutes later, stooping to head home a Marko Arnautovic cross at the far post, but Milner put City back in front by heading in a cross from Samir Nasri early in the second period.Aguero scored from the penalty spot after Geoff Cameron was adjudged to have fouled David Silva before Nasri got on the score-sheet in the 79th minute by surging to the edge of the box and slamming home.Elsewhere, Manchester United climbed above Southampton and Arsenal to reclaim third place by winning 3-1 at home to second-bottom Burnley, with early substitute Chris Smalling scoring twice.Stung by accusations his side had played long-ball football in their 1-1 draw at West Ham United on Sunday, United manager Louis van Gaal saw his team take a sixth-minute lead courtesy of Smalling.The England defender had only been on the pitch for a matter of seconds after replacing the injured Phil Jones when he scored with his first touch by heading home from a corner.Danny Ings headed in Kieran Trippiers inviting cross to equalise six minutes later, but another Smalling header restored Uniteds lead in first-half injury time before Robin van Persie added a late penalty.Southampton fell to fourth place after a 0-0 draw at home to West Ham in which visiting goalkeeper Adrian was sent off in the 61st minute for handling the ball outside his area.

Football: Aguero double helps City crush Stoke

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STOKE-ON-TRENT (AFP) - Manchester City showed their defence of the Premier League title isnt over just yet as Sergio Agueros double inspired a 4-1 win at Stoke that kept the champions in touch with leaders Chelsea on Wednesday.A miserable run of five games without a win in the absence of key midfielder Yaya Toure, on African Cup of Nations duty with the Ivory Coast, had cast doubts over Citys ability to close the gap on Chelsea.But Agueros brace and strikes from James Milner and Samir Nasri gave City their first league win at Stoke in 16 years and kept Manuel Pellegrinis second-placed side within seven points of Chelsea.The Britannia Stadium has not been a happy hunting ground for City and they knew almost instantly nothing would come easy as they were subjected to an early onslaught once Aguero had passed up an opportunity to give them the lead.The Argentina international had gone six games without a goal either side of a month out with a knee injury and again his deadly touch deserted him as he scuffed a shot from David Silvas perfectly-weighted square pass.And that was the cue for Stoke to throw everything at the champions as they looked to complete an unlikely double following their win at Eastlands in August.City goalkeeper Joe Hart just about managed to scramble a Victor Moses shot around the post for a corner which Peter Crouch met with a header that was goalbound until it struck Milner.City lived dangerously again when Crouch then had the ball in the net but after Hart could only parry another Moses shot into his path, the former England international converted from an offside position.Moses was stretching City at every opportunity and went close again with another fierce drive that flew just wide after Hart had blocked a Steven Nzonzi shot.But City finally found some relief in the shape of Aguero who ended his barren run with his 20th goal of the season with just over half an hour gone.There didnt look to be too much on when Milner relieved the pressure with a long clearance, but Agueros determination saw him beat Marc Muniesa to the bouncing ball and from there he only had eyes for goal.Running at an exposed Stoke defence, the striker went outside Phil Bardsley wide before shooting low across goalkeeper Asmir Begovic and into the far corner.But if City thought that would give them a measure of control they were wrong as within four minutes Stoke were level, this time Crouch timing his run perfectly to meet a Marko Arnautovic cross with a downward header which gave Hart no chance to claim his seventh goal of the season.Still the excitement of the half wasnt over as Aguero thought he had put City back in front in stoppage time but after meeting a Silva cross with an initial touch and then a close-range header, he was judged to have helped the ball over the line with his hand and instead of awarding the goal, as he looked to have done at first, referee Lee Mason instead booked Citys leading scorer.Milner and Aguero were the key men in the second half as City finally put distance between themselves and Stoke.Milner headed City into the lead from a Nasri cross 10 minutes after the break as he scored for the second game in a row to double his Premier League tally for the season.Aguero then scored from the penalty spot after Silva had been pulled back by Geoff Cameron and with Stoke a beaten side, Nasri made the victory even more emphatic, cutting in to steer a delightful shot past Begovic from 20 yards to show that City wont give up their crown without a fight.

Football: Lambert sacked as Aston Villa manager

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LONDON (AFP) - Paul Lambert has been sacked as manager of Aston Villa after a run of 10 games without a win took them into the Premier League relegation zone, the club announced on Wednesday.Aston Villa Football Club has parted company this evening with manager Paul Lambert, Villa announced on their website.First-team coach Scott Marshall and goalkeeping coach Andy Marshall will continue to prepare the squad for Sundays FA Cup tie with Leicester City at Villa Park.Lambert, 45, took over at Villa Park in 2012 and led the Midlands club to 15th-place finishes in his first two seasons, but the former Scotland midfielder had come under pressure from fans following a poor run of recent form.Villa recently went 11 hours without scoring a Premier League goal and supporters unveiled a banner calling for Lambert to leave during their 2-0 loss at fellow strugglers Hull City on Tuesday.The club would also like to place on record its thanks to Paul and take this opportunity to wish him every success in the future, Villa added.The club will announce a new manager in due course. There will be no further comment from the club at this stage.The defeat at the KC Stadium saw Villa slip into the Premier Leagues bottom three for the first time this season, raising the prospect of a first relegation since the 1986-87 campaign.You cant feel sorry for yourself, Lambert said after the game. Youve got to pick yourself up and go again.Villa, European champions in 1982, made a strong start to the season, winning three and drawing one of their first four league fixtures.Their form saw Lambert awarded a contract extension last September, but his stock plummeted as they won just two of their subsequent 21 matches.Villa were also knocked out of the League Cup by third-tier Leyton Orient, but they have reached the fifth round of the FA Cup.Lambert, who won the Champions League as a player with Borussia Dortmund in 1997, joined Villa after three seasons with Norwich City.He is the fifth managerial departure of the current Premier League season, after Neil Warnock (Crystal Palace), Alan Irvine (West Bromwich Albion), Alan Pardew (Newcastle United) and Harry Redknapp (Queens Park Rangers).Former Tottenham Hotspur manager Tim Sherwood, previously linked with West Brom and QPR, is reported to be a leading contender to succeed Lambert.

Euro jumps as Greece-EU talks show signs of progress

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NEW YORK (AFP) - The euro jumped in late trade Wednesday amid reports of some progress in Greeces talks with the Eurogroup finance ministers over restructuring its bailout financing.The euro had traded down to $1.1280 during the day amid worries that the two sides remained far apart. But the single currency jumped to around $1.1350 as reports near 2200 GMT surfaced of a narrowing of differences as the Brussels meeting wound up.Greece entered the crunch talks demanding a bridging loan to cover its shortfalls while it finalizes a new, less austere economic plan with creditors, while the EU insisted on keeping Athens more tightly bound with an extension of the current program.The initial reports from the meeting said the two sides were leaning to an extension of the existing bailout.That would still give Athens room to restructure its payments without first defaulting on its massive debts, and ease fears that the country could end up leaving the eurozone entirely.But if austerity conditions remain in place, it could anger supporters of the new Greek government negotiating the deal.

Curtain up on World Cup marathon men

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SYDNEY (AFP) - The World Cup gets a soft opening on Thursday with a predicted 2.5 billion people poised to tune in to the six weeks of action but with the 49-match programme facing a series of headaches.From security to corruption to illegal bowling actions, the 14-team tournament, being played across 14 venues in Australia and New Zealand, will be launched with night-time opening ceremonies in Melbourne and Christchurch.The glitzy showbiz events, starring two of the hosts musical exports, Tina Arena and Hayley Westenra, bring the curtain up on the tournament which wont start until Saturday.Thats when Australia tackle old enemy England at a jam-packed Melbourne Cricket Ground while co-hosts New Zealand face Sri Lanka on what should be an emotional afternoon at Christchurchs Hagley Oval.But the build-up to the event has been squarely focused on clamping down on some of the games darker arts as well as a harsh spotlight shone on security in the aftermath of Wednesdays announcement that an imminent terror attack had been thwarted in Sydney.The global security threat is an issue, admitted International Cricket Council (ICC) chief executive David Richardson.The ICC have also gone to great lengths to reduce the threat of corruption -- names of fixers with links to shadowy, underground betting networks have been passed onto the two nations immigration bodies.Furthermore, anyone suspected of live betting, whereby bookies take advantage of the brief delays in TV transmissions to manipulate odds, will be ejected from grounds.On the field, the tournament, widely-regarded as the most open in years, will be missing a string of A-list performers.Pakistan were deprived of the worlds leading ODI bowler Saeed Ajmal after the off-spinner withdrew from the reckoning when his action was deemed illegal -- just one of a series of bowlers caught out in a recent crackdown.West Indies spinner Sunil Narine, though not as lethal as Ajmal, also pulled out of his countrys squad to rectify problems with his action.As well as attempting to spot an illegal action, the games umpires will also be expected to play their part in a tough new campaign to eradicate sledging.The crackdown has already started, said Richardson.First offence youll likely end up with a fine, which no player likes. Repeat offence ... some players already sitting with some offences behind their name, will be punished with a suspension.Living up to the billing that theres never a dull moment when 1992 champions Pakistan are at a World Cup, the Asian giants lost experienced opener Mohammad Hafeez with an ankle injury, seamer Umar Gul because of a knee injury while another fast bowler Junaid Khan had to be withdrawn from the 15-man squad after he failed to recover from a leg injury.Pakistan can boast the sports tallest cricketer in seven-foot, one-inch (2.16 metre) Mohammad Irfan wholl certainly be an attraction when his side meet bitter rivals and defending champions India in Adelaide on Sunday.Tickets for that game were sold out within 20 minutes.The World Cup is Indias last engagement on what has been a thoroughly miserable Test and ODI tour of Australia with Mahendra Singh Dhonis team finally breaking their winning drought on Tuesday with a victory over Afghanistan in a warm-up game.Australia, the four-time champions, have been sweating on the fitness of captain Michael Clarke whose hamstring problems have placed a long-running question mark over his ability to last six weeks.His 64 in a warm-up win over the United Arab Emirates in Melbourne on Wednesday helped ease the doubts.West Indies, the champions of the first two World Cups in 1975 and 1979, are in turmoil with former skipper Dwayne Bravo dropped for his role in the controversial abandoning of last years tour of India over a pay row.Teammate Chris Gayle accused the West Indies Cricket Board of victimisation in their treatment of Bravo, one of the teams few match-winners.The UAE, who boast the oldest players in the tournament -- 43-year-old duo, Mohammed Tauqir and Khurram Khan -- are playing in their first World Cup since 1996.Afghanistan are playing in their first, a widely-applauded achievement for a team who picked up the basics of the game while living in refugee camps in Pakistan.The 14 teams are split into two groups with the top four going into the quarter-finals.Pool A is made up of Australia, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, England, New Zealand, Scotland and Sri Lanka.Pool B contains India, Pakistan, Ireland, West Indies, South Africa, UAE and Zimbabwe.The ICC insist that there is global appeal for the marathon event.It will be broadcast in over 200 territories. We expect (viewership) to be exceeding 2.5 billion people. Its broadcast in seven languages, including Italian, said Richardson.

Pakistan, India resume Kashmir trade

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MUZAFFARABAD (AFP) - Pakistani officials Wednesday said stalled trade with India across the de facto border in the disputed territory of Kashmir had resumed after negotiations with Indian authorities.Trade was suspended on Friday after Indian authorities detained a Pakistani truck driver accused of drug trafficking.Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since the two countries won independence from Britain in 1947. Both claim the scenic Himalayan territory in full.Barter trade across the de facto border began in 2008 as part of peace efforts, but it is frequently disrupted by disputes.Trade has resumed between India and Pakistan after successful negotiations between authorities from both sides, local administration official Sayed Ishtiaq Gillani told AFP.He said cargo trucks waiting on both sides of the border had started to move.Trade and Travel Authority chief Imtiaz Wayen confirmed the resumption of trade. Yes Trade and travel between Pakistan and India has resumed and Indian officials have decided to let all the trucks cross the border except one truck in which drug was found last week, Wayen told AFP.He said the driver had also been detained and would be interrogated by the Indian authorities.Pakistani authorities had also started an investigation and arrested a Trade and Travel Authority official in connection with the case, he said.Wayen said a special cross-border bus service that operates twice a week would also resume.Early on Monday, the Indians had requested the release of 50 trucks held by the Pakistanis, who in turn asked for access to the detained driver and release of 22 trucks held by the other side.Delegations from both sides had met on Monday but failed to reach agreement.
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